The name of an Orc in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, Snaga, was a term used to refer to the lesser or lower breed of orcs in the Third Age. The word comes from the Black Speech and means ‘servant’ or ‘slave.’ It also means ‘strength’ in some languages, including Bosnian and Serbian. In ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ two orcs have the name Snaga – the orc of Mordor and the orc of Isengard. [1]
Description
Snaga was the only survivor after the battle in the Tower of Cirith Ungol. He encountered Samwise Gamgee on the stairs and had run to a height. But he came across Shagrat, whom he had cheated. He threatened him that he would either be given to Shelob the spider or killed in the way Radbug had been killed. Snaga informed him that all his mates had been destroyed by the orcs led by Gorbag. Shagrat tried to kill Snaga, who climbed the stairs and reached the captive Frodo Baggins. Sam Gamgee assaulted him, and they both fought until Snaga fell.
Adaptations
In the film ‘The Lord of the Rings’, Snaga is an Orc in the group that meets up with the company of Ugluk. Many goblins from Isengard belong to this breed, particularly those who work under the direction of Saruman. Snaga is a term generally used by manufacturers of toys and collectibles. An example is the limited edition of sculpted Snaga bust introduced in 2008 by Gentle Giant Studios, a 3D entertainment model producer.
References
Categories:
Black Speech
Orcs
Servants of Saruman
Servants of Sauron