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Racism

2010-01-18T03:26:26Z

76.89.120.99: new section

{{sources}}
{{quote|For years, Tolkien scholars have waged a fight on two fronts: against an academic establishment that for the most part refused to take the author's work seriously, and against white supremacists who have tried to claim the professor as one of their own.|David Ibata, ''Chicago Tribune''<ref>http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/chi-030112epringsrace,0,341461.story</ref>}}

[[Image:Haradrim.jpg|thumb|225px|''Haradrim'' from [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]]]
[[Image:John Howe - Easterlings.jpg|thumb|''Easterlings'' by [[John Howe]].]]
Fans and critics of Tolkien's works have observed several ambiguously '''Racist and race-based elements'''; these go further into stereotyping or symbolism of good versus evil in the [[Arda]] [[legendarium]].

In the Foreword to the revised edition of ''The Lord of the Rings'', Tolkien cautioned strongly against viewing it as an allegory, saying that he disliked allegory himself. Furthermore, according to his own claims, Tolkien denounced Hitler, Nazi beliefs, "race-doctrine" and apartheid and praised the Jews, calling them a "gifted people" (see below).

[[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy]] has done much to perpetuate popular interest in, as well as criticism of, Tolkien's writing.

==Synopsis of the controversy==
Tolkien's ''Lord of the Rings'' draws upon a deep background of folklore and myth. It is common ground that fairy tales and many other types of traditional story can be viewed as the codification of stereotypes; some of which relate to the issue of positive and negative attributes. Tolkien's [[Middle-earth]] contains a wide variety of races; the [[Elves]] and [[Men]] can in some cases intermarry, but otherwise these may be biologically separate. Tolkien's creation arguably rests upon the same kind of oversimplification that racial prejudice does. In descriptive terms, he can be said to depend on superficial details: (such as physical features, language, clothing); the exaggeration of common aesthetic values of beauty and ugliness to extremes; the wholesale assignment of values of good and evil to a whole class of creatures. On this basis his writing has been criticized, for displacing human contact and nuance.

Tolkien's defenders contend that the various "races" are exaggerated personifications of broadly accepted value judgements, along a wide spectrum of traits from benevolent and just to wicked and perverse. A perspective that can be supported from Tolkien's own discussions of his work is that he distributed human traits: none of the types represents a complete person.

The main drive of the narrative, in any case, extends from the two-dimensional stereotypes into the concept of power as wicked and corrupting. Tolkien's defenders tend to argue that the symbolism of the ring as the paramount quest of the story far outshadows the stereotypes. Critics argue that the deeper meanings of the story are interpreted, and that its literal and vivid use of a race like the [[Orcs]] as virtually axiomatically determined carries too much resonance. To draw meaning from an interpreted moral requires less visceral reaction and greater consideration.

In Italy, ''Lord of the Rings'' is considered fascist by some groups and Italian fascist organisations are allegedly using the book for recruiting[http://www.johnreilly.info/ata.htm]. [[Natalia Aspesi]] from the Cannes Film Festival called the movie 'naziskn'. According to Italian website [http://www.caltanet.it/frm/cinema/ Caltanet], [[Wikipedia:Alleanza Nazionale|Alleanza Nazionale]] a right-oriented Italian political party had taken a picture from ''Fellowship of the Ring'' movie to promote a speech by his leader, [[Wikipedia:Gianfranco Fini|Gianfranco Fini]]<ref>http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1001628604</ref>

==Orcs==
Of the orcs, only the Uruk Hai are described as black skinned. In one of his letters, Tolkien described Orcs as ''"...squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes; in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types."''([[Letter 210]])

While Tolkien's statement comparing Orcs to the Mongoloids (the Asian races) is undoubtedly insensitive given today's standards, he does put a disclaimer "(to Europeans)" before "least lovely", thus recognizing Western cultural bias and he also points out that they were "degraded and repulsive versions" of "Mongol-types", not actual "Mongol-types". It is worth noting that some Orcs use crooked or bent swords (Tolkien also uses the term scimitar, which are historically associated with the Middle-East).

==Indications==
The whole of Tolkien's Legendarium contains a conflict between ''literal'' light (The Trees, the Silmirils) and darkness (the literal absence of light). This ongoing clash may be interpreted as containing racial symbolism of light ''skinned'' versus dark skinned peoples. Morgoth's standard was "sable unblazoned" (that is, plain black). "Mordor" means "black land" in Sindarin.

*One of the clear racist elements in the Tolkien universe is that the majority of the men who serve Sauron are the dark-skinned African and Asian influenced peoples of Easterlings and Southrons.

*The Easterlings are usually depicted as a Mongolian and Middle-eastern culture and are always aligned with Morgoth or Sauron with the single exception of Bór. They are described as being of fairly dark skin complexion, swarthy and exceedingly cruel.

*The Southrons (or Haradrim) are apparently inspired by African cultures with Indian influences such as fighting on Mumakil-back. They are stated to be black-skinned and cruel, evil, and uncompromising.

*Tolkien has divine beings blessing or gifting peoples or persons and their descendants, having thus the concept of the [[chosen people]] who differ from others — in Tolkien's case, the Dunedain (literally "Men of the West") of Numenor.

*In some cases, people having the slightest blood relation to enemies, like [[Freca]] and [[Wulf]], who are related to the Dunlendings, are presented as evil themselves, as if evilness is hereditary. Some of these are also called "swarthy" (dark).

