Dol Guldur
From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.
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Dol Guldur, or Hill of Sorcery, was a stronghold of Sauron located in the south of Mirkwood.
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[edit] Construction
Dol Guldur was established by Sauron after his return to Middle-earth somewhere after TA 1000. Sauron became known as the Necromancer, and his identity was long kept secret. Dol Guldur was originally known as Amon Lanc (bald hill), and had been the capital of Oropher's Silvan realm. The Silvan Elves had fled north to the Black Mountains (later the Mountains of Mirkwood) after Sauron's return from the Downfall of Númenor. Later, after Sauron captured Amon Lanc, Thranduil, son of Oropher, led his people over the Forest river, where they remained.
[edit] The Fortress of Sauron
The White Council long feared the power in Dol Guldur might be Sauron, and in TA 2063 Gandalf went to Dol Guldur. Sauron, not yet powerful enough to challenge him, fled to the east. In 2460 Sauron returned there, just as the One Ring was found by Sméagol the Stoor. However, the Ring disappeared with Sméagol under the Hithaeglir.
Sauron continued to increase his power over the next 380 years, and searched for the Ring the whole time.
[edit] Sauron Discovered
In 2845 Thráin II, holder of the last of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves, was imprisoned in Dol Guldur's dungeons. In 2850 Gandalf again entered Dol Guldur, and found the dying Thráin. Gandalf was entrusted with the map and key to give to Thorin Oakenshield, Thráin's son, although Thráin could not tell Gandalf his own name or the name of his son before he died. Gandalf confirmed Sauron was the master of Dol Guldur at that time.
[edit] Sauron Flees to Mordor
Gandalf returned to the White Council and urged an attack on Dol Guldur, but was overuled by Saruman, who had begun searching for the One Ring in that area by then. In 2941 Saruman finally agreed to an attack, which occurred at the same time as the Quest for Erebor. This was carefully planned by Gandalf, so that Sauron and Smaug could not assist each other, as otherwise they surely would have done. The White Council attacked Dol Guldur, and drove out Sauron. Sauron fled to Mordor, his plans now ready. Dol Guldur remained staffed by Khamûl, a lieutenant of Barad-dûr, second in command of the Nazgûl.
[edit] Dol Guldur Destroyed
During the War of the Ring, the forces of Dol Guldur made three assaults upon Lórien and Thranduil's realm in Mirkwood, causing grievous damage to the outlying woodlands, but they were driven back each time by the power of Nenya, Galadriel's Ring of Power, which only Sauron himself could have overcome. The elves, led by Thranduil of Mirkwood and Galadriel of Lorien, led an assault on Dol Guldur. Galadriel herself down its walls, and lay its pits bare. (Note that Galadriel did this with her own strengths, as Nenya would have been powerless after the destruction of the One Ring.) Absolutely nothing of the fortress that had stood for 2,019 years was left. Renamed back to Amon Lanc, it became the capital of Celeborn's realm of East Lorien in the Fourth Age, while he remained in Middle-Earth.
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Places of Middle Earth and Arda
Middle Earth Locations:
Provinces/Regions: Dunland | Ithilien | Rohan | Arnor | Ettenmoors | Gondor | Minhiriath | Rhûn | The Shire | Mordor | Harad | Forochel Forests & Mountains: Erebor | Fangorn forest | High Pass | Iron Hills | Lórien | Redhorn Pass | Mount Doom | Tower Hills | Mirkwood | Weather Hills City/Fortifications: Isengard | Barad-dûr | Minas Morgul | Rivendell | Dol Guldur | Helm's Deep | Minas Tirith | Osgiliath | Udûn | Annúminas | Fornost | Umbar | Bree Miscellaneous: Cair Andros | Gap of Rohan | Grey Havens | Buckland | Enedwaith | Dagorlad | Dead Marshes | Fords of Isen | Weathertop | Argonath The rest of Arda:
Valinor | Númenor | Dark Land | Aman | Tol Eressëa |
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Dol Guldur. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
