Post by Falconer on Dec 5, 2023 15:25:24 GMT -6
Easterlings in Tolkien
Here I’m going to cover distinct (in name and/or description) groups of Third Age Easterlings—not every generic reference to Easterlings, and not the First Age Easterlings.
A. Eastern groups of Men called Easterlings
1. The Wainriders
invaded Gondor in the 19th-20th c. TA
“better armed” (RK, p. 329)
“the younger women…were also trained in arms” (UT, p. 290)
“journeyed in great wains, and their chieftains fought in chariots” (RK, p. 329)
were also apparently observed by Frodo upon Amon Hen in the War of the Ring
“out of the East Men were moving endlessly…chariots of chieftains and laden wains” (FR p. 417)
2. The Balchoth
invaded Gondor in the 25th-26th c. TA
“only rudely armed…they lacked in gear of war” (UT, p. 296)
“had many large wains, as had the Wainriders (to whom they were no doubt akin)” (UT, p. 296) - but no mention of chariots
“built many great boats and rafts” (RK, p. 334)
3. Axe-men
invaded Gondor during the War of the Ring
“Men of a new sort that we have not met before. Not tall, but broad and grim, bearded like dwarves, wielding great axes. Out of some savage land in the wide East they come, we deem” (RK, p. 95)
called “Easterlings with axes” (RK, p. 121)
4. The Black Easterlings
one of the Nazgûl, Khamûl, is referred to as “the second Chief (the Black Easterling)” (UT, p. 352)
unknown whether the Black Easterling is a unique title (as with the Black Captain) or a group identifier (as with the Black Rider, or the Black Númenórean)
B. Southeastern groups of Men not called Easterlings
1. The Men of Khand
Khand is a “Land south-east of Mordor” (UT, p. 448) so it’s always a question whether to group them as Easterlings or Haradrim
in the 20th c. TA, the Wainriders had been “in conflict with the peoples of Khand and their neighbors further south. Eventually a peace and alliance was agreed between these enemies of Gondor, and an attack was prepared that should be made at the same time from north and south” (UT, p. 291)
“The Wainriders had mustered a great host by the southern shores of the inland Sea of Rhûn, strengthened by…their new allies in Khand” forming an army “composed not only of the war-chariots of the Wainriders but also of a force of cavalry” (UT, p. 292)
so in this case we see Men of Khand fighting as cavalry and grouping themselves among the Easterlings rather than with the Men of Near Harad who attacked from the south. See also RK, p. 329
N.B., never referred to as Variags in this earlier conflict
in the War of the Ring, “chariots of chieftains” Frodo observed are again accompanied by “bowmen upon horses” (FR p. 417) perhaps not coincidentally
at the Black Gate Frodo “caught the gleam of spears and helmets; and over the levels beside the roads horsemen could be seen riding in many companies…out of the wide Eastlands” (TT, pp. 247-8)
among the foes at the Battle of the Pellenor Fields are “Variags of Khand” (RK, p. 121) and again “Variags” (p. 123)
not sure if it’s significant, but they are never called “the Variags”
2. The Men of Lake Núrnen
“the great slave-worked fields away south…by the dark sad waters of Lake Núrnen” (RK, p. 201)
Aragorn released “the slaves of Mordor…and gave to them all the lands about Lake Núrnen to be their own” (RK, p. 247)
now, in another context (RK, p. 183), “the slaves of Mordor” plainly refers to Orcs, as in many other generic reference to slaves, eg., “And Orcs, they were useful slaves, but [Sauron] had them in plenty” (TT, p. 333), so I always read these quotes as referring to Orcs; but it’s also possible to imagine them as Men (or both)
Here I’m going to cover distinct (in name and/or description) groups of Third Age Easterlings—not every generic reference to Easterlings, and not the First Age Easterlings.
A. Eastern groups of Men called Easterlings
1. The Wainriders
invaded Gondor in the 19th-20th c. TA
“better armed” (RK, p. 329)
“the younger women…were also trained in arms” (UT, p. 290)
“journeyed in great wains, and their chieftains fought in chariots” (RK, p. 329)
were also apparently observed by Frodo upon Amon Hen in the War of the Ring
“out of the East Men were moving endlessly…chariots of chieftains and laden wains” (FR p. 417)
2. The Balchoth
invaded Gondor in the 25th-26th c. TA
“only rudely armed…they lacked in gear of war” (UT, p. 296)
“had many large wains, as had the Wainriders (to whom they were no doubt akin)” (UT, p. 296) - but no mention of chariots
“built many great boats and rafts” (RK, p. 334)
3. Axe-men
invaded Gondor during the War of the Ring
“Men of a new sort that we have not met before. Not tall, but broad and grim, bearded like dwarves, wielding great axes. Out of some savage land in the wide East they come, we deem” (RK, p. 95)
called “Easterlings with axes” (RK, p. 121)
4. The Black Easterlings
one of the Nazgûl, Khamûl, is referred to as “the second Chief (the Black Easterling)” (UT, p. 352)
unknown whether the Black Easterling is a unique title (as with the Black Captain) or a group identifier (as with the Black Rider, or the Black Númenórean)
B. Southeastern groups of Men not called Easterlings
1. The Men of Khand
Khand is a “Land south-east of Mordor” (UT, p. 448) so it’s always a question whether to group them as Easterlings or Haradrim
in the 20th c. TA, the Wainriders had been “in conflict with the peoples of Khand and their neighbors further south. Eventually a peace and alliance was agreed between these enemies of Gondor, and an attack was prepared that should be made at the same time from north and south” (UT, p. 291)
“The Wainriders had mustered a great host by the southern shores of the inland Sea of Rhûn, strengthened by…their new allies in Khand” forming an army “composed not only of the war-chariots of the Wainriders but also of a force of cavalry” (UT, p. 292)
so in this case we see Men of Khand fighting as cavalry and grouping themselves among the Easterlings rather than with the Men of Near Harad who attacked from the south. See also RK, p. 329
N.B., never referred to as Variags in this earlier conflict
in the War of the Ring, “chariots of chieftains” Frodo observed are again accompanied by “bowmen upon horses” (FR p. 417) perhaps not coincidentally
at the Black Gate Frodo “caught the gleam of spears and helmets; and over the levels beside the roads horsemen could be seen riding in many companies…out of the wide Eastlands” (TT, pp. 247-8)
among the foes at the Battle of the Pellenor Fields are “Variags of Khand” (RK, p. 121) and again “Variags” (p. 123)
not sure if it’s significant, but they are never called “the Variags”
2. The Men of Lake Núrnen
“the great slave-worked fields away south…by the dark sad waters of Lake Núrnen” (RK, p. 201)
Aragorn released “the slaves of Mordor…and gave to them all the lands about Lake Núrnen to be their own” (RK, p. 247)
now, in another context (RK, p. 183), “the slaves of Mordor” plainly refers to Orcs, as in many other generic reference to slaves, eg., “And Orcs, they were useful slaves, but [Sauron] had them in plenty” (TT, p. 333), so I always read these quotes as referring to Orcs; but it’s also possible to imagine them as Men (or both)