The Nazgul. Men?

[Legolas]

He certainly wouldn't be insignificant, whether he was human or orc. He could be a man or orc of particularly great stature or might in battle. He must've displayed some competency, but that would be reguardless of his race.

And why wouldn't the Lieutenant of Minas Morgal be a Nazgul?

Why would he be? The Mouth of Sauron wasn't a Nazgul. Why not pick a Nazgul? Why would Sauron pick a weak human to do this job? No one knows, but he did. Could Gothmog be a former Maia? Could he be Tom Bombadil's bipolar personality coming out? The latter is a more absurd guess, but no evidence is given for/against either guess. However, Maiar, and Nazgul are classifications limited to a small number of people in Middle-earth. It doesn't seem equally likely that he would be one of only nine Nazgul that graced the presence of Arda when we aren't informed of it.

Is there any evidence against him being a Nazgul? Tolkien not mentioning it is enough for me. For many, it won't say that he was absolutely not a Nazgul, but it should put the odds against it. There were so many orcs and corrupted men in Sauron's army that one couldn't say the same about him being a man/orc. "50/50" is too optimistic.

[ November 06, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]