Theory: Sigil

Arannir

Arannir

Valinor
My theory in Sauron's Sigil:

It is both an abstract eye and a map.

An eye as a symbol and warning to his foes.

A rotated map of Mordor as a hint to the Orcs and other minions where to gather and regroup.

Thoughts?
 
I don’t see it being anything else. Although it /is/ odd that Sauron would choose a map of Mordor to use as a brand in FA.
 
Absolutely agree!

The pointy thing in the middle spike could even be symbolizing Mount Doom as the center of Saurons plans.

Securing the area around the volcano is crucial for his future plans so I guess it makes absolutely sense to tell his followers and servants where to gather and regroup especially since the area soon to be known as Mordor doesn't seem to be on anybodys radar.

We as the audience of course know Mordor and that it will be important but for the peoples of the Second Age this are is rather unimportant (yet).
 
Is the man-village of Tirharad in the Southlands IN Mordor or just beyond it?

(the village with the orcs tunneling under it)
 
The map shows it in a valley between the central Ephel Duath and the future Orodruin. The orcs are tunneling because the show is leaning hard into the “orcs cannot stand sunlight” mechanism.
 
I had another look at the scene where the camera pans over the map, and it seems to me that 'the Southlands' are slightly to the east and north of the Ered Lithui. Which would make it (just) outside the 'walled on three sides' land that would become Mordor, and (just) inside the southern fringes of what would become known as Rhûn. A fitting place for these descendants of the Easterlings who served Morgoth in the previous age!
 
The panning into Rhun and subsequent labeling of the Southlands was a casualty of blending landscape shots and the map, I believe. In the map we were shown in the “introducing the Southlands” promo, the label appears firmly in Mordor and Tirharad appears on the future plateau of Gorgoroth.
 
You can also see a mountain in the background that is likely Orodruin. You can see it the best in the watchtower scenes.

The location shown in the Featurette seems to be the accurate one and the one in the show misleading as the name of the region is places next to the actual region.
 
If you pause the featurette at 0:06 you can even see all the three Southlands locations named on the map. They're not just pretty close to Orodruin but also to the future watchtower of Cirith Ungol which brings me to the theory that Ostirith might turn into it after the Orcs take over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWAFbx0lUtk

Also Saurons sigil looks even more like the Plateau of Gorgoroth than complete Mordor. Narrowing it even more down to where his Orcs have to go to regroup.
 
Many thanks, and also to Narvi and Arannir for pointing this out. A shame then that the editors mucked up a bit in the main show..
 
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