The Nazgûl | Powers and Origins of the Ringwraiths? - Tolkien Lore Video

Where did Sauron's mightiest servants come from? Today we'll explore the nature of the Nazgûl, their history, and all the things that make them such terrifying villains.

Much love and many thanks to the artists who make the wonderful art. No Tolkien art is created by myself, and all credit goes to the individual artists. If an artist is not credited, it is because I cannot find the source of their image, but if any of your artwork is featured during this video, please drop a message or a comment and I can link your page in the description of my videos!

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Thumbnail art by Kenneth Sofia

Art credits in order of appearance:

Much love and many thanks to the music makers!

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"Dungeons and Dragons" - Royalty Free Music For Commercial Use - Epic/Celtic Fantasy Royalty Free Music - Alexander Nakarada

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Much love, stay groovy, and navaer mellyn nin!

[PalmelaHanderson]

The algorithm has been feeding me your content a lot over the last few days, I have to say I'm impressed. I didn't think I could get into another Tolkien channel because I feel like everything's been done, but your eloquence and the way you tie a narrative together is really great.

[keyboarddancers]

Wow! Never thought of the destruction of the One Ring as "doing the Ringwraiths a favour". Excellent original angle from yet another fine YouTube Tolkien scholar.

[nikkilester]

The rings feel a lot like a “keep your enemies closer” moment to me. You have 9 rings to award, knowing what they will do to the people you choose. You could choose to empower someone who is already on your side. Or you could select bearers from the people who, maybe not against you, but strong enough and neutral enough to possibly become your enemies. That way you make sure 9 potential enemies or enemy nations or uprisings or what have you, instead become places where the influential people are becoming mindlessly loyal to you. Putting out fires before they happen.

[deanross]

One thing I find interesting about the Books vs Movies is how Sauron acts more human (for lack of a better word) in the books. In the books he’s buying horses from Rohan and tries setting up diplomatic relations with the dwarves. That seems like what a regular mortal king might do. In the movies he’s way more mystical (he is a giant fiery eye after all), where all his tricks and beasts seem to just appear for him. He’s more omnipotent.
In the books, he acts very similarly to gods and nature-spirits in Greek mythology. Can be wounded by mortal men, more limited in powers, interacts with mortals, etc.

[Crafty_Spirit]

8:39 Great timing, I read the passage just yesterday. I think it shows that the mental enslavement to Sauron was not a given only by accepting the ring, but rather that Sauron had to invest time and attention in order to master the other ringbearers. So if Sauron was somehow not wearing the One while the Nine had their rings, I reckon they would still be corrupted but probably not be that strongly bound to Sauron.

[brushylake]

I agree with your assessment that the men who accepted the rings were not necessarily evil. Sauron deceived the men of Numenor as well as some of the wisest of the Elves.

[colindunnigan]

As a friend of mine pointed out when discussing the Nazgul, they are terrifying, but these is also a element of pathos to them.

Interesting aside, when a Tolkein RPG was released in the 80s, the creators had to make-up a lot of the content. When they got to the Nazgul, they made one of them a former queen.

[kevinburke]

I don't suppose many will praise you for it, but I really liked your description of mortality being a gift.

[cleansingflame]

I never thought about Sauron's cruelty in terms of robbing the Nine of the gift of Men. Sauron must have inherited Morgoth's jealousy of the Children of Illuvatar; that conclusion honestly made me feel really sad.

[Jax]

The theme of death being stolen from the Nazgul is very true. In the Shadow of Mordor video game series, the main protaganist, Talion, is unable to die. Each time he does, he is resurrected because he shares his body with the wraith of Celembrimbor. As Talion puts it, he “banished from death.” His main goal in the first game is simply to get revenge for his family and then die. All he wants in the end is to simply die and reunite with his family.

When he becomes a Nazgul at the end of the second game, it is the same situation. When he dies after the One Ring is destroyed, he is relieved as his battle is finally over. The last scene of him is him discarding his armor and weapons as he walks off into the fields of Valinor. Sauron and his lackeys stole death from him, and that’s all he wanted in the end, as Men were created to die at some point and he couldn’t stand being unable to.

