What was Mordor before the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron? In this deep-dive into Tolkien's legendarium, we explore the ancient origins of the Black Land — from the fiery legacy of Melkor (Morgoth) to the mysterious creatures that may have haunted Mordor's valleys and volcanic depths long before Barad-dûr cast its shadow. Was Mordor always a land of evil? Or was it simply waiting for darkness to claim it? Join us by the fire as we uncover the hidden history of Middle-earth’s most feared realm. Music "Kälte" by the talented SamuelFJohanns. Map used in video is from: Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:00:46 - The Land Without A Master (Short History of Mordor) 0:02:45 - A Fortress Built By Nature (Geography of Mordor) 0:04:37 - A Land of Sharp Contrasts (Habitable vs. inhabitable areas) 0:06:18 - Shadows in The Passes (Early Inhabitants of Mordor) 0:08:21 - The Choice of Mordor (Why Mordor?) 0:10:11 - The Name That Tells A Tale (The Meaning of "Mordor") 0:12:27 - The Avoidance Pattern (Why Mordor Was Avoided) 0:13:44 - The Whispers of The Wild (Speculative Inhabitants) 0:16:16 - Conclusion (What Was Mordor Before Sauron) #TolkienLore #MiddleEarth #Mordor #Sauron #LordOfTheRings #LOTR #Melkor #BaradDur #MountDoom #FantasyHistory #TolkienExplained #DarkLands #NamelessThings #ForgottenRealms #Shelob #WatcherInTheWater #TolkienFan #SecondAge #TolkienYouTube #LOTRLore