"His sense of duty was no less than yours I deem. I wonder what his name is, where he came from and if he was really evil at heart, what lies or threats led him on this long march from home and if he had rather stayed there in peace." -Movie Faramir about the dead Haradrim soldier
I’m almost positive this line was only in the extended edition. Plenty have criticized the movies for ruining Faramir’s character, but the inclusion of this line really pointed towards his true character
The Easterlings were men brave and proud, neither giving nor asking for quarter and they were deadly in despair. I can respect the Easterlings as they had a form of honor and valor equal to that of the West in their own way. It is regrettable that such worthy warriors served such unworthy masters.
Hannon le, mellon! I appreciate it, and share your interest with the parts and people of the story that skirt the edges of our knowability, making us want to dig a little deeper!
"His full strength gathered.... Not just orcs but men as well...." Very fascinating peoples that had a very different history then the men of the west. Also would loved to have found out if the blue wizards had any dealings with these peoples 🤔 One of the many mysteries left to us to enjoy and ponder for all time haha
I always considered Alatar and Pallando to have had some success not described in the LotR. Like Gandalf, they were Maia, and I imagined a resistance against Sauron in the east. After all, the continent is huge and if Suaron truly had it all it would mean millions of troops. Not merely thousands. Logically, it seems there were others who resisted just like in the First Age. The kingdoms beyond the Easterlings would bring a grand tale.
i think that was a story that tolkien considered writing about, their fates and what not... but he passed away before he could even start writing it... soo unfortunately we'll never know
From what I've read, originally Tolkien had them fail in their mission, and actually join with the Easterlings and created Cults of magic and darkness. But he later changed this and stated that they partly succeeded, and due to their effort, ensured that fewer Easterlings joined with Sauron (probably convincing leaders of different groups not to join). So because of them, the West wasn't overrun. This would have been particularly important, because to the North, the Easterlings actually defeated the Dwaves of Erebor and the Men of Dale. They killed the two Kings, and routed their forces back to Erebor. They then lay siege to the mountain stronghold. This siege was broken when word had reached them of Sauron's defeat. Sauron commanded this invasion so that the Northern kingdoms could be defeated, and the Easterlings could flank Rohan and Gondor and also burn the lands of the free folk. I went on a bit but this is a rough description of what the Blue Wizard's did. If it wasn't for them, things would have turned out much differently. We would have probably seen the destruction of the northen kingdoms, then of the elves and free folks and potentially Rohan and Gondor.
Would be nice to have the Easterling POV, was it fear of Sauron or were they rebelling against being enslaved by a predestined fate, did they think they would get immortality, etc.
@@cantsneedgaming4591 I enjoyed the movies considering that Jackson had to stuff 60-70 middle earth years into 12 hours. I get it. 2 things I thought were erroneous, Jackson's portrayal of Denethor and we didn't get to see the Easterlings in battle because they were without a doubt Saurons toughest soldiers.
I have to agree that Sauron's recruitment of Khamul increased, and possibly even originated, his long-term grip over the Easterlings. In fact, it's long been my hypothesis that the core peoples of Sauron's allied armies (e.g the Dunlendings, Variags, Wainriders, Balchoth, etc.) either were, or were descended from, the nations whose kings had received the Nine, centuries before.
I love what LOTRO did with the Easterlings. You get the idea that Sauron was a dark lord to them and waged a devastating war on them before the War of the Ring, and that though they have a darker culture, they're still people. There's a quest where a captured Easterling asks you in secret to find a loose Oliphant and send him on his way back to Harad before the Gondor soldiers do. He says he raised it since it was a baby, it's like family to him, and he wishes it wasn't used in war. It's the sweetest thing! The Iron Hills also has excellent development with the Easterlings.
I was *JUST* getting ready for bed, and checked your page thinking there *HAD* to be a new video, and there wasn't, and no post saying a delay or no video, so I figured well, maybe tomorrow... then I refreshed YT and here we are! Perfect for Sunday night before bedtime! Thanks as always, I look forward to my Sunday night lore!
In my mind, there are three primary factions in Rhûn those who sided with mordor, those who sided with the western kingdoms, and those who would happily see both destroyed because for them, it doesn't matter who's in charge they will always be looked down on as "lesser beings"
The sad thing about the easterlings is how undocumented their history is. We know almost nothing of their history compared to how plentiful their lands and people are. Part of me wishes someone else will take up their pen and expand on this, perhaps in the style of an Expanded Arda.
It's weird the easterlings are described as a sallow skin which is like a sickish yellow tint found of fair complexion yet when I hear their name Easterling and I see their armor I get Mediterranean Arabian Night vibes.
@Eric Konschuh ??? I think the dwarves where meant to be jewish sense Khuzdul (the dwarvish tongue) has the Semitic tri-consonant root system and is regarded as religious and kept secret, as well as the fact that their “holy city” in Khazad-dum keeps being overtaken by the forces of their enemies, and keeps leaving them in exile, that and the fact that they have large beards, and bit short (which I’m allowed to say being part jewish) makes them fit that bill best
"Have you seen those warriors from Hammerfell? They have curved swords! CURVED.... SWORDS!" Doesn't quite add up though, Hammerfell is west of Skyrim...
