<P> The Appendices of The Return of the King explain that the Nazgûl first appeared around S.A. 2251, some 700 years after the rings were forged, and were soon established as Sauron's principal servants . They were dispersed after the first overthrow of Sauron in S.A. 3441 at the hands of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, but their survival was assured since the One Ring survived . </P> <P> They re-emerged around T.A. 1300, when the Witch - king led Sauron's forces against the successor kingdoms of Arnor: Rhudaur, Cardolan and Arthedain . He effectively destroyed all the successor kingdoms, but was defeated in 1975 and returned to Mordor . There he gathered the other Nazgûl in preparation for the return of Sauron to that realm . </P> <P> In 2000, the Nazgûl besieged Minas Ithil and, after two years, captured it and acquired its palantír for Sauron . The city thereafter became Minas Morgul, the stronghold of the Nazgûl . Sauron returned to Mordor in 2942 and declared himself openly in 2951 . Two or three of the Nazgûl were sent to garrison Dol Guldur, his fortress in Mirkwood . </P> <P> By 3017, near the beginning of the story told in The Lord of the Rings, Sauron had learned from Gollum that Bilbo Baggins of The Shire had the One Ring in his possession . Sauron entrusted its recovery to the Nazgûl . They reappeared "west of the River", riding black horses that were bred or trained in Mordor to endure their terror . They learned that the Ring had passed to Bilbo's heir, Frodo, and followed him and his companions to Bree . Aragorn arrived ahead of them and hid the Hobbits from their pursuers, but eventually five of the Nazgûl cornered Frodo and his company at Weathertop, where the Witch - king stabbed Frodo in the shoulder with the Morgul blade, breaking off a piece of it in the Hobbit's flesh . When all Nine were swept away by the waters of the river Bruinen, their horses were drowned, and the Ringwraiths were forced to return to Mordor to regroup . </P>

Name of the ringwraith with the horned helmet