Harad is a land in the fictional world of Middle Earth that formed the stage for the book (and recent films) Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.
Harad, Elvish for "South", is a general term for the lands in the far south of Middle Earth, if Middle Earth could be said to represent Europe then Harad would correspondingly represent Africa. Harad was not mapped by Tolkien and is therefore of unknown size and the lands themselves feature little in the books. However it is thought that Harad covers a larger area than any of the other kingdoms in Middle Earth. The only location mentioned in the Lord of the Rings books is Umbar, a coastal city in northwestern Harad from which corsairs (pirates) attack the coasts of Gondor.
Although Tolkien himself never mapped Harad, a general understanding of the landscapes of Harad can be drawn in his works. The lands of the North, while generally drier then the greener northern realms, can be beautiful enough to challenge the most verdant realms of the world. In the southern areas, also known as Far Harad, the land is covered by either jungle and desert.
The Haradrim, also known as Southrons, are the people of Harad, they fought on the side of Sauron in the War of the Ring, however it is unclear whether they were truly evil or if they were deceived into fighting for the dark lord. In the third Lord of the Rings film (Return of the King) the Haradrim appear in the Battle of Pelennor Fields as heavily armoured warriors in vaguely Middle Eastern-looking costumes. In battle, the Haradrim are renowned for riding the colossal Mumakil or Oliphaunts, which are massive elephants or elephant-like monsters native to Harad.
From a physical point of view Harad's tribes can be divided into those from Near and Far Harad, although this is a generalization for there are many tribes of Haradrim, often mutually hostile. Those of Near Harad are typically brown-skinned, with black hair and dark eyes, whereas the people of Far Harad have black skin.
Chief among the enemies of the Haradrim is the northerly realm of Gondor and they have been much given to warring with their northern neighbour over many generations. Such battles are always ferociously fought on both sides and often end in stalemate - the skill and armour of Gondor matched by the sheer volume of warriors the Haradrim can bring to bear.
About the Author:
Paul Adkins
Total Wargamer
www.totalwargamer.co.uk
Specialists in Lord of the Rings models, including Harad.
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