I love all the extra lore you and similar channels explain. You all do it so well. I love the fact that so much history exists for Arda and that the events of the Hobbit and LOTR are only small cliffnotes in a much grander tale, though the destruction of the One Ring is a pretty big fucking deal and marked the end/beginning of an age. Truly some of the greatest literature and greatest lore ever produced. We are lucky to be alive in a time where such works exist.
@@michellebrown4903 there were fallen numenorians on the side of Sauron and they are not the easterlings, they're of the faction known as the black numenorians, one's who had adopted the worship of morgoth.
Personally, I headcanon Khand as the Persia/India (the northwestern regions, at least). Rhun felt more like the western part (Black Sea - Caspian - Central Asia) of the Eurasian Steppe.
Interesting how the “other” in Tolkien’s time was white skinned Nazi Germans but he still imagined the enemies of Middle Earth as swarthy Easterlings and dark skinned Haradrim
@@thishandleistacken Yeah that last sentence is pretty accurate, these days people just make up crap to call racist just to be offended at any cost. Being nit picky about race at this point in history is so pointless since we are all made up of multiple different ones, let alone the fact that "race" as it is considered today is not scientific fact and is really just a secular lie which twists the identity of everyone's true race, the human race. (Insert "What about NASCAR?!" vine here) Tolkien's character building with the characters Gimli and Legolas is MORE than enough to prove to anyone that the man didn't have a racist bone in his body. His thesis that you don't have to be a certain "race" in order to fight and die for your friends and loved ones is a thesis that still lives on in community circles like the U.S. military (and others I am sure) even today.
Its awesome to see you reupload a video! I've always wondered if all of the Easterlings or Men that stayed in the East fell under the sway of Morgoth and Sauron, or if there were some that did not, like holdouts. That they weren't necessarily good or aligned with the forces of good we know, but instead stayed true to themselves? Perhaps that was the mission of the Blue Wizards?
I recognized one from Laurelinarchives.org, a role play site for Lord of the Rings Online players. It was the person's character (Hravanis) and a son of Feanor meeting up with dwarves. I RPed with the person myself before. I thought it was really weird seeing it on an official lore video.
I just have to say, how much I love your Outros. Your moral Speach, the smooth Voice and The Musictitel "Get your Ticket" . It's so wonderful and relaxing every time ^^
Im a huge fan first book i ever read was the hobbit and i cant count how many times I've read the Silmarillon. But being from a eastern culture myself has always been a bit of a uncomfortable thing about reading Tolkien i dont think he thought badly of those cultures but theres been nothing really redeeming written about the easterlings or very very little. Just something that pops up every now and then when i re-read his works.
That is a great question! I imagine that if they would have been their own faction, or had remained on the side of the West, Sauron would have been far, far weaker, and the West consequentially stronger!
@@MenoftheWest Perhaps Sauron would have had to think far more strategically rather than relying solely on overwhelming numbers of Orcs, Uruks and Trolls.
you should continue the geography series... Do vids on best "tourist destinations"... Most spectacular sites... Highest peaks and deepest caves... the shape and physics of the world... that sort of thing. great vid man.
I had a theory that one Ringwraith that had the horns I thougt that maybe he was Easterling king and couppted to darkness and become a Ringwraith but then you talk over it and I was glad that someone knows about these kind of history. Thank you making this video it is fun learning history of MIDDLE EARTH from Gordon
In Medieval England the term Easterlings was used to describe people living East of the Rhine. I like to think that Tolkien envisioned these people as Germanic/Slavic rather than East Asian.
Same. Yep in movies we see asian features. But easterlings is a elvish word and East is more geopolitical then geographic. By that everything what is easter then Elvish domain considered to be East.
I've always liked the Easterlings, finding them to be far more interesting villains than orcs. I very much hope that in the forthcoming Amazon series we get to see more of those lands outside of where the action happens in LotR. I'd love to see some depictions of the kingdoms and peoples of Rhûn, Khand and Harad. Also, really looking forward to a video on the Blue Wizards. Those guys fascinate me.
Ooh, the Blue Wizards. Tying in a bit with this vid since they went into the East. There are enough hints in the legendarium to suggest the Easterlings as a whole were not uniformly dedicated to Sauron and some even opposed him if only to seek their own freedom. I rather like the idea the Blue Wizards caused enough trouble out East that Sauron had to devote some time & effort to lining them back up again. Or perhaps there were recurring minor conflicts back East that kept Sauron from just steamrollering the West.
“Without the north, the west could not have prevailed.” I’m imagining Gandalf saying this to the northern free peoples, and Thorin III’s like, “I could’ve taken them if’in they hadn’t gone and run!” but then Bard II’s like, “Thorin almost died.”
I thought only dwarves knew Khazdul simply for the fact that dwarves are so inherently secretive and have a proverbial list of things they will not share with Outsiders. You would think that their spoken tongue would stay on that "no sharing with non-dwarves" list, right? But it's also speculated that the Easterlings consisted of some dwarves who sided with Sauron
Well, that was interesting...What about a Fan Theory if the Easterlings didn't betray Noldor?!!! Thanks, Mellon for Updating this Video... Until "What Happen to the 2 Blue Wizards?!!!" *I am trying to say it like, Pippin's Second Breakfast Quote* Marion Baggins Out!!! P.s It Mount Doom in Temperature where I am Mellon...Better Stay Cool!!!
