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[Námo]

INDEX for this page.

Map of the northwestern part of Middle-earth (from the movie)
[left-click to toggle zoom]

This post is WIP

Edited by Námo, 20 November 2011 - 07:54 PM.

[Námo]

#Forgotten Realms of the Shadows, part 3:


 The East Excerpt of the history of the Easterlings in the Second Age.

... to be posted soon.

[content of relevance for Khamûl the Shadow of the East]


This post is WIP

Edited by Námo, 22 November 2011 - 09:54 AM.

[Námo]

#Forgotten Realms of the Shadows, part 4:

 The South Excerpt of the history of the peoples of Harad (South) in the Second Age.

• Harad / Haradwaith 
  
  
  
• Umbar 
  
  
  
• Khand 
  
  

  1. Khand is part of Harad, like Umbar - Harad is not a political entity, just a direction of the compass ("South"). As Khand and Umbar are the only known realms in Harad, we'll have to reflect the history and diversity of Harad into these two realms.
  
  2. The realm of Umbar was until late in Third Age part of Gondor, or Gondorian "sphere of interest" - Khand was never under Gondorian rule, but ruled by descendants of the Black Númenoreans, at least in those millennia where Sauron's dominion in Middle-earth was strong. Late Third Age the rulers of Umbar were of Haradric (non-Gondorian) descent.
  
  3. Thus, at the end of Third Age, we get this intriguing complementarity:
  The Rulers of Umbar were of Haradric descent, but the population mainly of Gondorian descent.
  The Rulers of Khand were of Black Númenorean descent, but the population of Haradric descent.
  
  4. Analyzing the geopolitical strategies of Sauron in the Third Age gives an interesting pattern: In the second millennium the primary aim was to destroy the Northern Kingdom (Arnor) and the Easterlings the most important (and strongest) ally. In the third millennium Sauron's primary aim was the retake and rebuild of Mordor, and in this Khand must have been of utmost importance, due to its geographical position guarding the Gap of Khand and for supply of fresh slaves - and because the Black Númenoreans were ever the most ready and trusty of all his allies.
  
  5. In the War of the Ring the forces of Khand (the Haradric forces in the Battle of the Pelennor) were greater than the forces of the Easterlings, or the forces of Umbar.
  
  6. On the Variags: these were mercenaries (cavalry), most likely they were descendants of the Northmen, refugees from the Easterling invasions of Rhovanion.
  
  7. The language of the ruling class of Khand must have been a dialect of Adûnaic.
  

This post is WIP

Edited by Námo, 22 November 2011 - 09:59 AM.

[Námo]

This is truly some amazing work and research Námo. Still trying to process all of it.

Well, the topic has outgrown my original intentions for it, and will maybe become even more complex than it is now. So I've added an identifier to the more important posts, and used those identifiers for an index added to the first post.

Example:

#Forgotten Realms of the Shadows:

As the topic progress, there might occur slight editing in previous posts, to remove eventual ambiguities.

Edited by Námo, 22 November 2011 - 09:48 AM.

[Námo]

#Fear, and the Shadow of Fear:

The Nazgûl and fear:

The Ringwriths were radiating horror and fear wherever they went, much like the Army of the Dead did; this seems to be inherent in their very nature, and was not due to any active action on their part ... and the fear was only temporary, passing away when the Nazgûl were no longer close by.

from Unfinished Tales, The Hunt for the Ring:

Sauron ... resolved that no others would serve him in this case but his mightiest servants, the Ringwraiths, who had no will but his own, being each utterly subservient to the ring that had enslaved him, which Sauron held.

Now few could withstand even one of these fell creatures, and (as Sauron deemed) none could withstand them when gathered together under their terrible captain, the Lord of Morgul. Yet this weakness they had for Sauron's present purpose: so great was the terror that went with them (even invisible and unclad) that their coming forth might soon be perceived and their mission be guessed by the Wise.

[...] Sauron did not underesteem the powers and vigilance of the Wise, and the Nazgûl were commanded to act as secretly as they could. ... The Lord of Morgul therefore led his companions over Anduin, unclad and unmounted, and invisible to eyes, and yet a terror to all living things that they passed near ... and rumour of darkness and a dread of men knew not what went before them.

