The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Mordor was settled by the Dark Lord c. II 1000; it was under Gondorian control between II 3441 and c. III 1980; Sauron was finally ejected and its Orcs destroyed in III 3019
Location
Mordor, the Black Land directly to the east of Gondor
Race
Pronunciation
Mordor is pronounced 'morr'dorr' (all the 'r's should be pronounced - 'rr' is used here to emphasise this)
Meaning
Orcs comes from the Old English for 'demons'; Mordor means 'Black Land' or 'Dark Land'
Other names

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About this entry:

  • Updated 9 September 2022
  • This entry is complete

Orcs of Mordor

Servants of the Red Eye

The Orcs had been the footsoldiers of Morgoth the first Dark Lord, and when he was banished from the world, they remained under the control of his lieutenant Sauron. After Sauron established himself in the Black Land of Mordor, his Orcs continued to battle with Elves and Men over many centuries.

The Orcs of Mordor were not simply gathered from the remnants of Morgoth's armies, but were also bred anew by Sauron. There were many types in the service of the Red Eye, but the largest and fiercest were the Uruk-hai, a form first seen about five hundred years before the end of the Third Age. It seems that Sauron could breed armies of Orcs with enormous speed when they were needed. According to Aragorn, for instance, it had taken just a few years for the Orcs to multiply in Mordor to the vast hordes seen in the War of the Ring.


Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 9 September 2022
  • This entry is complete

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