You speak so intently about the Easterlings yet truly you must know that by the tone in your voice that you are a Beasterling. I can hear how big your arms are through the speakers on my laptop, and my oh my do they blow me away...
I don't think the Beleriand Easterlings are the same people as the later Easterlings. The First Age Easterlings are called like that because they came from the East, same reason why they were called Incomers, but other than that they are described mainly just as swarthy, dark-haired and short, more similar to, say the Dunlendings, than to the more Asian-looking Easterlings of later ages. I think the Beleriand Easterlings were probably a group that split from the Men at Rhun later than the Edain, but were still distinct enough from them. I think I remember reading somewhere that most of the swarthy men/easterlings that survived Beleriand's drowning didn't flee east but south (mainly Bór's people) and that they settled in Eregion and likely became the ancestors of the middle-men (Dunlendings, Rhuadur Hillsmen, Breemen, etc)
In before Seth Miller says no one loves you halfling as much as he does and he would chase you as far to the east as you ran to get you or something like that
For such a huge and influential faction, if one can even use such a general term for them, we know very little of their history, politics and culture. Why, for instance, did these men forsake the Free Peoples and fight under the banner of the First Dark Lord, and keep faith with his successor through the three ages of the world? That can’t be explained by simple intimidation or lust for riches, either of which could have been overcome by the Men of the West during the various interregnums. There was clearly something deeper that created that cultural barrier between Gondor and the East that not only made them easy subjects of Barad-Dur but, collectively speaking, willing subjects of Sauron as well. Did they revere Morgoth or Sauron as gods and view alliance with Gondor as blaspheming? Would they still? And if so, why? What caused them to worship the Dark Lords in the first place? So much do them is simply unknown and guesswork, they are a great blank spot on the map of Middle Earth. We know they’re there, but we don’t know much about the peoples who live there. Or perhaps, they don’t want to be known by nations they have hated for so long they don’t even remember the cause of their animosity anymore. Idk what Tolkien was personally trying to say with their inclusion as one can draw historical allusions to “the East” in general as well as Mongolians and other Steppe peoples, but what I draw from them is the consequences of assuming too much about what you don’t know without evidence.
I've read somewhere that Tolkien wanted to add more elements to the history of Men in Middle-Earth: Basically, thousands of years after the Awakening of the Elves, the first Men awoke in the East, and Morgoth saw them as a potential threat. So he went to them, presenting himself as the greatest of the Valar, getting them to worship him so they could partake in his power and knowledge. In the Silmarilion, Bëor, the leader of the first tribe of Men to come into contact with High-Elves (whose heirs would be the Dunedain), says very little on what happened in those days: "A darkness lies behind us, and we have turned our backs to it, and we do not desire to return thither even in thought". From this, we could deduce that the other men (who remained in the East) kept a tradition to worship Morgoth and his servants, while some rejected it and went westwards, looking for the light of the Valar (which they could've heard about from other elves). But we know from other texts that Sauron also got the Numenoreans to worship the Darkness, and that their might and power had reached all lands in Middle-Earth to some degree. So it's clearly not about these men being "born evil", at least.
Great video! Question: Where do the Blue Wizards fit in with the Easterlings? Oh wait I just heard the final few words saying we'll see more on them soon!
In your map, at 6:03, it shows that the Iron Hills were in Rhun. This probably isn't true because if Rhun knew of the Iron Hills (which it probably did), they would try to take over it and they would have succeeded but we know that the dwarves of the Iron Hills are free peoples
You know, I wonder how often the various Easterling Tribes fought each other in civil wars and such, I would imagine that was the Blue Wizard's plan when they traveled out East, to stir up resentment against the Dark Lord and try to make 1 less enemy of the Free Peoples, tho sadly... as they continued to fight for Sauron through to the War Of The Ring, I would imagine they failed.
I thought that the term Easterling was a more general term used by the middle men and peoples of Numenor for any human living in the east of Arda. Not so much a people but term to encompass the various tribes and kingdoms, the same way that the Europeans used the term Saracen to describe all people in the Middle East.
When the Istari arrived on the shores of Middle Earth, Saruman and the Blue wizards went East, only Saruman returned. We do not have much about this in the books, yet worth a mention when speaking of the men of the east? Otherwise, good job :o)
Great video I also loved the sad story of how the men in the first age loyal slowly fell into darkness in Sauron but I also like the culture of there land And could you do a video on the full map of middle earth that goes past Mordor just wondering you don’t have to do this if it ruins your schedule. But as always stand men of the west
I think some folks less familiar with Tolkien's work fail to realize that in the LOTR books and films we see the Easterlings and haradrim from the west's perspective, so of course we don't know much about them beyond the broad strokes. I doubt Tolkien didn't elaborate further than he did because of some hatred for dark skinned folks. I'd say they're only slightly less developed than the more peripheral races in the legendarium. Also, like Yoystan said, there is nothing fundamentally evil about the Easterlings and Haradrim- Morgoth just happened to get to them first. The free peoples are also a lot more diverse then they are given credit for. It's not all blue eyed blonde haired rohirrim and elves. The Dunedain are more Mediterranean than Germanic in their description, the breelanders are ethnically related to the dunlandings (an "evil" race that only turned evil cause they talked and looked different so the "good" numenoreans thought they served morgoth even though they were edain too), the woses are brown pygmies and the Dwarves are mountain Jews.
