Сильмариллион
Of the Voyage of Earendil and the War of Wrath
FormanyayeartheWhiteTreegrewbeforetheKing’shouseinMinasAnor,theseedofthattreewhichIsildurbroughtoutofthedeepsoftheseafromNumenor;andtheseedbeforethatcamefromAvallone,andbeforethatfromValinorintheDaybeforedayswhentheworldwasyoung.Yetatthelast,inthewearingoftheswiftyearsofMiddle-earth,Gondorwaned,andthelineofMeneldilsonofAnarionfailed.ForthebloodoftheNumenoreansbecamemuchmingledwiththatofothermen,andtheirpowerandwisdomwasdiminished,andtheirlife-spanwasshortened,andthewatchuponMordorslumbered.AndinthedaysofTelemnar,thethirdandtwentiethofthelineofMeneldil,aplaguecameupondarkwindsoutoftheeast,anditsmotetheKingandhischildren,andmanyofthepeopleofGondorperished.ThenthefortsonthebordersofMordorweredeserted,andMinasIthilwasemptiedofitspeople;andevilenteredagainintotheBlackLandsecretly,andtheashesofGorgorothwerestirredasbyacoldwind,fordarkshapesgatheredthere.ItissaidthatthesewereindeedtheUlairi,whomSauroncalledtheNazgul,theNineRingwraithsthathadlongremainedhidden,butreturnednowtopreparethewaysoftheirMaster,forhehadbeguntogrowagain.
AndinthedaysofEarniltheymadetheirfirststroke,andtheycamebynightoutofMordoroverthepassesoftheMountainsofShadow,andtookMinasIthilfortheirabode;andtheymadeitaplaceofsuchdreadthatnonedaredtolookuponit.
