Dol Guldur
Encyclopedia
Dol Guldur was Sauron
's stronghold in Mirkwood
in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien
's Middle-earth
. It is first mentioned (as "the dungeons of the Necromancer
") in The Hobbit
. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc "Naked Hill". It lay near the western edge of the forest, across the Anduin
from Lothlórien. In a passage that appears to apply the name Dol Guldur principally to the fortress rather than the barren hill it rose above, the company of the Ring first catch sight of it from Cerin Amroth in Lórien.
In the Second Age
, before Sauron occupied the hill, Silvan Elves
of the Woodland Realm under Oropher, father of Thranduil
, populated the area of Rhovanion
around Amon Lanc, but they withdrew northward, evidently to avoid conflict with Lórien and Moria
. The Wise perceived evil growing there early in the Third Age, starting about . During the latter part of the Third Age, Sauron used this fortress as a base to attack Lothlórien and the surrounding area. Tolkien suggests that Sauron settled on Dol Guldur as the focus for his rise during the period before the War of the Ring
in part so that he could search for the One Ring
in the Gladden Fields
just up the river.
, Dol Guldur was originally known in Tolkien's fictional language of Sindarin
as Amon Lanc ("naked hill", from amon "hill" and lanc "bare" or "naked"). After Sauron
came to reside there, it became known instead as Dol Guldur "Hill of Sorcery", acquiring a connotation of corruption and evil. The word dol strictly means "head" but is frequently applied to hills or mountains in Tolkien's work, as in Dol Amroth
and Dol Baran. The word guldur signifies "black magic": gûl means "sorcery, magic", from the stem ngol or nólë meaning "long study, lore, knowledge"; and dûr means "dark".
.
To the northeast on the other side of the forest lay Thranduil's kingdom and Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. Further north was Ered Mithrin, the Grey Mountains, where the Dwarves
once prospered.
According to the Appendices of the book, at a meeting in the forest after the defeat of Sauron, Celeborn
and Thranduil
renamed the forest Eryn Lasgalen, "The Wood of Greenleaves". Thranduil claimed the northern regions of the forest as far south as the mountains in the centre of the forest (the Emyn Duir), and Celeborn took the southern part of the forest below the Narrows, calling it East Lórien.
of Dol Guldur is laid out across several of Tolkien's works, including The Lord of the Rings
, The Hobbit
, The Silmarillion
, and Unfinished Tales
. Sauron's history at the site begins in the Third Age
, around the year 1100. Due to its situation inside Mirkwood and east of Lórien, Dol Guldur was a key stronghold in Sauron
's return to power.
After Sauron was defeated in the War of the Last Alliance, he retreated to Amon Lanc and built a fortress, where he hid in secrecy while recovering his strength. As the evil force residing there became apparent to the outside world, it was named the Necromancer. It was not known at first that Sauron had regained physical form and was nursing himself to health; it was believed that a Nazgûl
dominated the tower and land. But as the power grew in strength, Gandalf the Grey became suspicious and in travelled to Dol Guldur to investigate. Sauron anticipated his coming and withdrew to the East to remain hidden in secrecy Thus began what later became known as The Watchful Peace, which lasted until , when Sauron finally returned to Dol Guldur after years of hiding.
In , Thráin II
, King of Durin's folk, the last bearer of one of the seven Rings of Power
given to the Dwarves
, was captured by Sauron's forces and was kept at Dol Guldur, where he yielded his ring to Sauron under torture. Gandalf went again to Dol Guldur in to investigate his suspicions of the power that was rising, learned that this was indeed Sauron, and found Thráin in the dungeons close to death.Thráin had forgotten his own name, but gave Gandalf a map and key to the Lonely Mountain
for Thráin's son, Thorin Oakenshield
.
Again anticipating the Wise, Sauron left Dol Guldur for Mordor in . Ten years later, when Sauron declared himself openly in Mordor, he sent three nazgûl back to reoccupy Dol Guldur. Khamûl (one of the three) commanded the fortress in Sauron's absence. In March of , scouts from Dol Guldur became aware that Gollum
had been brought to Mirkwood and was being held prisoner by Thranduil
. On 20 June , orcs from Dol Guldur attacked the Elves
who had imprisoned Gollum; in the chaos, Gollum escaped and disappeared.
