Witch-king
| Witch-king of Angmar | |
|---|---|
| Tolkien's legendarium character | |
| Aliases | Black Captain Lord of the Nazgûl Chieftain of the Ringwraiths |
| Race | Nazgûl, men |
The Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain, is a character in Tolkien's legendarium. In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, he is the chief of the Nazgûl or "Ringwraiths", the chief servants of the Dark Lord, Sauron. His name is not revealed in any of Tolkien's writings, nor are the names of any of the other Nazgûl except Khamûl.
In the manuscript of his notes for translators Tolkien stated that the Witch-king's name and background were not recorded, but that he was probably of Númenórean descent. In the Second Age, the Rings of Power were forged by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's direction, and nine of these were given to men of the time, one of whom became the Witch-king. The rings gave them immense power, and they "became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old." The rings also made them immortal, but eventually corrupted them, turning them into the ghastly, undead Nazgûl. The Witch-king became their leader, and as Lord of the Nazgûl served as Sauron's second in command for over 4000 years.
A millennium into the Third Age, the Witch-king reappeared in Angmar, a realm in the far North straddling the Misty Mountains. He quickly dominated Angmar, and turned to wage war against the three splinter kingdoms of Arnor (Arthedain, Rhudaur, and Cardolan); for Sauron, seeing that Gondor remained strong, sought to capitalise on the dissension among the northern kingdoms. It was during these northern wars, prosecuted against the Dúnedain for the next several hundred years, that the King of Angmar became known as the Witch-king. Rhudaur was soon compromised; power there was seized by evil Hillmen allied with Angmar. Argeleb I of Arthedain fortified the border against Rhudaur along the Weather Hills, but was killed in battle with Angmar and Rhudaur. The Witch-king then invaded Cardolan. King Arveleg I of Arthedain was killed defending Weathertop, but the palantír there was saved and moved to Fornost. The last Prince of Cardolan was killed, and most of the Dúnedain of Rhudaur were killed or driven out. Later the Great Plague destroyed many of the remaining Dúnedain of Cardolan, and evil spirits from Rhudaur and Angmar infested the burial mounds in the Barrow-downs.
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