Alan Sisto

Goodness, let me just get the tire marks off my shirt.

Well, fair.

We should have done the sidebar on the Black Riders last week and the Pipeweed this week, but it really is time for us to take a closer look at the Ringwraiths, the Ulairi.

That's actually my favorite word for them.

The Nine, the Nazgul.

We're going to take some time here to look at their origin in nature, some of their powers, how they interact with the scene world, and maybe those strange weaknesses we talked about the last couple of weeks.

Now, trust me, folks, we need to get through this part about Sauron and the Rings in order to get to the Nazgul.

So let's move on from that part of the history of Galadriel and Celeborn to the Tale of Years, Lord of the Rings Appendix B, where we learn that around 1600 of the Second Age, so about 100 years after he leaves Eregion, Sauron forged the One Ring, and that's when Celebrimbor perceived his designs, kind of went, oops.

I mean, it's not in the text, but I'm pretty sure that that was his reaction.

Ope.

So nearly 100 years later after that, in Second Age 1697, Eregion gets wiped out, right?

Sauron captures both the House of the Myrdain.

He also captures Celebrimbor, who, after refusing to tell Sauron anything about the three, was promptly turned into a pincushion and battle banner.

We also learn that Sauron got hold of the nine at that point.

That's what's important here.

Presumably also the seven Durin's story notwithstanding around the same time.

And we're actually reminded of that in the very next paragraph.

Men proved easier to ensnare compared to the dwarves.

Those who used the nine rings became mighty in their day.

Kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old.