In March, , during the final days of the War of the Ring
, Dol Guldur sent forces against Lothlórien and Thranduil's realm in what came to be known as the Battles of Lothlórien and Mirkwood: three attacks on Lórien (March 11, 15, and 22) and one, "The Battle under the Trees", against Thranduil (March 15). All were fiercely fought, but the power of Galadriel
and the strength of the Elves proved too great for Dol Guldur to overcome. After the defeat of Sauron on March 25, Celeborn
marched on Dol Guldur and overthrew it. Galadriel then destroyed the fortress so that the forest was free from the shadow of the tower. (These battles are all described in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings, under the entries for the dates involved, and after the entry for March 25.)
in , shortly after Sauron's return to the fortress. Much later, in , Gandalf infiltrated the area to probe Dol Guldur, and discovered that the evil presence whose identity he had long suspected was indeed Sauron. The following year he pressed the White Council for an attack on Sauron.
But Saruman
, the head of the Council, who had become corrupted by desire for Sauron's One Ring
, spoke against this move, reassuring them that without the Ring Sauron could not regain his full strength. Saruman put the Council off by suggesting that the Ring had most likely been lost in the River Anduin
and had been carried out to the sea. But in fact, Saruman was himself seeking the One Ring, and in this pursuit secretly betrayed the Council. He believed the Ring lay hidden in the Gladden Fields
not far from Dol Guldur, and was searching for it there. For Isildur
had perished in the Gladden Fields when his army was ambushed by orcs
after the defeat of Sauron — and it was Isildur who had taken Sauron's Ring and was its last known bearer. Saruman therefore did not want Sauron disturbed, hoping that if Sauron continued searching, the Ring might reveal itself while trying to reach Sauron, its one true master.
Sauron thus was left to his devices. Gandalf remained troubled by Sauron's presence, and at the White Council in he once again argued that an attack on Dol Guldur was inevitable and necessary for the security of Middle-earth and its peoples. Saruman agreed this time, but only because he had learned two years earlier that Sauron too was searching for the One Ring in the Gladden Fields. Saruman hoped too that with Sauron and his servants out of the way, he himself might have more leisure to continue the search. The Council gathered its strength and drove Sauron from Dol Guldur. But the victory was hollow: Sauron had foreseen and prepared in advance for the assault, and he travelled in secret to Mordor
to rebuild Barad-dûr
to be his new sanctuary — and Dol Guldur was shortly reoccupied by nazgûl sent by Sauron from Mordor. It was not until the War of the Ring, when Saruman was unmasked and Sauron fell, that the Wise finally purged the dark influence from Dol Guldur.
and grandson Legolas
. However, the race of Silvan Elves
are the dominant dwellers of Mirkwood. Their homes lie deep in the forest (as recollected by Aragorn
and Legolas when the Company of the Ring reached the Silverlode) in the Fellowship of the Ring. Sauron
however secretly built a stronghold in the region and slowly took the southern regions of the land from the elves without battle over time. As a result, the forest began to host Orcs
, Nazgûl
, and giant spiders.
The elves from Lothlórien led by Galadriel
and Celeborn
crossed the Anduin
river to reclaim Amon Lanc after the defeat of Sauron, and the fortress was destroyed. Celeborn renamed the land "East Lórien", and the Silvan Elves prospered in what had formerly been Mirkwood.
Several portrayals of Dol Guldur are included in the Games Workshop
game, The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game
, appearing prominently in the "Fall of the Necromancer". A number of enemies are listed, including Spider Queens, Castellans of Dol Guldur, Sauron the Necromancer, Wild Warg
Chieftain, and their respective armies. Giant Bats are also included in the game. The entire set of game figurines is featured on the Games Workshop website; these are similar in many ways to those from the Warhammer
franchise.
Dol Guldur has been featured in many of the game adaptations of The Lord of the Rings
, including the Iron Crown Enterprises
portrayal, which contains scenarios and adventures for the Middle-earth Role Playing
game In the strategy battle game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
, Dol Guldur appears as an iconic building. The campaign-scenario called "Assault on Dol Guldur" appears as the final part of the good campaign.
Released in 1996, the music album Dol Guldur
from the black metal band Summoning
features the name Dol Guldur.
The Canadian artist John Howe has portrayed Dol Guldur in several of his sketches and drawings. Howe drew these for Electronic Arts
. In Myth and Magic: The Art of John Howe, Howe includes Dol Guldur among other fortresses of Middle-earth, such as Dol Amroth In addition, Howe created many drawings for Peter Jackson
during the filming of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in New Zealand, worked for Tolkien Enterprises, and also drew for Iron Crown Enterprises' collectable Middle-earth card game, which mentions Dol Guldur on Gandalf's card.
