Dol Guldur

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For the Summoning album Dol Guldur, see Dol Guldur (album).
Place from Tolkien's Legendarium

Dol Guldur as illustrated by artist John Howe
Name Dol Guldur
Other names Amon Lanc
Dol Guldur
Description Barren wasteland later occupied by Sauron and Nazgûl
Constructed by Sauron
Realm(s) Mirkwood
 
Lord Originally Sauron
Khamûl
Two other Nazgûl
Type Fortified Stronghold
Outpost
Lifespan Circa. 1000 T.A. - 3019 T.A.

Dol Guldur (Sindarin: Hill of Black Magic) in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, was a stronghold of Sauron located in the south of Mirkwood. It first appears in The Hobbit as the dungeons of the Necromancer, a stronghold of evil.[1] Throughout its history the hill was better known as the stronghold of Sauron in Mirkwood, an evil being who was corrupt and evil and whose sole purpose it was to terrorize the land into evil. Initially its name was Amon Lanc because it was primarily barren of all plant life as the name Amon Lanc means the "Naked Hill" as documented in The Silmarillion. Amon Lanc was situated on the western edge of the forest across the Anduin from Lothlórien.[2] It was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest and kings such as Oropher father of Thranduil of the Silvan Elves of the Woodland Realm populated the Rhovanion area with their peoples around Amon Lanc,[3] however his peoples were later to depart the lands moving northward.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Etymology

According to Unfinished Tales, Dol Guldur was originally known in the elven language of Sindarin as Amon Lanc ('naked hill', from amon 'hill' and lanc 'bare, naked').[4] 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.[5] 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'.[5]

[edit] Geography

Dol Guldur was situated near the forest of Mirkwood which was later renamed the Wood of Greenleaves, or Eryn Lasgalen in the Elven tongue.
Dol Guldur was situated near the forest of Mirkwood which was later renamed the Wood of Greenleaves, or Eryn Lasgalen in the Elven tongue.

The land was taken by Sauron in the south of Rhovanion, it is said to be a barren wasteland. Sauron's influence caused a great shadow to fall over the surrounding forest below the hill, and the forest became known as Mirkwood. The shadow allowed very little light to penetrate the forest around the encampment; Great Spiders similar to Shelob and other evil creatures came to dwell around the hill, making the land corrupt and evil, unsafe for even the Elves. The land was no longer in the realms of the Elven peoples.

After the destruction of Sauron, Celeborn led an army to the encampment and Galadrial tore down the remains of the tower.[6]Later it was reclaimed by the elves once more, Celeborn and Thranduil father of Legolas renamed the forest Eryn Lasgalen upon meeting in the forest. In the common tongue of Middle-earth the name means 'The Wood of Greenleaves'. Thranduil claimed the northern regions of the forest up to the mountains for his realm and Celeborn the southern part of the forest just down to below the Narrows his. Celeborn renamed his realm East Lórien. Celeborn's Elves dwindled and only a few of his peoples were left after Celeborn went to stay with Elrond's sons in Imladris.[6]

The area did provide useful to Sauron in aiding him back to health and in gathering forces and growing in power and searching for the One Ring, it became an eventual outpost for Sauron where his faithful servants the three Nazgûl were stationed.[7] The map below further illustrates geographical area and terrain around the fortress and where it was situated during it's long history. To the North of Dol Guldur lies Erebor and further north is Ered Mithrin known as the Grey Mountains where the Dwarves once prospered. West of Mirkwood is the Anduin river that leads on to the sea southwards, and directly west of Dol Guldur Lórien is set just east of Moria.

[edit] History

The history of the Dol Guldur is vividly described in many of Tolkien's work, including the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. As can be seen from the map, Dol Guldur was situated near just inside Mirkwood. The stronghold was a significant building in aiding Sauron to power and where he could gather forces to regain his strength and again lead an assault on Middle-earth.

The history starts in the Third Age around the year 1050 or 1100. Sauron, having being defeated in the War of the Last Alliance, arrived at Amon Lanc and built a great tower. The evil power that continued to grow once again occupied Dol Guldur and in secrecy Sauron named himself the Necromancer.[8] It was not known at first that Sauron had regained his strength and was nursing himself to health. It was perceived that a Nazgûl dominated the tower and land.[9] But as the power grew in strength, Gandalf the Grey became suspicious and travelled to Dol Guldur to investigate in T.A. 2063.[8][10] Sauron gained knowledge and departed the lands and remained hidden in secrecy, he had fled to the East.[8][10] What later became known as the The Watchful Peace lasted until T.A. 2460. Sauron once more returned to Dol Guldur after years of hiding.[10]

