The Harad Desert - A Campaign Guide

[Falenthal]

The Variags are an adaptation Tolkien made of the real-world Varangian culture. See it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangians [...]

Well, is this an interpretation based on the similarity of names or something stated elsewhere?
The above interpretation would make the Variags essentially Northmen (germanic stock; the eastern variant of Vikings) and I am a bit skeptical about a - relatively - simple equalisation of the two.

Cheers
Tolwen

I don't know of any letter or such from Tolkien saying that his Variags where the same as the historical Variangian so I fully agree with you that this has to be taken as an interpretation.

I've always understood that when Tolkien says in "the siege of Gondor" (LotR III) that:
"companies of Men never seen before [in Gondor]. Not very tall, but stocky and fierce, bearded like dwarves, and wielding great axes. They come from a wild land somewhere in the vast lands of the East."
(My edition of the LotR is the spanish one, so I apologize for the rough translation )

he was refering to the Variags. Given the description done of them (if this is the case), the pictures, and the fact that usually Tolkien never used a word freely, but conciously of what it meant and where it came from, I personally assume that the Variags have the appereance of the Variangian, and some of their manners.

I apologize for not making clear in my first post that this was my option, not a fact.

Thanks for the clarification.

[Rogrog.]

Hi folks making my first post here to thank Robin for a great job. I was just about to make up stats for some variags in my game but you've saved me a job.
I've always seen the variags as being a rough analog of huns, tartars or other warlike steppe people as opposed to being a northman subgroup.
I don't think the reference to the bearded axe wielding folk is about them mainly because they are directly described as variags from Khand. Khand is clearly on the map of northwestern middle earth not "in the vast lands of the east".

[Glorelendil]

Lucky thing for Sauron (and, for that matter, Aragorn) that Middle Earth has no Cimmeria...

[Otaku-sempai]

The Variags are an adaptation Tolkien made of the real-world Varangian culture. See it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangians [...]

Well, is this an interpretation based on the similarity of names or something stated elsewhere?
The above interpretation would make the Variags essentially Northmen (germanic stock; the eastern variant of Vikings) and I am a bit skeptical about a - relatively - simple equalisation of the two.

Cheers
Tolwen

In addition, the Variags are described as dark-skinned and frightful-looking (having long been under the sway of Sauron), an impression that I did not get from the illustration.

[Beran]

I don't really see myself using the information in the book. But, damn, you did a fine job on it.

[Mim]

Well, since a number of us have discussed the Variags of Khand, I've read every reference I can find in every one of Tolkien's published books, as well as his letters, & I can't find a single one where he describes them in any detail.

For example, he only briefly mentions them during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in LotR, & again during the discussion of the Wainriders in UT. There isn't much to go on.

Yes, the Easterlings who (with the Orcs) crossed Cair Andros & staked the road against the Rohirrim could have been Variags, but we just don't know.

I guess the long & the short of it is that you can write them up anyway you want, within reason .

[cad1132]

In one of his letters, Tolkien writes that the name "Khand" was either based on Asian languages or supposed to be evocative of them. In this case, I doubt Tolkien would assign a Northman culture to a land he had given an Asian name.

[cad1132]

As for the "companies of Men never seen before [in Gondor]. Not very tall, but stocky and fierce, bearded like dwarves, and wielding great axes. They come from a wild land somewhere in the vast lands of the East," I don't think he is talking about Variags. The Gondorians speak of Variags as a people they have fought before.

In my own campaigns, I have taken them to be Men of the East who, unlike most cultures of Men, received their "higher culture" from the Dwarves. The description fits such a culture. Tolkien wrote about this possibility somewhere, in a letter or in a private paper, I do not remember. Though the People of Durin had largely fought against the Shadow, Tolkien suggested that possibly not all Dwarven Houses had ever been innocent of colluding with Morgoth or Sauron. Not necessarily a committed allies, but when it suited them, particularly those little known Houses that stayed or moved East. I believe he wrote somewhere that there were Dwarves on both sides of the Battle of the Last Alliance against Sauron, though most Dwarves shut their halls and remained out of the battle.
Along with that, I've based their culture on that of the medieval Russians, to get an East meets West sort of nation.

[Mim]

You're correct about Dagorlad (good call!). Here's the passage you're thinking of - from The Silmarillion:

All living things were divided in that day, and some of every kind, even of beasts and birds, were found in either host, save the Elves only. They alone were undivided and followed Gil-galad. Of the Dwarves few fought upon either side; but the kindred of Durin of Moria fought against Sauron.

[Falenthal]

Well, since a number of us have discussed the Variags of Khand, I've read every reference I can find in every one of Tolkien's published books, as well as his letters, & I can't find a single one where he describes them in any detail.

For example, he only briefly mentions them during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in LotR, & again during the discussion of the Wainriders in UT. There isn't much to go on.

Yes, the Easterlings who (with the Orcs) crossed Cair Andros & staked the road against the Rohirrim could have been Variags, but we just don't know.

I guess the long & the short of it is that you can write them up anyway you want, within reason .

You have more reason than all of us together!

Just to clarify my point of view, when the text in LotR says "Variags" by name, it is always by the point of view of an omniscient narrator. When we hear of "companies of Men never seen before" it is from the point of view of a gondorian soldier, who, of course, doesn't know the name of these men.
And from the point of view of a gondorian soldier, Khand lies to the East.
Also, while Khand may sound like "Gengis-Khan" and, therefore, like some hun land, Variag also sounds a lot like Varyag.
Last but not least, I haven't read any reference to the Variags being described as dark-skinned.

These are the reasons why I consider them a Middle-Earth version of the Varinga from the real-world. But while that fits for me, it hasn't to for other people. And like Mim said, the lack of information makes every option a good one!

Greetings.