... the Nine rode ever on into the North; and terror went before them and lingered behind them;

At length they returned; but the summer was now far waned, and the wrath and fear of Sauron was mounting. When they came back ... they met messengers from Barad-dûr conveying threats from their Master that filled even the Morgul-lord with dismay. ... Speed alone would now serve, and secrecy must be abandoned. ... They rode then through Rohan in haste, and the terror of their passing was so great that many folk fled from the land, and went wildly away north and west, believing that war out of the East was coming on the heels of the black horses.

The Nazgûl could however also apply horror and fear actively on the minds of indivuals, in a power called the Shadow of Fear, which are not very well known, as it is only mentioned twice in the lore. This power apparently had a lasting effect, making the victim an agent for the Dark Lord:

from Unfinished Tales, The Hunt for the Ring:

Gollum was captured in Mordor in the year 3017 and taken to Barad-dûr, and there questioned and tormented. When he had learned what he could from him, Sauron released him and sent him forth again. He did not trust Gollum, for he divined something indomitable in him, which could not be overcome, even by the Shadow of Fear, except by destroying him.

This Dunlending was overtaken by several of the Black Riders as they approached the Tharbad crossing. In an extremity of terror he was haled to the Witch-king and questioned. ... The Witch-king had now a clearer understanding of the matter. He had known something of the country long ago, in his wars with the Dúnedain, and especially of the Tyrn Gothad of Cardolan, now the Barrow-downs, whose evil wights had been sent there by himself. Seeing that his Master suspected some move between the Shire and Rivendell, he saw also that Bree (the position of which he knew) would be an important point, at least for information. He put therefore the Shadow of Fear on the Dunlending, and sent him on to Bree as an agent. He was the squint-eyed southerner at the Inn.

This power is only mentioned in connection with Sauron and the Witchking, but as it was not exclusive to Sauron himself, we might assume that at least some of the other Nazgûl would be able to use it.

Edited by Námo, 22 November 2011 - 09:45 AM.

[njm1983]

This topic gets better by the minute.

[Námo]

By the minute? ... Oh, I'm definitely not that fast, I guess it'll be weeks rather than days, before I'm finished with this tale.

There's the unanswered question about those old forgotten realms scarcely recorded in history. In connection with I'll try to trace the rebels in the South, those of 'the King's Men' who were in opposition to 'the Faithful', settling in northwestern Middle-earth. Nasty swarthy fellows, who contrary to rumors existed even at the time of the War of the Ring.

I'll also have to debunk two popular myths concerning some fake characters, usurpers of titles not belonging to them ... the one just a cheat, the other a card-shaper.

I guess it'll be needed also to take a closer look at the war on Gondor, at times there were indeed some strange action going on ... like what the hell were those Southrons (with Mumakils, too) doing way north of the crossroad; had they forgot to turn left and just got lost, heading for the Morannon and not Minas Tirith? ... and who were those Men riding in front of the Morgul-host? They were not Haradrim.

There may also be other questions along the road; questions that need answers.

Then, after some tedious detours to lore, I might get around to "speaking in some forgotten tongue words of power and terror" like the Witch-king did in front of the Gates of Minas Tirith. [and then it's probably around Christmas time ...]

Or maybe I'll try to keep it short ... just some teasers like the following post:

[Námo]

#The Witch-kings weakness for women:

Note on the Witch-kings weakness for women:

This is of course a delicate and somewhat controversial issue, but as this topic is sort of 'applied lore' related to modding, it should be interpreted along these lines ...

... which reminds me of Fingulfin's Extra_Beer_Upgrade! - to be honest: I've been sneaking around in the corners of 'The Green Dragon' for more than two years now, hoping that he would deliver on that promise do anyone know what happened?

A brilliant idea by Fingulfin! I rather hope that every faction will be supplied with some humerous upgrades.

... that is partly as a joke ... but only partly. The Witch-king could need to be deflated a bit, and the other wraiths given a little more volume; anyway the interpretation of Glorfindel's words is a little tricky:

The Witch-kings weakness for women: Glorfindel's prophecy that "not by the hand of man will he fall".

