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Akallabêth

2024-09-24T20:36:59Z

Cam1170: Missing period

{{disambig-more|Fall of Númenor|[[Fall of Númenor]]}}
{{silmarillion-chapters}}
'''''Akallabêth'': The Downfall of Númenor''' is the fourth part of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', edited by [[Christopher Tolkien]] from [[J.R.R. Tolkien|his father]]'s later texts.

It tells the story of the [[Downfall of Númenor]] after the [[Númenóreans]], the descendants of those [[Men]] who aided the [[Elves]] in their fight against [[Morgoth]] during the late [[First Age]], turned by degrees against the [[Valar]], and were later corrupted by [[Sauron]]. The ''Akallabêth'' was written by [[Elendil]] near the end of the [[Second Age]] and was preserved in [[Gondor]].<ref>{{UT|5}}</ref>

==Synopsis==
At the end of the [[First Age]], the [[Edain]], who alone among the race of [[Men]] were loyal defenders of the [[Elves]] during their war against [[Morgoth]], were given a new land of their own in reward for their efforts, free from the troubles and sadness of [[Middle-earth]]. It was located in the middle of the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]], between the western shores of Middle-earth and the eastern shores of [[Aman]], where the [[Valar]] lived.<ref name="akallabeth">{{S|IV}}</ref>
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Eagles of Manwë.jpg|left|thumb|''The Eagles of Manwë'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
The Men of [[Númenor]] were [[Ban of the Valar|forbidden]] by the Valar to sail westward so far that they could no longer see the island, so the majority of their voyaging was eastward and in time they returned to the shores of Middle-Earth. The Númenóreans established remote colonies in Middle-earth and made contact with the [[Middle Men|Men of Middle-earth]] and taught them many crafts and skills. They made alliance with [[Gil-galad]] and the Elves and aided them in the [[War of the Elves and Sauron|war]] against Sauron where he was defeated by the power of the Númenóreans.

Over time many began to speak openly of their envy of the Eldar's immortality and in defiance of the Ban. The people of Númenor became split between the [[King's Men]], those loyal to the King and prone to oppose the restraints upon Númenor, and the [[Faithful]], those who remained true to their friendship with the Eldar and loyalty to the Valar.<ref name="akallabeth" /> During this time, the long life of the Númenóreans began to decrease as the Shadow rose. Their joy for life and good will departed, but their power increased.

Sauron re-emerged to challenge the power of Númenor in Middle-earth and their colonies along the shores were assailed by him and his armies. The king, [[Ar-Pharazôn]], responded and came with a great host to Middle-earth and bade Sauron to come before him and swear fealty. To the surprise of many, Sauron did as he was asked. But the King was not content with his show of obedience, and brought Sauron back to Númenor as a hostage. Sauron gave the impression that this was against his will, but in truth it was exactly what he wanted. Sauron exploited his power to corrupt the King to his will. Soon he became his adviser, and most of the Númenóreans obeyed his will and turned to the worship of Morgoth.

Sauron convinced the King, who was now in his twilight years, to assail Aman in order to gain immortality. Thus Ar-Pharazôn led his [[Great Armament]] and landed on Aman. However, as this was done, the Valar appealed to [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]] and he destroyed the Great Armament. Ar-Pharazôn and his host were buried under hills, and the whole of Númenor sank under the Great Sea. [[Arda]] was made spherical and Aman was put beyond it, out of the reach of mortal Men.
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Ships of the Faithful.jpg|thumb|''The Ships of the Faithful'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
Just a few people still uncorrupted by Sauron managed to escape the catastrophe; they fled Númenor by ship. This group of Faithful Númenóreans was led by [[Elendil]] the Tall and his two sons, [[Isildur]] and [[Anárion]]. They landed in Middle-earth, where the followers of Elendil established two kingdoms which came to be known as the realms of Exile: [[Gondor]] in the south, and [[Arnor]] in the north. Some of the King's Men, enemies of Elendil, who were in Middle-earth at the time of the [[Downfall of Númenor|Downfall]] established other realms in exile to the south; of these the Haven of Umbar was the chief. Sauron, although greatly diminished and bereft of shape, had survived the Downfall and returned to Middle-earth to continue troubling its inhabitants.