In T.A. 2845, Thráin II, King of Durin's folk was captured by Sauron's forces and was kept at Dol Guldur.[11] Thráin was the the last of the bearers of the seven Rings of Power given to the Dwarves. Sauron in his greed followed Thráin throughout his torture until he recovered the ring.[11] Gandalf in his curiosity went to Dol Guldur in 2850 T.A. to investigate his suspicions of the power that was rising, and found Thráin close to death.[11] Thráin gave Gandalf a map and key to the Lonely Mountain, which Gandalf undertook to convey to Thorin Oakenshield, Thráin's son and heir.[12]

Sauron left the outpost at Dol Guldur in T.A. 2951, deputing three of the Nazgûl to occupy the stronghold.[7] Khamûl was one of these Nazgûl, an Easterling who commanded the fortress.[13][7] Soon orcs appeared and did the bidding of Sauron. In March of T.A. 3018, scouts from Dol Guldur became aware that Gollum had been brought to Mirkwood and was being held prisoner by Thranduil.[14] On June 20 T.A. 3018, orcs from Dol Guldur attacked the Elves who had imprisoned Gollum. Gollum later escaped from the Elves and disappeared. The orcs did not achieve their mission in addition and escaped both parties. Gollum later went in pursuit of the One Ring that lead him to the mines of Moria.

During the War of the Ring, forces of orcs from Dol Guldur made attacks on Lothlórien in despair and these were known later as Battles of Lothlórien and Mirkwood. The first assault on March 15 T.A. 3019. The Elves were saved by the power and might of Galadriel. Hosts of the orcs then turned south and entered the Wold of Rohan but were defeated. On March 15 T.A. 3019, a second assault was launched against Lothlórien, while north in Mirkwood forces from Dol Guldur battled the Elves of the Woodland Realm.[15][6] The Evles survived the attacks.[15] The third and final assault on Lothlórien took place on March 22 T.A. 3019, the forces of good once again triumphed over evil. After the defeat of Sauron on March 25, Celeborn commanded Elves from Lothlórien across the Anduin on March 28 T.A. 3019 and captured Dol Guldur. Galadriel then destroyed the fortress so that the forest was free from the shadow of the tower.[13][6]

[edit] Politics

Political issues around Sauron's stronghold had increased the tensions in Middle-earth. The Wise, including Gandalf, had sensed an evil power growing, and continued to try to locate evidence that Sauron was alive and regaining his once great strength.[16][8]Gandalf, having infiltrated the land, explored Dol Guldur and discovered that the evil presence whose true identity he long suspected was indeed Sauron.[8][12] In T.A. 2851 pressed the White Council (which had first been formed in T.A. 2463 for such discussions) for an attack on Sauron. Saruman - the head of the council, who had already been corrupted - spoke against this move, saying that Sauron could not regain his full strength without the One Ring.[16][8][12] Indeed the One Ring was what Saruman himself was looking for, and in his pursuit to gain Sauron's ring Saruman secretly betrayed the Council. He claimed that the Ring had most likely been lost in the Anduin river, whence it had been carried out to the sea.[13][16]Saruman believed it lay hidden in the Gladden Fields and searched for it while secretly employing spies to keep an eye on Gandalf. The Gladden Fields were where Isildur, his sons, and most of his army had died in an ambush lead by orcs, and this was where the Ring later betrayed the king at the Disaster of the Gladden Fields. Saruman let his quest for the Ring abide, hoping in time the Ring might reveal itself by its continuous pursuit to reach Sauron, its one true master.[8][12]

Sauron was left alone to his devices, and Gandalf was powerless to do anything to thwart Sauron's resurrection to power.[8] Gandalf remained troubled by Sauron's presence, and at the White Council in T.A. 2941 he once again argued that an attack on Dol Guldur was inevitable and necessary for the security of Middle-earth and its peoples.[16][8] 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, and perhaps had learnt of Isildur's end.[7]The Council gathered all strength that was available and drove Sauron from Dol Guldur with the help of the inventions that Saruman had developed during his studies of Enemy.[8] Sauron, not wanting to be defeated again, had already prepared in advance for the potential assault. Sauron too was watching the moves of his enemy, and so Sauron travelled in secret to rebuild Barad-dûr, his last great stronghold in Mordor, to be his new sanctuary;[8] however he later stationed three Nazgûl to keep watch over the stronghold.[13]

[edit] Culture

The peoples documented in Tolkien's books as the peoples of Mirkwood mostly included the elves that have lived in the region.[citation needed] King Oropher, his son Thranduil, and his son the elven prince Legolas are examples of the elves that live in Mirkwood, commonly known as the Wood Elves.[citation needed]

Sauron had however secretly built a stronghold and overtook the southern regions of the land slowly from the elves without battle. The invasion lead to the land being corrupted by Sauron and was no longer in the realms of the Silvan Elves. The south of Mirkwood was overtaken for a great time. Orcs, Nazgûl, Giant Spiders and the Necromancer owned the land.