*Usually, those whose appearance was 'unpleasant' ([[Maeglin]], [[Bill Ferny]]) and disliked by the main protagonists, turn out to be traitors. Bill Ferny is said to be swarthy, and this can be traced to his Dunlending ancestry. Maeglin was an Elf and thus light-skinned, although his father [[Eol]] was always referred to as "the Dark Elf".

* While there are some exceptions to the concept of white (color or race) being good, these are too few to discount the allegations of racism. Grima and Saruman are evil, but the members of their races are overwhelmingly good.

*Tolkien himself compared Dwarves to Jews:
{{quote|"The dwarves of course are quite obviously - wouldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic."|J.R.R. Tolkien<ref>http://www.daisy.freeserve.co.uk/jrrt_int.htm</ref>}}
:One may interpret this comment in many ways. It should be noted that he only made an explicit connection between the dwarf-language [[Khuzdul]] to Semitic languages. However, one of the weaknesses of the Dwarves was their greed for gold and other riches, amplified by the [[Seven Rings]]. Some see a connection between this and the stereotype of the Jewish usurer. Finally, both the Jews and the Dwarves, spent much of their history as refugees in exile.

===Counterindications===

Tolkien's defenders assert that many criticisms of racism and elitism levelled at ''The Lord of the Rings'' and other writings are oversimplifications and generalizations, and do not take account of everything the author may have written concerning these matters.

*Tolkien was English, and wanted to make a mythology for England. Therefore he wrote ''The Lord of the Rings'' according to his people's point of view. He could not make his protagonists, say, Incan or Japanese, or even put the setting anywhere else than (an alternative) North-western Europe, in spirit if not in actuality.

*Tolkien only made precise ''geographic'' correspondences of Third Age Middle-earth locations to those in the real world. For example, [[Hobbiton]] was at the latitude of Oxford. The Shire was based upon, but ''was not actually'' rural England, since "the lands have changed" since then. Tolkien made no precise correspondences regarding the ''peoples'' concerned. Though the Hobbits were based upon rural English folk, they were not literally ancient Englishmen. He never said that Harad was Africa, nor the Eastlands Asia, nor their inhabitants ancestors of Africans or Asians. ''The Silmarillion'' presents tales of a time when the Earth's lands were different from that in the Third Age.

*Not only the East and South are associated with evil, and neither were they always so. In the First Age, evil came from the North when Morgoth based himself in [[Angband]]. Also, all Men and Elves first awoke in the East. Boromir is introduced as a "man of the South" without qualification (actually South-west).

*The contrast between Black and White used as one between Evil and Good is age-old, alluding to the universal fear of Darkness compared to Light.
White is not associated only with Good. Saruman the White has the White Hand as his symbol. Similarly black is not only associated with evil. Gondor uses a black standard bearing the White Tree, and the Guards of the Citadel of Minas Tirith, which Pippin was a member of, wore black chain mail. In [[The Peoples of Middle-earth]], a Numenorean fleet is headed by a boat with black sails. One of the mariners explains to a native of Middle-earth, scared that the black sails indicate doom, that the blackness is in fact a thing of beauty, the night sky of [[Elbereth]] (who kindled the stars). Indeed, Tolkien states that one of Morgoth's (literally, the 'Black Enemy') victories was in associating darkness and night with fear and evil.

*Not all enemies are non-white. Saruman himself is a white man (actually a Mairar in a human form) using White as his symbol, and some of the Ringwraiths were white men. Similarly, not all allies and heroes are white. In ''The Lord of the Rings'' Gondor's territories included provinces and fiefdoms which were populated by non-Numenoreans. Some of these people were somewhat darker-skinned than the white Numenoreans, but were counted among the folk of Gondor just the same. They were called to Minas Tirith in the face of its impending siege, and were welcomed as heroes. Prominent among them were the '''swarthy''' men of Lossarnach, whose leader, Forlong the Fat, was slain in the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]. In ''The Silmarillion'', not all Easterlings betrayed the Elves and their fellow Men, and those who remained faithful bravely fought to the end in the face of defeat.

*The white but darker-skinned Dunlendings themselves are descendants of the [[Edain]] (through the [[House of Haleth]]), therefore distant though unrecognized relatives of the Dunedain of Numenor, and their ancestors grew hostile to the Dunedain due to the latter despoiling their forests. The mostly benign and hearty men of Bree are descended from Dunlendings.

*In the War of the Ring, the enemies are not truly evil, since they are described as deceived, enslaved or exploited. Sam sees a dead warrior of Harad and wonders if he was truly evil — or rather deceived or coerced to go to war (see below). The Dunlendings are persuaded by Saruman to attack Rohan, playing on their grievances due to Gondor giving what they considered their land to the Eotheod, the ancestors of the Rohirrim. Earlier, Sauron persuaded their ancestors to fight against the Numenoreans, the cause of their relocation from forests into the hills.

*Tolkien does not actually mention the physical features of the Easterlings in ''The Lord of the Rings''; however the Easterlings of ''The Silmarillion'' are described as either sallow or swarthy. There is no certainty that the Easterlings of the First Age are the same people as those of the Third Age though: in fact, many of the "white" Men of Eriador are indicated to be descendants of the First Age Easterlings.

*Tolkien first describes the Haradrim in ''The Lord of the Rings'' as tall, dark, and looking fierce and nasty (according to [[Gollum]]), with long black hair, painted faces and gold earrings and ornaments. Later a warrior of Harad who falls at Sam's feet has black plaits of hair braided with gold. Notably, the author does not describe them as black, nor their hair as kinky, nor give them any other typical African features.