==Legacy==
The study of Númenor's history was suppressed in the realms of Exile because it was seen as a vain pursuit, "breeding only useless regret". Only one story from the former home of the Dúnedain remained generally known: the cautionary tale of the pride of Ar-Pharazôn and his "impious armada", which corresponds to the last half of the ''Akallabêth''.<ref>{{UT|Numenor}}</ref>

==Etymology==
''Akallabêth'' is an [[Adûnaic]] name. It means "(she that has) Downfallen<ref>{{PE|17}}, p. 111 entry Adûnaic: '''Akallabêth'''</ref><ref>{{SD|67}}, p. 247</ref> or "The Downfallen".<ref>{{S|Index}}, entry ''Akallabêth''</ref> It is derived from ''[[kalab]]'' ("fall down"<ref>{{SD|Further}}, p. 439</ref>).<ref name="PM">{{PM|Akallabeth}}, $83 note on the name Atalante</ref>

The Quenya translation of this word is ''[[Atalantë]]''.<ref>{{S|Index}}, entry ''Atalantë''</ref> It is derived from the verbal stem ''[[talat-]]'' ("slipping, sliding, falling down").<ref name="PM" /><ref>{{L|257|102}}</ref>

''Akallabêth'' or ''Atalantë'' was the name for the island of Númenor after its Downfall. The Exiles became reluctant to speak of the land by any other name, or indeed much at all; but at times "they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts" and remembered Akallabêth, their former home.<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}, third last paragraph</ref>

==Development==
The ''Akallabêth'' originated with ''[[The Lost Road]]'', a time-travel story that Tolkien wrote due to a conversation with [[C.S. Lewis]] about writing their own science fiction. Lewis produced ''[[Out of the Silent Planet]]'' however Tolkien abandoned ''The Lost Road'', having only written two introductory chapters and two chapters of Númenor in the end, as he was more interested in writing his own version of the Atlantis legend. As Tolkien was writing ''The Lost Road'' he also produced another manuscript, an outline which was closely related to the last two chapters of ''The Lost Road'' about Númenor and its downfall. This was followed by another, more finished, manuscript titled ''[[The Fall of Númenor (chapter)]]''. These can be said to be the true germ of the ''Akallabêth'' itself, written in the mid-to-late thirties.<ref>{{LR|P1I}}</ref>

Tolkien began to develop the tale of Númenor's Downfall further when writing ''[[The Notion Club Papers]]'' in the 1940s, about a fictional discussion group called the [[Notion Club]] (a reference to the [[Inklings]]) where its members discuss [[Alwin Arundel Lowdham]]'s dreams of Atlantis and Númenor.<ref>{{SD|2a}}</ref> At this time there were major developments to the legend in ''[[The Drowning of Anadûnê]]''. A large amount of the wording, especially in the later versions of the text, is retained in the ''Akallabêth''.<ref>{{SD|3iiiu}}</ref> [[Christopher Tolkien]] notes in essays, which he named sketches written by his father that he was developing two traditions concerning Númenor's history, each with its own retelling of the Downfall: ''The Fall of Númenor'', a more Elvish version, and a "Mannish" form, ''The Drowning of Anadûnê''.<ref>{{SD|3v}}</ref> These texts can be found in Volume IX of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', ''[[Sauron Defeated]]''.

Tolkien's final revisions of the ''Akallabêth'' were published in the last volume of ''The History of Middle-earth'', ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]''. It was from this version that Christopher got the document that he published in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''. Since the latest version of the ''Akallabêth'' contained references to [[Ælfwine]], Christopher removed all references to him, as he believed that his father abandoned the framing device of Ælfwine and [[Pengolodh]] because there was no suggestion of it in his father's latest writings of ''[[The Later Quenta Silmarillion|The Quenta Silmarillion]]'' before his death.<ref>{{LT1|Foreword}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Black Númenóreans]]
*[[Dúnedain]]
*[[Faithful]]
*[[Realms in Exile]]

==External links==
*[http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/num-intro.htm ''Westernesse''], an attempt by [[Helge Fauskanger]] to show how the ''Akallabêth'' could be adapted as a prequel to [[Peter Jackson]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]'' movies.

