The Nazgûl, together and apart
A schematic companionship timeline · 22 September–20 October 3018
Each colour is a rider. Joined capsules mark parties; time runs downwards, not to scale.
Select a rider to trace their line; select again to show all.
How to read the map
Letters identify riders independently of colour. Crossings without a capsule are not meetings. A separate unknown rider is not a claim that they travelled alone. Parties may indicate a joint assignment, rather than close physical proximity. Select a step on the map to open its source chronology in a new tab.
Step-by-step readings and decisions
The JSON records the parties, the evidence basis and the source cells for each step. The drawing positions are generated from that data. “Carried forward” retains a last recorded party for tracing purposes; it is not a new claim of companionship. Source-cell links open the relevant entry in the chronology.
The eastern and western date columns are independent. Intra-day phases are split where the text describes a reunion or departure. Approximate dates and alternative accounts remain labelled. No group has been inferred merely because its riders occupy the same spreadsheet row.
Review clarifications below record corrections to the original chronology snapshot; source-cell links still show that snapshot.
22–23 Sep · After Sarn Ford
The nine divide: four turn east; five enter the Shire.
23 Sep · Searching the Shire
E and F take different routes; G heads towards the Bridge; H and I stay together (assumed).
Assumption: For this map, H and I are assumed to stay together on 23 September. This grouping is carried forward until the five reunite on 26 September. The source labels them together, although its accompanying text may describe I continuing into the North Farthing.
23/24 Sep · Camp and border watch
ABCD reach Andrath; BCD take up their border watch.
Review clarification: Ken dates the camp and border-watch assignment to 23/24 September. Its order relative to the Shire movements is approximate. BCD denotes a shared guarding assignment, not a claim that the three remain physically together.
24 Sep · Woody End
A visits the Barrow-downs (~24 Sep); E pursues Frodo.
Review clarification: The source dates A’s visit approximately to 24 September and says he stays for some days, probably until late on the 27th. E’s pursuit is dated 24 September; this shared step does not assert an exact time for A’s arrival.
25 Sep · Visit to Maggot
E and F ride together to visit Maggot.
25 Sep · Along the Causeway
E goes north towards the Bridge; F goes towards Overbourn.
25 Sep · After the ferry
F rejoins E, too late to stop Frodo crossing the river.
26 Sep · Early morning
E assembles all five of the Shire party.
26 Sep · New assignments
EF enter Buckland; G watches the Bridge; HI go east.
27 Sep · Report to A
H and I find A; D is also with A before the scouts depart.
Review clarification: D, H and I are with A on 27 September before being sent out separately. BC remain with A; EF are searching Buckland and G guards the Bridge.
27 Sep · Three scouts sent out
A keeps BC; D, H and I are dispatched separately.
Review clarification: On 27 September A sends D, H and I separately, with orders to converge near Weathertop and then return towards Bree along or near the Road. Their meeting with the Isengard-spy and D’s subsequent dispatch to A belong to 29 September, not this departure.
28 Sep · Near Crickhollow
E waits; F is sent to fetch G and the horses.
29 Sep · Early / Crickhollow
E, F and G return to Crickhollow and watch the house.
29 Sep · Dusk / Bree
DHI hear the Isengard-spy’s report about the inn and suspect the Ring is there.
Review clarification: D, H and I are together near Bree on 29 September when they learn from the Isengard-spy about the events in the inn and infer the presence of the Ring. Only after this report is D sent to A and waylaid by the Dúnedain. Ken’s 17 September spreadsheet revision now confirms this review clarification in K9 and L9, replacing their earlier ‘With A’ labels.
29 Sep · Later that evening
D leaves to report to A and is waylaid; HI plan the inn attack.
Review clarification: After DHI hear the Isengard-spy’s report on 29 September, D is sent to the Captain, A. D is waylaid by the Dúnedain and driven away, so he does not reach A until the next day, 30 September. H and I remain near Bree and prepare their attack on the Prancing Pony; they are not with A.