The elves from Lothlórien crossed the Anduin river to populate the area once again after the defeat of Sauron but slowly died away. East Lórien was not again populated, although the northern regions were left just as they had been.[6] This was mainly because of the migration of the elves to Imladris.[6] Galadriel and Celeborn were not from Mirkwood, however they lead an army to Sauron's outpost and laid waste his fortress. The conquest was the main factor that led to the re-population of the realm and its subsequent name of East Lórien.[6]

[edit] Languages

Main article: Languages of Arda

[edit] Portrayal in adaptations

Book cover: Fall of Necromancer
Book cover: Fall of Necromancer

There have been several portrayals of Dol Guldur which have been included in the popular strategy Games Workshop game, models of Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game appear in the Fall of the Necromancer which centers Dol Guldur. A number of enemies are listed which include in the heroes range Spider Queens,[17]Castellans of Dol Guldur, Sauron the Necromancer, Wild Warg Chieftain and armies commanded by each of the heroes mentioned. Other creatures which are included in the game are Giant Bats.[18] The entire sets of Dol Guldur in the game are on the Games Workshop website. Instructions on how to play are also in addition given.[19]

Dol Guldur has been a central building in many of the game adaptations of Lord of the Rings and has been featured in several well known games including the Iron Crown Enterprises portrayal which contains scenarios and adventures for the Middle-earth Role Playing game[20]

In the The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II strategy battle game Dol Guldur appears as an iconic building.[21][22] The campaign called "Assault on Dol Guldur" appears in level 8.[23][24] According to EA Games publisher of the franchise the objective of the Dol Guldur campaign is to conquer the land around the hill instead of defending the fortress.[25] Another website documents maps of Dol Guldur and the surrounding area when playing.[26][27]

Dol Guldur has also been featured on the album from black metal band Summoning.[28] Tolkien is even said to been included in the credits as well as the main inspiration of the bands most successful album to date released in 1996.

[edit] See also

Middle-earth Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The sins of Middle Earth, Tolkiens use of Allegory", Chapter 6 (in English). Greenwood Press, Pg. 86. 
  2. ^ See detailed map
  3. ^ The Language of Literature (English) Pg. 1. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  4. ^ Unfinished Tales, Index, p. 418.
  5. ^ a b The Silmarillion, Appendix on Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g The Appedices, Appendix B, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. Timeline of the Third Age. Harper Collins, Pg. 1069. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  7. ^ a b c d The Appendices, Appendix B, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. Timeline of the Third Age (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 1064. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Council of Elrond", Chapter 2 (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 244. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  9. ^ The Appedices, Appendix B, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. Timeline of the Third Age (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 1060. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  10. ^ a b c The Appedices, Appendix B, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. Timeline of the Third Age (in English). Harper Collins, pg. 1062. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  11. ^ a b c The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Council of Elrond", Chapter 2 (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 261-262. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  12. ^ a b c d The Appedices, Appendix B, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. Timeline of the Third Age (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 1063. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  13. ^ a b c d Tuckborough Translation. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
  14. ^ The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Council of Elrond", Chapter 2 (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 247 Aragon's tale of capturing Gollum. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  15. ^ a b The Appedices, Appendix B, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. Timeline of the Third Age (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 1068. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  16. ^ a b c d The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Council of Elrond", Chapter 2 (in English). Harper Collins, Pg. 258-259. ISBN 0-00-714913-1. 
  17. ^ Online, Games Workshop; Games Workshop. Scourages of Mirkwood: Converting unique Spider Queens (English). Games Workshop. Games Workshop Online. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  18. ^ Denizens of Dol Guldur: Dol Guldur Minatures Gallery (English). Games Workshop Online. Games Workshop Online. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  19. ^ Games Workshop Online Menu Page (English). Games Workshop. Games Workshop Online. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  20. ^ http://www.icewebring.com/ICE_Products/M2/M2_2014_Dol_Guldur.php
  21. ^ McGregor, Georgia Leigh. Videogames, Virtual Worlds & Architecture, ACM International Conference Proceeding Series; Vol. 223, Murdoch University, 2006 ISBN 86905-901-7
  22. ^ http://www.users.on.net/~georgia88/files/Architecture,%20Space%20and%20Gameplay%20-%20Georgia%20Leigh%20McGregor.pdf
  23. ^ Battle for Middle-earth II, EA Games The Lord of the Rings; EA Games. in EA Games: EA Games Adaptation (in English). EA Games, See detailed map. ISBN 5-030930-050368. 
  24. ^ Achievement Guide (English). xbox360achievements.com Pg. 1. xbox360achievements.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  25. ^ EA Games Website FAQ (English). EA Games Pg. 1. EA Games.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  26. ^ BFMEII.com Maps (English). BFMEII.com Pg. 1. BFMEII.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  27. ^ BFMEII (English). BFMEII.com Pg. 1. BFMEII.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  28. ^ Amazon.com (English). Amazon Pg. 1. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.

[edit] External links

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