Easterlings

Easterlings (Q. Rómenildi) is a vague term for the wild tribes of eastern Middle-Earth. In the First Age the name is applied to the Peoples of Bor and Ulfang in Beleriand, the first ones who were faithful to the Eldar, the latter ones who were traitors and in secret allegiance with Morgoth became known as the "Wolf-folk". The surviving Easterlings fled back in their eastern homelands after the drowning of Beleriand and became rulers of the indigenious tribes, most of whom were their distant kinsmen.

In the Second Age Khamûl was a fallen Easterling King who became a Nazgûl. In the Third Age the term Easterlings was used for the many tribes of Rhûn, maybe to some part relatives of the Easterlings of the first and second Ages. The original Easterlings of Rhûn were early enemies of Gondor who were defeated by Romendacil I in 500 TA and finally conquered by Romendacil II in 1248 TA. But later new peoples arrived from the unknown eastern lands. At first the Wainriders, who were at war with Gondor between 1851 TA and 1944 TA; later the Balchoth who made war on Gondor in 2510 TA. At the Time of the war of the ring in 3019 TA a new unnamed people had arrived: small and stout men with long beards like dwarves who fought with great axes.

Easterling Language
The Easterlings speak a large number of tribal dialects. see: Easterling Languages

The Easterlings in MERP
In MERP the First Age Easterlings are identified with the Arhûnerim, a group of wandering peoples which also included the Daen peoples.In Beleriand the Easterlings were also known as the Baradhrim or "Swarthy men", the treacherous faction of which became known as the Ulbarim. After the drowning of Beleriand the surviving Ulbarim and Baradrim fled to Rhûn where they subjugated related tribes, from these arose the Easterling peoples known as the Shrel and Vulzsev. The later Easterlings are identified with the Talatherim or Plainsmen, a large group of peoples in central middle-earth in the first Age which was part of the Aravador, the part of the Hildor which had stayed in the Wild Lands east and South in the first Age, although they might have been more closely akin to the Arhûnerim than the other Aravador splinter-factions. The Talatherim, by the second Age, had split into eight language-groups: the Ioriags (ancestors of the Variags and the Balchoth), the Ulgath (ancestors of the wainriders), the Tyr (a group of tribes in central middle-earth), the Chey (a group of tribes in south-central middle-earth), the Chy (a group of tribes in eastern Harad), the Shay (a group of tribes in southeastern Middle-earth),the Ahar (a group of tribes in eastern-central Middle-Earth) and the Ibav (also in southeastern middle-earth) (a possible ninth group may have been the fale in the utter east, who are also considered Easterlings).

The Ulgath (in Lotan) became:


 * Ulgath
 * Murgath
 * Gargath (Rivermen of Celduin, intermixed with Daen)
 * Kugath (Men of the northern shores of the Rhûnaer, intermixed with Northrons)
 * Logath
 * Sagath (with surviving Shrel)
 * Waagath
 * Urgath
 * Brygath
 * Gathmarig

The Brygath and Gathmarig later formed the Igath, who subjugated or absorbed the remaining Sagath and Logath and became known as the Wainrider confederation.

The Ioriags in the kykurian kyn became: and the
 * The Asdriags
 * The Kykuria (intermixed with Tyr)
 * the Magriags
 * The Nuriags (in Nurad)
 * The Nurniags (in Nurn)
 * The Odhriags (Intermixed with Ahar)
 * Variags of Khand

The Pultai dynasty of the Kykurian Kyn later subjugated the Asdriags, Odhriags and Magriags and formed the Balchoth-Confederation.Remnants of the Variags, Nûriags and Núrniags formed the Usrievrim in the early fourth age.

Further tribes:

Chey:
 * Chejans (in Chey Sart)

Chy: and further tribes in Vaag and Heb Aaraan.
 * Bulchy (in Bulchyades)
 * Chyans (in Chy)
 * Cly (in Clyan)
 * Denuly (in Lodenuly)
 * Moguly

Shay:
 * Nay (in Unvirnay)
 * Shayans (in Shay)

Ahar: and further tribes in Rycolis, Gaathgykarkan, Dalpygis, Orgothraath and Relmether.
 * Kul Ahar (in Kargagis Ahar)

Ibav: and another tribe in Gaathgykarkan.
 * Aca (in Acaana)
 * Ibavini (in Ibav)

Tyr: and likely the
 * Desdursyr (in Desdursyton)
 * Dyrians (in Dyr)
 * Myri (in Myr)
 * Vorgani (in Lurs Vorganis)
 * one tribe in Lú Tyr Sû
 * Fustir-gost (in the Gulf of Ûtum)
 * Ky'taari (in the Gulf of Ûtum)
 * Syrkakar (in the Gulf of Ûtum)

Easterling Religion
The easterlings had a number of different cults.Originally the Ulgathic tribes of Rhûn revered a number of nature- and River deities, among them Aldena (also Donu or Uldona), Vadan most of them based on corrupted legends about the Valar or local Maiar-Spirits.The Szreldor were adherents of Morgoth whom they called Rakana-Kiral.

