Places in Middle-earth
Haradwaith
Type: Kingdoms, Realms, Lands
Region: Mordor/Allies
Meaning: Sutherland
Location: Haradwaith consists of Near Harad and Far Harad.
"...the great region south of Mordor and east of the Bay of Belfalas."
HoMe 7, The Treason of Isengard, Ch XX, The Riders of Rohan
Near Harad is the more northerly and and eastward of the two lands, located just south of the Mountains of Shadow (Ephel Dúath) and east of Harondor (South Gondor). Far Harad is directly south of Harondor. Tolkien never made it clear, but from the map in The Two Towers the Harad Road appears to be the dividing line between Near and Far Harad.
Description: There is a very limited amount known of Harad.
Chronologically, the first mention is from the Second Age, when Aldarion barely escaped shipwreck on the shores of Harad. It is noted in Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel and Celeborn that Aldarion later "brought his vessels to haven far down into the Harad." The Númenoreans established havens at Umbar, but as they were corrupted the inhabitants of this land fell under the sway of Sauron:
"But because of the power of Gil-galad these renegades, lords both mighty and evil, for the most part took up their abodes in the southlands far away; yet two there were, Herumor and Fuinur, who rose to power among the Haradrim, a great and cruel people that dwelt in the wide lands south of Mordor beyond the mouths of Anduin."
The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
In the 1050 of the Third Age Gondor was at the height of its power and "defeated the Men of the Harad, and their kings were compelled to acknowledge the overlordship of Gondor...the kings of the Harad did homage to Gondor, and their sons lived as hostages in the court of its King."
RotK, Appendix A, I, iv, Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion
Within 400 years of that time the Kin-strife began, and:
"The sons of Kastamir and others of his kin, having fled from Gondor in 1447, set up a small kingdom in Umbar, and there made a fortified haven. They never ceased to make war upon Gondor, attacking its ships and coasts when they had opportunity. But they married women of the Harad and had in three generations lost most of their Numenorean blood; but they did not forget their feud with the house of Eldakar."
Peoples of Middle-earth, Part 1, Ch VII, The Heirs of Elendil, Commentary
The Haradrim are described in RotK as "cruel and tall" and in HoMe 8 as "a grim folk, and not easily daunted by shade or blade."
HoMe 8, War of the Ring, XII, The Last Debate
In RotK it is further noted that "out of Far Harad black men like
half-trolls with white eyes and red tongues" fought at Pelennor.
RotK, Book V, Ch 6, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Very little else is known, but that the banner of the Chieftain was a "black serpent upon scarlet."
RotK, Book V, Ch 6, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Contributors: Lyllyn 11.14.03
