Shadow of the East

A title given to one of the Nine Nazgûl, and specifically to the only Ringwraith for whom we are given a personal name, Khamûl, also called the Black Easterling. Khamûl emerged as a lord of the Easterlings during the Second Age, and was granted one of the Nine Rings by Sauron. He was thus enslaved to Sauron's will, becoming the second most powerful of the Nazgûl. The power of his Ring extended his life through millennia, and at the close of the Third Age, the Shadow of the East was among the Black Riders who sought for 'Baggins' in the Shire. He was finally destroyed in the conflagration of Mount Doom that followed the destruction of the Ring.

The source of the title 'Shadow of the East' is not altogether clear, though the 'East' here clearly refers to Khamûl's origins among the Easterlings. It is noted that, despite his power among the Nazgûl, he was also the one most weakened by the light of the Sun, and perhaps this is the source of the 'Shadow' in his title. It is conceivable that 'Shadow of the East' is in fact a direct translation of the name Khamûl, but this cannot be stated with certainty.