Lord of the Rings fans are counting down the days before their big return to Middle Earth. As the clock ticks on to the premiere of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Prime Video has been releasing special behind the scenes peaks into the series. This one, which can be viewed below, comes from Digital Spy and features a special look at the Southlanders!
The video brings us to the Southlands, and from the very first shot, we already see where they might be! Judging from the hints that the map view gives, the Southlands look like Mordor before it was Mordor! The occupants are a race of men and women who are struggling. Having previously sided with “the dark forces” in a previous battle, their homeland is now overshadowed by elven forces occupying their lands. Nazanin Boniadi, Geoff Morrell, Tyroe Muhafidin, and Ismael Cruz Córdova speak briefly about the setup for this particular chapter of the upcoming series. Judging by this, it looks like this is where their respective characters will be.
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Boniadi plays Bronwyn, a human mother who acts as a healer and apothecary in her community. Córdova plays the Silvan elf Arondir, who ends up forming a close relationship with Bronwyn. Perhaps he is one of the elves occupying the Southlands and comes across Bronwyn that way. Muhafidin plays Theo, Bronwyn’s son. Morrell’s role has been kept hidden, but in this clip it is revealed that the character he is playing is called Waldreg, chances are he will be another Southlander.
The Struggles of Elves and Men
It has already been established that Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes place during the second age of Middle Earth. The show will follow an ensemble cast of characters ranging from hobbits to men to dwarfs to elves, as the rings of power are forged and “evil rises once more to the land.” But wait a minute, if great evil is “returning” and Sauron has yet to be in full power yet, what side did the Southlanders aid that put them in this outcast position? Allow me to tell you the tale of Morgoth…
Morgoth, one of the godlike Valar, was the primary antagonist in several of the prequel books to The Lord of the Rings, such as The Silmarillion, The Fall of Gondolin, The Children of Húrin, and Beren and Lúthien. His original name was Melkor, but upon his fall to evil he was renamed Morgoth. Morgoth was responsible for the creation of the first Orcs, as well as the Balrogs. His growing armies included both men and beast of his own creation, and led to much destruction, including the felling of the Two Trees of Valinor (which can be seen briefly in the teasers for Rings of Power).
Eventually, Morgoth finally fell after Eärendil, the half-elf mariner, convinced the Valar to join the battle. This lead to a great war, which led to the Balrogs and Dragons almost being driven to extinction. After his defeat, Morgoth was banished through the Door of Night and into the Timeless Void deep beneath the earth. Meanwhile, his servant Sauron was defeated as well, but managed to escape into hiding…
Are the Southlanders the refugees of Morgoth’s old forces? Be they old soldiers or providers for his forces? Is that why they are currently planting their roots in Pre-Morgoth? If so, there is a chance their story will be a sad one. The featurette heavily leans into the relationship between the Southlanders and the elves to be strained. The Southlanders want freedom, while the elves fear that the past will repeat itself. Perhaps it is here where Sauron will plant roots of his own and begin to build the first of his armies. The creators of Rings of Power have confirmed that the show will be heavily based on the mythology of Middle Earth, so Morgoth’s story will likely be an influence. We’ll have to wait and see.