Let’s not forget he was Sauron the Deceiver. Maybe they aren’t evil at all. Just deceived and desperate/angry (also due to Sauron I’m sure to strengthen his hold). Like Faromir says maybe they are just far from home brought by lies.
I notice that you make no mention of the two Blue Wizards, who went into the East and South of Middle Earth, to help the Men of those lands resist the evil corruption of Sauron. While we have no information on their activities, I find it hard to believe that they failed utterly in their mission. Although clearly they were not as successful as Gandalf, neither were they as much of a failure as Saruman. Perhaps the Easterlings were not as wholly under Sauron’s control as the Men of Gondor believed. And since nearly all of our knowledge about the Easterlings comes from Gondor, and as a result of conflict, that information must be considered biased and therefore suspect. I would think it more likely that the Easterlings had a rich and diverse mix of cultures of their own, and perhaps the richest and greatest of these cultures resisted Sauron’s influence for most of their history, with the help of the Blue Wizards. At the very least, Sauron’s control over the various factions of Easterlings must have varied wildly over time - ranging from near complete during the War of the Ring, to none at all after the War of the Last Alliance. Let us not condemn and dismiss all the Easterlings as cruel and wicked out of sheer ignorance. Remember that the Numenoreans were not at all evil in the beginning, nor did all of the Men of Numenor fall prey to corruption, despite Sauron himself living among them in physical form for many years. I believe that many tales of good and noble Easterlings have gone sadly untold, and remain buried in darkness. Perhaps one day they will come to light.
“Friendship ended with Gondor, Sauron is my new best friend.”
- The Easterlings, probably.
"His sense of duty was no less than yours I deem. I wonder what his name is, where he came from and if he was really evil at heart, what lies or threats led him on this long march from home and if he had rather stayed there in peace." -Movie Faramir about the dead Haradrim soldier
Sam has these thoughts in the book
@@vc1396 Yea, I knew it was in the book somewhere lol
I remember reading that in the book too actually
I’m almost positive this line was only in the extended edition. Plenty have criticized the movies for ruining Faramir’s character, but the inclusion of this line really pointed towards his true character
The Easterlings were men brave and proud, neither giving nor asking for quarter and they were deadly in despair.
I can respect the Easterlings as they had a form of honor and valor equal to that of the West in their own way. It is regrettable that such worthy warriors served such unworthy masters.
Sadly us men are easily swayed by twisted promises of power
Unfortunately, humans are swayed by power.
Gondor: Lets be friends
Easterlings: let me ask my mom
Easterlings: Sauron can we be friends with gondor
Sauron : no
Easterlings: She said no.
Gondor: O-okay, can we at least be respectable?
@@iona2225 sauron: >>laughs in cruelty
Great topic choice, mellon! I’m always intrigued by the things and people that we don’t get as much time with in the books. Well done!
Hannon le, mellon! I appreciate it, and share your interest with the parts and people of the story that skirt the edges of our knowability, making us want to dig a little deeper!
Icons supporting Icons! 😍
@@MenoftheWest could you do a what if bilbo had shown Gandalf the ring in the hobbit
Another slice of Tolkien's world that we only get a little history on. How much happened East that we don't know? Makes you wonder.
I imagined the Blue Wizards would some day return with tales of the Easterlings and Southrons.
If only Tolkien was an immortal elf.. we’d have endless lore
@@RyanAggabao don't forget about the Haradrum.
I only wish the man had finished drawing the bloody map.
They started selling copied dvds
Ulfang: “Yo can I borrow your notes? I need to name my sons.”
Bor: “Yeah but change it a little so it doesn’t look like you copied.”
This is peak 👌
If Bor´s people formed their own distinct group, would they be called "Borings?"
Well, it is all out of Völuspá, so...
@@Taistelukalkkuna Made my day LMAO!
“Look mr Frodo, an oliphaunt.” *proceeds to get trampled by oliphaunt*
Olifant is dutch for elephant. As a kid i was always confused there was a dutch word in an english movie
I'd love to see a video of how you think Gimli's first interaction with Aule went in the undying lands! Thanks for the great content Yoysten!
That's a amazing thought actually!
"His full strength gathered....
Not just orcs but men as well...."
Very fascinating peoples that had a very different history then the men of the west. Also would loved to have found out if the blue wizards had any dealings with these peoples 🤔
One of the many mysteries left to us to enjoy and ponder for all time haha
I always considered Alatar and Pallando to have had some success not described in the LotR.
Like Gandalf, they were Maia, and I imagined a resistance against Sauron in the east. After all, the continent is huge and if Suaron truly had it all it would mean millions of troops. Not merely thousands.
Logically, it seems there were others who resisted just like in the First Age. The kingdoms beyond the Easterlings would bring a grand tale.
Everytime i hear Easterling I wonder wtf happened to the blue wizards! Mysteries that'll never be solved
i think that was a story that tolkien considered writing about, their fates and what not... but he passed away before he could even start writing it... soo unfortunately we'll never know
I believe they (or at least 1 of them) did prevent some of the East from moving against the West...but the details would be nice.
From what I've read, originally Tolkien had them fail in their mission, and actually join with the Easterlings and created Cults of magic and darkness. But he later changed this and stated that they partly succeeded, and due to their effort, ensured that fewer Easterlings joined with Sauron (probably convincing leaders of different groups not to join). So because of them, the West wasn't overrun.
This would have been particularly important, because to the North, the Easterlings actually defeated the Dwaves of Erebor and the Men of Dale. They killed the two Kings, and routed their forces back to Erebor. They then lay siege to the mountain stronghold. This siege was broken when word had reached them of Sauron's defeat.
Sauron commanded this invasion so that the Northern kingdoms could be defeated, and the Easterlings could flank Rohan and Gondor and also burn the lands of the free folk.
I went on a bit but this is a rough description of what the Blue Wizard's did. If it wasn't for them, things would have turned out much differently. We would have probably seen the destruction of the northen kingdoms, then of the elves and free folks and potentially Rohan and Gondor.
Would be nice to have the Easterling POV, was it fear of Sauron or were they rebelling against being enslaved by a predestined fate, did they think they would get immortality, etc.
Sauron bought them technology, engineering, structure and order. Not all men supported Sauron involuntarily.
@@jasonschweigert8069 yes from their point of view Sauron was going to win no matter what the and it was only a matter of time
@@cantsneedgaming4591 I enjoyed the movies considering that Jackson had to stuff 60-70 middle earth years into 12 hours. I get it. 2 things I thought were erroneous, Jackson's portrayal of Denethor and we didn't get to see the Easterlings in battle because they were without a doubt Saurons toughest soldiers.
@@cantsneedgaming4591 What a shitty username.
I have to agree that Sauron's recruitment of Khamul increased, and possibly even originated, his long-term grip over the Easterlings. In fact, it's long been my hypothesis that the core peoples of Sauron's allied armies (e.g the Dunlendings, Variags, Wainriders, Balchoth, etc.) either were, or were descended from, the nations whose kings had received the Nine, centuries before.
I love what LOTRO did with the Easterlings. You get the idea that Sauron was a dark lord to them and waged a devastating war on them before the War of the Ring, and that though they have a darker culture, they're still people. There's a quest where a captured Easterling asks you in secret to find a loose Oliphant and send him on his way back to Harad before the Gondor soldiers do. He says he raised it since it was a baby, it's like family to him, and he wishes it wasn't used in war. It's the sweetest thing!
The Iron Hills also has excellent development with the Easterlings.
I was *JUST* getting ready for bed, and checked your page thinking there *HAD* to be a new video, and there wasn't, and no post saying a delay or no video, so I figured well, maybe tomorrow... then I refreshed YT and here we are! Perfect for Sunday night before bedtime! Thanks as always, I look forward to my Sunday night lore!
Same! I normally get notification tomorrow morning but is it a nice surprise!
In my mind, there are three primary factions in Rhûn
those who sided with mordor, those who sided with the western kingdoms, and those who would happily see both destroyed because for them, it doesn't matter who's in charge they will always be looked down on as "lesser beings"
Men of Rhun! Hands down my favorite group from childhood readings of LOTR and Tolkien. And then Peter Jackson made them look that fucking cool.
The sad thing about the easterlings is how undocumented their history is. We know almost nothing of their history compared to how plentiful their lands and people are. Part of me wishes someone else will take up their pen and expand on this, perhaps in the style of an Expanded Arda.
How may rebellions and overthrown kingdoms in the ages? Who where the heroes lost to time? How many of the faithful are there?
If Tolkien could only have quit his job.
We know a few of their nations' names but that's about it and that's a shame.
I feel the exact same way, with Christopher Tolkien gone I can't think of anyone trustworthy enough to handle it.
Outside of Tolkien and his son, I question whether anybody is worthy of the task.
I bid you stand, Men of the East!
"Oh... East? I thought you said Weast!" -
"Weast? What kind of compass are you readin' lad?"
@@matthewrileymcleanwilkinson Monty Python?
@@Crafty_Spiritspongebob
It's weird the easterlings are described as a sallow skin which is like a sickish yellow tint found of fair complexion yet when I hear their name Easterling and I see their armor I get Mediterranean Arabian Night vibes.
Wouldn’t the Haradrim be the Arabs (ie Africa; Middle Eastern) and the Easterlings the Asians?
@@loremaster234 I think the easterlings are meant to be the mongols or Turks
I think the haradrims represent the arabs and berber of north africa and the easterlings the persians and turkmens of central asia
@Eric Konschuh ??? I think the dwarves where meant to be jewish sense Khuzdul (the dwarvish tongue) has the Semitic tri-consonant root system and is regarded as religious and kept secret, as well as the fact that their “holy city” in Khazad-dum keeps being overtaken by the forces of their enemies, and keeps leaving them in exile, that and the fact that they have large beards, and bit short (which I’m allowed to say being part jewish) makes them fit that bill best
@@celtofcanaanesurix2245 Interesting observation. I like it! The exile aspect really adds to your theory. Great work!
"Have you seen those warriors from Hammerfell? They have curved swords! CURVED.... SWORDS!" Doesn't quite add up though, Hammerfell is west of Skyrim...
They would be Westerlings then
I love all the extra lore you and similar channels explain. You all do it so well. I love the fact that so much history exists for Arda and that the events of the Hobbit and LOTR are only small cliffnotes in a much grander tale, though the destruction of the One Ring is a pretty big fucking deal and marked the end/beginning of an age. Truly some of the greatest literature and greatest lore ever produced. We are lucky to be alive in a time where such works exist.
I always imagined the Easterlings as resembling Huns or Mongols a bit.
I always saw them as fallen Numenoreans ,they were from the same Edain family,originally.
@@michellebrown4903 I latched onto that mental image about 50 years ago.
@@michellebrown4903 there were fallen numenorians on the side of Sauron and they are not the easterlings, they're of the faction known as the black numenorians, one's who had adopted the worship of morgoth.
I imagined the men of Rhun looked Middle Eastern while the men of Khand looked like Mongols
They seem to strike me as Turkish or Syrian
The Persians, lotr edition.
@@thishandleistacken There is no underlying racism beyond what you choose to read into, or just misinterpreted.
Personally, I headcanon Khand as the Persia/India (the northwestern regions, at least). Rhun felt more like the western part (Black Sea - Caspian - Central Asia) of the Eurasian Steppe.
Interesting how the “other” in Tolkien’s time was white skinned Nazi Germans but he still imagined the enemies of Middle Earth as swarthy Easterlings and dark skinned Haradrim
@@thishandleistacken Yeah that last sentence is pretty accurate, these days people just make up crap to call racist just to be offended at any cost. Being nit picky about race at this point in history is so pointless since we are all made up of multiple different ones, let alone the fact that "race" as it is considered today is not scientific fact and is really just a secular lie which twists the identity of everyone's true race, the human race. (Insert "What about NASCAR?!" vine here) Tolkien's character building with the characters Gimli and Legolas is MORE than enough to prove to anyone that the man didn't have a racist bone in his body. His thesis that you don't have to be a certain "race" in order to fight and die for your friends and loved ones is a thesis that still lives on in community circles like the U.S. military (and others I am sure) even today.
@@elswae because swarthy eaterners are the enemies of middle earth and always have been
Its awesome to see you reupload a video! I've always wondered if all of the Easterlings or Men that stayed in the East fell under the sway of Morgoth and Sauron, or if there were some that did not, like holdouts. That they weren't necessarily good or aligned with the forces of good we know, but instead stayed true to themselves? Perhaps that was the mission of the Blue Wizards?
It's really nice that you show the Middle-earth map when you explain the place where the kindoms are. Really nice video!
The Easterlings are my favorite villain faction and the elves are my favorite good faction in all of middle earth
The art in this is quite, um, variable.
Fan art I think?
Mainly fanart and almost nothing officially claimed. So it’s just anyones interpretation of how they might look like
I recognized one from Laurelinarchives.org, a role play site for Lord of the Rings Online players. It was the person's character (Hravanis) and a son of Feanor meeting up with dwarves. I RPed with the person myself before. I thought it was really weird seeing it on an official lore video.
All i can think of is that brillant horn of their captian
I just have to say, how much I love your Outros.
Your moral Speach, the smooth Voice and The Musictitel "Get your Ticket" . It's so wonderful and relaxing every time ^^
Im a huge fan first book i ever read was the hobbit and i cant count how many times I've read the Silmarillon. But being from a eastern culture myself has always been a bit of a uncomfortable thing about reading Tolkien i dont think he thought badly of those cultures but theres been nothing really redeeming written about the easterlings or very very little. Just something that pops up every now and then when i re-read his works.
What if the Easterlings and/or the Haradrim never joined Morgoth or Sauron's side?
That is a great question! I imagine that if they would have been their own faction, or had remained on the side of the West, Sauron would have been far, far weaker, and the West consequentially stronger!
@@MenoftheWest Perhaps Sauron would have had to think far more strategically rather than relying solely on overwhelming numbers of Orcs, Uruks and Trolls.
I am glad to hear more lore on the Easterlings, especially after our discussions about the Hill-Men and Middle-Men.
you should continue the geography series... Do vids on best "tourist destinations"... Most spectacular sites... Highest peaks and deepest caves... the shape and physics of the world... that sort of thing.
great vid man.
I had a theory that one Ringwraith that had the horns I thougt that maybe he was Easterling king and couppted to darkness and become a Ringwraith but then you talk over it and I was glad that someone knows about these kind of history.
Thank you making this video it is fun learning history of MIDDLE EARTH from Gordon
In Medieval England the term Easterlings was used to describe people living East of the Rhine. I like to think that Tolkien envisioned these people as Germanic/Slavic rather than East Asian.
Same. Yep in movies we see asian features. But easterlings is a elvish word and East is more geopolitical then geographic. By that everything what is easter then Elvish domain considered to be East.
I've always liked the Easterlings, finding them to be far more interesting villains than orcs. I very much hope that in the forthcoming Amazon series we get to see more of those lands outside of where the action happens in LotR. I'd love to see some depictions of the kingdoms and peoples of Rhûn, Khand and Harad.
Also, really looking forward to a video on the Blue Wizards. Those guys fascinate me.
Well...
A little bed time story before I get ready for bed.
Ooh, the Blue Wizards. Tying in a bit with this vid since they went into the East.
There are enough hints in the legendarium to suggest the Easterlings as a whole were not uniformly dedicated to Sauron and some even opposed him if only to seek their own freedom. I rather like the idea the Blue Wizards caused enough trouble out East that Sauron had to devote some time & effort to lining them back up again. Or perhaps there were recurring minor conflicts back East that kept Sauron from just steamrollering the West.
