The Nazgūl
"They are the Nazgūl, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead."
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Here he his, the Nazgūl.
I made two of these costumes for my brothers to wear to the December
premiere of The Return of the King. Fortunately the film is showing
in wintertime, as this costume is quite warm.
There are many, many, many layers at work here...over twenty yards' worth of layers, in fact...but of course, my model here is only 5'6". The principal robes, hood, and scarves are made of a lovely "linen-look" fabric from the dollar-yard bin at Wal-Mart. It drapes nicely, ravels extremely easily, and has the perfect overall look. None of the edges are finished, as Nazgūl are not known for their sewing skills and are far too busy wreaking havoc on Middle Earth to worry about finishing hems. |
| The face is obscured by a black
chiffon veil, as no Ringwraith worth his salt would show his face. This is
tacked to the inside of the inner hood, and can be pushed aside for
film-viewing and navigational purposes. Obviously a Nazgūl
cannot possess the proper aura of menacing evil if he is constantly
bumping into things.
The two belts are hidden by the fullness of the pleating at the waist. The "gauntlets" are a pair of textured rubber gloves that I spray-painted with Dutch Boy Original Chrome paint. They look much more menacing in person; the latex accepted the paint quite well and took on a textured, hammered aluminium look. |
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Here you can see the sleeves in motion. They required two yards each, and fall to mid-shin when the Nazgūl's arms are down. |
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Did I mention that Ringwraiths detest paparazzi? The menacing Nazgūl casts a baleful glance at the photographer. |
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Here is a closer look at some of the robes. Starting from the innermost (closest to the skin), here are the layers: 1) Black trousers, in case a stiff wind comes along. Nazgūl must at all times maintain modesty and decorum in dress, save when they are sent back injured and unclad to their master in Mordor. 2) A high-necked, long-sleeved gown with full skirts. 3) Principal robe, with the large flowing sleeves. Extremely full in the waist and skirts, and pleated to create the folds seen here. 4) Sideless surcote, also very full. This is slightly shorter than the robe, and is shredded near the bottom to give that tattered look so en vogue for any self-respecting Nazgūl. 5) Hood. This is the "inner hood", a pullover styled piece that has a chiffon veil tacked to it. It forms a cowl and comes down over the shoulders. 6) Overhood. This is basically a long, rectangular piece of fabric, about three yards in length, that goes over everything. 7) Gauntlets and black leather knee-boots, appropriately travel-stained and scuffed. 8) Various tattered bits and scraps, worn as scarves or tacked to conspicuous places. These blow about in any breeze - what drama! |