{{references}}
{{numenor}}
[[Category:Adûnaic names]]
[[Category:Books and documents within the legendarium]]
[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:The Silmarillion chapters]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akallabeth}}
[[de:Akallabêth (Schriftstück)]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/eaux/iles/akallabeth]]
[[fi:Akallabêth]]

Mirkwood

2024-04-19T00:30:49Z

Cam1170:

{{disambig-more|Mirkwood|[[Mirkwood (disambiguation)]]}}
{{location infobox
| name=Mirkwood
| image=[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Mirkwood.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Mirkwood" by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
| pronun=
| othernames=''Taur-nu-Fuin'', ''Taur-e-Ndaedelos'', ''Eryn Galen'', ''Eryn Lasgalen'', Greenwood the Great
| location=East of the [[Misty Mountains]], south of [[Ered Mithrin]]
| type=Forest
| description=Deep, thick, dark forest
| regions=[[East Lórien]], [[Narrows]], [[Woodland Realm]]
| towns=[[Amon Lanc]] (later [[Dol Guldur]]), [[Elvenking's Halls]], [[Rhosgobel]]
| inhabitants=[[Spiders]], [[Silvan Elves]] ([[Elves of Mirkwood]], [[Galadhrim]]), [[Northmen]] ([[Woodmen]], [[Beornings]]), [[Orcs]], [[Olog-hai]], [[Nazgûl]]
| created=
| destroyed=
| events=[[Battle under the trees]], [[Fall of Dol Guldur]]
}}
{{quote|Well, here is Mirkwood! ''[...]'' Greatest of the forests of the Northern world. I hope you like the look of it.|[[Gandalf]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]'', "[[Queer Lodgings]]"}}

'''Mirkwood''' ([[Sindarin|S]]: ''Taur-nu-Fuin'') or the '''Forest of Great Fear''' ([[Sindarin|S]]: ''[[Taur-e-Ndaedelos]]'') was a great forest east of the river [[Anduin]] in [[Rhovanion]]. It was previously called [[Mirkwood|Greenwood the Great]] ([[Sindarin|S]]: ''[[Mirkwood|Eryn Galen]]'') until the Shadow of the influence of Sauron fell on it. It was named the [[Eryn Lasgalen|Wood of Greenleaves]] ([[Sindarin|S]]: ''[[Eryn Lasgalen]]'') when the shadow was lifted after the defeat of Sauron.

== Geography ==
Mirkwood seems to have had much the same boundaries as it did at the end of the Third Age for most of its history. It was roughly rectangular in shape: stretching from the foothills of the [[Grey Mountains]] in the north to the [[North Undeep]] in the south, and from the east edge of the vale of [[Anduin]] to [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]].

It was bisected by the ancient [[Old Forest Road]]. Later, when this road became unusable, a second path through the forest was made to the north. Between the two paths lay the [[Mountains of Mirkwood]]. The [[Forest River]] cut through the forest's northern end from its source in the western Grey Mountains, joined in the centre by the [[Enchanted River]] which flowed north from the Mountains of Mirkwood.
[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Map of Wilderland.jpg|thumb|right|Map of [[Rhovanion|Wilderland]] by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] showing the northern part of Mirkwood.]]
South of the Old Forest road the [[East Bight]] created the ''Narrows of the Forest'', only one hundred miles across. South and west of the narrows was the a hill called [[Amon Lanc]].

== History ==
Originally called Greenwood the Great, the forest may have once formed part of the vast primeval woodland which covered most of [[Middle-earth]] during the [[Years of the Trees]], possibly linked to Lothlórien across the Anduin.<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}} p. 252</ref> The [[Eldar]] passed through the area on their [[Great Journey|journey]] to [[Valinor]] and it was first populated at this time by the [[Nandor]]. Unwilling to cross the [[Misty Mountains]], these Elves settled also in the wooded valleys of the river Anduin. They multiplied and were joined by wandering [[Avari]], becoming known as Silvan or Wood-elves.

