Mirkwood

Artist ©
|
Other Names: Eryn Galen (Greenwood the Great),
Taur-nu-Fuin (‘forest under nightshade’), Taur-e-Ndaedelos (‘forest of the great
fear’), Eryn Lasgalen (Wood of Greenleaves), the Wood/Forest.
The great forest that lies east of the River Anduin most of it being in the
northern part of Rhovanion. There is a range of mountains in the northern part
of the forest called Mountains of Mirkwood (Emyn Duir) and a hill in its
southern part called Amon Lanc. Through Mirkwood several rivers run, they are:
the Forest River, the Enchanted River that flows into the Forest River, and
River Running (Celduin in Sindarin). Through the forest leads the Old Forest
Road that goes straight from West to East parallel to the Mountains of Mirkwood
some 40 miles away from them.
In the Second Age Mirkwood became an organised dwelling place of the Silvan
Elves under the rule of Sindarin elf Oropher. At first the Silvan lived
throughout of Mirkwood, but gradually they migrated into the north-eastern part
of the wood to be free from the power of the Dwarves of Moria and also Oropher
resented the intrusions of Celeborn and Galadriel into Lórien. During the war of
the Last Alliance he and many of the Silvan were slain and his son Thranduil
became king of the Silvan elves. At the beginning of the second millennium of
the Third Age, a mysterious being came to Amon Lanc in the south of Greenwood
the Great, and there built the stronghold known as Dol Guldur. This was the
magician known as the Necromancer, who was later revealed to be none other than
Sauron himself, and from his fortress tower a shadow of nightshade began to
spread across the woodlands. From that time on the Elves called Eryn Galen by
two names Taur-nu-Fuin, the forest under nightshade, which is translated into
the Mannish tongue as ‘Mirkwood’, and Taur-e-Ndaedelos, forest of the great
fear. Soon Thranduil decided to build an underground palace in the northeast of
the Wood after the manner of Menegroth in Doriath. During the War of the Ring
Thranduil's realm was invaded but in the end he had the victory. On the 6th of
April in 3019 of the Third Age there was a meeting of Thranduil and Celeborn in
the midst of the forest and they again renamed Mirkwood Eryn Lasgalen, the Wood
of Greenleaves. They established boundaries of their realms, thus Thranduil took
all the forest land north of the Mountains of Mirkwood and Celeborn the woodland
south of the Narrows of the Forest (the ‘waist’ of Mirkwood caused by the
indentation of the East Bight) and called it East Lórien, all forestland between
was given to the Beornings and the Woodmen. Although Lórien faded after the
departing of Celeborn and Galadriel, the Silvan Elves of Eryn Lasgalen lived
peacefully for many long years.
Contributed by
Taurendil
|
|