No doubt Glorfindel had the gift of foresight, but his words could actually have referred to a hobbit. The wound that Master Samwise Merry did inflict on the Witch-king was probably more lethal to him, than Éowyn chopping off his ghostly head. We'll never know ... so how to implement that weakness in modding? It might be a trifle, but as it was rather fatal for the Witch-king, it should be given an interpretation one way or other. The general "weakness for women" might be as good as any, except that it could be easily misunderstood ... which of course might be the intention for using that specific term, cf. first part of this post.

Edited by Námo, 14 November 2011 - 06:45 PM.

[Lauri]

Master Samwise inflicted a wound on the Witch-king?

When did that happen?

[Námo]

Oh sorry, that should of course be the honorable Meriadoc Brandybuck, among friends known as Merry. My bad.

Thanks Lauri, error corrected in above post, and I promise never again to try to make a post in one minute.

[Radspakr Wolfbane]

Technically Merry shouldn't have been able to wound the Witch King.
Hobbits are a sub species of Human, more or less miniature people they'd still be regarded men.
But according to his prophecy Glorfindel could have killed him himself because Elves aren't "Men" neither are Dwarves.
Glorfindel of anyone would have been suited to the task having power in the Wraith world and seeming to have power over them.
But perhaps Glorfindel had the same restrictions placed on him as the Istari?

[Lauri]

If Hobbits are a sub species of Human, why not of Dwarves and Elves too?
Hobbits are hobbits, small in height, big hairy feet and pointy ears.
Looks like men, has the pointy ears of elves and height of dwarves.

Ergo; They are Hobbits. Never heard of Hobbits, before?
Sounds like orc-mischief to me!

Edited by Lauri, 13 November 2011 - 02:45 PM.

[Radspakr Wolfbane]

But they were descended from Men, short men.
Elves and Dwarves were created separately.

Also I don't think it was ever mentioned them having pointy ears, I'm pretty sure it was PJ thing.

[Lauri]

They were (or atleast Bilbo's were) slightly pointy in an "elvish" way.

[Námo]

On the subject of the little people, not Dwarves, but Halflings or Hobbits, why not listen to the wisdom of Treebeard:

The Ents Lore of Living Beings, performed by The Tolkien Ensemble and Christoffer Lee.

[Rob38]

Well, if you want to get into the technicalities of biology, elves and men would be of the same species. In the real world, only species can breed and produce viable offspring.

[Námo]

#The Witch-king's Bane, guarded by Wraiths:

Technically, The Witch-king's bane was one of the daggers, that Tom Bombadil gave to the Hobbits at the Barrow-downs. Those weapons was wrought with spells against the servants of Sauron.

From the Thain's Book on Merry's Sword:

The sword came from a barrow on the Barrow-downs that may have been the grave of the last prince of Cardolan, who was killed in battle against the forces of Angmar in 1409 of the Third Age. The Hobbits were trapped in the barrow by a Barrow-wight and when Merry awoke from the Barrow-wight's spell, he had a memory of a Man who had fought the Witch-king of Angmar long ago.
Tom Bombadil rescued the Hobbits and gave them blades from the barrow. The swords had been made for the war against the Witch-king of Angmar by the Dunedain of Arnor and they were wound with spells against the servants of Sauron. They were long, leaf-shaped daggers damasked with serpents in red and gold, and they had black sheaths of light metal set with fiery stones.

Merry used the sword in Moria and at Amon Hen, where he managed to cut off the hands and arms of several Orcs before he and Pippin were captured. He laid the sword on the lap of King Theoden of Rohan when he became his esquire.

But the final and most important time that Merry used the sword was at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. As Eowyn confronted the Witch-king and was nearly slain, Merry pierced the sinew of the Witch-king's knee, causing the Nazgul to stumble forward. Eowyn then thrust her sword between the Witch-king's crown and mantle and he was vanquished. Afterwards, the blade of Merry's sword disintegrated.

So passed the sword of the Barrow-downs, work of Westernesse. But glad would he have been to know its fate who wrought it slowly long ago in the North-kingdom when the Dunedain were young, and chief among their foes was the dread realm of Angmar and its sorcerer king. No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will.
[The Return of the King: "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"]

"No other blade" ... Merry's dagger was apparently made specifically for the destruction of the Witch-king.

Ironic, as a twist of fate, it was the Witch-king who had roused the wraiths of the Barrow-downs, and thus indirectly caused the finding of those deadly weapons, cf.:

The Nazgul reached the Brandywine River on the southern border of the Shire on September 22. [...]

