Sauron had a significant political influence in the world of The Lord of the Rings. Sauron’s power corrupted many places and beings in Middle-earth that were once beautiful and graceful. Among them was a forest that was important to the Elves long before the events of the movies.
What place is it? The Mirkwood in Middle-earth has a long history that dates back to the early days of the world there, Arda. The first Elves traveled during the Great Journey from their homeland Cuiviénen, through the Mirkwood, which was then called Great Greenwood
.
The location was in Rhovanion and was a dense forest area, with mountains and a large and small river. The forest became more than just a resting place for some of the Elves; it became a home. At least until Sauron came.
Legolas’s grandfather established the place for the Wood Elves
Actually, the forest was just a stopover for the Elves during the Great Journey, but the Wood Elves, who descended from Nandor, stayed there. Oropher, Legolas’s grandfather, ensured that the place became a settlement for these Elves in the Second Age.
Oropher also became the king of the Wood Elves. Unlike the other Elves, who lived in magnificent castles and constructs, the Wood Elves lived more modestly, in harmony with nature. Humans also settled around and in the forest.
Dwarves used the forest as a path between Moria and the Iron Mountains. Long after the first settlements, a kingdom also arose in the forest, but that changed when Sauron began his schemes in the Second Age. He launched the campaign to acquire all the Rings.
During Sauron’s campaign, Oropher moved his settlements multiple times in the forest to stay away from the conflicts of the other Elves and peoples of Middle-earth. But he too recognized the danger from Sauron and joined the Last Alliance in the war against Sauron.
There, Oropher died, and his son, Thranduil, became the new king of the Wood Elves.
Sauron returned and corrupted the Great Greenwood
How did the place become the Mirkwood
? As known from the films, Sauron was not completely destroyed. In the Third Age, he returned and, disguised as the Necromancer
, settled in the fortress of Dol Guldur, an ancient Elven castle.
This caused the southern part of the forest to become corrupted, and malevolent creatures like the spawn of Ungoliant settled there. Humans then called the place Mirkwood
. Due to Sauron’s presence, the Wood Elves were driven to the north.
When Gandalf wanted to investigate Dol Guldur, Sauron fled, and the Elves in Mirkwood could breathe easier again. This peace lasted 400 years until Sauron returned and once again pressed the Wood Elves. Some Elves even left Middle-earth due to the danger.
The Wood Elves became a weakened people, now living in the mountains north of Mirkwood cautiously and having to create new ways for traveling.
What happened to Mirkwood after the events of the films? After the final death of Sauron, Galadriel cleansed Dol Guldur, and together with Thranduil, she gave Mirkwood the new name Eryn Lasgalen (Forest of the Green Leaves).
In the southern part of the forest, Ost-Lórien was established at the beginning of the Fourth Age, which was ruled by the Elf Celeborn. The central part of the forest became a place for Woodmen. When Celeborn left Middle-earth to journey to Aman (the Undying Lands), Ost-Lórien became just a place for individual Wood Elves.
The world of The Lord of the Rings is a place full of mysteries and history that one only catches a glimpse of in the films. What runs through it, however, is the influence of Morgoth or Sauron, who corrupted many beautiful and peaceful places. In another, dreadful place, however, a very different being is responsible: In The Lord of the Rings, there is a place that is even worse than Mordor
