One thing that Bilbo Baggins and many Lord of the Rings fans definitely have in common is a love of pouring over old maps. Anyone who has ever had the fortune of setting hands upon one of the beautifully illustrated maps of Middle earth, will easily be able to pick out the main areas recognizable from the trilogy: Eriador, home to The Shire and Bree, where many different types of hobbits live, the elven realms of Lothlorien, Rivendell, and Mirkwood, and of course, the 3 main areas of vast land, all bordering one another: Mordor, Rohan, and Gondor. But if the viewer were to look closely at the map, and trail their eyes south of the white city, they would see a road that trails off into an area labeled ‘Near Harad.’
The Haradrim are the people of this expanse of ocean. In the Sindarin language, ‘Harad’ means ‘south’ and ‘rim’ means ‘host’, which is how the population earned its nick-name Southrons. We are first introduced to this particular race of men in the Two Towers when they are seen passing through the lands of Faramir and his Rangers. They later come out in the film in full force, being one of the main armies that attack the allies at the battle of Pelennor fields, one of many great battles that have been fought throughout all the ages of Middle Earth. But who are these southern men, and why are they on the side of Sauron?
The Haradrim are thought to be one of the first true settlers of Middle Earth. They are considered native people, and lived a quiet and peaceful life in the south, undisturbed for eons by what went on in the rest of the world. They were tradesmen, with a wealthy port and a love of fine fabrics and delicate foods. However, this all changed when the Numenorians came over from the Blessed Lands.
At first, the Numenorians encouraged the native people of the land, helping them hone their skills in boat-building and farming, but after a short time, the Numenorians upon whose descendants the Argonath are based, began to take advantage of the Haradrim resources, demanding tributes from their wealth, and even going as far as enslaving the people who didn’t conform to their will. As Sauron rose to power, he saw the Numenorians involvement with the Southrons as a threat, fearing that they would muster power from the race of men, and so he also began to infiltrate their lands. The Haradrim became a persecuted race, torn between two clashing seekers of dominance, and subsequently split into two factions: those who supported the dark lord as enemies of Gondor, and those who still wished to avoid war.
It was around the time of the start of the third age that the two blue wizards went to the aid of those seeking refuge. From their vantage in the Harad lands, they were able to ensure that both the south and the east of Middle Earth were kept in check, and were not able to outweigh the men of the west (namely those of Rohan and Gondor) in battle. As for those who sided with Sauron, they became the force to be reckoned with at the battle of Pellinor Fields.
The army, an amalgamation of many different ethnicities from all over the south, were painted in reams of red and gold, the warrior colors of their people, which the costume designers at Weta studio based on jewelry and artwork of ancient Mayan civilizations. They rode into battle on giant Mumakil, which struck fear into the hearts of their opponents. The Mumakil, elephant-like creatures with towers strapped to their backs containing archers and weapons masters, are presented by Peter Jackson in the film adaptations as ruthless and blood-thirsty animals, with a unique battle-cry and stomping rhythm as they crush the horses of Rohan underfoot.
The Haradrim army are taken down by a number of elements, including members of the fellowship of the ring Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn, who each play a part in defeating the elephants and their riders, King Theoden of Rohan and his niece Eowyn, who both bravely charge at the beasts despite their colossal size, and most importantly the Army of the Dead, who are summoned with the reforging of the blade that was broken, by Aragorn the heir to the throne of Gondor to fulfill a long-ago oath.
After the battle, the surviving Haradrim, and especially those who were followers of the blue wizards, seeking nothing but peace and freedom from their oppression, are allowed to return to their lands. A treaty is made between them and Gondor, under the agreement that they can remain in the south and live in harmony with the other realms of Middle Earth so long as they swear never to take up arms against the other kingdoms of men again.