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What creatures are the Variags as per Tolkien's writing?

As far as I know Variag is just a name for a person of Khand, nothing more and nothing less.

Correct this if it is wrong.
 
Variag n. cap ~ Russ Varyag of Scand origin; akin to ON Vaeringjar ~ Varangians: Varangian.

The Varangians were the Vikings of the east, and note the Byzantine Emperor's 'Varangian Guard'. Maybe when Tolkien used the word 'Variag' he meant little more than 'barbarian mercenary'.

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Wow, that's cool! I thought Variag was a strange name, but I could have known JRRT didn't just make it up...
 
Thanks to David Salo actually, and not surprisingly :D but I did the 'legwork' long ago to get it here.
 
Does somebody know what kind of thing are the Variags? Many people think that they are the men of Khand however in the Pelennor Fields they were runing from the sun and no men would never be affected by sunlight.
 
The Encyclopedia of Arda says:
A little-known people dwelling in the land of Khand, east of Mordor, at the time of the War of the Ring. They were allied to Sauron, and their warriors were seen at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

The Complete Guide to Middle-earth says:
A race, probably of Men, dwelling in Khand. In WR they were allied with Sauron.

There is no info in the LotR Appendies and I'm not sure if there is any in the HoME series, I don't have the books around to check.
 
Haha, I used to think that Variags were some sort of wild beast used as transport and in war in Khand.. :rolleyes:
I remember a thread about this.. It gave pretty good evidence that Tolkien based the Variags on another known 'clan' or people or central EUrope or something.. Sorry I can't remember.
 
Originally posted by EL GALLO
If they were wild men from Khand they wouldn't hate the Sun.

On the contrary, if they were wild men they would not appreciate the sun for its light and would hate it for its brightness. The same thing goes for Gollum. Gollum is [almost] a Hobbit and hobbits don't hate the sun...yet Gollum does.
 
On the contrary, if they were wild men they would not appreciate the sun for its light and would hate it for its brightness. The same thing goes for Gollum. Gollum is [almost] a Hobbit and hobbits don't hate the sun...yet Gollum does

It is doubtful as to whether or not any men hated the sun. The Sun was considered as a sign for the awakening of men, even in BoLT, or the idea that the sun was a herald for the awakening of men, or even the latter conceptions on Arda, in Myths Transformed it is seen as allowing men to finally escape from their 'besieged' land as it dries up the floods caused by Manwe's winds. Therefore one can assume that men would have soem 'reverence' for the sun. Remeber, the Variags weren't evil/corrupted in the sense that Orcs or Gollum with the ring were, they would've needed the sun in order to survive, like all other men. Just because they were 'wild' doesn't mean they were evil. Notice the village of possible Sauron worshippers in Tal-Elmar, they weren't evil, and Sam's thoughts about the dead Southron.
 
But the Variags aren't men. When Tolkien talked about the men of Khand who allied with the Haradrim and the Wainraiders, he referred to them as Men. The only place where he talks about Variags is in the ROTK, so for me it is clear that the men of Khand and the Variags from Khand are different people.
 
This name is of alien, Haradric origin, and its similarity to that of the Varyags, the Slavic name of the Varangians or Vikings, seems to be accidental.
 

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