Black Númenóreans

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The Black Númenóreans, initially self-named the King's Men, were a fallen group of Númenóreans descended from those who were loyal to the Númenórean crown but in opposition to the Valar and relations with the Elves. After Sauron's fellowship with Númenor under the identity of "Annatar", these Númenóreans listened to his words, were soon corrupted by him, and came to worship the Darkness and Morgoth.

History

Second Age

Origins

As the power and knowledge of the Númenóreans grew throughout the course of the Second Age, they became increasingly preoccupied with the limits placed on their contentment in the world - and eventually their power - by mortality, the purpose of which they began to question.

As time went on they began to fear death more and more and ultimately wished to escape it. So the Númenóreans became envious of the immortal Elves (the Eldar), whom they had come to physically resemble as part of their reward from Ilúvatar for having been their allies. The Eldar sought ever to remind the Men of Númenor however, that death was a gift from Ilúvatar to all Men, and to lose faith in Ilúvatar would be heretical.

Nevertheless, after SA 2221, when Tar-Ancalimon became King of Númenor. The 'King's Men' therefore became increasingly predisposed to the corruption of Sauron after he came to Númenor.

Eventually, in Númenor's last years, its hugely powerful but elderly King Ar-Pharazôn, who had become "frightened of old age" (Letters, no. 156), was persuaded by Sauron that Ilúvatar was a lie invented by the Valar, and seduced him. Within Númenor, the majority immediately followed suit, and this worship quickly passed across the ocean when they sailed eastwards from Númenor, to most of Númenor's colonies in Middle-earth where the group started in proper.

The group thrived in Middle-earth, particularly in Umbar after the destruction of Númenor. They continued to oppose The Faithful, from which came the Kings of Arnor and Gondor. The Black Númenóreans remained loyal towards Sauron.

Three of the nine Ringwraiths can be considered among the first and most powerful Númenóreans who were corrupted by Sauron, 1000 years before the Downfall. They served Sauron, being enslaved to his will, having become so because of their lust for power or knowledge.

These sacrilegious 'black arts' and 'follies', which arose as a consequence of their worship of 'The Dark' and Melkor, marked the final, irrevocable division between the 'King's Men' and the minority known as the 'Faithful' Númenóreans, or the 'Elendili', who kept to their old faith in Ilúvatar. They were also presumably the earliest culture traits of those who became known afterwards as Black Númenóreans.

After the Fall of Númenor

For many centuries after the Downfall, descendants of the 'King's Men' held onto colonies in Middle-earth, what became the most northerly and famous of their Realms in Exile, Umbar.

Most of those few Númenóreans who had never disavowed the Eldar, and had always remained true to their belief in Ilúvatar, also survived the destruction of their homeland, and they established their own Realms in Exile north of Umbar, in familiar and friendly colonies. The Faithful Númenóreans saw their southern counterparts as renegades. The Black Númenóreans held a similarly low opinion of 'The Faithful' and their descendants.

Only two Black Númenórean lords are named from the time of the late Second Age: Herumor and Fuinur. Like all Black Númenóreans and 'King's Men' before them, Herumor and Fuinur desired power over men of other, lesser races, and they "rose to (great) power amongst the Haradrim", the peoples neighbouring Umbar. Their fate is unknown, but they were likely defeated along with Sauron at the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

Third Age

The Black Númenórean style of rule was no doubt tyrannical, but may also have involved a tradition of duumviracy, at least in Umbar, whose lords are usually paired when mentioned; Herumor/Fuinur for example, were probably rulers of Umbar, as much later Angamaitë and Sangahyando were.

The triumph of the Last Alliance marked the decline of the Black Númenórean race and the end of their racial superiority. Nevertheless, the Black Númenórean elite survived at least in Umbar for over a thousand years after Númenor's fall, maintaining much influence in Haradwaith. As late as Angamaitë for example, even after being exiled from their homeland for nearly a century.

Black Númenóreans in the Third Age eventually joined the Witch-king of Angmar in his conquests of Arnor. The fate of the Black Númenóreans of Angmar is unknown; they would have been at least disbanded after the Battle of Fornost. The Black Númenóreans did not speak Westron, but probably retained their old tongue Adûnaic, speaking a dialect of it. (In The Notion Club Papers, part of Sauron Defeated, Arundel Lowdham cited two descendants of classical Adûnaic. One of these must have been Westron, the other the tongue of the Black Númenóreans).

The Black Númenóreans are absent from recorded history after their defeat by Ciryaher of Gondor in TA 1050, but a population of sorts must have survived somewhere at least until the end of the Third Age, as the Mouth of Sauron, who mocked the army of King Elessar in front of the Black Gate was described both as a Black Númenórean and "Renegade".

In one of his letters, Tolkien wrote that Queen Berúthiel, wife of Gondor's King Tarannon Falastur was a Black Númenórean, from a Black Númenórean realm he describes as "the inland city" somewhere south of Umbar. Her marriage was a loveless union, and was presumably a political accommodation. J.R.R. Tolkien stated that three of the Nazgûl were Númenórean; in the non-canon Games Workshop models only two of the Nazgûl are identified as Númenórean: The Dark Marshal - The most black-hearted and unrelentingly cruel of all the Nazgûl, his name is a byword for misery and death. Where the Dark Marshal passes, evil creatures fight harder, fearful of their lives whilst good warriors feel the icy touch of death upon their hearts. By his armour it is guessed that he is one of the three Númenórean Ringwraiths (the best match for this particular Nazgûl is Herumor or Fuinur) and The Knight of Umbar - The third of the Númenórean Lords to become one of Sauron's servants, the Knight of Umbar's past is shrouded in mystery. If the rumours pertaining to him hold any truth, he was once one of the great Númenórean kings who ruled the Southlands prior to the days of the Last Alliance. (the best match for this particular Nazgûl is also Herumor or Fuinur who came from Numenor island to the south during the second age, eventhough either one or both of them became the Lords of Haradrim. It is also known that, both Haradrim and Umbar were in league to destroy Gondor).

Portrayal in adaptations

Video games

In The Lord of the Rings Online, the Black Númenóreans are in the service of the Angmarim and live in Carn Dûm in Angmar and served Mordirith and later Amarthiel.

In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Agandaûr was a Black Númenórean, and is the game's main antagonist.

In the story-line of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king, the Black Númenóreans were conquered and subjected by the Witch-king, and serve as Angmar faction's elite units. They are portrayed as wearing fearsome iron masks, proud of their heritage as "the King's Men". They are split into Thrall Masters, Swordsmen, Dark Rangers, and Sorcerers from the "Temple of Twilight". Angmar is portrayed as a frozen wasteland, with units including the Black Númenóreans focusing upon this aspect in terms of clothing and weaponry. 

In The Third Age: Total War (A Medieval II Total War modification), the Black Númenóreans are an elite bodyguard and soldier unit, either mounted or dismounted. They can do far more damage than Uruk-hai Berserkers, Troll-men of Harad, or Arnor Longswordmen put together.

Later, they were divided into the Temple units in Mordor and the Ar-Adûnaim (King's Men) units in Umbar in Divide and Conquer.

Translations

References

• The Complete Guide to Middle-earth
• The History of Middle-earth: Sauron Defeated
• The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien