In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth the Haradrim or Southrons are a group of races of Men from The Lord of the Rings. They are also mentioned in Unfinished Tales and in The Silmarillion. This article is 88 kilobytes or more in size. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English philologist, writer and university professor, best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. ... A fantasy world is a type of fictional universe in which magic or other similar powers work. ... A map of the Northwestern part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender. ... This article is about the novel. ... Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980. ... The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkiens mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who would later become a noted fantasy fiction writer. ...

The Haradrim live in Harad, literally "south", the name given by the Men of Gondor to lands that lie to their south past the river Harnen. They belong to more than one culture; "Haradrim" being merely a Gondorian generic description of any of the men that came from south of their borders. They are a collection of proud and warlike races. Harad is a town in Saudi Arabia. ... Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, the river Harnen (Southing) was a river south of Gondor. ...

History

During the Second Age, the Haradrim first came into contact with the Men of Númenor, a great island-nation apart from Middle-earth. At first, these came as friends and teachers, but later the Kings of Númenor grew hungry for wealth and power and established territories in Middle-earth. They built a great city in the firth of Umbar, a vast natural harbour on the southern shores of the Bay of Belfalas, and eventually turned the city into a fortified citadel from whose gates they levy great tributes upon many of the tribes of Harad. They therefore fell under the sway of Sauron and fought on his side in the War of the Last Alliance and subsequent conflicts. As Sam Gamgee surmises in The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, they were likely deceived by his lies and served him in fear. The Second Age is a fictional time period from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... Númenor is a fictional location from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth and is intended to be his version of Atlantis. ... Firth is the Scots word used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional world of Arda, a great haven to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Bay of Belfalas was a large southern bay in the Great Sea. ... The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is an episode in J.R.R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth. ... Samwise Gamgee (T.A. 2983-F.A. 62; S.R. 1383-1482), a fictional character featured in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy world Middle-earth, is Frodo Baggins servant who proves to be the most loyal of the Fellowship of the Ring. ... The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings. ...

The Haradrim were natural enemies of Gondor and fought many wars against the South Kingdom, mostly resulting in defeat for Harad. The Haradrim first allied against Gondor in 1015 when, in alliance with the Black Númenóreans, they besieged Umbar. This strategy failed as they were unable to take the city and in 1050 King Hyarmendacil I of Gondor came against them with great power and crushed the Haradrim in battle. From this time until Gondor's kin-strife the Kings of Harad were vassals of the King of Gondor, paying tribute and sending their sons as hostages to live at his court. After the Kin-strife the Haradrim reasserted their independence and supported the rebels in Umbar in their war against Gondor. In 1540 they killed King Aldamir in Harondor, but were utterly defeated by his son, Hyarmendacil II. Harad was quiet for many years, weakened by the Great Plague, although they quietly occupied Umbar when Gondor abandoned it sometime after 1850. The Haradrim were next engaged in wars against Gondor, allying with the Wainriders to attack in 1944, when they were defeated by the General Eärnil, in a Battle near the crossings of Poros. The Haradrim continued to debate the region of Harondor with Gondor, although they launched no large-scale attacks until 2758 when they attacked the coasts of Gondor, in conjunction with Umbar. Their final attack before the War of the Ring was mounted in 2885, but was beaten off by the forces of Gondor and Rohan. Hyarmendacil I is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Kin-strife was a disastrous civil war in Gondor. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional Middle-earth, Harondor (S. har(n)=south, (g)on=stone, (n)dor=land) or South Gondor was the name given to the region between the rivers Poros and Harnen to the south of Gondor proper. ... Hyarmendacil II is a fictional character. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Easterlings were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, two Kings of Gondor had the name Eärnil: Eärnil I, who ruled from 913–936 of the Third Age, and Eärnil II, who ruled from 1945–2043. ... Poros (Greek: Πόρος) is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, at a distance about 48 km (32 miles) south from Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a 200-metre wide sea channel. ...

At the time of the War of the Ring in the Third Age, Haradrim fought alongside Sauron's Orcs and other Men under his sway. The Haradrim rode the great mûmakil in battle, which Tolkien describes as a larger ancestor of the modern elephant. At the Battle of the Pelennor Fields the Haradrim cavalry were led by a chieftain bearing the standard of a black serpent on a red field. King Théoden of Rohan killed this unnamed Haradrim leader in single combat. At the Battle of the Morannon, the Haradrim, together with Sauron's other allies, fought the much-outnumbered Army of the West, but many of them surrendered or fled when Sauron was finally defeated by the destruction of his Ring at Mount Doom. However, many if not most of the Haradrim did not surrender and fought to the death instead. Combatants Free peoples: Gondor, Rohan, Dale, Esgaroth, Erebor, The Shire, Lothlórien, the Woodland Realm and the Fangorn forest Evil forces: Under Sauron: Mordor, Rhûn, Morgul, Harad, Umbar, Khand Under Saruman: Isengard, Dunland Commanders Gandalf (died but later resurrected) Aragorn Théoden† Éomer Denethor† Dáin II† Brand† Galadriel... For other uses, see The Third Age. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Easterlings were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, an oliphaunt, or mûmak, is an animal similar to but larger than the elephant. ... Combatants Gondor, Rohan, Dúnedain of the North Mordor, Harad, Rhûn, Khand, Umbar Participants Gandalf, Éomer, Éowyn, Aragorn, Imrahil, Merry, Denethor†, Théoden† Witch-king of Angmar†, Nazgûl, Gothmog† War of the Ring 1st Fords of Isen - 2nd Fords of Isen - Isengard - Hornburg - Lothlórien - Mirkwood - Osgiliath - Pelennor... In J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, Théoden was the seventeenth King of Rohan, and last of the Second Line. ... For other uses, see Rohan (disambiguation). ... Combatants Gondor, Rohan, Eagles Mordor, Harad, Rhûn Commanders Gandalf, Imrahil, Éomer, Aragorn, Gwaihir Sauron†, Mouth of Sauron*, Khamûl† Strength Less than 6,000 Men of Gondor and Rohan, one Wizard, one Hobbit, one Elf, two Half-elves, one Dwarf, and an unknown number of Eagles Eight Nazgûl... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

After their defeat in the War of the Ring and the beginning of the Fourth Age, the Haradrim sent emissaries to King Elessar, who made peace with them. However, at least some of the Haradrim continued hostilities with Gondor as the Age progressed. This article also concerns the later Ages of Middle-earth, after the Third Age The Fourth Age and the later ages that followed it, are fictional time periods from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... Aragorn II, son of Arathorn II, is an important character from J. R. R Tolkiens legendarium. ...

Appearance

The appearance of the Haradrim is somewhat ambiguous, but The Two Towers gives detailed descriptions of at least some of them. At the Black Gate, Gollum spies a Haradrim army marching into Mordor and describes them as tall, dark, and fierce-looking. They carry spiked shields and spears, and wear gold ornamentation. Frodo and Sam encounter Faramir and his Rangers of Ithilien just before the latter ambush a company of Haradrim. Frodo and Sam do not see much of the battle, since they are positioned somewhere else, but they hear the sounds of fighting, and a dead warrior of Harad crashes at their feet. He is described as having brown skin, with black plaits of hair braided with gold. He wears a scarlet tunic, as do the other Haradrim, and a gold collar. His weapon and armour are simply described as a scimitar and a corslet of brazen scales. Here Sam experiences his moment of empathy; also here they see a mûmak, to Sam's terror and delight. The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings. ... The Black Gate or Morannon is a location in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy universe of Middle-earth. ... Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... Mount Doom and Barad-dûr in Mordor, as depicted in the Peter Jackson film. ... “Frodo” redirects here. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens legendarium, Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner[2] or Samwise the Brave and commonly known as Sam, is a fictional character who is Frodo Bagginss servant and companion on the journey to Mordor. ... Faramir is also the name of Ondohers son. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens legendarium, the Rangers of Ithilien, also known as the Rangers of the South and Rangers of Gondor, were an elite group of the Southern Dúnedain warriors who scouted in and guarded Ithilien. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional lands of Middle-earth, a mûmak (plural mûmakil) is a pachyderm of the southern land of Harad, similar to but much larger than todays elephant, and said to be its ancestor. ...

Tolkien mentions another possible tribe or race of Haradrim in the third volume, The Return of the King: "out of Far Harad black men like half-trolls with white eyes and red tongues." However, he later refers to "troll-men"; given the similarity of the terms, some readers think that these must refer to some crossbreed between Haradrim and trolls, in much the same way as "half-orcs" and "goblin-men" refer to crossbreeds between Men and Orcs. Others think that these were simply large men. In the case of the former they would probably be products of Sauron. One piece of evidence for those who believe them to be merely men is the part of the sentence where is says that they are "like" half-trolls,as apposed to actually being half-trolls, and Tolkien's eventual 'conclusion' in Morgoth's Ring that Trolls were unable to cross-breed even with Orcs. The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. ... The troll-men of Far Harad are a fictional race (or a subset of a race) from J. R. R. Tolkiens epic fantasy book, The Lord of the Rings. ... Morgoths Ring is the 10th volume of Christopher Tolkiens 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. ...

The general description of physical characteristics, clothing, armor, weaponry, and use of elephant-like war animals suggests the Haradrim were inspired by cultures from North Africa, the Middle East and/or India.

In adaptations

Haradrim in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy the Haradrim are inspired by Aztecs and Kiribati tribes, according to the ROTK DVD's Weta Workshop documentary. They appear in much merchandise for the film trilogy, such as toys, The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game, and the computer game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II. They also appear as "Haradrim Slayers" in the computer game, The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring, based only on the books. Image File history File linksMetadata Haradrim. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Haradrim. ... This title can refer to either: The Two Towers (book), the second part of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... For other persons named Peter Jackson, see Peter Jackson (disambiguation). ... The Lord of the Rings film trilogy comprises three live action fantasy epic films; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). ... This article is about the trading card game by Decipher. ...

The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, based on the above films, has given the unnamed Haradrim leader Théoden kills the name Sûladan and the title "Serpent Lord", and its players often refer to him as the "Black Serpent" after his standard. Some Haradrim are assassins called "hasharin", and place-names such as "Dalamyr", "Kârna", "Badharkân", "Hidâr", "Nâfarat", "Abrakân", and "Dhâran-sar" appear. The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (abbreviated as LotR SBG), often referred to by players as Lord of the Rings, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop (GW). ... A Lord of the Rings SBG miniature bearing a red banner with a black serpent The Serpent Lord and The Black Serpent are terms commonly used by some Tolkien fans (especially in The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game contexts) to refer to the unnamed leader of the Haradrim...

The word "hasharin" is similar to the word for middle eastern assassins, "hashishin", which supports the theory that the Haradrim were inspired by Middle Eastern cultures. The Hashshashin (also Hashishim), or Assassins were a religious group (some would say, a cult) of Ismaili Muslims (from the Nizari sub-sect) with a militant basis, thought to be active in the 8th to 14th (?) centuries as a group of brigands on the medieval Silk Road. ...

However, all of these terms are non-canonical, according to purists. ... This article discusses the concept of literary ‘canon’ as it might be applied to J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional Middle-earth legendarium. ...

Possible homages

• The Horadrims in Diablo. It sounds very similar to Haradrim, but there is no other connection whatsoever.
• The Drakkarims in Lone Wolf. They are evil humans serving the Darklords with a -im name, but are not African-like.