fog on the barrow downs

[LegolasGimli]

what happened to the barrow wights after the third age?

[me9996]

I thought Tom Bombadill expleled (Or whatever the word might be) them...

[nokom]

Originally Posted by me9996

I thought Tom Bombadill expleled (Or whatever the word might be) them...

One barrows worth. There were hundreds more.

[Forkbeard]

Originally Posted by nokom

One barrows worth. There were hundreds more.

Mu guess would be that like other works done by the power of the Ring and its master and servants, the wights became simply barrows holding the dead. I. E. the wights disappeared since it was the power of the Witch King himself holding power from Sauron and the Ring that put them there.

[Alcuin]

Originally Posted by Forkbeard

Mu guess would be that like other works done by the power of the Ring and its master and servants, the wights became simply barrows holding the dead. I. E. the wights disappeared since it was the power of the Witch King himself holding power from Sauron and the Ring that put them there.

The barrows existed before the wights arrived, and presumably the remained when the wights were dispelled. The wights were works of necromancy by the Witch-king, and so indirectly of Sauron, his master; but whether they were undone or dispelled when the One Ring was destroyed is an interesting idea that I have not before encountered or considered.

I think Forkbeard’s idea – that with the end of the One Ring that barrow-wights ceased to be – must be in strong contention for the fate of the barrow-wights at the end of the Third Age.

Can we turn this thread into a poll on the subject?

[Valandil]

Unfortunately, I believe polling capabilities are turned off here at Entmoot.

It is an interesting idea. I had always assumed that the wights might be among the evil that remained in Middle Earth after the (final) Fall of Sauron - but this is certainly another possibility.