*All the "superior" people, be they Elves, Edain or Dunedain, have no direct analogues in peoples of the real world. If the Dunedain could be put somewhere, they would belong in [[Atlantis]], since Numenor was Middle-Earth's counterpart to Plato's Atlantis. The Rohirrim, who have been parallelled to blond and fair Europeans, are "inferior" to them, being Middle Men, in their view.

*The [[Woses]], the Wild Men of the Druadan Forest, are primitive and alien compared to other peoples (their chief Ghan-buri-Ghan only wears a grass skirt) yet they are valuable allies (in ''The Return of the King''). They are roughly Tolkien's version of pygmies: diminutive like Hobbits (and Dwarves), and knowledgeable in forest life. He does not mention their skin colour, though. They were considered monsters by the Rohirrim who hunted them as animals, which the narrative implicitly condemns. However in the First Age they were counted as ''Edain'', or noble Men, and were allies of the Elves.

*Tolkien portrays racism within the "heroic" races as unabashedly negative. Elves and Dwarves distrust each other. Some Elves hunted the Petty-dwarves as animals, as did the Rohirrim to the Woses. The friendship between [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] is portrayed as unusual but commendable, and several scenes illustrate them learning to understand and respect each other's cultural differences.

*The Numenoreans of Gondor fell to infighting because of a supposed need for racial purity, especially concerning the ancestry of their king (the [[Kin-strife]]), and grew weaker as a result. In this affair, the villain was the pure-blooded Numenorean [[Castamir]] while the hero was the half-Numenorean [[Eldacar]].

*The Men of Darkness were not the only enemies of the Numenoreans. Some of their worst enemies were their relatives, the Black Numenoreans ("Black" not because of their skin, but because of their heraldry) who stayed in Umbar (and later became the Corsairs).

*Though Tolkien contrasts the "[[Moriquendi|Dark Elves]]" with the "[[Calaquendi|High Elves]]" in ''The Silmarillion'', it was not because the former were black (which they weren't), but because they had not seen the light (literally – of the [[Two Trees]]), and so were still "in the darkness". They were not evil either. Also, while the narrative hints on the 'superiority' of the High Elves over the Dark Elves, this is because of living next to the Valar who enriched their corporal and mental power and wisdom, not because of genetic factors.

*Kings, princes, heirs and noblemen as protagonists is not necessarily an advocation of blood nobility, since it is a theme and concept common in myths and fairy-tales. Also, [[Sam Gamgee]] represents the common man, and sees insights that more "noble" characters apparently do not, such as the true situation of the human enemies. Note that in a letter (#131), Tolkien states that Sam is the chief hero of the whole book.

*There are no truly "perfect" peoples in Tolkien's writings. Given that Tolkien loved trees and nature in general, having his Numenoreans wantonly cut down trees for ships is decidedly negative. The Noldor rebelled against the Valar and killed their fellow Elves.

*Even the Orcs themselves practiced "racism", as the Uruk-hai held themselves as superior to the common Orcs, whom they called ''snaga'' (slave).

*Tolkien's comment that the Dwarves are reminiscent of Jews may not be negative, when seen in the right context — as stated above, he only explicitly says that Khuzdul is "Semitic" in the above interview. He paints a mostly positive picture of the race in his writings (Gimli of course is brave and honourable, and it is stated in one of the Appendices to ''The Lord of the Rings'' that "few Dwarves ever served the enemy willingly", contrary to the tales of Men) and elsewhere he made explicitly positive statements about the Jews (see above). The arguably negative traits of Dwarves such as their greed for riches may be attributed to traditional portrayals of them, and people looking for any other negative connections may be reading too much into the above statement. In one of his letters, he makes the same comparison, but this time it is explicitly about both peoples being dispossessed of their lands, forced to wander the world, and adopt the languages of other lands: both were "''at once natives and aliens in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue…''" ([[Letter 176]]) Thus, "Dwarves-as-Jews" has more to do with status, history, and linguistics rather than prejudice.

*The point-of-view characters of the book -- the hobbits -- are themselves of a race that is frequently described as being overlooked, under-estimated, and lightly regarded by the other races of Middle-earth, yet they often demonstrate far greater courage and nobility than the races who denigrate them.

==Relevant Passages from the text==
{{quote|It is not unlikely that they <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Orcs]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> invented some of the machines that have since troubled the world, especially the ingenious devices for killing large numbers of people at once, for wheels and engines and explosions always delighted them"|''[[The Hobbit]]'', "Over-Hill and Under-Hill"}}

{{quote|It was Sam's first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it much. He was glad that he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil at heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace.|''[[The Two Towers]]'', "[[Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit]]"}}

==Tolkien on Racism==
{{quote|I must say that the enclosed letter from Rutten & Loening is a bit stiff. Do I suffer this impertinence because of the possession of a German name, or do their lunatic laws require a certificate of arisch origin from all persons of all countries? ... Personally I should be inclined to refuse to give any ''[[Wikipedia:Bestatigung|Bestatigung]]'' (although it happens that I can), and let a German translation go hang. In any case I should object strongly to any such declaration appearing in print. I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish blood as necessarily honourable; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine.|[[Letter 29]] — Tolkien's German publishers had asked whether he was of Aryan origin)}}

{{quote|Thank you for your letter ... I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by ''arisch''. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware noone (sic) of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.|[[Letter 30]] (Tolkien's unsent response to his German publishers; a more neutral version was ultimately sent)}}

