Did Tolkien name the Variags after the Varangians, who are called Varyags in Russian? Or is that just a coincidence? Adam Bishop 20:44, 30 Jan 2004 (UTC)

I think Tolkien either consciously or subconsciously named his Variags after the mercenaries you describe. The name Variags appears out of nothing in one of the drafts for LOTR, with no preceding forms or variants (a rarity with JRRT). Since Variags are described as a group of mercenaries who fought on horse-back, it is quite possible that Tolkien chose the name because it fit the image he wanted to recall for this people. Remember that we have to assume that all names in LOTR which are not Sindarin or Quenya are English translations of Westron terms. Jo r 21:04, 30 Jan 2004 (UTC)