Mirkwood was added to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
in the expansion pack entitled the Siege of Mirkwood, released on December 1, 2009 and depicting southern area of Mirkwood and Dol Guldur. The storyline is depicting a small Elven assault upon the fortress of Dol Guldur (not to be confused with the subsequent Siege of Dol Guldur, lead by Lady Galadriel
herself). Making a bold strike deep into enemy territory, the Elves of Lothlorien then prepare to regroup and quickly move back to the west shore of Anduin
before the Enemy can retaliate in force. While most participants are unaware of the true purpose of the assault, it is eventually revealed to be a ploy to draw Sauron's attention away from Lothlorien and allow the Fellowship to safely depart it and travel down the river Anduin
.
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
's stronghold in Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
. It is first mentioned (as "the dungeons of the Necromancer
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
") in The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc "Naked Hill". It lay near the western edge of the forest, across the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
from Lothlórien. In a passage that appears to apply the name Dol Guldur principally to the fortress rather than the barren hill it rose above, the company of the Ring first catch sight of it from Cerin Amroth in Lórien.
In the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
, before Sauron occupied the hill, Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves are an ethnic group of Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, mainly the Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlórien.In the First Age the Elves of Ossiriand, or Laiquendi, were also referred to as wood-elves....
of the Woodland Realm under Oropher, father of Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
, populated the area of Rhovanion
Rhovanion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhovanion or Wilderland was a large region of northern Middle-earth. It extended to the east as far as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, home of the Dwarves; west to the range of the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains; and south to...
around Amon Lanc, but they withdrew northward, evidently to avoid conflict with Lórien and Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
. The Wise perceived evil growing there early in the Third Age, starting about . During the latter part of the Third Age, Sauron used this fortress as a base to attack Lothlórien and the surrounding area. Tolkien suggests that Sauron settled on Dol Guldur as the focus for his rise during the period before the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
in part so that he could search for the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
in the Gladden Fields
Gladden Fields
The Gladden Fields is a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. In his works, the Gladden Fields are located where the Gladden river joins the Anduin....
just up the river.
Etymology
According to Unfinished TalesUnfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
, Dol Guldur was originally known in Tolkien's fictional language of Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
as Amon Lanc ("naked hill", from amon "hill" and lanc "bare" or "naked"). After Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
came to reside there, it became known instead as Dol Guldur "Hill of Sorcery", acquiring a connotation of corruption and evil. The word dol strictly means "head" but is frequently applied to hills or mountains in Tolkien's work, as in Dol Amroth
Dol Amroth
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Dol Amroth was a hill along the coast of Gondor, on a peninsula on the Bay of Belfalas; and also the city that grew up there, mainly in the Third Age as the seat of the principality of the same name. The Prince of Dol Amroth was one of the principal subjects of...
and Dol Baran. The word guldur signifies "black magic": gûl means "sorcery, magic", from the stem ngol or nólë meaning "long study, lore, knowledge"; and dûr means "dark".
Geography
Dol Guldur appears on the maps published with The Lord of Rings. The hill rose above the River Anduin across from Lórien within the great forest east of the River. Sauron's influence caused a great shadow to fall over the forest, which became known as MirkwoodMirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
.
To the northeast on the other side of the forest lay Thranduil's kingdom and Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. Further north was Ered Mithrin, the Grey Mountains, where the Dwarves
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
once prospered.
According to the Appendices of the book, at a meeting in the forest after the defeat of Sauron, Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
and Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
renamed the forest Eryn Lasgalen, "The Wood of Greenleaves". Thranduil claimed the northern regions of the forest as far south as the mountains in the centre of the forest (the Emyn Duir), and Celeborn took the southern part of the forest below the Narrows, calling it East Lórien.
History
The fictional historyFictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of Dol Guldur is laid out across several of Tolkien's works, including The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
, and Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
. Sauron's history at the site begins in the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
, around the year 1100. Due to its situation inside Mirkwood and east of Lórien, Dol Guldur was a key stronghold in Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
's return to power.
After Sauron was defeated in the War of the Last Alliance, he retreated to Amon Lanc and built a fortress, where he hid in secrecy while recovering his strength. As the evil force residing there became apparent to the outside world, it was named the Necromancer. It was not known at first that Sauron had regained physical form and was nursing himself to health; it was believed that a Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
dominated the tower and land. But as the power grew in strength, Gandalf the Grey became suspicious and in travelled to Dol Guldur to investigate. Sauron anticipated his coming and withdrew to the East to remain hidden in secrecy Thus began what later became known as The Watchful Peace, which lasted until , when Sauron finally returned to Dol Guldur after years of hiding.
