Why did the Nazgul not succeed in Bree and on Weathertop?

[skip spence]

As much as I love "The Fellowship of The Ring", I've always found the Weathertop episode rather ridiculos. I can see why they failed in Bree but at Weathertop they should have taken the ring, if they indeed were Sauron's deadliest servants. They knew it was there and attacked at night, unseen and led by their great captain. It should've ended there and then, if they had any power apart from fear.

And also, even if they did fail to win the ring at weathertop, how come they lost their trail and allowed their pray to get away? Did they just flee like headless chicken?

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

It's a wonderful irony that those whose main weapon is fear are themselves so easily overcome by it.

That is ironic. The most fearful creatures known to men scared ****less by a midget and a name. It's like a monster too afraid to come out from under a little kid's bed at night.

[davem]

Originally Posted by skip spence

That is ironic. The most fearful creatures known to men scared ****less by a midget and a name. It's like a monster too afraid to come out from under a little kid's bed at night.

My take is that its not simply a 'name' - Frodo invoked Elbereth, called down her protection, & she intervened directly - or at the very least the Nazgul feared that she might do so. However powerful the Nazgul might be in M-e Varda could have squished them without a thought.

[Boromir88]

However powerful the Nazgul might be in M-e Varda could have squished them without a thought.~davem

Isn't it also mentioned in The Silmarillion that even Morgoth (and all "dark" creatures) fear/hate Varda?

Calling upon Elbereth was important, but let's also not forget Frodo was wielding a blade that was specifically designed to take down the Witch-King:

...work of Westernesse, wound about with spells for the bane of Mordor.~The Departure of Boromir

As well as the tremendous courage Frodo showed. In an unpublished manuscript Tolkien wrote (that appears in Hammond and Scull's book)...

'But above all the timid and terified Bearer had resisted him, had dared to strike at him with an enchanted sword made by his own enemies long ago for his destruction. Narrowly it had missed him. How had he come by it -save in the barrows of cardolan. Then he was in some way mightier than the B{arrow} -wight; and he called on Elbereth, a name of terror to the nazgul. He was then in league with the High Elves ofthe Havens.

Escaping a wound that would have been as deadly to him as the Mordor -knife to Frodo (as was proved at the end), he withdrew and hid for a while, out of doubt and fear both of Aragorn and especially of Frodo. But fear of Sauron , and the forces of Sauron's will was the stronger

Frodo found the courage (during the night when the Nazgul have their greatest "fear factor") to lunge out and strike him...not only have the courage to take a swipe at him, but take a swipe at the Witch-King with an enchanted blade that was designed to destroy him.

As I said in another thread, the Witch-King has a tendancy to know when he is overmatched, and when he knows he is overmatched he has a tendancy to run away.

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Nah, I don't buy it.

Why would the Witch King be afraid of Frodo and the name of Varda if he wasn't a big sissy?

Frodo is less then four feet tall and although he had a tiny sword that could actually harm the nazguls the five of them should still have been able to deal with him easily to say the least. And with the ring on they could see Frodo clearly, whereas Aragorn and the others could not see the wraiths, which they would've known very well.

They must also have known that Varda was sitting with Manwë up on Taniquetil and wasn't going to Weathertop anytime soon. And she certainly could not squish even a bug with thought only.

And perhaps they were afraid of fire, but isn't that just another example of their sissyness? I mean, brands are no match for swords and would also cool off very quickly.

Actually, that name 'Elbereth' would be more deadly to the Witch King than Frodo's strike I always interpreted as grim sarcasm from Aragorn. You know, the brave but pathetic stab wasn't going to harm the Witch King at all, whereas the name 'Elbereth' at least hurt his feelings. I always figured they drew back because they took pleasure in tormenting their pray by prolonging their misery or something like that.

[Galendor]

Originally Posted by skip spence

And perhaps they were afraid of fire, but isn't that just another example of their sissyness? I mean, brands are no match for swords and would also cool off very quickly.

The wraiths are ghostly forms wearing black cloth robes. Regular swords might not hurt them - but Aragorn's fiery brand could have caught their robes on fire and burnt them up. Then the wraiths would find themselves completely naked and very far from home - a scary thought for anyone!