Herumor and Fuinur

[Pale King]

I was flicking through the Silmarillion a little while ago (looking for something completely unrelated) and in the section on the Third Age I came accross mention of two Black Numenoreans that had become mighty lords amongst the Haradrim during the second age. Their names were Herumor and Fuinur and as far as I know this is the only mention of them.

I know that Khamul is the only one of the Nazgul that is specifically named, however is it possible that Herumor and Fuinur are also contenders for Nazgul? Its certainly the case that Sauron gathered most of the Kings of men from the south and east when he distributed the Nine so it would seem to me that Herumor and Fuinur would be likely candidates.

I know that most of the Nine were never named but does anyone know if the HOME series sheds any more light on this possibility or specifically any more light on Herumor and Fuinur?

Cheers all.

[Gothmog]

I have been doing some checking of HoME on this question and in my view these names do not refer to Nazgul.

In the Silmarillion we have. Now Sauron prepared war against the Eldar and the Men of Westernesse, and the fires of the Mountain were wakened again. Wherefore seeing the smoke of Orodruin from afar, and perceiving that Sauron had returned, the Númenóreans named that mountain anew Amon Amarth, which is Mount Doom. And Sauron gathered to him great strength of his servants out of the east and the south; and among them were not a few of the high race of Númenor. For in the days of the sojourn of Sauron in that land the hearts of well nigh all its people had been turned towards darkness. Therefore many of those who sailed east in that time and made fortresses and dwellings upon the coasts were already bent to his will, and they served him still gladly in Middle-earth. But because of the power of Gil-galad these renegades, lords both mighty and evil, for the most part took up their abodes in the southlands far away; yet two there were, Herumor and Fuinur, who rose to power among the Haradrim, a great and cruel people that dwelt in the wide lands south of Mordor beyond the mouths of Anduin.

So these two, Herumor and Fuinur were both from the time of Sauron's being in Numenor. However, in HoME 12 The Peoples of ME we find in "The Tale of Years of the Second Age." The following. 2000-3000. The Numenoreans now make permanent dwellings on the shores of Middle-earth, seeking wealth and dominion; they build many havens and fortresses. The Elf-friends go chiefly to the North-west, but their strongest place is at Pelargir above the Mouths of Anduin. The King's Folk establish lordships in Umbar (12) and Harad and in many other places on the coasts of the Great Lands.
During the same time Sauron extends his dominion slowly over the great part of Middle-earth; but his power reaches out eastward, since he is withheld from the coasts by the Numenoreans. He nurses his hatred for them, but cannot yet challenge them openly. Towards the end of this time the Ulairi, the Ringwraiths, servants of Sauron and slaves of the Nine Rings first appear.
Now this is 125 years at least before Sauron went to Numenor So it is hard to see that they could be names of Nazgul.
The Name "Herumor" is also used in "The New Shadow" and one of the notes on this is as follows.11. The name Herumor is found in Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age (The Silmarillion p. 293) as that of a renegade Numenorean who became powerful among the Haradrim in the time before the war of the Last Alliance. There is no indication of any connection with Nazgul.

It may be that rather than anything to do with Ringwraiths, one or other of these could be related to "The Mouth of Sauron". I will look further in to this.

Hope that is of some help.

[Pale King]

Cheers Gothmog,
Thats exactly the sort of clarification that I was after. It certainly seems to rule them out as contenders for Nazgul, it was always a conjectural long shot on my part I guess.