WEBVTT - The Monstrefact: Fell Beasts of the Nazgûl

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of

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<v Speaker 1>My Heart Radio. Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and

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<v Speaker 1>this is the Monster Fact, a short form series from

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff to Blow Your Mind focusing on on mythical creatures,

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<v Speaker 1>ideas and monsters in time. In the Lord of the Rings,

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<v Speaker 1>the Nasgal are the most valued servants of the dark

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<v Speaker 1>lords Saoron. They ride forth from Minus Morgul on the

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<v Speaker 1>backs of specially bred horses in search of the one Ring,

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<v Speaker 1>but eventually they take to the sky on fell beasts,

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<v Speaker 1>winged creatures that otherwise have no name. The monster is

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<v Speaker 1>described as something like a great featherless bird, and perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>a creature of an older world. Now it's impossible to

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<v Speaker 1>consider these descriptions without thinking of prehistoric terrasaurs, winged reptiles

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<v Speaker 1>that are actually the earliest known vertebrates capable of powered flight.

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<v Speaker 1>Even creator J. R. R. Tolkien admitted that the creatures

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<v Speaker 1>were certainly pterodactylic even if the nine are not actually

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<v Speaker 1>meant to be thought of as writing pterodactyls. But if

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<v Speaker 1>we were to match the steeds of the ring Raiths

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<v Speaker 1>to actual Terra saurs, then we might be in luck,

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<v Speaker 1>because Terra saurs included some of the largest flying animals

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<v Speaker 1>to ever live. In fact, several species boasted wingspans of

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<v Speaker 1>more than thirty feet or nine point one meters, rivaling

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<v Speaker 1>and in some cases exceeding, the wingspans of many small airplanes. However,

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<v Speaker 1>scientists have differed on exactly how gifted a flyer these

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<v Speaker 1>great terra saurs were, and even if the largest species

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<v Speaker 1>were capable of powered flight or flight at all, did

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<v Speaker 1>they possess powerful quadrupedo launching abilities or were they limited

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<v Speaker 1>by the launching abilities of their hind legs only. The

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<v Speaker 1>answer to this question alone might limit how the fell

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<v Speaker 1>beasts of the Nasgo might deployed in battle, as powerful

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<v Speaker 1>vertical lift vehicles, as mounts that depended on cliff side launching,

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<v Speaker 1>or something more akin to appear glider. There's also the

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<v Speaker 1>question of bearing a ring raith's weight. We know that

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<v Speaker 1>the nasgal leave heavy bootprints in the mud. Despite their

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<v Speaker 1>ghost like nature, they would still pose a burden to

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<v Speaker 1>a living mount, as would their armor and their weapons.

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<v Speaker 1>While winged mounts are a standard of fantastic fiction, various

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<v Speaker 1>problems emerge. Implementing it in real life flight is taxing.

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<v Speaker 1>It requires specialized bodies and a lot of energy to

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<v Speaker 1>pull off. Among birds, the harpie eagle is an absolute powerhouse,

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<v Speaker 1>capable of lifting prey equal to its own weight of

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<v Speaker 1>up to twenty pounds or nine kilograms. They've been known

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<v Speaker 1>to take off with sloths, but raptors like this are

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<v Speaker 1>not in it for the long haul. It's one thing

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<v Speaker 1>to carry a heavy load from one tree branch to

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<v Speaker 1>a nearby feeding spot, quite another to carry it act

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<v Speaker 1>to more door. It's also quite another feat to carry

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<v Speaker 1>something on your back. That's where a lot of vital

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<v Speaker 1>muscle work takes place in various flyers. Perhaps the neck

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<v Speaker 1>of the nas goal would make for a better saddle point,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is how they are sometimes depicted in art,

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<v Speaker 1>but even the neck remains questionable on a flyer, as

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<v Speaker 1>reported by science writer Ryan Morrison in The Mail Online.

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<v Speaker 1>Two recent studies shed more light on the strength of

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<v Speaker 1>the terra sare. First of all, a one University of

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<v Speaker 1>Portsmouth study found that specially arranged cross strutts sort of

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<v Speaker 1>like bicycle spokes, enhanced the strength of their long necks.

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<v Speaker 1>Next strength that would have been vital to support the

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<v Speaker 1>creature during flight and allow it to carry off prey.

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<v Speaker 1>Unlike avian raptors, the pterosaurs would have used their jaws

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<v Speaker 1>as such, perhaps the neck would be the ideal place

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<v Speaker 1>to sit upon a great flying beast like this. We're

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<v Speaker 1>left consider various possibilities concerning the use of these fell

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<v Speaker 1>beasts in combat. Perhaps they were only flown for short

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<v Speaker 1>bursts of assault or reconnaissance, or launched exclusively from high cliffs.

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<v Speaker 1>They may also have excelled as a troupe. Transport of

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<v Speaker 1>one for a ring raith would be worth many on

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<v Speaker 1>the field of battle, especially if deployed at will from

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<v Speaker 1>the sky. Though we are told that at least once

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<v Speaker 1>the fell beasts provide an aerial platform from which to

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<v Speaker 1>send projectiles at the enemy on the ground. A creature

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<v Speaker 1>the size of a great terra saur would pose a

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<v Speaker 1>considerable threat as well. The nas goal that has written

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<v Speaker 1>fought fiercely with nail and beak. Considering both mount and rider,

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<v Speaker 1>it's quite a force to suddenly drop strategically from above. Fortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>the armies of Sauron did not enjoy complete aerial superiority,

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<v Speaker 1>for intelligent eagles also occupied the sky. At the Battle

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<v Speaker 1>of the Black Gate, the final battle of the War

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<v Speaker 1>of the Rings. These two forces engaged in what we

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<v Speaker 1>might consider dog fights in the skies of Middle Earth.

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<v Speaker 1>Tune in for additional episodes of The Monster Effact each

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<v Speaker 1>week in September and October. As always, you can email

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<v Speaker 1>us at contact at stuff to blow your Mind dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh yes, and Happy Hobbit Day. Stuff to Blow Your

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