Death of the Nazgul

[Witch King of Angmar]

How exactly did the Nazgul die (I am guessing when the one ring was destroyed they died)? What kind of power did a wizard or elf-lord have over the Nazgul, as in what could they do to them?

I know the Nazgul were afraid (maybe not afraid, but found it untimely) to fight Gandalf at weathertop during day. And they feared an elf-lord in all his glory (Glorfindel). What exactly could Gandalf do to the Nazgul, especially at weathertop?

[Elrian]

The Nazgul were given the rings while they were still alive, when the one ring went into the fires of Mt. Doom and was unmade they were released from its power and were destroyed with their rings.

[Fenrir]

I doubt one of the Istari or an elf-lord could kill the Nazgul but they might make them lose their shape and power to influence the physical world as happened at the ford of Bruinen.
I think in Rivendell Gandalf told Frodo that only the elves who had been in the blessed realm had power over the Nazgul. Since the Istari were Maia this makes sense.Maybe it is because Glorfindel and Gandalf had both seen the light of the trees that the Nazgul fear them.

[haste]

I always thought that when Gandalf was fighting the Nazgul on Weathertop that he may of been using more of is maia power then originally alloted. I know I am probably wrong but since nobody was in the area and he was in peril maybe he did show at least some of his glory that was suppose to be repressed in order to drive the nine away. I'm probably wrong, but a dreamer has to dream.

[Witch King of Angmar]

Thanks you all.

That sounds about right, he seemed very reluctant to show or do anything that would display his power.
He would only do it under the most dire of circumstances.

[peregrine]

How exactly did the Nazgul die (I am guessing when the one ring was destroyed they died)?

It's a good question. I guess their life force was tied up with their rings which were controlled by the evil in the one ring, and from Sauron's will. When these were destroyed, there was nothing left to support them.

In ranking I imagine the Nazgul were similar to Aragorn or his predecessors, in that they were powerful lords of men, and the suggestion (if not the fact but I can't recall it) is that at least one has magical ability(for the want of a better term). So Gandalf would be a match for them, certainly one on one, but it would be a taxing duel for him.

[Mithadan]

The existence of the Nazgul was not "natural" for men who are fated to live for a time then depart from the world. Their unnatural life was caused by the power of the Nine Rings and the One (as well as the power of Sauron which was given to the Rings). When the One was destroyed, the Nine, like the Three, failed and the power which sustained the existence of the Nazgul was eliminated. The Nazgul necessarily died because there was nothing supporting their unnatural lives.

This might be a simple question, but why were the fates of the Elven rings tied into that of the one? I think I remember reading that Sauron helped make the Elven Rings but I did not think he put any of his own power into them.

[inglorion]

It says that Sauron never touched the Three. But he aided the Elves in making all the rings, he taught them. In this way he made the Elves make their own chains, for he didn´t tell the Elves all about it, and made himself the One Ring with the special trick to rule all other rings. Unfortunately for him the Elves perceived him and hid (= didn´t use them) the Three. However this does not mean the One Ring has no influence on the elven rings. That was the whole point from the beginning: To enslave the world by means of a controlling device, the Ring. Only the Elves proved not so easy to deceive.

[Morgul Queen]

well the book says the nazgul were destroyed
with the one ring which would mean the nine rings were destroyed too.
the nazgul(it says) were brought under the domination of sauron through the power of the one BUT... the nine still had the main dominance over them.
for the nazgul to be destroyed wouldnt the nine have to be destroyed too...and if the were destroyed why werent the three destroyed
unless sauron destroyed them himself but why would he do that they were his only hope of regaining the one **takes breath**
(reads over "well that made more sense in my very mixed up head") [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Morgul Queen]

well now i just thought of something else.
you say the 9 would fail with the one but...
the 9 were made before the 1 so the would have the power to sustain themselfs
they were under the power of the 1 yes but they were made by the elves and so would be able to look after themselves.
it isnt really known whether the 3 lost all their power-they might just be in hibernation and saurons master morgoth is still around-imprisoned yes but still alive.(looks around"anyone seen my puffer!") [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img]

[Daniel Telcontar]

You forget, the nine was chained to the One. So if the One Ring was destroyed, so was any power that the nine rings had. Also with the three and the seven. The difference between the humans using the rings and the dwarves and elves, were their power to withstand.

The humans were easily corrupted into being Sauron's servants.
The dwarves were better to resist, and Sauron could not control the dwarves who wore them. That is why he took them back, because they had no effect. The elven rings also didn't corrupt their owner, because Sauron did not touch them. He could not corrupt them, and so he couldn't corrupt the bearers.

Lastly: Morgoth may be alive, but he is in the void. Another dimension with no doors to come back. He has absolutely no power in Middle Earth, and only Eru can bring him back, which I doubt he will. That means, shortly, that Morgoth is history.