October 2, 2003

Barrow-wights
Niphredil

Frodo_Lives, I think I’m right in saying that Barrow-wights are evil spirits (wraiths) who have the power to inhabit and animate the bodies of the dead. The Barrow-downs is the site of the most ancient memorials to Men in Middle-earth. The nobility of the ancestors of the Edain were buried inside the ‘barrows’ (stone chambered burial mounds). Later princes of Arthedain and Cardolan also buried their Royal dead there as well. The wraiths were sent to dwell in the Barrow-downs by the Witch-king of Angmar (Lord of the Ringwraiths) during his wars with the remnant of Arnor.

Tom Bombadil sang a song to banish the Barrow-wight that had captured Frodo and Co, and it fled with a shriek. He also says that he is “not master of Riders from the Black Land far beyond his country” so I think this means that the Wights were less powerful than the Ringwraiths.