{{quote|There was a solemn article in the local paper seriously advocating systematic exterminating of the entire German nation as the only proper course after military victory: because, if you please, they are rattlesnakes, and don't know the difference between good and evil! (What of the writer?) The Germans have just as much right to declare the Poles and Jews exterminable vermin, subhuman, as we have to select the Germans: in other words, no right, whatever they have done.|J.R.R. Tolkien — September 23, 1944}}

{{quote|I have the hatred of apartheid in my bones; and most of all I detest the segregation or separation of Language and Literature. I do not care which of them you think White.|From a valedictory address to the [[University of Oxford]] in [[1959]]}}

{{quote|As for what you say or hint of ‘local’ conditions: I knew of them. I don't think they have much changed (even for the worse). I used to hear them discussed by my mother; and have ever since taken a special interest in that part of the world. The treatment of colour nearly always horrifies anyone going out from Britain, & not only in South Africa. Unfort[unately], not many retain that generous sentiment for long." — From a letter to Christopher Tolkien, who was stationed in South Africa during World War II|[[Letter 29]]}}

{{quote|Anyway, I have in this War a burning private grudge--which would probably make me a better soldier at 49 than I was at 22: against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler (for the odd thing about demonic inspiration and impetus is that it in no way enhances the purely intellectual stature: it chiefly affects the mere will). Ruining, perverting, misapplying, and making for ever accursed, that noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved, and tried to present in its true light.|[[Letter 45]]}}

{{references}}
*[http://tolkien.slimy.com/faq/External.html#Racist Portion of a Tolkien FAQ attempting to give an answer to the matter]
*Relevant [http://www.merp.com/essays/MichaelMartinez/michaelmartinezsuite101essay13/view article on the movies] by [[Michael Martinez]]
*[http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/jan/08lord.htm Critique of the Lord of the Rings as an 'epic rooted in racism' by Dr Shapiro]
*[http://ta-nea.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=A&f=17519&m=P21&aa=1 Critique of the Peter Jackson movies, pointing out possible racist messages] by Dimitris Danikas (in Greek)

[[Category:Debates]]

Witch-king

2009-12-28T17:28:15Z

76.89.120.99:

{{evil infobox
| image= [[Image:Melissa Hitchcock - The Black Captain.jpg|300px]]
| name= Witch-king of Angmar
| othernames= [[Black Captain]], [[Lord of the Nazgûl]], [[Chief of the Nine]], [[Lord of Minas Morgul]]
| created= [[Second Age|S.A.]] 1800-2200, probably [[Númenor]]
| years= [[Second Age 2251|S.A. 2251]]-[[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]]
| age= 4200+
| destroyed= [[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]], [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]
| realm= [[Angmar]], [[Minas Morgul]]
| gender= Male
| race= [[Men]]/[[Nazgûl]]
| appearance= (Later) Cruel, pale king with gleaming hair and a crown, invisible to most eyes
| accomplishments= [[Arnor#The Fall of Arthedain|Fall of Arnor]], fall of [[Minas Ithil]] and [[Osgiliath]], deaths of [[Eärnur]] and [[Théoden]]
|}}
The '''Witch-king of Angmar''' was the chief of the [[Nazgûl]], King of [[Angmar]], and [[Sauron]]’s great captain in his wars. A [[wraith]], the Witch-king of Angmar was nearly indestructible, a terrible warrior, and a cunning strategist.

==History==
Some time after Sauron seized the [[Nine Rings]] in the [[Fall of Eregion]], [[Second Age 1697|S.A. 1697]] he gave them to mortal kings, sorcerers, and other warriors.[[#References|1]] With these rings the Nine achieved glory and grew wealthy, with the ability to turn invisible at will, not aging, but hating life as they were slowly drawn under Sauron’s dominion.[[#References|1]] Eventually all became [[Ringwraiths]], the dreaded Nazgûl.

The one later known as the Witch-king was one of these, likely one of the unnamed three lords of [[Númenor]] to take the rings.[[#References|2]] [[#References|3]] He first appeared in the histories as a Ringwraith in [[Second Age 2251|S.A. 2251]]. Being the most powerful of the Nazgûl, he became their chief, the most dreaded servant of his master Sauron.

When [[Mordor]] fell in [[Second Age 3441|S.A. 3441]], the Nazgûl vanished into the shadows, and were not heard of again for a long time.[[#References|4]]

===Early Power in Angmar===
More than a thousand years later, in c. [[Third Age 1050|T.A. 1050]] of the [[Third Age]], [[Sauron]] began to rebuild his power in [[Dol Guldur]]. In c. [[Third Age 1300|T.A. 1300]] his Nazgûl also reappeared, and the Witch-king established his realm, [[Angmar]], in the north.[[#References|4]] His capital was [[Carn Dûm]], on the northernmost peak of the [[Misty Mountains]]. He summoned men, [[orcs]], and other creatures of evil inclination to his banner. No one knew that he was actually a servant of the long-dormant [[Sauron]], and few that he was a wraith.[[#References|5]]

