Barrow-Wights: The Weapon That Killed the Witch-King | Tolkien Explained
What are the Barrow-wights of Tyrn Gorthad? Why did the Witch-king of Angmar haunt these ancient tombs for 1,400 years? In this deep dive, we explore the most strategic act of necromancy in Tolkien's Middle-earth—evil spirits possessing corpses in sacred burial mounds to prevent a kingdom's restoration.When Frodo and his companions were captured by a Barrow-wight in 3018, Tom Bombadil rescued them and gave each hobbit an ancient dagger from the tomb. These were Blades of Westernesse, forged in 1409 specifically to harm the Witch-king himself. Sixteen centuries later, Merry's blade struck the…
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