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  • Updated 1 May 2025
  • Updates planned: 1

Black Wings

The Ringwraiths and their winged mounts

A name for the Nazgûl after they took to the skies, and for the winged mounts that carried them aloft.1 The Black Wings were feared by those who dwelt near to Mordor, or who ventured into the Dark Land. The soldiers of Gondor watched for the shadows of the Winged Creatures, fearful of the unreasoning terror that could be spread by the Ringwraiths from above. On their journey to Mount Doom, Frodo and Sam feared that the Black Wings high above would spy them as they made their way toward Mordor, thus endangering their secret quest.


Notes

1

The use of the term 'Black Wings' is slightly uncertain, and seems to vary according to context. In at least one case, it unambiguously describes the Winged Creatures, as opposed to the Nazgûl who rode them through the air. In other cases, the 'Black Wings' seem to describe the rider and mount together. For example, in one reference, the Black Wings are called 'servants of Sauron' (The Two Towers IV 3, The Black Gate is Closed), and so here the name must refer to the Nazgûl themselves, rather than the winged mounts they rode.

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About this entry:

  • Updated 1 May 2025
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2025. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

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Black Wings

The Ringwraiths and their winged mounts

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 1 May 2025
  • Updates planned: 1

Black Wings

The Ringwraiths and their winged mounts

A name for the Nazgûl after they took to the skies, and for the winged mounts that carried them aloft.1 The Black Wings were feared by those who dwelt near to Mordor, or who ventured into the Dark Land. The soldiers of Gondor watched for the shadows of the Winged Creatures, fearful of the unreasoning terror that could be spread by the Ringwraiths from above. On their journey to Mount Doom, Frodo and Sam feared that the Black Wings high above would spy them as they made their way toward Mordor, thus endangering their secret quest.


Notes

1

The use of the term 'Black Wings' is slightly uncertain, and seems to vary according to context. In at least one case, it unambiguously describes the Winged Creatures, as opposed to the Nazgûl who rode them through the air. In other cases, the 'Black Wings' seem to describe the rider and mount together. For example, in one reference, the Black Wings are called 'servants of Sauron' (The Two Towers IV 3, The Black Gate is Closed), and so here the name must refer to the Nazgûl themselves, rather than the winged mounts they rode.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 1 May 2025
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2025. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.
How do your personal strengths fit in with career matching? How can you identify them? Try a free personality test from myDISCprofile.