The Asdriags and related tribes knew a dualism of two gods, Kor-Sharhaigun and Hur-Iriga, who were probably based on the "mighty man" and "the voice" (appearances of Melkor and Illuvatar before the first men of Hildorien).

The Pultai, who later formed the Balchoth confederation, originally had revered ancient spirits from the Kykurian Kyn among them four major gods, Arud, Pael, Maladûm, and Kol. Later Sauroníc Priests gained major influence, who identified Sauron with the Pultic War-God Maladûm.

Most plainsmen-tribes were brought under the banner of Sauron by his priests who spread the Cult of the plains-god Kerkassk, Sauron´s name among the easterlings.

The people of Khand had long before revered Sauron under the Name of Tumrakhi.

The Easterlings in the Lord of the Rings role-playing game
The Lord of the Rings role-playing game mentions an Easterling lord named Gartog, a noble character who grew up as a hostage at the gondorian court and who was a childhood friend of Denethor who still had vague hope his former friend could be convinced not to join Sauron's forces with his men.

The Easterlings in LOTRO
The Lord of the Rings Online has several Easterling Tribes.One of them, the Khundolar, are seen es descendants of the Balchoth and are supported by a caste of blue Sorcerers, maybe one of the strange cults founded by the Ithryn Luin.

The Easterlings in the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle-Game
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle-Game remains close to the easterlings depicted in the Lord of the rings movie trilogy, but adds a few details.The Easterlings are described as a unified Culture.There still are many Kings or Kingdoms but they have been forged into one single power by Sauron before he took the role of the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. The Easterlings of Rhûn are ruled by an elite-warrior order, the Dragon knights and war-priests. A prominent Easterling leader is Amdûr the Lord of Blades, head of the Dragon Knights. The Easterlings of Rhûn are close allies of the Variags of Khand and are ruled by the nazgûl Khamûl.

Halls of fire magazine
The Halls of fire Magazine mentions the Wainriders still as an existant tribal-alliance in 3019.Leader of one Alliance of Sagath-Wainriders is a man named Harizän.

The Easterlings in Middle Earth: Total War
The Middle Earth: Total War Mod provides a background-story for the Easterlings of the late third Age: Of the three Istari who had gone to the Eastern lands Saruman had to retreat, Pallando was killed and Alatar became corrupted.After the fall of the Balchoth Realm, Alatar had finally become Sauron's highest lieutenant in eastern middle-earth and had long started to establish dark cults among the easterlings, one of these sects were the Lôke Egleria or dragon-worshippers who finally had taken root in the lands of rhûn and united the disparate tribes after several decades of war. The leading warlord became the Lôke-khan or "Dragon-King", Alatar's puppet-ruler, who ruled by the force of Lôke-Rim or golden horde, whose members were a professional soldier-class.By 2980 it was the reign of the fourth Lôke-khan Borthand.

The Lôke-Rim is divided into four hosts:
 * The Lôke-gamp rim (heavy armored Pikesmen)
 * The Lôke-flag rim (hevy armored elite-infatry equipped with maces)
 * The Lôke-nar rim (heavy armored elite-archers)
 * The Lôke-innas rim (heavy armored cataphracts)

Another easterling tribe, mentioned nowhere else are the mysterious hazga.The Remnants of the Balchoth also still live in the foothills of Rhûn.

Elendor MUD
The Elendor Mud names the King of Rhûn "Zhamik".

BfME MODs
Nazgul´s SEE has additional Units as Spearmen or Pikemen, porters, heavy axemen, heroes as Xaradra and Sharikan and the Easterling king Lorgan.The fourth Age: set in 220 FA, mentions Khôragan and Brûdhan as Kings of the Easterlings, Heroes vas Sameel and has additional units as the Hastrûth (Elite-Axeman), light armed Spearmen, Cavalry armed with Spears and catapults.

Easterlings of Renown
Adajo Bom Amdûr Avas I Avas II Avas III Avos of Igath Baisheuin Bór Bori Borlach Borlad Borthand Brodda Calintz Dasakûn Edgu Ethacali Fulgrim Gartog Gizik Gorovod II Grallon Harizän Hodya Hos Harf Hurdriak Hûz of Amôv Huz III Juganoth Jyganoth Karamar Kargi Katrisel Kav Makow Kav Makow III Khamûl Khârsh Kustig Lorgan Maraz Margoz Meonid Ito I Meonid Ito II Mionid Mionid II Nafrati Nevido smod Nevido smod II Ogedei Oldur Pos Ari Pos Art Rof Paku Rof Paku II Rozi Rûdaz Sameel Shaark Shakal Draik Sharikan Sherkóz Taichu Tarôk Tigkiz Tiglin Totila Tros Aran Tros Artri Tros Hesnef Tros Hesnef II Tros Mira Tumna Uldor Ulfand Ulfang Ulfast Ulwarth Urdrath Usriev Urunshar the Kine Vacros Vargloth Warlog Xaradra Yurin Zhamik Zulal

Synopsis
The Easterling Background of the MERP Canon could be combined with the Storyline given by the Lotr SBG if the War-priests are actually the Theocracy of Kerkassk.The Dragon-Knights could be identical with the Dragon-Worshippers of ME-Total War.Zhamik and Amdûr could be interpreted as Lôke-Kans.