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Old 08-06-2005, 12:56 PM   #15
Son of Númenor
A Shade of Westernesse
 
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Actually, what if Gothmog was simply the name given by the West to the lieutenant? In that case, he would have a different name in the black speech, and so all this language debate would be pointless...
I don't think it stands to reason that the good guys would name their adversary randomly after a balrog of the First Age.

I also think Tolkien would have made it clear if Gothmog was a Nazgul, a Black Numenorean, etc. Never was Gothmog described in the way of the other Nazgul (striking fear into the heart of his enemies, etc.), and Tolkien went out of his way to describe the dark origins of the Mouth of Sauron, making him seem like something of an anomaly in the Third Age. Withholding Gothmog's race is to me either an indication that Tolkien didn't want us to know, or that he figured the reader would assume the lieutenant was a regular man or orc - the two races which made up the vast majority of Sauron's fighting force. Orc is obviously more likely, because as far as we know there were no living men in Minas Morgul.
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