Do the Ringwraiths feel pain? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Morthoron · 05-18-2010, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alatar

What's amazing is that the Nazgul are driven off Weathertop (or, with their mission accomplished, did they just cede the ground?) by fire.

No, I don't believe they merely receded into the shadows. Frodo's blade of Westernesse came dangerously close to extinguishing the WiKi. Or at least that is what is implied.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alatar

Gandalf is known for pyrotechnics. You'd think that this would give the Grey/White Wizard an edge when facing one or more of the Nine.

Gandalf did have an edge. He drove several wraiths off Weathertop with pyrotechn...

Oh. Wait. You're being facetious. Never mind.

alatar · 05-19-2010, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morthoron

No, I don't believe they merely receded into the shadows. Frodo's blade of Westernesse came dangerously close to extinguishing the WiKi. Or at least that is what is implied.

Sorry, I was speaking of the Peter Jackson movies. Aragorn does not fight the Nazgul at Weathertop in the books (unless that part was written between the lines). In the movie, Frodo just gets off a whimper and not a stab.

Quote:

Gandalf did have an edge. He drove several wraiths off Weathertop with pyrotechn...

Oh. Wait. You're being facetious. Never mind.

Nope. Not in the movies. Gandalf did use his holy flashlight to drive away the Winged Nazgul on the Pelennor Fields, but his batteries ran out when the Witch King later came a knocking.

If only he could learn that nifty fireball spell of Saruman's...

Rhod the Red · 06-27-2010, 02:14 AM

At the time of death, I doubt they did generally. They were halfway between life and death, and basically ghosts in corporeal form.

Nerwen · 06-27-2010, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhod the Red

At the time of death, I doubt they did generally. They were halfway between life and death, and basically ghosts in corporeal form.

Except... see the quote given by Inziladun at #2.

Rhod the Red · 06-27-2010, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Except... see the quote given by Inziladun at #2.

Easy to explain; it was a killing blow

Nerwen · 06-27-2010, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhod the Red

Easy to explain; it was a killing blow

Oh, I see: you mean they didn't feel pain otherwise.

Mirkgirl · 06-29-2010, 06:11 PM

Step aside from the argument: What is physical and what is mental? How often is "Stress" accepted as medical cause to illness?

The Nazghul are supposed to be bodiless and thus only scattered by the water, while the real things (horses) carrying them died. Also the shape is the cloak. Frodo sees their spirit form while having the One on, but that's a metaphorical form of physical being, if that makes any sense. So physical is imho not a proper way to address anything that has to do with them.

Physical means relating to something exsistent in form of matter. In that definition no wraith could feel physical pain. As people we also feel pain from emotion, which is but also a chemical reaction. As the wraiths don't have glands either, they don't feel that either (and my excurse at the beginning was pointless. Stress is also physical, in terms of chemical reactions in the body.)

But they were able to EXIST. Not by the rules of flesh, but yet. Ánything that exists, and is aware of it, fears the possibility of not existing. And anything that is accepted as a danger to this existence is reported as danger - in terms of an unpleasant feeling, a "pain" of sorts.

06-27-2010, 02:14 AM	#3
Rhod the Red Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: May 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 257	At the time of death, I doubt they did generally. They were halfway between life and death, and basically ghosts in corporeal form. __________________ Head of the Fifth Order of the Istari Tenure: Fourth Age(Year 1) - Present Currently operating in Melbourne, Australia

06-29-2010, 06:11 PM	#7
Mirkgirl Haunting Spirit Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 84	Step aside from the argument: What is physical and what is mental? How often is "Stress" accepted as medical cause to illness? The Nazghul are supposed to be bodiless and thus only scattered by the water, while the real things (horses) carrying them died. Also the shape is the cloak. Frodo sees their spirit form while having the One on, but that's a metaphorical form of physical being, if that makes any sense. So physical is imho not a proper way to address anything that has to do with them. Physical means relating to something exsistent in form of matter. In that definition no wraith could feel physical pain. As people we also feel pain from emotion, which is but also a chemical reaction. As the wraiths don't have glands either, they don't feel that either (and my excurse at the beginning was pointless. Stress is also physical, in terms of chemical reactions in the body.) But they were able to EXIST. Not by the rules of flesh, but yet. Ánything that exists, and is aware of it, fears the possibility of not existing. And anything that is accepted as a danger to this existence is reported as danger - in terms of an unpleasant feeling, a "pain" of sorts. __________________ "Hobbits! Well, what next? I have heard of strange doings in this land, but I have seldom heard of a hobbit sleeping out of doors under a tree. Three of them! There's something mighty queer behind this."