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Mountains of Mirkwood
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Other Names: Emyn Duir (Dark Mountains),
Emyn-nu-Fuin (‘mountains under nightshade’ or simply Mountains of Mirkwood).
The range of mountains some 100 miles from West to East in length that lies
in the northern part of Mirkwood north of the Old Forest Road. It reaches its
maximal height in the East and gradually descends to the West to form a range of
hills covered with fir-trees. From the northern side of the Mountains of
Mirkwood the Enchanted River begins its flow. Due to the dense fir-woods growing
on the slopes, the Silvan called the mountains Emyn Duir (Dark Mountains).
In the Second Age the Silvan retreated from their dwelling at Amon Lanc to the
western part of the mountains. In the Third Age darkness crept into the forest
for Sauron himself came to dwell on Amon Lanc where he built his stronghold
known as Dol Guldur. Since that time the forest and Emyn Duir became a haunt of
his most evil creatures and a place of great fear. The mountains and the forest
were renamed, thus Greenwood the Great (Eryn Galen) became Mirkwood
(Taur-nu-Fuin) and Dark Mountains (Emyn Duir) – Mountains of Mirkwood
(Emyn-nu-Fuin). After the War of the Ring the mountains became a southern border
of the Woodland Realm of the Silvan.
Contributed by
Taurendil
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