Question:

[ramblin_rosie]

What do we know about the Witch-king prior to the appearance of the Nazgûl in Second Age 2251? Is it canon or fanon that he was a Númenorean, and where in M-E would he have hailed from? (Would he, for example, have ruled Umbar?)

Comments

[mumstheword54.livejournal.com]

Showing my ignorance:
Wasn't he called the Witch-King of Angmar? Or was that someone else?
If it was Angmar, wasn't that north of the Misty Mountains somewhere?
Isn't Umbar south of Gondor somewhere?
Did you check the "Encyclopedia of Arda"?

Don't you love my definite answers?

[boz4pm.livejournal.com]

He was so-called because he was in the region of Angmar, as Sauron's leiutenant (which I can't spell) during the Second Age - when the Dunedain kings ruled Arnor. It was his evil spirits that he sent forth and inhabited the barrows of the fallen Dunedain royalty.

Basically, that time was filled with battles between the Arnorians (if that's the word) and the evil forces in Angmar. It was during one of the same that Glorfindel commented/prophesied that the Witchking would not fall by a man's hand.

I suspect this is all in Akallabeth (which I also can't spell - head desk!).

As someone else has said, Rose - we know little or nothing. I think Numenorean is a safe bet, but basically you can invent what you like, so long as it makes some kind of sense. :)

[ramblin_rosie]

Actually, Angmar doesn't show up in the Tale of Years until Third Age 1300ish. But that is important, yes.
Thanks to both of you! (And yes, Mum, I did check EoA; doesn't have much.)

[boz4pm.livejournal.com]

Ack - getting my Ages muddled. Sorry. Was thinking off the top of my head - never a good idea. ;P

[fafojoy.livejournal.com]

I don't think we are ever told his name, but I think it is reasonable to conclude that he was a Numenorean and he may well have ruled in the South, at Umbar or any of those southern coastal ports.

Sauron would have chosen for his captain a powerful man, and the Numenoreans were the long lived, powerful, advanced men of that time and the Numenoreans that returned to Middle-earth did so after Numenor came to the aid of the Elves of Middle-earth at Gil-galad's request, we know that some turned bad not long after that and began setting up ports on the coast and demanding tribute etc. So the time he appeared, his race, and the place he most likely ruled all fit in with that assessment. I don't have the references on me, but I want to say UT and HoME XI-XII is where I would start, plus the Silmarillion

[ramblin_rosie]

Thanks, Nilmandra! That's pretty much what I was thinking.