In the first part of the trilogy The Lord of the Rings, The Nazgûl can be observed chasing Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring on what appear to be horses. However, in the universe created by author JRR Tolkien, things are not so simple, and the creatures that the Nazgûl ride are not simple nags, but horses with prestigious origins.
The Riddle of the Nazgûl Horses
In The Lord of the Rings, The Nazgûl are known by many names, including the Black Riders. They are so called because they are dressed in tattered black cloaks and ride on what appear to be black horses. They also pursue Frodo and his companions on horseback during the first stages of the quest. of the Ring’s destruction, before the Bruinen River overflowed and swept them away (and thanks to Arwen in the films, as detailed here).
In Peter Jackson’s film, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Nazgûl’s horses are almost as terrifying as their riders: They appear to have dark blood oozing from their hooves, and their eyes glow a deep purple-red. They also wear dark armor that appears to have the Eye of Sauron engraved on it. However, none of the films The Lord of the Rings does not really bother to explain the origin or nature of the Nazgûl horses. It is only possible to understand, from their appearance, that they are not quite ordinary horses. Indeed, The film leaves the audience to wonder whether these creatures have transformed into ghosts. at the same time as the men who ride them.The Origin of the Nazgûl Horses
In the novel, the Nazgûl mounts do not actually have red eyes or mutilated hooves; They look almost like ordinary black horses, except that they are large and of a particularly dark black. In the chapter “Many Encounters” of The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo asks Gandalf why they are not “invisible” like their riders, and Gandalf replies: “Because they are real horses; just like black dresses are real dresses that [les Nazgûl] carry to give form to their nothingness when they interact with the living.” But although they are not supernatural or like the specters that ride them, There is something special about the Nazgûl horses, though. In the books, it is noted that animals are normally terrified of the Nazgûl and flee from their presence. However, these nine black horses, although real, do not fear the wraiths.
The horses of the Nazgûl themselves are not the stolen horses, but the descendants of those horses, who have been trained and perhaps even corrupted to be loyal to the cause of Mordor and the Nazgûl.
The most fearsome horse in Mordor does not belong to the Nazgûl
When the Bruinen overflows into The Fellowship of the Ring, All the Nazgûl, except the Witch-king, lose their horses. This slows them down considerably and temporarily prevents them from hunting the One Ring. According to the very official The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, The Witch-king had to return to Mordor alone to ask Sauron to send help to others. In fact, when the Nazgûl reappear in The Lord of the Rings, they have brand new mounts: the huge flying creatures called winged beasts.
Nazgûl horses provide insight into Sauron
In the novel, the Witch-king rides a horse during the first part of the Siege of Minas Tirith. before moving on to a winged beast; in Jackson’s film, he directly mounts a winged beast upon his return. Thus, The Nazgûl horses highlight a somewhat amusing aspect of Sauron’s personality. Although he is a cunning and ruthless strategist, not all of his decisions are necessarily wise.
Sauron relies heavily on “staging” to achieve his ends. He seems to like to maintain his appearance as the new great Dark Lord (after Morgoth). Everything from his armor to his fortress to the wall protecting Mordor is black. It should be remembered, however, that before arriving in Middle-earth and being corrupted by Morgoth, Sauron was a pupil of Aulë, the god of crafts and forging. This therefore implies that he understands and knows how to use an artistic dimension in what he createswhether it’s a series of magical rings or the appearance of his cavalry.Related News :