The Elf-path as it appears in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Elf-path was a means of crossing the forest of Mirkwood.
Beginning at the western edge of the forest north of the Carrock, the Elf-path ran from the Forest Gate into Mirkwood, and led straight through the forest to its end, near the Forest River.[1]
The Enchanted River crossed the Elf-path nearly three quarters of the way through.[2]
History[]
The Elf-path was wrought by the Elves in the Third Age of the Woodland Realm probably when Sauron occupied Dol Guldur and the forest became filled with evil things. Being the safest route through northern Mirkwood, Gandalf chose this way for Bilbo and Dwarves to take to the other side during their quest to Lonely Mountain. It may have survived into the Fourth Age.[3]
In adaptations[]
Before he left, the wizard Gandalf warned Bilbo Baggins and Thorin and Company to take the Elf-path, as it was the safest route through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain. However, Nori accidentally leads the company off the path, causing them to look for the path again.
Thorin was captured by these Elves, while the remaining company, with the exception of Bilbo, were snared by Giant Spiders. Bilbo rescued them with the help of his magic ring, but they were soon captured by the angry Elves and imprisoned by their king. With the aid of the ring, Bilbo eluded the Dwarves' captors. Weeks later, he found a way to free them: by stealing the keys from the guard when he and the Butler Galion, drank their supply of wine. Soon after they were freed, the Company fled in barrels and floated on the river that ran along with the Elf-path.
However, a small battle ensued as the Company made their escape.
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Albanian | Rruga e Kukudh |
| Arabic | مسار ألف |
| Armenian | Էլֆ-ուղին |
| Asturian | Camín de los Elfos |
| Azerbaijani | Elflər-yol |
| Basque | Elfo-bidexka |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Эльф-сцежка |
| Bengali | এলফ-পথ |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Елф-пътека |
| Catalan | Sender dels Elfs |
| Chinese | 精靈-路径 |
| Croatian | Vilenjak-staza |
| Czech | Elf-cesta |
| Danish | Elvsti |
| Dutch | Elf-bospad / Het Oude Bospad |
| Esperanto | Vojo de la Elfoj |
| Estonian | Päkapikkude tee |
| Finnish | Haltiapolku |
| French | Chemin des Elfes |
| Frisian | Elfpaad (Western) |
| Galician | Camiño dos Elfos |
| Georgian | ელფები-გზა |
| German | Elbenweg |
| Greek | Ξωτικά-μονοπάτι |
| Gujarati | પિશાચ-પાથ |
| Hindi | योगिनी रास्ता |
| Hungarian | Álfok ösvény |
| Icelandic | Álfarleið |
| Indonesian | Peri-jalur |
| Irish Gaelic | Elf-cosán |
| Italian | Sentiero degli Elfi |
| Japanese | エルフ-パス |
| Kannada | ಎಲ್ಫ್-ಮಾರ್ಗ |
| Kazakh | Эльфтер жол (Cyrillic) Élfter jol (Latin) |
| Korean | 엘프 길 |
| Latin | Alfus-semita |
| Latvian | Elfu ceļš |
| Lithuanian | Elfų takas |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Виленик-патека |
| Malayalam | എൽഫ്-പാത്ത് |
| Marathi | एल्फ पथ |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Элфүүдийн зам |
| Norwegian | Alve-sti |
| Persian | راه جن ها |
| Polish | Ścieżka Elfów |
| Portuguese | Caminho dos Elfos |
| Punjabi | ਐਲਫ-ਮਾਰਗ |
| Romanian | Calea Elfilor |
| Russian | Путь Эльфов |
| Sardinian | Caminu de sos Elfos |
| Serbian | Вилењака-стаза (Cyrillic) Vilenjaka-staza (Latin) |
| Sicilian | Percorsu di l'Elfi |
| Slovenian | Vilinska-pot |
| Slovak | Elf-cesta |
| Spanish | Sendero de los Elfos |
| Swahili | Njia ya Elves |
| Swedish | Alv-sökväg |
| Tamil | சிறு தேவதை-பாதை |
| Telugu | ఋభువు-మార్గం |
| Turkish | Elf-yol |
| Turkmen | Elf-ýoly |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Ельф-шлях |
| Urdu | یلف راستہ |
| Uzbek | Елф-сўқмоқ йўл (Cyrillic) Elf-so'qmoq yo'l (Latin) |
| Venetian | Sendero de los Salbaneło |
| Vietnamese | Elf-con đường |
| Welsh | Elf-lwybr |
References[]
- ↑ Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, Part Three: The Third Age, chapter I: "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", notes
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, Regional Maps, "Eriador"
- ↑ The Hobbit, Chapter VIII: "Flies and Spiders"