In the north, disunity plagued the [[Dúnedain]] of [[Arnor]]. They had divided into three kingdoms, [[Cardolan]], [[Rhudaur]], and [[Arthedain]], and were constantly at war with one another.[[#References|5]] The Witch-king saw the North-kingdom of Arnor as more vulnerable than the South-kingdom of Gondor.[[#References|6]] He played upon their opposition, sending in infiltrators and taking over the hearts of the men of that land. By [[Third Age 1349|T.A. 1349]] the government of Rhudaur was controlled by men secretly in his service,[[#References|6]] and he secretly aided them in their wars against the other kingdoms.[[#References|7]] He then struck at a time of great hostility among the three, in [[Third Age 1409|T.A. 1409]]. Rhudaur in the east fell first, and most of the Dúnedain there were hunted down and slaughtered by sorcerers.[[#References|8]] Cardolan was ravaged, and the [[Tower of Amon Sûl]], held by the men of Arthedain, was placed under siege. King [[Arveleg I]] was slain, and the tower was destroyed, but the coveted ''[[Amon Sûl-stone|palantír]]'' escaped in the hands of the surviving men of Arthedain and was brought to [[Fornost]].[[#References|9]]

The Witch-king continued to press the men of Arthedain, laying siege to Fornost, and he might have taken over all of Arnor in that one offensive. But [[Araphor]], the 18-year-old son of Arveleg, came to leadership and, with the help of the ancient elf [[Círdan]] of [[Lindon]], repelled the Witch-king’s forces at Fornost and the [[North Downs]].[[#References|10]] [[Elrond]] brought an army of [[Elves]] from [[Rivendell]] and [[Lothlórien]], and the Witch-king was pushed back and subdued.

===Twilight of Angmar===
The Witch-king sat silent in Carn Dûm, rebuilding his armies and preparing for a final assault on [[Arthedain]], last of the Arnorian kingdoms. The [[Dark Plague]] came and went in [[Third Age 1636]], taking with it the last of the Dúnedain of [[Cardolan]]. The Witch-king sent [[barrow-wights]] to inhabit the barrows in [[Tyrn Gorthad]].[[#References|10]] In [[Third Age 1974|1974]], he felt that his power was sufficiently restored to begin the advance.

His attack was sudden, but not unexpected. King [[Arvedui]] sent a message to King [[Eärnil]] of [[Gondor]] the year before, but help did not arrive in time. [[Fornost]] fell, and the Witch-king took up residence there in the palace.[[#References|11]] Arvedui held out as best as he might on the [[North Downs]], but at last fled north with the treasured ''[[palantíri]]'' of [[Amon Sûl-stone|Amon Sûl]] and [[Annúminas-stone|Annúminas]]. He would not return, for he perished in a shipwreck in [[Third Age 1975|1975]]. With him the ''palantíri'' were lost forever in the icy seas of [[Forod]]. The already-diminished North-kingdom ended, and [[Arnor]] fell.[[#References|10]]

Meanwhile, a coalition in the south had formed. Eärnil sent his son, [[Eärnur]], north with a great fleet, all that Gondor could spare. They arrived at [[Lindon]], and joined with the folk of Círdan. Círdan summoned all that would come: surviving Dúnedain of Arnor and elves of Lindon.[[#References|11]] Even a company of [[hobbit]] archers went to their aide.[[#References|10]] The Witch-king had grown overconfident, and instead of staying behind his fortifications initiated the attack. The [[Battle of Fornost]] was fought on the plain between [[Nenuial]] and the North Downs. The Witch-king may not have anticipated the strength brought against him, but for whatever reason the alliance gained the upper hand. His army began to fall back toward Fornost, but Eärnur’s magnificent horsemen struck from the north, and the Witch-king was routed.[[#References|11]]

He decided to flee to Angmar and the safety of Carn Dûm, but the cavalry, with Eärnur himself in the lead, overtook him. Moreover, the ranks of the allies swelled, as an army of elves from [[Rivendell]] came led by the mighty hero of old, [[Glorfindel]]. Angmar was purged of men and orcs, and all seemed lost for the Witch-king in the face of such numbers. But the Witch-king himself came at the last, robed and masked in black and riding a black horse, and attempted to kill Eärnur with his own hands. But Eärnur’s horse shied away and fled, and the Witch-king laughed. But Glorfindel came on his white horse, and faced with such power the Witch-king fled. He vanished into the shadows, and no-one marked where he had gone.[[#References|11]]

Eärnur wanted to pursue, but Glorfindel held him back, and made his famous prophecy.

{{quote|He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall.|Glorfindel, ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iv)}}

===Lord of Minas Morgul===
The Witch-king escaped to [[Mordor]], and gathered the other Ringwraiths about him in [[Third Age 1980|1980]].[[#References|4]] Angmar and Carn Dûm were lost, and so in [[Third Age 2000|2000]] the Witch-king began a two-year siege of [[Minas Ithil]], eventually capturing the place and turning it into his residence. It was renamed [[Minas Morgul]], and the ''[[Ithil-stone|palantír]]'' was sent to Sauron. The Witch-king sent an aura of fear in [[Gondor]], and much of [[Ithilien]] was deserted.[[#References|11]]

Eärnur succeeded his father as King of Gondor, and still held the Witch-king in especial hostility due to his humiliation at the Battle of Fornost. The year of his coronation the Witch-king sent him a taunting challenge, but [[Mardil]] the steward restrained Eärnur from rash action. Seven years later the challenge was repeated, and Eärnur rode with a small escort to Minas Morgul. None that rode thither ever returned, and there was no longer a King in Gondor.[[#References|11]]

After this the Witch-king bided his time. He and the Nazgûl built up their armies, including the terrible new orc-race of [[uruks]]. In [[Third Age 2475|2475]] he sent them out to capture [[Osgiliath]], which they did successfully. They were driven out by [[Boromir I]], but Osgiliath now lay completely in ruins. Boromir went on to retake Ithilien, so that even the Witch-king feared him. But he was killed by a Morgul-wound, and so his rule was but twelve years.[[#References|12]]

