Naming. Within Tolkien's fiction, "Mordor" had two meanings: "Black Land" in Sindarin, and "Land of Shadow" in Quenya. The root mor ("dark", "black") also appeared in Moria, which meant "Black Pit", and Morgoth, the first Dark Lord.

What was Mordor called before?

Before the rise of Sauron, the land of Mordor was known as the Southlands and the Plateau of Gorgoroth was inhabited by Men who called themselves Southlanders. These Men had built countless settlements.

Why did Adar make Mordor?

Adar unwittingly paved the way for Sauron to rule in Mordor. His actions directly caused the Southlands' transformation into Mordor, as well as the creation of Mount Doom. He did this to make a home for the Orcs, as he had promised, where they could live away from the light.

Who named the Southlands Mordor?

Asked what the realm should be called instead, Adar doesn't reply, but he does look toward the black plume emanating from Mount Doom and smile knowingly. An onscreen "Southlands" text tag then transitions to "Mordor," heavily implying Adar is responsible for picking Mordor's moniker.

Who ruled Mordor after Sauron?

After the defeat of Sauron in the War of the Last Alliance, Mordor was taken under the control of Gondor, and the Gondorians built fortifications around it to prevent the return of evil things.

Why Didn't Sauron Use the Balrog? Middle-Earth Lore

Did Morgoth create Mordor?

Yet Mordor and Angband both owe their creation to Morgoth. In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Peoples of Middle-earth (curated by his son Christopher), the author wrote the Dark Lord created Mount Doom. (Also known as Orodruin—“fire mountain”—in Sindarin elvish.)

Who was the evil lord before Sauron?

The first Dark Lord was the rebel Vala first known as Melkor and then as Morgoth. Denied the demiurgic power he desired, he was consumed by a nihilistic purpose: the destruction of Middle-earth. The second Dark Lord was Morgoth's successor, the subversive Maia named Mairon, and later Sauron.

Why do Orcs call Adar father?

A mysterious individual of the Second Age was referred to as Adar, or "Lord-father", by Orcs, presumably because, according to Galadriel, of his status as one of the Moriondor, the first Elves to be captured and tortured by Morgoth.

Did the Southlands turn into Mordor?

It turns out, the volcano is mount Doom and the desolated Southlands are now renamed Mordor.

Are the Southlands and Mordor the same?

J.R.R. Tolkien never offered much insight into Mordor before Sauron turned the region into a smoking hub of villainy, and while The Rings of Power tried valiantly to hide its big twist, plenty of viewers quickly deduced the Southlands was actually Second Age Mordor.

Who killed Morgoth?

In Dagor Dagorath, the penultimate battle between good and evil in the legendarium, Turin is the one that will kill Morgoth.

Is Adar actually Sauron?

One thing episode 6 of The Rings of Power completely puts to rest is the theory that Adar could be Sauron. Adar certainly knew Sauron, but he wasn't a fan. He tells Galadriel that in his quest to master Middle-earth, Sauron sacrificed many of Adar's children. Because of this, Adar killed Sauron.

Why did Adar not recognize Sauron?

When Halbrand and Galadriel captured Adar, Adar seemed not to recognize Halbrand as Sauron. Adar also claimed to have killed Sauron after watching Sauron experiment on the orcs, whom Adar sees as his children. It's possible Adar was pretending not to recognize Sauron as part of a ruse.

How did Mordor become evil?

Mordor was already an evil land before Sauron and the Elvish name Mordor was used for that land long before. The reason was Orodruin, which was one of the Morgoth's devastating works created in the First Age that gave a bad reputation to the region.

Was Mordor part of Gondor?

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced [ˈmɔrdɔr]; from Sindarin Black Land and Quenya Land of Shadow) is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to the south of Mirkwood.

How close is Gondor to Mordor?

Gondor was the most prominent kingdom of Men in Middle-earth, bordered by Rohan to the north, Harad to the south, the Cape of Andrast and the Sea to the west, and Mordor to the east. Its first capital was Osgiliath, moved to Minas Anor in TA 1640.

Who rules Mordor?

Sauron (pronounced [ˈsaʊrɔn]) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Middle-earth.

Where is Mordor in real life?

Tongariro National Park was used to shoot all the Mordor scenes. This is where you're able to see the most recognizable and most iconic landmark that was used in the movies: Mount Doom, or in real life, Mount Ngauruhoe.

Is Gondor part of the Southlands?

Along with Arnor in the north, Gondor, the South-kingdom, served as a last stronghold of the Men of the West. After an early period of growth, Gondor gradually declined as the Third Age progressed, being continually weakened by internal strife and conflict with the allies of the Dark Lord Sauron.

What did Galadriel call Adar?

When Galadriel calls Adar's kind — captured Elves tortured and twisted into becoming Morgoth's evil minions — “Moriondor,” which translates to “sons of the dark” in Elvish, Adar says he prefers the term “Uruk,” which is the word for “Orc” in the Black Speech of Mordor.

Does Adar know Halbrand is Sauron?

Halbrand refused to reveal his true identity to Adar

He served under Morgoth and claims that he killed Sauron. He does not seem to recognize Halbrand as Sauron, and yet he carries out what we can assume is his master's evil bidding by setting in motion the events that burn the Southlands and create Mordor.

Does Halbrand know he is Sauron?

Halbrand does not deny his heroism out of bashful humility, though; he knows that as Sauron, he's not the hero she wants him to be for the Southlands -- not when his plans involve scorching it into Mordor. No, Halbrand was never a hero, nor did he ever claim to be.

Is Morgoth still alive?

Eventually, Morgoth was bound in chains by the Valar and thrown into the Void, leaving the permanent damage his evils had done, and his former lieutenant Sauron, to trouble the world. One day, according to a prophecy, Morgoth will rise again in great wrath, but he will be destroyed in the Dagor Dagorath.

Who is stronger, Morgoth or Sauron?

Morgoth, the first to reign terror upon Middle-earth, was more powerful than Sauron and commanded an army of dragons and Balrogs. While both Morgoth and Sauron were cunning, Morgoth's rule and terror lasted longer and his corruption spread further, making him more formidable in the Lord of the Rings universe.

Why did Morgoth become evil?

Originally known as Melkor, Morgoth is essentially the Lucifer of Tolkien's story. Like the devil, Morgoth was one of the first children created by the God of Tolkien's world, but succumbed to jealousy and greed, especially over the creation of other races, and was duly disowned by his fellow Valar.