The Old Forest Road was constructed very early in Greenwood's history by the [[Durin's Folk|Longbeard]] [[Dwarves]] to carry traffic between their territory in the Misty Mountains to [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], and the [[Iron Hills]].This road would be later abandoned as the [[Orcs]] of the [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Grey Mountains]] took [[Mount Gundabad|Gundabad]] and the surrounding region, cutting off communication between Khazad-dûm and the Iron Hills and Erebor.<ref>{{PM|Dwarves}}</ref>

=== Second Age ===
In around the year {{SA|750}}, the [[Sindar|Sinda]] prince, [[Oropher]], removed from [[Lindon]] to Greenwood where he was taken by the Silvan Elves as their lord. This forested region to the east of the [[Anduin]] is where [[Silvan Elves]], of [[Nandor]] descent and the [[Avari]], lived.<ref>{{PM|Second}}</ref> 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]].

=== Third Age ===
The first millennium of the Third Age probably saw the creation of the East Bight by men living in the eastern eaves of the forest. These men may have formed part of the [[Rhovanion|Kingdom of Rhovanion]] led by [[Vidugavia]]. Men, such as the [[Éothéod]], and [[Hobbits]] also lived in the vale of Anduin and were likely responsible for the retreat of the forest's western border.

At the beginning of the Third Age, [[Thranduil]] replaced [[Oropher]] as king of the Woodland Realm. Probably as a result of massive losses at the [[Battle of Dagorlad]] the Silvan population of Greenwood was diminished and became mainly concentrated in the hills then known as [[Mountains of Mirkwood|Emyn Duir]]. At the beginning of the second millennium of the Third Age, a mysterious being came to Amon Lanc in the south of Greenwood the Great, and there built the stronghold known as [[Dol Guldur]]; "hill of sorcery." This was the magician known as the Necromancer, who was later revealed to be none other than Sauron himself, and from his fortress tower a shadow of nightshade began to spread across the woodlands. The story of Sauron's darkening of Greenwood the Great mirrors events in the [[First Age]], when he occupied the highland forests of [[Dorthonion]], north of [[Beleriand]]. That region, too, fell under his shadow, and was also known as [[Taur-nu-Fuin (Dorthonion)|Taur-nu-Fuin]]. From that time on, the Elves came to refer to the Greenwood as Taur-nu-Fuin, the forest under nightshade, rendered into the [[Mannish]] tongue as 'Mirkwood'.

Around the [[Third Age 1636|same time]] as the [[Great Plague]] devastated [[Gondor]] and [[Eriador]], the [[Shadow]] grew deep in Greenwood and evil things reappeared. Later the wise noted this coincidence and considered it a sign of Sauron's return.<Ref>{{App|Gondor}}</ref>

Indeed, by the time of [[Cirion]] (c. T.A. 2500), [[Dol Guldur]] controlled the [[Balchoth]], a tribe of [[Easterlings]] who dwelt east of Mirkwood; often they made raids through the forest up to the [[Vales of Anduin]], until they were all but deserted, until [[Battle of the Field of Celebrant|defeated]].<ref>{{App|Stewards}}</ref>
[[File:Alan Lee - The Elvenking's Gate.jpg|thumb|''The Elvenking's Gate'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
Sauron's arrival caused a darkening of Greenwood, and at this point it became known as Mirkwood. The children of [[Shelob]], giant [[spiders]], as well as bats and orcs in Dol Guldur's service occupied the forest and it became thicker, darker and covered in cobwebs.<ref>{{H|Flies}}</ref>

This caused Thranduil to lead the Silvan population of Mirkwood to migrate north for the last time, north of the forest river. The Wood-elves specifically dwell apparently exclusively in the [[Elvenking's Halls]] at the eastern end of the Forest River. The ancient Old Forest Road was abandoned by men and Dwarves alike, with a new but seldom used path being made further from Dol Guldur and the Hobbits near the forest's eastern border migrated away.

