Wraiths

Wraiths
Name	Wraith
Dominions	Wraith-world, Dead Marshes, Mordor (Minas Morgul), Dol Guldur, other parts of Middle-earth
Languages	Varies
Distinctions	Undead
Height	Varies
Hair color	Varies

A wraith is someone who has been killed yet lives on by some dark sorcery (necromancy or a Morgul-blade), or someone who died in darkness or serious dishonour.

History

First Age

During the First Age, the love sick Gorlim having betrayed his comrades in arms appeared to Beren as a Wraith, confessing what he had done.

Second Age

During Sauron's influence and rule in Middle-earth, he swayed and corrupted nine powerful Men of Númenórean and Easterling stock by giving them each one of the nine Rings of Power. Afterwards, they slowly faded into darkness, becoming Ringwraiths enslaved to the will of Sauron, fated to roam the world until their end.

Third Age

The Dunlendings feared that Helm Hammerhand was a Wraith that wandered through Rohan as its protector.

No other evidence of any other Wraiths are recorded as existing in Middle-earth, save for the Ringwraiths, who continued in the East and in Mordor and when the Ring was discovered came out to search for it. When Frodo is stabbed by the Witch-King of Angmar in the first book he is infected by the evil magic from a Morgul blade; if Glorfindel had not saved Frodo, he would have eventually become a Wraith himself.