In , Thráin II
Thráin II
Thráin II is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is first mentioned in The Hobbit, and more of his history is given in Unfinished Tales.A Dwarven king, Thráin is the son of Thrór and father of Thorin Oakenshield...
, King of Durin's folk, the last bearer of one of the seven Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
given to the Dwarves
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
, was captured by Sauron's forces and was kept at Dol Guldur, where he yielded his ring to Sauron under torture. Gandalf went again to Dol Guldur in to investigate his suspicions of the power that was rising, learned that this was indeed Sauron, and found Thráin in the dungeons close to death.Thráin had forgotten his own name, but gave Gandalf a map and key to the Lonely Mountain
Lonely Mountain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the Lonely Mountain is a mountain in the northeast of Rhovanion. It is also the source of the Celduin river.- Origins of the Kingdom Under the Mountain :...
for Thráin's son, Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King Under the Mountain is a major character in The Hobbit and is mentioned in passing in The Lord of the Rings...
.
Again anticipating the Wise, Sauron left Dol Guldur for Mordor in . Ten years later, when Sauron declared himself openly in Mordor, he sent three nazgûl back to reoccupy Dol Guldur. Khamûl (one of the three) commanded the fortress in Sauron's absence. In March of , scouts from Dol Guldur became aware that Gollum
Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
had been brought to Mirkwood and was being held prisoner by Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
. On 20 June , orcs from Dol Guldur attacked the Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
who had imprisoned Gollum; in the chaos, Gollum escaped and disappeared.
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, Dol Guldur sent forces against Lothlórien and Thranduil's realm in what came to be known as the Battles of Lothlórien and Mirkwood: three attacks on Lórien (March 11, 15, and 22) and one, "The Battle under the Trees", against Thranduil (March 15). All were fiercely fought, but the power of Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and the strength of the Elves proved too great for Dol Guldur to overcome. After the defeat of Sauron on March 25, Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
marched on Dol Guldur and overthrew it. Galadriel then destroyed the fortress so that the forest was free from the shadow of the tower. (These battles are all described in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings, under the entries for the dates involved, and after the entry for March 25.)
Politics
Tolkien described how, in the history of Dol Guldur, Sauron's growing activity and power increased the tensions among Sauron's enemies. The Wise (various Elf-lords and Wizards — including Gandalf the Grey) had sensed an evil power growing in Dol Guldur, and they tried to determine whether Sauron was alive and regaining strength. Tolkien had portrayed the war fought by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron at the end of the Second Age as a devastating struggle, one the Wise hoped not to have to repeat. In response to the growing threat at Dol Guldur, they formed the White CouncilWhite Council
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the White Council is a group of Eldar Lords and Wizards of Middle-earth, formed to contest the growing power of Dol Guldur, at the request of Galadriel...
in , shortly after Sauron's return to the fortress. Much later, in , Gandalf infiltrated the area to probe Dol Guldur, and discovered that the evil presence whose identity he had long suspected was indeed Sauron. The following year he pressed the White Council for an attack on Sauron.
But Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
, the head of the Council, who had become corrupted by desire for Sauron's One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
, spoke against this move, reassuring them that without the Ring Sauron could not regain his full strength. Saruman put the Council off by suggesting that the Ring had most likely been lost in the River Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
and had been carried out to the sea. But in fact, Saruman was himself seeking the One Ring, and in this pursuit secretly betrayed the Council. He believed the Ring lay hidden in the Gladden Fields
Gladden Fields
The Gladden Fields is a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. In his works, the Gladden Fields are located where the Gladden river joins the Anduin....
not far from Dol Guldur, and was searching for it there. For Isildur
Isildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
had perished in the Gladden Fields when his army was ambushed by orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
after the defeat of Sauron — and it was Isildur who had taken Sauron's Ring and was its last known bearer. Saruman therefore did not want Sauron disturbed, hoping that if Sauron continued searching, the Ring might reveal itself while trying to reach Sauron, its one true master.
Sauron thus was left to his devices. Gandalf remained troubled by Sauron's presence, and at the White Council in he once again argued that an attack on Dol Guldur was inevitable and necessary for the security of Middle-earth and its peoples. Saruman agreed this time, but only because he had learned two years earlier that Sauron too was searching for the One Ring in the Gladden Fields. Saruman hoped too that with Sauron and his servants out of the way, he himself might have more leisure to continue the search. The Council gathered its strength and drove Sauron from Dol Guldur. But the victory was hollow: Sauron had foreseen and prepared in advance for the assault, and he travelled in secret to Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
to rebuild Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr is the fortress of Sauron in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Mount Doom in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
to be his new sanctuary — and Dol Guldur was shortly reoccupied by nazgûl sent by Sauron from Mordor. It was not until the War of the Ring, when Saruman was unmasked and Sauron fell, that the Wise finally purged the dark influence from Dol Guldur.
