.png) | |
| Region | |
| Khand | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Location | South-east of Mordor |
| Type | Region |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Variags |
Khand was the name of a land which lay to the south-east of Mordor[1] and to the east of Near Harad[2] that was inhabited by Variags.[1][3]
History
Little is known about Khand or its people, other than that they were allied to Mordor.
The people of Khand and of Rhûn seemed to have been enemies on and off throughout the ages. The Easterlings known as the Wainriders passed south of Mordor and made an alliance with the men of Khand and of Near Harad. In T.A. 1944 they made a coordinated attack against Gondor.[4][5]
Years later, Variags from Khand joined the forces of Sauron during the War of the Ring.[3]
It is unknown if Khand was ever conquered by the Reunited Kingdom or if it remained independent. It is also unknown if Khand ever warred with the folk of the West after Sauron's demise.
Etymology
The meaning of Khand is unknown; it is, along with Variag, one of the few known words from the languages of the Men of the East and allies of Sauron.[6]
Portrayal in adaptations
1984-1997: Middle-earth Role Playing
- Khand is a region on a semi-arid plateau between the southeastern arm of the Ephel Duath and the northwestern arm of the Ered Harmal. In the north of Khand is the Gap of Khand, a hundred mile wide pass between those two mountain chains. The region of Nûrad is in the hills northeast of the northern end of the Ered Harmal.[7]
- Lower Khand, the south-western part of Khand, is hot, dry, and windy with scrub and desert. It is inhabited by horse herders who moved between springs, seasonal pools, and intermittent streams. The only permanent are located along the broad, shallow Noz Peka river (meaning "Knife River" in Varadja (V.)), a tributary of the Harnen river. The traditional capital city of Lower Khand and largest city of Khand is Sturlurtsa Khand lies at the confluence of the Noz Peka with the with the Medlóshad Peka (meaning "Gold-horse river" in V.). Sturlurtsa Khand is the home of the powerful Ûrpof and Oléna clans.[7]
- Upper Khand, the north-eastern part of Khand, has cooler temperatures and a bit more fainrall. The tribes of Upper Khand were more numerous, generally richer and more settled than the tribes of Lower Khand. The capital city of Upper Khand is Ûbésêsh-ûta-Pavéter (meaning "Refuge from the Flailing Wind" in V.) lies 170 miles east and upstream from Sturlurtsa Khand. The city receives double the amount of rain than Sturlurtsa Khand, but is smaller. Ûbésêsh-ûta-Pavéter is the home of the Irbo clan. The second city of Upper Khand is Lâorki. Lâorki is the home of the Achef clan. Most of the Variag kings came from Lâorki. Ûvathar Achef, the greateat conqueror of the line of kings from clan Achef became the ninth of the Ringwraiths.[7]
- In a mountain spur in the southeastern part of the Ephel Duath are the Caves of Ôlbamarl, vast caverns that wind up and down through the mountain spur. Two permanent towns and seven shrines lie in the Caves of Ôlbamarl. The bones of many Variag kings are entombed in the Caves of Ôlbamarl. The successors of the Variag kings strip the meat from and eat the fallen Variag kings.[7]
- A continental map of Middle-earth shows the course of the Noz Peka river with a dot for a principal urban area south of the river near its headwaters (probably the city Ûbésêsh-ûta-Pavéter) and a dot for a principal urban area north of the river further downstream (probably the city Sturlurtsa Khand).[8] A map of the northwest of Middle-earth shows the courses of the rivers of Khand. The longest river that flows from the east to the west is probably the Noz Peka and the smaller short river that flows from the northeast to the southwest to join the Noz Peka approximately at the location where the more western dot for the principal ubran area is on the other map is probably the Medlóshad Peka river.[9]
- Most of Khand is in a temperature zone with a mean annual temperature of 70 to 80 degrees fahrenheit. The north of Khand along the eastern part of the Ephel Duath is in a temperature zone with a mean annual temperature of 60 to 70 degrees fahrenheit.[10] Khand ist in a precipitation zone with 25 to 50 cm of precipitartion per year.[11] A major highway that functions as a trade route runs parallel to the Noz Peka river on its northern side.[12] Khand, the area northwest and northeast of the Gap of Khand (with the exception of Mordor) and the area southeast of Khand were part of the Ringwraith Ûvatha 's Empire of the Kingdom of Khand with a circle indicating the location of Ûvatha's capital on the western end of the Gap of Khand.[13]
- The seven Variag confederations speak Varadja and have a common culture that reveres horses. The Variags are superb riders and warriors and are withouth peer when fighting as cavalry.[7]
- The part of the Ephel Duath that reaches from eastward from Harondor to the plateau of Khand is called Auducar Nurn ("Red wall of Nurn") in Haradaic. Most of the good passes over it are located in its eastern part.[14] The Auducar Nurn is called Caradhram Nurn in Sindarin.[15]
- The region of Lurmsakûn (meaning "Basin of flowing waters" in Haradaic) bordering on the plateau of Khand and the foothills of the Ered Harmal is ruled by Haruze lords, but during most of the Third Age control over the region was contested between the Haruze lords of Lurmsakûn and the kings of the Variags and the kings of the Chey.[16]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Unfinished index for The Lord of the Rings", in Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, entry Khand, p. 566
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age" [map]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields", p. 846
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan", "(i) The Northmen and the Wainriders"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for King Ondoher, p. 1049
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages", carbon copy of typescript F4, p. 79
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 . "Khand". Iron Crown Enterprises
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Jr., Jessica M. Ney-Grimm, Terry K. Amthor, Middle-earth Campaign Guide (Iron Crown Enterprises #2003, 1993) , p. 75
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Jr., Northwestern Middle-earth Map Set (Iron Crown Enterprises #4001, 1994) , p. 33
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Jr., Jessica M. Ney-Grimm, Terry K. Amthor, Middle-earth Campaign Guide (Iron Crown Enterprises #2003, 1993) , p. 71
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Jr., Jessica M. Ney-Grimm, Terry K. Amthor, Middle-earth Campaign Guide (Iron Crown Enterprises #2003, 1993) , p. 72
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Jr., Jessica M. Ney-Grimm, Terry K. Amthor, Middle-earth Campaign Guide (Iron Crown Enterprises #2003, 1993) , p. 74
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Jr., Jessica M. Ney-Grimm, Terry K. Amthor, Middle-earth Campaign Guide (Iron Crown Enterprises #2003, 1993) , p. 76
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter, Southern Gondor: The Land (Iron Crown Enterprises #2021, 1996) , section 5.0 A GAZETTEER TO SOUTHERN GONDOR, entry AUDUCAR NURN, p. 20
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter, Southern Gondor: The Land (Iron Crown Enterprises #2021, 1996) , section 5.0 A GAZETTEER TO SOUTHERN GONDOR, entry CARADHRAM NURN, p. 26
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter, Southern Gondor: The Land (Iron Crown Enterprises #2021, 1996) , section 5.0 A GAZETTEER TO SOUTHERN GONDOR, entry LURMSAKÛN, p. 74