“Without the north, the west could not have prevailed.”
I’m imagining Gandalf saying this to the northern free peoples, and Thorin III’s like, “I could’ve taken them if’in they hadn’t gone and run!” but then Bard II’s like, “Thorin almost died.”
Thanks for the video!!!
Ooooh more Mr. West Lore videos!!! Sweet!! Thank you sir!!! 😁👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I really appreciate this, thanks for showing the world there’s more to Tolkien
I thought only dwarves knew Khazdul simply for the fact that dwarves are so inherently secretive and have a proverbial list of things they will not share with Outsiders. You would think that their spoken tongue would stay on that "no sharing with non-dwarves" list, right? But it's also speculated that the Easterlings consisted of some dwarves who sided with Sauron
As always, amazing video.
And timing, I was just getting ready for bed
Love your vids bro !!
Men of the West talks about Men of the East.
Well, that was interesting...What about a Fan Theory if the Easterlings didn't betray Noldor?!!!
Thanks, Mellon for Updating this Video...
Until "What Happen to the 2 Blue Wizards?!!!" *I am trying to say it like, Pippin's Second Breakfast Quote* Marion Baggins Out!!!
P.s It Mount Doom in Temperature where I am Mellon...Better Stay Cool!!!
*bursts through wall like the Koolaid Guy* AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Great topic and great video! I really liked the artwork you featured here, thanks for those links. Keep up the good work!
Great stuff per usual
Was always fascinated by the easterlings I think they're one of my favorite factions in The Lord of the Rings
Fantastic video, really well explained and discussed. Nicely done!
Your intro 🎼 chills me tf out
I was searching for some info on them ... And behold you answered my questions like Rohan answered the call for help.
You speak so intently about the Easterlings yet truly you must know that by the tone in your voice that you are a Beasterling. I can hear how big your arms are through the speakers on my laptop, and my oh my do they blow me away...
Do khand too
Nice video, thanks
The mystery of their lands is entrapping!
I give this video credit for repeatedly reminding viewers "Not all Easterings!".
I don't think the Beleriand Easterlings are the same people as the later Easterlings. The First Age Easterlings are called like that because they came from the East, same reason why they were called Incomers, but other than that they are described mainly just as swarthy, dark-haired and short, more similar to, say the Dunlendings, than to the more Asian-looking Easterlings of later ages. I think the Beleriand Easterlings were probably a group that split from the Men at Rhun later than the Edain, but were still distinct enough from them.
I think I remember reading somewhere that most of the swarthy men/easterlings that survived Beleriand's drowning didn't flee east but south (mainly Bór's people) and that they settled in Eregion and likely became the ancestors of the middle-men (Dunlendings, Rhuadur Hillsmen, Breemen, etc)
Good work dude
Could you please do an epic character history of Saruman if you haven't done already.
It would mean a lot.
lots of great artwork in this video
In before Seth Miller says no one loves you halfling as much as he does and he would chase you as far to the east as you ran to get you or something like that
Hell yeah dude. So sick.
So is nexts weeks blue wizards video a what if? Or just covering what is written?
Came here from twitter hi again lol
Thank you for blessing our monday morning, here in Europe, with another wonderful video
I wonder, what did Melkor find in the void? There were things without more ancient and terrible than he. I'd like to hear about that...
For such a huge and influential faction, if one can even use such a general term for them, we know very little of their history, politics and culture.
Why, for instance, did these men forsake the Free Peoples and fight under the banner of the First Dark Lord, and keep faith with his successor through the three ages of the world? That can’t be explained by simple intimidation or lust for riches, either of which could have been overcome by the Men of the West during the various interregnums.
There was clearly something deeper that created that cultural barrier between Gondor and the East that not only made them easy subjects of Barad-Dur but, collectively speaking, willing subjects of Sauron as well.
Did they revere Morgoth or Sauron as gods and view alliance with Gondor as blaspheming? Would they still? And if so, why? What caused them to worship the Dark Lords in the first place?
So much do them is simply unknown and guesswork, they are a great blank spot on the map of Middle Earth. We know they’re there, but we don’t know much about the peoples who live there. Or perhaps, they don’t want to be known by nations they have hated for so long they don’t even remember the cause of their animosity anymore.
Idk what Tolkien was personally trying to say with their inclusion as one can draw historical allusions to “the East” in general as well as Mongolians and other Steppe peoples, but what I draw from them is the consequences of assuming too much about what you don’t know without evidence.
I've read somewhere that Tolkien wanted to add more elements to the history of Men in Middle-Earth:
Basically, thousands of years after the Awakening of the Elves, the first Men awoke in the East, and Morgoth saw them as a potential threat. So he went to them, presenting himself as the greatest of the Valar, getting them to worship him so they could partake in his power and knowledge.
In the Silmarilion, Bëor, the leader of the first tribe of Men to come into contact with High-Elves (whose heirs would be the Dunedain), says very little on what happened in those days: "A darkness lies behind us, and we have turned our backs to it, and we do not desire to return thither even in thought". From this, we could deduce that the other men (who remained in the East) kept a tradition to worship Morgoth and his servants, while some rejected it and went westwards, looking for the light of the Valar (which they could've heard about from other elves).
But we know from other texts that Sauron also got the Numenoreans to worship the Darkness, and that their might and power had reached all lands in Middle-Earth to some degree. So it's clearly not about these men being "born evil", at least.
