No Living Man

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Fea

But in the previous Ages, why wouldn't someone who wasn't a man try?

I think the reason nobody tried (and we don't know for certain that nobody tried) to kill the WK in an earlier age may again have something to do with his reputation. If he was a figure who many had already tried to despatch, and failed, then it is easy to imagine why there would not be many willing to try again. And it is likely that if anybody did try to despatch him then they would not live to tell the tale. In addition, it would be likely that the WK was difficult figure to locate, let alone to find in isolation without his fellow Nazgul or minions.

Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall

Words such as those which Glorfindel speaks might be enough to scare anybody off from attempting this feat, and note that he also says that his doom is far off. If anybody believed what Glorfindel had said, then they might be assumed to also think that it would not be worth the attempt if the WK's doom was 'far off'.

This makes me wonder whether Glorfindel was right to say what he did. Did he save lives by warning people not to attempt this? Or did he only serve to add to the fearsome reputation of the WK?