For the name use of 2 characters in the trilogy, see "Snaga".
A Snaga was/were the lowest or lesser breed of orc. They were used as slaves, warg riders, messengers, and were lower in ranking and size than Uruks, Morannon orcs, Orcs of Minas Morgul, and other larger ones in Mordor.
History
All of Saruman's laborers around Isengard were Snaga; he used none of them as warriors, save for his Warg Riders. Many of the laborers in Isengard were killed later when it was besieged by the Ents.
The Snaga warriors in Mordor were equipped with leather and the occasional clasp of iron, and made up the majority of Sauron's vast host at the Pelennor Fields. They barely wore helmets,they went with leather bandannas, went without headgear, a leather mask or if lucky, an iron helmet. Some of them in Mordor, especially in Cirith Ungol, had Uruk masters who would whip and torture them. The majority of Sauron's army was made up of these orcs; not necessarily making the army weak.
Portrayal in adaptations
Films
In The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, however, it is applied to a specific Orc in the band that meets up with Ugluk's company. The term is often used by the franchise's numerous toy and collectibles manufacturers, such as 3-D entertainment model producer Gentle Giant Studios, which released an exclusive sculpted Snaga bust, limited to 1500 pieces, in May 2008.
See also
- Wargs
- Goblins (Specifically the orcs of the Misty Mountains)