[WhoIsCalli]

Wow Dave, how have you made me feel empathetic towards the Nazgûl. I guess it’s down to your beautiful gift to retell the world of Tolkien. So many thanks for you and your channel 🧝‍♂️

[TETASARAIVACS]

The Nazgul’s limitations vary throughout the story: in the beginning, when Frodo was leaving the Shire, they were much weaker than by the time of the Battle on the Pellenor Fields.

[hfcriske]

It's been decades since I read the books and watched the movies, I have no idea why you were recommended to me by the algorithm, but I'm extremely grateful for it. Thank you for answering so many of the questions I've had for such a long time <3

[MediumRareSteve]

Man I love this freaking channel. thank you for all that you do. you are a true one homie!

[tylerthomas]

I’ve been lost in your videos for hours now. Great content. Keep up the phenomenal work dude 👏🏽

[willardsteele]

Yet another excellent video. Your take on the nazgul is spot on!!! Of coarse, Tolkien would approve for the Nazgul we’re trapped by Sauron. But your point that the gift of death from Eru was stolen by Sauron is a true and brilliant insight. You need to write a book.

[lopirobinson]

I never took into account the facts about The Witch King not being a king. Makes sense. Thanks for the knowledge.

[shannonmcstormy]

(Today, I am a retired elderly grandmother and lifelong dyk___.) When I was in middle school (during the Jurassic age), my best friend, a boy, were part of a tabletop D&D group (I was the only girl). One of us heard about a group (a type of group that would later get a name and spawn an entire series of communities: LARP). We all jumped at the chance. They were part of a college group of SCA (Society for Creative Acronyms, er....anachronisms. LOL, that was a funny auto-correct moment.) members who played an annual game of LotR in a Midwestern national park. There were even live horses who played some of the horsed Black Riders, while most of them were Black Stalkers. All were Ring Wraiths. 

At first, my friends and I played just "men-at-arms, " then the next year, orcs. You sort of had to put in your time and after several years, you were allowed to play more powerful characters and eventually named characters. You were issued points based on who you were, then you would get bonus points for armor, weapons, costume. The goal was for the 4 hobbits to put the ring in the "crack of doom" located on the other side of the park. If they succeeded, then the "good guys" side won. If they were all killed and/or the One Ring eventually got into the hands of any of the Ring Wraiths, the "bad guys" won. If the game ended, I think there was a 6 hour time limit for the game, then points were counted up to see which side won, though mostly it was understood that if the ring didn't make it to the "crack of doom" the bad guys won. Good rarely won, which I believe was pretty consistent with the uphill battle the good guys had in the LotR books. It was tons of fun and I played well into college. 

I ended up getting to play men-at-arms, orcs, Golem, (Oh yeah, Golem could win too. I forgot about that. I don't think he ever did though, it was easy to kill golem as the hobbits had more points than golem and golem didn't get to add armor to his points, though was allowed a dagger and a few points for costume.) I also played a Barrow Wright and a Black Stalker. During the time I was playing, good won at least once if memory served. One of the hobbits was on the University Cross Country running team and at the start of the game where most all started at one side of the park. This hobbit ran, skirting the outside boundaries of the game and made it to the "crack of doom" in like 15 minutes. But it was kind of bogus because the guy was in shorts and running gear, hardly looked the part. I believe they restarted the game with different people. I can't remember, it was a long time ago. But I do remember it being very fun....

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[MichaelMediciW]

What a great video. Thanks my guy. The most detailed and informative video on the 9 I’ve seen so far on YouTube and that’s saying a lot because I have searched for many of them. They’re one of if not my top favorite subject in Tolkien’s legendarium . So thank you for this one.

[From-North-Jersey]

I've always felt that the 9 didn't want the one ring found at all and they were phoning it in hoping to die rather than spending the rest of time further under Saurons control after he found the one ring.