Culture
In Tolkien's universe, Mirkwood is populated predominantly by elves, and has included King Oropher and his son ThranduilThranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
and grandson Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
. However, the race of Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves are an ethnic group of Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, mainly the Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlórien.In the First Age the Elves of Ossiriand, or Laiquendi, were also referred to as wood-elves....
are the dominant dwellers of Mirkwood. Their homes lie deep in the forest (as recollected by Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
and Legolas when the Company of the Ring reached the Silverlode) in the Fellowship of the Ring. Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
however secretly built a stronghold in the region and slowly took the southern regions of the land from the elves without battle over time. As a result, the forest began to host Orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
, Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
, and giant spiders.
The elves from Lothlórien led by Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
crossed the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
river to reclaim Amon Lanc after the defeat of Sauron, and the fortress was destroyed. Celeborn renamed the land "East Lórien", and the Silvan Elves prospered in what had formerly been Mirkwood.
Adaptations
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
game, The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game , and often referred to by players as Lord of the Rings, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop . It is based on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, and the book that inspired it, written by J. R. R...
, appearing prominently in the "Fall of the Necromancer". A number of enemies are listed, including Spider Queens, Castellans of Dol Guldur, Sauron the Necromancer, Wild Warg
Warg
In Norse mythology, a vargr is a wolf and in particular refers to the wolf Fenrir and his sons Sköll and Hati. Based on this, J. R. R. Tolkien in his fiction used the Old English form warg In Norse mythology, a vargr (often anglicised as warg or varg) is a wolf and in particular refers to the...
Chieftain, and their respective armies. Giant Bats are also included in the game. The entire set of game figurines is featured on the Games Workshop website; these are similar in many ways to those from the Warhammer
Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop. It is the origin of the Warhammer Fantasy setting....
franchise.
Dol Guldur has been featured in many of the game adaptations of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, including the Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
portrayal, which contains scenarios and adventures for the Middle-earth Role Playing
Middle-earth Role Playing
Middle-earth Role Playing is a 1984 role-playing game based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises published the game until they lost the license on 22 Sep 1999.-Setting:The setting for MERP is an expanded version of J. R. R...
game In the strategy battle game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, abbreviated BFMEII, is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It is based on the fantasy novels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and its live-action film trilogy adaptation...
, Dol Guldur appears as an iconic building. The campaign-scenario called "Assault on Dol Guldur" appears as the final part of the good campaign.
Released in 1996, the music album Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur (album)
Dol Guldur is the third full length album by Summoning. All lyrics are written by P.K. of Abigor and J. R. R. Tolkien, who is even credited in the album booklet. The final track, "Over Old Hills" is taken from a song by Protector's solo project, Ice Ages....
from the black metal band Summoning
Summoning (band)
Summoning is an Austrian black metal band. They are known in part due to their extensive use of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology as lyrical subject.-Biography:...
features the name Dol Guldur.
The Canadian artist John Howe has portrayed Dol Guldur in several of his sketches and drawings. Howe drew these for Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. In Myth and Magic: The Art of John Howe, Howe includes Dol Guldur among other fortresses of Middle-earth, such as Dol Amroth In addition, Howe created many drawings for Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
during the filming of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in New Zealand, worked for Tolkien Enterprises, and also drew for Iron Crown Enterprises' collectable Middle-earth card game, which mentions Dol Guldur on Gandalf's card.
Mirkwood was added to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for Microsoft Windows set in a fantasy universe based upon J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings...
in the expansion pack entitled the Siege of Mirkwood, released on December 1, 2009 and depicting southern area of Mirkwood and Dol Guldur. The storyline is depicting a small Elven assault upon the fortress of Dol Guldur (not to be confused with the subsequent Siege of Dol Guldur, lead by Lady Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
herself). Making a bold strike deep into enemy territory, the Elves of Lothlorien then prepare to regroup and quickly move back to the west shore of Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
before the Enemy can retaliate in force. While most participants are unaware of the true purpose of the assault, it is eventually revealed to be a ploy to draw Sauron's attention away from Lothlorien and allow the Fellowship to safely depart it and travel down the river Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
.
See also
- Tower of Orthanc
- Minas MorgulMinas MorgulMinas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
- List of Middle-earth wars and battles