Someone PLEASE tell the Witch-King of Angmar that this little hobbit genuinely thinks it’s anyone’s guess whether or not he’s literate. PLEASE.
To be fair, it is anyone’s guess. Literacy is not some sort of baseline qualification for kingship. Even if Angmar was a realm that put great stock in the written word (and we don’t know that), that doesn’t mean every single inhabitant is literate. Literacy is a specialist skill. Kings can afford to hire (or, in the case of Angmar, enslave) specialists if they need them.
Incidentally, if the Black Riders can read, we do not know whether they can read Shire-style Westron. Maybe they just know Sauron’s adapted Black Speech Tengwar mode and a little Sindarin on the side. WHO KNOWS.
Besides, at this point Frodo doesn’t even know who and what the riders are. For all he knows, they could be trained monkeys or enchanted clouds. He doesn’t even know if they’re sapient.
Also, I’m pretty sure at one point it is mentioned that the riders use their horses to see (just don’t remember whether this is before or after the above quote).
If that is indeed the case, and is mentioned prior to this scene, it is not unreasonable to assume that the riders cannot read by virtue of not being able to see the lettering.
Now picturing a rider holding a note in front of their horse and trying to make sure it doesn’t bite it
Oh my gosh, the rabbit trail tracing going on here is delightful
It really is.
And yes, it is completely reasonable for Frodo to have no idea whether the Black Riders can see at all, read, read his language, etc., and simultaneously, I find it hilarious to imagine the Witch-King of Angmar finding out about this Doubt.
…Especially if he was literate in life but would not (for any of the available reasons) have been able to read the note.
amhrancas 