===Hunt for the Ring===
Sauron declared himself openly in [[Third Age 2951|2951]], and sent three of his Ringwraiths to [[Dol Guldur]] (though the Witch-king was left in Minas Morgul). Then, by lucky chance, the creature [[Gollum]] was captured and interrogated. Under torture, the wretched creature revealed the tale of the [[One Ring]] and how it came to be in his possession. But he had the daring to trick Sauron into thinking that the land of the hobbits who stole the Ring was on the banks of the [[Gladden River]].[[#References|13]] Under the leadership of the Witch-king, Sauron sent the Nine unclothed and invisible to search for the Ring after the assault of Osgiliath.

[[Image:Marc Holmes - Nazgul.jpg|thumb|left|350px|''Nazgûl'' by [[Marc Holmes]].]][[Khamûl]], the Witch-king’s lieutenant, reported that he was unable to find the “[[Shire]]” in the vales of [[Anduin]]. The Witch-king was determined to search north and west until Gollum was found, or the Shire. But plans were halted when Sauron received word of the prophecy in Gondor and the doings of the turncoat [[Saruman]], and concluded that the Wise did not yet have possession of the Ring. He sent the Ringwraiths to [[Isengard]] in the form of [[Black Riders]], too late to prevent the escape of the captured wizard [[Gandalf]], but had words with Saruman. Saruman, already a traitor to both sides due to his transparent lust for the Ring, fortified himself in Isengard. The Witch-king did not have enough power with him to assault Saruman in his great fortress, but had words with him. Saruman convinced the Witch-king that Gandalf alone knew where the Shire and the Ring was, and so the Nine passed into [[Rohan]] in search of him.[[#References|13]]

They came upon the traitor called [[Wormtongue]] and questioned him. The terrified man told them everything he knew; that Gandalf had passed through Rohan, where the Shire was, and even that Saruman had lied to them. The Witch-king spared Wormtongue’s life, foreseeing that Wormtongue would bring ruin to Saruman. He divided his wraiths into four pairs, and went with the swiftest to [[Minhiriath]]. Along the way they captured several spies of Saruman, and found to their delight charts and maps of the Shire. They sent along the spy to [[Bree]], warning them that they now belonged to Mordor, not Saruman.[[#References|13]]

They came to [[Sarn Ford]], but the [[Dúnedain]] [[Rangers of the North|Rangers]] prevented them from crossing. They sent for their great captain, the chieftain [[Aragorn II]], who alone could well resist the wraiths, but he was away, and the Ringwraiths captured the ford and killed many of the Rangers.[[#References|13]] The Witch-king sent three Ringwraiths under Khamûl into the Shire while he went east with the others.[[#References|4]] But they had come too late: the Ring had moved on in the hands of a hobbit, [[Frodo Baggins]].

===Pursuit of the Ring===
[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Fire on Weathertop.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Fire on Weathertop'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]Khamûl was unsuccessful, but brought word from the spy they had spared in Bree. The man had witnessed a vanishing act on Frodo's part, and had organized an attack on the inn. The Witch-king guessed that Frodo would head east, and sent four wraiths to [[Weathertop]], the ruins of the tower he had destroyed long ago. He went south along the [[Greenway]] and discovered nothing. Gandalf followed them, but the Witch-king let him slip ahead, and attacked him on Weathertop. Gandalf escaped at dawn, and again the Witch-king divided his force and sent four after the wizard.

The Ring walked almost right into his hands. The captain of the Dúnedain, Aragorn II, had become the guide of the hobbits, and led them to Weathertop, where they were spotted and attacked. The Witch-king advanced on Frodo, and the terrified hobbit put on the Ring, seeing them as they truly were. When Frodo resisted, and invoked the name of [[Elbereth]], the Witch-king stabbed Frodo in the shoulder. The tip of his blade broke off and sent poison through the hobbit’s veins. Then Aragorn counterattacked with flaming brands. The Witch-king fled at his mighty presence, confident that the poison of the blade would do its work and bend Frodo's will to his purpose. But he was shaken by the encounter; Gandalf and Aragorn were people of immense power, and even the Ring-bearer, who was not an especially strong person, had dared to resist him. He feared that Frodo might have some elvish power. Moreover, he knew that Frodo’s weapon, a [[blade of Westernesse]], was wrought for his undoing and if it had struck him would have done him damage. He was thus distressed, and Aragorn, Frodo, and their little company eluded him.[[Image:Ted Nasmith - The Attack of the Wraiths.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Attack of the Wraiths'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]

He resumed the pursuit quickly, though, and found the Khamûl had been driven from the [[Last Bridge]] by his old enemy [[Glorfindel]]. The Witch-king, who only had one companion with him, was likewise unable to confront him openly. They regrouped and went south, rejoining with the other four. They managed to pick up the trail of the company of the Ring, and despite hindrance from Glorfindel and Aragorn managed to pursue Frodo alone on [[Asfaloth]]. The pursuit came to the [[Ford of Bruinen]], and there Frodo compelled the horse to stop. The Witch-king saw his defiance and laughed, breaking his sword with a movement of his hand. But the waters of the [[Bruinen]] rose at [[Elrond]]'s command, sweeping the Nine downstream.[[#References|14]]

===War of the Ring===
The Witch-king took the only surviving horse back to [[Mordor]], arriving there in December. He then sent aid to the other eight Nazgûl, and they returned in secret. In [[Minas Morgul]] they prepared for a grand invasion of [[Gondor]] at the order of their master. The Witch-king was given by Sauron added "demonic" force.[[#References|15]] On March 10, [[Third Age 3019|3019]], the signal was given and Minas Morgul was emptied. The Witch-king rode at the head of the army in black, upon a black horse, as he had in the time of the wars of Angmar. As the Witch-king passed out of the gates of the dead city, he sensed the presence of Frodo. He was disturbed, but continued on through Ithilien.