Mirkwood remained a place of fear throughout the Third Age, though the kingdoms of [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] and [[Dale]] flourished briefly in the time of the [[King under the Mountain|Kings under the Mountain]]. This prosperity was ended by the arrival of the [[Dragons|Dragon]] [[Smaug]] who brought yet further desolation to the area north-eastern Mirkwood. Small homesteads of 'Woodmen' are also recorded as living in the western edge of the forest south of the old road in {{TA|2941|n}}.<ref>{{HM|H}}, "Map of Wilderland"</ref>

In {{TA|2850|n}}, [[Gandalf]] visited Mirkwood and entered Dol Guldur, this time in secret. The Grey Pilgrim discovered that the Necromancer was none other than Sauron, who had regained his powers, millennia after the Battle of Dagorlad.<ref>{{App|TA}}, entry for the year 2850, p. 1088</ref>

[[File:Galadriel dol guldur bfmeII.JPG|thumb|left|Galadriel casts down the walls of Dol Guldur]]
In {{TA|2941}}, as [[Thorin and Company]] were going on the [[Quest of Erebor]], the shadow over Mirkwood was lifted, albeit temporarily. While Thorin and Company were journeying to Erebor, the [[White Council]], prompted by the [[Wizards|Wizard]] [[Gandalf]]'s discovery of the true identity of Sauron drove him from Dol Guldur. Gandalf also planned the successful [[Quest of Erebor]], which resulted in the slaying of Smaug in the same year. The combination of these two events allowed the re-established kingdoms of Erebor and Dale and the flourishing of the Woodland Realm and of a confederacy of Woodmen led by the [[Beornings]]. The Darkness of Mirkwood was lifted for a while.

Only ten years after these events in {{TA|2951}} Sauron, now based in [[Mordor]], sent [[Khamûl]] and two other [[Nazgûl]] to reoccupy Dol Guldur.<ref>{{App|TA}}, entry for the year 2951, p. 1089</ref>

On 21 March {{TA|3018|n}}, [[Aragorn]] who had captured [[Gollum]] in the [[Dead Marshes]] arrived with Gollum in Mirkwood.<ref>{{UT|Other}}</ref>

Two days later, on 23 March {{TA|3018|n}}, Gandalf arrived in Mirkwood<ref name=Note6>{{UT|Other}} note 6</ref> and began to interrogate Gollum.<ref>{{UT|Other}} and note 4</ref>

On 29 March {{TA|3018|n}}, Gandalf left Mirkwood.<ref name=Note6/>

On 20 June, Orcs attacked the Elves of Mirkwood and Gollum was able to escape from his captivity.<ref>{{App|Great}}, entry for the year 3018, June 20, p. 1093</ref> Afterwards Legolas leaves Mirkwood to travel to Rivendell to attend the Council of Elrond and to report that Gollum has escaped.<ref>{{FR|Council}}, p. 255</ref>

On 11, 15 and 22 March {{TA|3019|n}},<ref>{{App|Great}}, entry for the year 3019, March 11, March 15 and March 22, pp. 1093-1094</ref> forces from Dol Guldur assaulted the realm of Lórien, but they were repulsed each time because of the valor of the Elves of Lórien and by the power of Galadriel, but the woods on the borders of Lórien were seriously damaged.<ref name=Great>{{App|Great}}, p. 1094</ref>

On 15 March {{TA|3019|n}}, the day of the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] in front of Minas Tirith,<ref>{{App|Great}}, entry for the year 3019, March 15, p. 1094</ref> forces from Dol Guldur invaded the realm of Thranduil in Mirkwood. Thranduil defeated the forces of Dol Guldur in a long battle under the trees during which there was great damage through by fire.<ref name=Great/>

On 28 March {{TA|3019|n}},<ref>{{App|Chief}}, entry for the year 3019, March 28, p. 1095</ref> the host of the Elves of [[Lórien]] led by [[Celeborn]] crossed the Anduin in boats and conquered Dol Guldur. Galadriel destroyed the walls of Dol Guldur and uncovered its pits and the forest was cleansed.<ref name=Great/>

