Dark sorcery

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The Necromancer, an infamous sorcerer of the Third Age.

Dark sorcery in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium was the practice of dark magic, within earthly bounds, for evil purposes. Sorcerers in Arda, whether explicitly termed so or not, were usually the Dark Lords Melkor and Sauron, or some of their servants.^{[citation needed]}

A number of beings, locations, and evil works in the Third Age had Morgul (Sindarin for "dark sorcery") in their common name; most significantly, the terrible fortress of Minas Morgul.

History

Before his defeat, the Dark Lord Morgoth had used dark sorcery in his fortresses of Utumno and Angband. He was infamous for his experiments in creating and mutilating monsters, including the Orcs, Wargs, and dragons, and used much of his powers to corrupt Arda.

Sorcery was also used in the Second and the Third Age by the Black Númenóreans, a group of corrupted Númenóreans who grew during the later period of Númenor (especially after the arrival of Sauron) and who survived in the Númenórean colonies south of Gondor. Originally, they styled themselves as the "King's Men" and persecuted the "Elf-friends" because of their loyalty to the Valar. After Sauron's arrival at Númenor, they began worshiping Melkor and the darkness they so feared, bringing human sacrifices to him. After the fall of Númenor, the Black Númenóreans continued to serve Sauron. Two Black Númenóreans infamous for using sorcery within Sauron's armies were the Witch-king of Angmar and the Mouth of Sauron.

At around the late Third Age, in the fortress of Dol Guldur, the Necromancer (Sauron in disguise) was believed to be an Úlairi. He was eventually forced out by the White Council, but he returned to his former kingdom of Mordor and publicly declared himself alive, shown as Mount Doom erupted once again.

After Sauron's final destruction that began the Fourth Age, a cult referred to metaphorically as the Dark Tree connected to the name Herumor rose to power and worshiped the Dark Lord in Gondor.

Sorcerers performing a ritual in The Rise of the Witch-king

Forms of use

Dark sorcery included a variety of spells, potions, and other ghastly things, and is found sparsely throughout Arda's history. It was frequently used through a weapon, such as the Witch-king's bewitched sword at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

The fortresses of Dol Guldur and Minas Morgul, in the Third Age, were enchanted with enough sorcery that outsiders knew of it, hence their translated names in Sindarin, "Tower of Dark Sorcery" and "Tower of Black Sorcery".

Morgul-knives were noted to have been enchanted with dark sorcery, so that a victim would go through the "Shadow World" and turn into a wraith if they were never healed of the ensuing wound.

"Devilry of Saruman" was a term used for an abnormal, explosive substance the wizard Saruman made during the War of the Ring, used by his army to blast a way through the Deeping Wall of Helm's Deep, the castle of Rohan.

Etymology

Morgul is a Sindarin noun meaning "black arts, sorcery, necromancy". The name consisted of the words morn ("black, dark") and gûl ("secret knowledge, arts; the deeper knowledge of the 'wise' or skilled persons; evil or perverted knowledge, necromancy, sorcery"). Sorcerous objects and effects named with that term (all associated with Sauron's nine Ringwraiths) included Morgul-knives, the Morgul-sheen, Morgul-wounds, Morgul magic, and Morgul-spells.

In adaptions

In Middle-earth: Shadow of War

In Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Orcs are portrayed as being capable of using Dark Sorcery. Several Orc Tribes, such as the Mystic Tribe, venerate Sauron as their patron. Many Orc are accomplished Necromancers, Zog the Eternal being one notable example, who can not only raise the freshly dead Orcs on the battlefield, but have the ability to come back from death themselves. Many Orcs also are equipped with Morgul weapons capable of inflicting a 'curse' debuff on the player, many equippable weapons can also inflict curse damage upon Orcs. Talion can also equip certain skills involving Necromancy in the later stages of the game as he succumbs to the corruption of one of the Rings of Power and is turned into a Ring-Wraith.