With the Witch-king in command, [[Osgiliath]] soon fell.[[#References|16]] The defeat was attributed to his superior numbers, and his terrible presence which made all hearts to quail. The [[Rammas Echor]] was breached, and the [[Pelennor Fields]] were overrun. Other wraiths he sent out mounted on [[Fell Beasts]]. [[Faramir]], [[Ruling Steward|Steward]] [[Denethor II]]'s son, was wounded by a dart and the [[black breath]], but his company was saved by a sortie. Then the Witch-king laid siege to [[Minas Tirith]] itself, sending fire and the heads of the dead Gondorians into the city via catapults. Then he launched the assault.

[[Image:Angus McBride - Gandalf facing Witch-king.gif|thumb|right|250px|''Gandalf facing the Witch-king'' by [[Angus McBride]].]]He sent [[Grond]] out first, accompanying it in person so as to be the first to enter the city. Three times Grond struck the gate, empowered by the sorcery of the Witch-king. The third time the Gate shattered in a flash of fire. The Witch-king passed into Minas Tirith, but was confronted by Gandalf on [[Shadowfax]]. Gandalf forbade him entry, but the Witch-king laughed and put on a show of power.

{{quote|The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there cam a deadly laughter. 'Old fool!' he said. 'Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!' And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.|''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Siege of Gondor]]}}

But as Gandalf stood resolute, the [[Rohirrim]] came. The Witch-king departed, mounting a fell beast and descending upon King [[Théoden]] who led the attack. [[Snowmane]], the King's horse, collapsed with a dart in the side, and Théoden was crushed beneath him. But the rider [[Dernhelm]] defied the Witch-king. The Witch-king threatened Dernhelm with a terrible death, but the rider revealed that she was a woman, [[Éowyn]], and the Witch-king remembered the words of Glorfindel. The Witch-king hesitated, but then moved forward. Éowyn decapitated the fell beast, but the Witch-king rose and struck her down with his mace, breaking her shield-arm. Then the hobbit [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] stabbed him in the sinew of his leg with the [[blade of Westernesse]], as he drew back to kill the woman. Then Éowyn rose and drove her sword through where his invisible head was, and the sword broke as his crown toppled. The Witch-king gave a great and horrible wail, and perished at last.[[#References|17]][[Image:Michael Kaluta - Eowyn and the Witch-King of Angmar.jpg|left|300px|thumb|''Éowyn and the Witch-king'' by [[Michael Kaluta]].]]

So the prophecy of Glorfindel was fulfilled, for the Witch-king did not fall at the hands of a man, but at the hands of a woman and a hobbit. With his death, and the coming of Aragorn II in the black ships, the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] was lost.

==Early Life==

The Witch-king's true name is never given, and therefore among [[Tolkien fandom|Tolkien fans]], the Witch-king is often simply called ''Angmar'', after the name of the realm he founded and led. Many fans also identify him as one of the three [[Black Númenóreans]] Tolkien stated had become Nazgûl, or possibly [[Isilmo]], a Númenórean prince and father of Tar-Minastir. In the now defunct [[Middle-earth Role Playing]] game, he was named ''Er-Murazor'', a Númenórean prince, though this is strictly [[Canon|non-canonical]] and does not appear outside of the role playing material. It is also a popular belief among some fans, that the Witch-king was not dead as Éowyn had not an enchanted sword, and cite the passage that says that his wail was not heard again ''In this age of the earth''. But other Tolkien scholars say that although the Witch-king's return at an unspecified time in the future is possible, another possible solution is that Merry's stroke destroyed the Witch-king's invulnerability allowing Éowyn's non-magic blade to end his existence forever. Also, because of the perishing of the [[One Ring]], the nine other rings which kept the Nazgûl would probably have lost their power.

==Names==
* Witch-king of Angmar - "Witch" most likely coming from his background in sorcery, and "king" after his establishment of the realm of Angmar in 1300.
* Witch-lord of Angmar - A variant of the above title.
* Lord of the Nazgûl
* Lord of the Ringwraiths
* Chieftain of the Ringwraiths
* Lord of the Nine Riders
* King of the Nine Riders
* Wraith-lord
* Wraith-king
* High Nazgûl
* Lord of Morgul
* Morgul-lord
* King of Minas Morgul
* Black Captain
* Captain of Despair
* [[Dwimmerlaik]]
* Lord of Carrion

==Etymology==
While in modern English ''witch'' has mostly female connotations, referring to a hag or sorceress, in middle-English ''wicche'' had no gender distinction; the preference of ''witch'' for female persons (the males referred more usually as ''wizzards'') evolved later through the centuries.

Tolkien uses the archaic, gender-unspecific meaning of the term; of course, the word [[Wizard]] refers exclusively to the [[Maiar]] [[Istari]].