The Witch-king established a camp at Andrath along the Greenway. The three Nazgul who accompanied him patrolled the roads while the Witch-king went to the Barrow-downs. He had sent evil spirits to dwell in the Barrow-downs when he ruled Angmar, and he now called upon them to keep watch for the Ring-bearer. The Witch-king's summons also extended to the Old Forest, where the malicious Old Man Willow lived.

[from the Thain's Book: Nazgûl]

The Hobbits were captured by the Barrow-wight on September 28.

BTW, this incident reveals another of The Witch-king's powers: the ability to summon Wraiths (added to index). Khamûl, as Keeper of Dol Guldur, probably had the same ability (to be investigated later, in relation with Dol Guldur).

Edited by Námo, 14 November 2011 - 01:29 PM.

[Námo]

#Morgul-knife, weapon of Dark Sorcery:

Merry's dagger was a weapon similar to the Morgul-knife used by the Witch-king against Frodo, when the Hobbits were attacked by the Nazgûl on Amon Sûl, Weathertop. Both were inlaid with powerful spells, though those had opposite effects: Merry's sword did break the 'binding' to the Wraith-world, whereas the blade tip of the Morgul-knife would slowly bind Frodo to that world:

The Lord of the Nazgul stabbed Frodo Baggins with the Morgul-knife during the attack on Weathertop on October 6, 3018 of the Third Age. The point of the blade broke off in Frodo's left shoulder and began working its way toward his heart. Frodo became gravely ill; his shoulder and arm became cold and numb, and his vision was clouded. In time, Frodo would have become a wraith under the dominion of Sauron.

The sliver remained in Frodo's body for seventeen days, until Elrond was able to remove it on October 23. Frodo recovered to a certain extent, but the wound continued to trouble him for as long as he remained in Middle-earth, especially each year on the anniversary of the attack. Gandalf noticed a hint of transparency about Frodo, particulary in the arm that had been wounded.

The blade of the Morgul-knife disintegrated in the morning light the day after Frodo was wounded. Aragorn chanted over the hilt in a strange language and brought it to Rivendell. The sliver that was removed from Frodo's shoulder was melted.

From the Thain's Book: Morgul-knife.

Frodo's fate would have been like Gandalf had warned concerning those wearing the Great Rings:

... the Great Rings, the Rings of Power, they were perilous.

'A mortal ... who keeps one of the Great Rings, does not die, but he does not grow or obtain more life, he merely continues, until at last every minute is a wearyness. And if he often uses the Ring to make himself invisible, he fades: he becomes in the end invisible permamently, and walkes in the twilight under the eye of the dark power that rules the Rings. Yes, sooner or later - later, if he is strong or well-meaning to begin with, but neither strength nor good purpose will last - sooner or later the dark power will devour him.'

Although this may be a special case, because Frodo was the bearer of the One Ring, the tale of this episode together with the descriptions from the Hobbits earlier encounter with the Barrow-wights are the most detailed accounts of the world of the Wraiths. If we add the info from these incidents to other hints in Tolkien's writings, we might get a clearer insight into this shadowy world ...

Edited by Námo, 23 November 2011 - 07:48 AM.

[Námo]

#Detour to the Wraith-world, part 1: The Shadow World.

•  
• The Wraith-world:
   
  

  NOTE: The transition to the wraith-world would as a general rule occur as result of sorcery, a spell or a curse, and would normally also involve either a personal possession or other material objects.

  
  
  
  

  Wraith-world: A mysterious alternative aspect of reality, into which the Ring could partly draw its wearer. Certain beings, such as the Ringwraiths, seem to have led a dual existence on the boundary between two worlds: our own world and the Wraith-world.
  
  While they had a partial form in our reality, they seem to have had a more solid existence in their own world. They also had the ability to draw others into their reality, and attempted this with Frodo through the use of an enchanted weapon.
  
  This power to draw others into their realm seems to have been used to terrorise their servants, too - 'they skin the body off you as soon as look at you, and leave you all cold in the dark on the other side', says Gorbag in The Two Towers.
  

  Gorbag's words are rather similar to the Witch-king's warning to Ëowyn at the Pelennor Fields:
  
  

  "Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."
  

  
  
  The Oathbreakers, cursed Shadow-host:
  
  The wraith-world was not a making of the Rings of Power, it existed before the forging of the One Ring; there are stories of wraiths from the First Age, and for three thousand years of the Third Age a shadow-people were hiding in parts of the White Mountains. The 'Dead people of Dunharrow', the Oathbreakers:
  
  

  

  
  

  The Men of the Mountains worshipped Sauron, but after the realm of Gondor was founded in 3320 of the Second Age, the King of the Mountains swore allegiance to Isildur. At the Stone of Erech, the King vowed that he would lead his Men in battle against the forces of Sauron.
  
  But when they were summoned during the War of the Last Alliance, the King and his Men broke their oath and refused to fight their former master. Isildur told the King of the Mountains that he would be the last king and he cursed the Oathbreakers, saying that they would never rest until their oath was fulfilled.
  
  The King and his Men hid in the White Mountains. Over time they died but their spirits continued to haunt the mountains and the King of the Mountains became known as the King of the Dead. The Dead dwelled in the passage under the mountains known as the Paths of the Dead. They sometimes emerged into Harrowdale and the Blackroot Vale.
  

  From the Thain's Book: The Dead.

This post is WIP

Edited by Námo, 23 November 2011 - 07:41 AM.

[Námo]

#Detour to the Wraith-world, part 2: Spirits

•  
• Spirits or Wraiths?
   
  

  NOTE: Although Tolkien did get inspiration and borrowed words from Old English and Old Norse, the terms used from those sources did get a specific meaning within his 'Legendarium', his unique mythological world. I'll try to outline some of these, and when referring to common use of certain terms only quoting what seems compatible with the mythology of Tolkien.
  
  The beings of Middle-earth can be understood and interpretated only within the mythological world of Tolkien.

  
  

  The English word spirit (from Latin spiritus "breath") has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body. The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness. The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap, as both contrast with body and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion and occultism, and "spirit" can also have the sense of "ghost", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.
  
  The term may also refer to any incorporeal or immaterial being, such as demons ...
  
  The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning "breath", but also "spirit, soul, courage, vigor", ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *(s)peis. It is distinguished from Latin anima, "soul." In Greek, this distinction exists between pneuma (πνευμα), "breath, motile air, spirit," and psykhē (ψυχη), "soul."
  
  The word "spirit" came into Middle English via Old French ... English-speakers use the word "spirit" in two related contexts, one metaphysical and the other metaphorical.
  

  Tolkien mostly used the term 'spirit' for various metaphysical beings, who were in their origin 'Maiar' of greater or lesser power. For the equivalent of 'soul' or spirit' he used the term fëa:
  
  
   
• 'fëa' and 'hröa' 
  
  

  Hröa: The body of an incarnate being.
  Fëa: The indwelling spirit of an incarnate being.

  These concept were essential in Tolkien's mythology, and in his latest writings (Myths transformed) he explained them very extensive in relation to the different fates of Elves and Men, those fates being determined by the differences in the relations between their fëa and hröa - It will beyond the scope of this topic to give an excerpt of those writings, so I'll just give the relevant conclusions (my interpretation):

• Men, doomed to die: 
  
  
  
• Elves (and Dwarves): 
  
  
  

  Should the Elves have Necromancer-rings? See note about their 'being in both worlds'. But perhaps only the High Elves of the West? Also perhaps Elves - if corrupted - would use rings differently: normally they were visible in both worlds all the time and equally with a ring they could appear only in one if they chose.
  

  [note by Christopher Tolkien:]
  
  I have found no 'note' about the Elves 'being in both worlds', but my father may have been referring to Gandalf's words in the last chapter: '[The Elves of Rivendell] fear no Ring-wraiths, for they live at once in both worlds, and each world has only half power over them, while they have double power over both.' With his remark here 'But perhaps only the High Elves of the West [are in both worlds]?' cf. the final form of this same passage in FR: 'They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power.
  

  From HoMe vol. VI, Queries and Alterations.
  
  The Dwarves were too solid to be turned into wraiths, even by one of the Great Rings.
  
  
• Other beings: 

This post is WIP

Edited by Námo, 20 November 2011 - 12:17 PM.