Ohhh I love this topic!!!
A very extremely great video as always Men of the West.
Great video! Question: Where do the Blue Wizards fit in with the Easterlings? Oh wait I just heard the final few words saying we'll see more on them soon!
In your map, at 6:03, it shows that the Iron Hills were in Rhun. This probably isn't true because if Rhun knew of the Iron Hills (which it probably did), they would try to take over it and they would have succeeded but we know that the dwarves of the Iron Hills are free peoples
Nice video
You know, I wonder how often the various Easterling Tribes fought each other in civil wars and such, I would imagine that was the Blue Wizard's plan when they traveled out East, to stir up resentment against the Dark Lord and try to make 1 less enemy of the Free Peoples, tho sadly... as they continued to fight for Sauron through to the War Of The Ring, I would imagine they failed.
10:55 the riders did not call it Rohan, that was Gondor's new name for the land. They themselves called it the Riddermark or The Mark.
Love it!
Really cool, Keep it up!
I really wish we'd seen more of the easterlings in the lotr films.
Bor and his sons did not retreat. Yet one more reason to love the Easterlings.
I thought that the term Easterling was a more general term used by the middle men and peoples of Numenor for any human living in the east of Arda. Not so much a people but term to encompass the various tribes and kingdoms, the same way that the Europeans used the term Saracen to describe all people in the Middle East.
So the haradrim and Easterlings are different peoples?
Yes, Haradrim are more of Middle-East/African. Easterlings, well, as name suggests, Steppe people.
I fully believe that King Elessar was able to make peace with The Easterlings
When the Istari arrived on the shores of Middle Earth, Saruman and the Blue wizards went East, only Saruman returned. We do not have much about this in the books, yet worth a mention when speaking of the men of the east? Otherwise, good job :o)
Great video I also loved the sad story of how the men in the first age loyal slowly fell into darkness in Sauron but I also like the culture of there land And could you do a video on the full map of middle earth that goes past Mordor just wondering you don’t have to do this if it ruins your schedule. But as always stand men of the west
Also it me gamer 67 splane but I finally changed my name
Thank you Yoystan :) this is really helpfull today, believe me or not.
I think some folks less familiar with Tolkien's work fail to realize that in the LOTR books and films we see the Easterlings and haradrim from the west's perspective, so of course we don't know much about them beyond the broad strokes. I doubt Tolkien didn't elaborate further than he did because of some hatred for dark skinned folks. I'd say they're only slightly less developed than the more peripheral races in the legendarium.
Also, like Yoystan said, there is nothing fundamentally evil about the Easterlings and Haradrim- Morgoth just happened to get to them first. The free peoples are also a lot more diverse then they are given credit for.
It's not all blue eyed blonde haired rohirrim and elves. The Dunedain are more Mediterranean than Germanic in their description, the breelanders are ethnically related to the dunlandings (an "evil" race that only turned evil cause they talked and looked different so the "good" numenoreans thought they served morgoth even though they were edain too), the woses are brown pygmies and the Dwarves are mountain Jews.
nice video!!
What is the basis or source(s) for the depiction of the Easterlings in the movies and the Strategy Battle Game?
Let’s not forget he was Sauron the Deceiver. Maybe they aren’t evil at all. Just deceived
and desperate/angry (also due to Sauron I’m sure to strengthen his hold). Like Faromir says maybe they are just far from home brought by lies.
I notice that you make no mention of the two Blue Wizards, who went into the East and South of Middle Earth, to help the Men of those lands resist the evil corruption of Sauron.
While we have no information on their activities, I find it hard to believe that they failed utterly in their mission. Although clearly they were not as successful as Gandalf, neither were they as much of a failure as Saruman.
Perhaps the Easterlings were not as wholly under Sauron’s control as the Men of Gondor believed. And since nearly all of our knowledge about the Easterlings comes from Gondor, and as a result of conflict, that information must be considered biased and therefore suspect.
I would think it more likely that the Easterlings had a rich and diverse mix of cultures of their own, and perhaps the richest and greatest of these cultures resisted Sauron’s influence for most of their history, with the help of the Blue Wizards.
At the very least, Sauron’s control over the various factions of Easterlings must have varied wildly over time - ranging from near complete during the War of the Ring, to none at all after the War of the Last Alliance.
Let us not condemn and dismiss all the Easterlings as cruel and wicked out of sheer ignorance. Remember that the Numenoreans were not at all evil in the beginning, nor did all of the Men of Numenor fall prey to corruption, despite Sauron himself living among them in physical form for many years.
I believe that many tales of good and noble Easterlings have gone sadly untold, and remain buried in darkness. Perhaps one day they will come to light.
So when king Aragon said this day does not belong to one man but to all was he talking about the easterlings as well
Thank you💪💎 🙏💕
What art is that at 8:25?
Hey, I got a question not related to the video. Can somebody tell me what happens to an elf that dies in valinor?
Goes to the Halls of Mandos. May or may not be reincarnated.
@@davis.fourohfour thanks
When's the Ogre video coming?
Dear Men of the West, I was wondering could you do a video about What happened to Gandalf when he became Gandalf the White?
Was The Easterlings country of Haradim a Sand dune desert?
WHAT IF: instead of Glorfindel, the Valar sent Feanor? How would Saurons plans play out?