30 Sep · Before dawn
HI attack the inn; EFG attack Crickhollow. Both fail.
Review clarification: D reaches A on 30 September, but the clarification does not establish whether this was before or after the predawn attacks. His companionship at this step is therefore left unknown; a separate marker does not assert that he was alone.
30 Sep · Reunion at Andrath
D reaches A on 30 September; all nine assemble at Andrath.
Review clarification: D reaches A on 30 September. His return is accounted for by the all-nine reunion, without assigning an exact time or fixing its order relative to the predawn attacks.
30 Sep · Pursuit divides
ABCDE search the borders; FGHI go towards Weathertop.
2 Oct · Ahead of the main party
F stays near Weathertop; GHI continue east.
Review clarification: Ken identifies the ‘other account’ as Marquette MSS 4/2/36, The Hunt for the Ring, cited in the Reader’s Companion (pp. 167–168). His expanded reading explicitly places FGHI near Weathertop on 2 October, with F remaining and GHI continuing east. The earlier source-identification review flag is resolved.
3 Oct · Following Gandalf
ABCDE follow Gandalf; F stays near Weathertop and GHI head east.
3–4 Oct · Night / Weathertop
ABCDF attack Gandalf. E’s whereabouts are not recorded.
Review clarification: Ken notes that E is with A on 3 October and again on 4 October, while F’s entry says ‘presumably E’ joins the others near Weathertop. This does not confirm E’s participation in the night attack, so his companionship at this step remains unknown.
4 Oct · After sunrise
BCDF pursue Gandalf north; A and E watch Weathertop.
Review clarification: The northward pursuit is drawn to the left of Weathertop, placing BCDF left of AE. This is a schematic direction choice, not a claim that BCDF travel west. A and E stay near Weathertop as GHI return on 5 October.
5 Oct · The eastern patrol returns
GHI return from the east and rejoin A and E near Weathertop.
Review clarification: Ken’s expanded 5 October entries explicitly say AEGHI are now gathered: GHI return from the east to A and E, who had remained watching Weathertop.
6 Oct · Day / road patrol
EHI return from patrol; A and G are inferred to keep watch.
Assumption: Ken infers that EHI were sent west on patrol earlier on 6 October, leaving A and G to keep watch near Weathertop. The map adopts that inferred AG grouping, shown as assumed rather than confirmed. E’s entry explicitly records rejoining A and G.
6 Oct · Night / Weathertop
AEGHI attack Frodo’s camp; BCDF are away to the north.
Review clarification: Ken’s 17 September spreadsheet revision removes the misplaced AEGHI attack passage from E17 (D’s column), resolving the earlier contradiction. I17 explicitly places F with BCD. The rider groupings are unchanged: AEGHI attack Frodo’s camp, while BCDF are away to the north. The expanded H17 entry records E rejoining A and G before the night attack.
7 Oct · After the attack
A calls EGHI back. BCDF are still away in the north.
7–10 Oct · No new grouping recorded
The last recorded parties are carried forward, not confirmed anew.
11 Oct · Glorfindel’s encounters
EHI guard the Bridge; Glorfindel also meets AG on the Road.
11 Oct · Driven off the Road
EHI disperse; A flees. Subsequent companionship is unclear.
12–13 Oct · No new grouping recorded
No new positions or reunions are supplied.
14 Oct · Pursuit resumes
AEGHI reassemble and resume the hunt.
15–18 Oct · No new grouping recorded
The last recorded parties are carried forward.
19 Oct · The Ring is near
AEGHI become aware of the Ring not far ahead.
20 Oct · The chase to the Ford
AEGHI pursue Frodo; the other four have not yet reappeared.
20 Oct · The other four return
BCDF try to cut Frodo off. Both parties converge on the Ford.
20 Oct · Together at the Ford
All nine riders converge at the Ford.
Review clarification: The review clarification places all nine riders together at the Ford on 20 October. The preceding chase and interception steps preserve the separate AEGHI and BCDF parties before this final convergence.