==Inspirations==
An undead witch-king named ''Þráinn'' appears in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrómundar_saga_Gripssonar Hrómundar saga Gripssonar]''. It is possible that this was Tolkien's source of inspiration.

The prophecy that the Witch-king would fall "not by the hand of man" and the fulfillment of the prophecy occurring as a technicality (being slain by a hobbit and a woman) bears a striking resemblance to the prophecy regarding the title character's death in Shakespeare's Macbeth, where it was foretold that Macbeth will be slain "not by man born of woman" and is then killed by Mcduff, born by caesarian section. Tolkien it seems was familiar with the play, having reputedly taken inspiration for the Last March of the Ents from the same source (See article ''[[Ents]]'' for details).

==Portrayal in Adaptations ==
<center><gallery>
Image:Witch-king from PJ's LotR - Armored.jpeg|<center>The Witch-king in [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]</center>
Image:Witchking ea rotk.jpg|<center>In ''[[EA's The Return of the King]]'', with different helmet.</center>
Image:The Lord of the Rings online Shadows of Angmar - Witch-king 1.jpg|<center>The Witch-king in [[The Lord of the Rings Online]].</center>
</gallery></center>

'''1956: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)]]'':'''
:The Black Captain is played by [[Felix Felton]].<ref name="RT1727">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1727, [[December 14]], [[1956]]</ref>

'''1978: ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is shown with no distinction from the other Ringwraiths; all are robed in brown and black, and none seem to be able to talk clearly.

'''1980: ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is portrayed as a humanoid figure with no head. Red eyes glare under a golden crown. His dialogue is more or less as in the books, albeit in a strange and somewhat unfitting electronic voice. After a stab from behind by Merry, Éowyn beheads him. It is worthy of note that the Witch-king is seen with the [[Red Eye]] of [[Barad-dûr]] as his emblem and faction, rather than the grim moon of [[Minas Morgul]].

'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:The role of the Witch-king is expanded with material from ''[[The Hunt for the Ring]]''. He is the second speaking character in the series: he is the one who captures [[Gollum]], though he is not identified as such until the credits. [[Philip Voss]] provided the voice for the Witch-king.

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is shown without distinction of the other Nazgûl.

'''2001-3: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:The Lord of the Nazgûl is only named the "Witch-king of Angmar" in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''. In that film, there is no mention of [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy; there is only a claim among the enemy that "no man can kill" the Witch-king. Like the other Nazgûl, he is depicted as a humanoid figure shrouded in a hooded black robe; his only distinguishing feature is a mask-like spiked helmet with a huge mouth. His first mention is when [[Gandalf]] tells [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] while in Minas Tirith that the Dark Lord has not yet revealed his greatest servant: the Witch-king, the one that "stabbed Frodo on Weathertop".

:During the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], the Witch-king's army uses the ram [[Grond (battering-ram)|Grond]] to break through the city gates early in the battle (after the failure of a lesser ram), and the Witch-king is not present to confront Gandalf as he is in the book. The confrontation takes place later, as Pippin and Gandalf race to the tombs to save [[Faramir (son of Denethor II)|Faramir]], and the Witch-king intercepts them. Unlike in the book, this meeting decisively favors the Witch-king, who breaks Gandalf's staff and throws the wizard to the ground before leaving to deal with the arrival of the [[Rohirrim]]. Gandalf's face shows obvious fear in this scene, in comparison to the resolution (for "victory or death") in the books.

:The Witch-king's destruction on the battlefield occurs with less dialogue than in the book, and the weapons used to destroy him are both mundane: Merry's sword is not a [[Daggers of Westernesse|dagger]] from the [[Barrow-downs]], but rather the Rohirric sword that Théoden had as a child.

:Eight actors are known to have played some part of the Witch-king.
# An unidentified extra portrayed the "King of Men" in the prologue. He was chosen to be the Witch-king simply because he was the smallest of the nine.
# [[Shane Rangi]] did the horse chase.
# [[Fran Walsh]] provided the "Ringwraith scream".
# Effects technician Ben Price played the Witch-king in "many scenes"<ref>http://www.decipher.com/content/2004/07/072904lotrwetaprops.html</ref>
# [[Brent McIntyre]] is officially credited as the Witch-king in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. He stabbed Frodo.
# [[Lawrence Makoare]] filled the robe of the Witch-king in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.
# [[Mark Ferguson]] filled the heavy armoured costume when Makoare felt claustrophobic.<ref>http://www.markferguson.net/articles/interview_Nautilus20.html</ref>
# [[Andy Serkis]] provided the voice of the Witch-king. It was layered thrice to give it a ghastly effect.

'''2003: ''[[EA's The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The Witch-king's role and voice are similar to that of the film, but his appearance is different. An early helmet design, that had been removed from the film because it resembled [[Sauron]]'s helm too much, was used here, presumably because there was no time to make a new character model.

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is a non-playable character that the player sees in various scenes.

==See Also==
* '''[[:Category:Images of the Witch-king|Images of the Witch-king]]'''
* [[Ringwraiths]]

{{references}}
# ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]], p. 289
# ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Akallabêth]], p. 267, [[Ballantine Books]] p. 320
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', p. 20
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix B]]
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 320
# ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Malvegil]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 193-194
# ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Argeleb I]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 194
# ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Arveleg I]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 194
# ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[The Palantíri]], note 16, [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 413
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 321-322
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 331-332
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 333
# ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[The Hunt for the Ring]], [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 338-341
# ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', [[Flight to the Ford]]
# ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 210]], p. 272
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Siege of Gondor]]
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]

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