# What the heck is a Variag?



## BountyHunter (Jan 31, 2019)

Just stumbled across this in RoTK, and was wondering what it was? Don't remember anything about them from any of my previous read throughs.


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## Erestor Arcamen (Jan 31, 2019)

According to Tolkien Gateway they were people from the land of Khand:


> The Variags came from Khand, a little-known land southeast of Mordor. In the Third Age Khand was under the influence of Mordor; in T.A. 1944 the Men of Khand together with the Southrons of Near Harad joined the Wainriders to attack Gondor.
> 
> During the War of the Ring the Variags fought at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. They were held in reserve in Osgiliath along with armies of Easterlingsand Southrons. After the death of the Witch-king they were sent onto the battlefield by Gothmog. Their ranks were among troll-men and Orcs when the knights of Dol Amroth ran and drove them back.



Regarding where Tolkien got his inspiration for this term:


> Variag is a Slavic word derived from Norse _Varingar_ "mercenary people" (_vár_"contract"). The Varangian Guard were Norse body-guards of the Byzantine Emperor.
> 
> It has been suggested that Tolkien adopted the Slavic term to indicate that the Variags were possibly mercenaries serving a possible Lord of Khand.


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## Elaini (Jan 31, 2019)

I've also seen Variag in Lord of the Rings Online. I wasn't sure if the game developers made them up or not.


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## BountyHunter (Jan 31, 2019)

I haven't made it anywhere near that far on LoTRO. Lol


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