The Encyclopedia of Arda - Winged Terrors (original) (raw)
Nazgûl bringing fear from the sky
One of several names given to the Nazgûl after they took to the air riding hideous Winged Creatures bred by their master Sauron. Before the War of the Ring began in earnest, the Dark Lord held back this aerial element of his arsenal, but in the later stages of that War they played a significant part.
In this flying form, the Ringwraiths were known as Winged Terrors because of the intense feeling of dread and hopelessness that they projected. Even when they were too high in the air to be seen, those beneath could still sense the passing of a Winged Shadow from the shadow of terror that went with it. The Nazgûl would at times emit piercing, wailing cries, but the powerful sense of fear that they emanated persisted even when they remained silent.
The most powerful Winged Terror, the Lord of the Nazgûl, was slain during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields by Éowyn and Meriadoc Brandybuck. The other eight survived until the last moments of the War, when the One Ring was brought to Mount Doom. When Sauron at last understood the danger he was in, he sent the surviving Nazgûl at thunderous speed towards Mount Doom to stop the Ring's destruction. They arrived too late: when the Ring entered the Fire, the mountain burst into flame. The Winged Terrors were caught up in its eruption and so met their ends.
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- Updated 3 July 2024
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