| Mirkwood (S: Taur-nu-Fuin)/Forest of Great Fear (S: Taur-e-Ndaedelos) was a great forest in Rhovanion. It was only known by these names in the latter part of the Third Age, having previously been called Greenwood the Great (S: Eryn Galen) and later became the Wood of Greenleaves (S: Eryn Lasgalen). The first settlers in that area were Nandor unwilling to cross the mountains into the west, who were eventually joined by wandering Avari. They were also known as Sylvan or Wood elves. In around the year SA 750 a Sinda prince, Oropher, came to Greenwood where he was taken by the Silvan Elves as their lord. Oropher built his halls at Amon Lanc and was accepted as the leader of the Wood-elves of Greenwood, later the Elves of Mirkwood, forming the Woodland Realm. Following the War of the Last Alliance, Thranduil succeeded Oropher as king. Probably due to heavy losses in the war, the elves retreated to the Emyn Duir, abandoning Amon Lanc, which then became home to Sauron under the guise of the Necromancer, which caused the darkening of Greenwood and the change of name. This caused both Silvan elves and Halflings to leave the area. In TA 2850, Gandalf discovered that the Necromancer was Sauron, who had regained his power. In 2941, the White Council drove Sauron out. However, ten years later, Sauron's forces secretly retook Dol Guldur and from there launched an attack on Mirkwood, Lórien, Dale and Erebor in the early stages of the War of the Ring. On 19 March 3019 Thranduil repulsed Sauron's forces in a bloody battle under the trees and mounted a campaign to clear northern Mirkwood of Sauron's servants. At the same time the elves of Lórien led by Celeborn and Galadriel assaulted and destroyed Dol Guldur, and began to cleanse the southern part of the forest. Celeborn and Thranduil met in the midst of the forest on Elven New Year and formally renamed the forest Eryn Lasgalen. They then agreed to divide it between the Woodland Realm from the northern edge of the forest to the mountains, the Beornings from the mountains to the Narrows and East Lórien from the Narrows south. Though initially they prospered as the darkness was lifted, the elves were destined either to depart for Valinor or fade into rustic forest spirits. The forest probably then ultimately fell under the dominion of men, the descendent of the Beornings and the men of Dale. |