On 6 April {{TA|3019|n}},<ref>{{App|Chief}}, entry for the year 3019, April 6, p. 1095</ref> Celeborn and Thranduil met in the middle of Mirkwood and gave it the new name ''Eryn Lasgalen'', The Wood of Greenleaves. They divided the forest between them so that the realm of Thranduil encompassed the northern part of the wood down to the [[Mountains of Mirkwood]] and that the realm of Celeborn encompassed the southern part of the wood south of the [[Narrows of the Forest]], which was named East Lórien by Celeborn. Thranduil and Celeborn gave all the wide forest between the Mountains of Mirkwood and the Narrows of the Forest to the [[Beornings]] and the [[Woodmen]].<ref name=Great/>

=== Fourth Age ===
Though initially they prospered as the darkness was lifted, the elves of the Wood of Greenleaves 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 descendants of the Beornings and the men of Dale.

== Etymology ==
''Mirkwood'' is an English name, which means "gloomy wood". It is a combination of "mirk" and "wood".<ref name=L289>{{L|289}}</ref>

== Other names ==
''Eryn Galen'' is a [[Sindarin]] name, which means "Greenwood". Paul Strack suggests that it is a combination of ''[[eryn]]'' ("wood") and the [[lenition|lenited]] form ''galen'' of ''[[calen]]'' ("green").<ref>{{webcite|author=Paul Strack|articleurl=https://www.eldamo.org/content/words/word-1914672065.html|articlename=S. ''Eryn Galen'' loc.|website=Eldamo|accessed=25 November 2022}}</ref>

''Taur e-Ndaedelos'' is a [[Sindarin]] name,<ref name=Taur>{{webcite|author=Paul Strack|articleurl=https://www.eldamo.org/content/words/word-3937677453.html|articlename=S. ''Taur e-Ndaedelos'' loc.|website=Eldamo|accessed=25 November 2022}}</ref> which means "forest of the great fear".<ref>{{App|Translation}}, p. 1134</ref> Paul Strack suggests that it is a combination of ''[[taur]]'' ("forest"), ''[[en]]'' ("of the") and ''daedelos'' ("horrible fear").<ref name=Taur/>

''Taur-nu-Fuin'' is a [[Sindarin]] name, which means "Mirkwood" or "Forest under Night(shade)". Paul Strack suggests that it is a combination of ''[[taur]]'' ("forest"), ''[[nu]]'' ("under") and ''[[fuin]]'' ("night" or "nightshade").<ref>{{webcite|author=Paul Strack|articleurl=https://www.eldamo.org/content/words/word-2976540083.html|articlename=S. ''Taur-nu-Fuin'' loc.|website=Eldamo|accessed=25 November 2022}}</ref>

''Eryn Lasgalen'' is a [[Sindarin]] name,<ref name=Eryn>{{webcite|author=Paul Strack|articleurl=https://www.eldamo.org/content/words/word-703513105.html|articlename=S. ''Eryn Lasgalen'' loc.|website=Eldamo|accessed=25 November 2022}}</ref> which means "Wood of Greenleaves".<ref>{{App|Great}}, p. 1094</ref> Paul Strack suggests that it is a combination of ''[[eryn]]'' ("wood"), ''[[lass]]'' ("leaf") and the [[lenition|lenited]] form ''galen'' of ''[[calen]]'' ("green").<ref name=Eryn/>

==Inspiration==
''Mirkwood'' is the Anglicized form of the Norse name ''[[wikipedia:Myrkviðr|Myrkviðr]]'' or ''mirkiwidu'', originally hailing from [[Poetic Edda|Eddaic poems]]. Myrkviðr was the name of a "dark boundary-forest ... the great forest that divided the land of the Goths from the land of the Huns".<ref>{{HM|SG}}, pp. 131, 227-8, 372</ref> In a letter to his grandson Michael, Tolkien wrote that the name "''Mirkwood'' was not his invention but was probably the Primitive Germanic name of the great mountainous forest regions that anciently formed a barrier to the south of the lands of Germanic expansions and in some traditions became used especially for the boundary between Goths and Huns. He then continues to discuss the origin of the name in very early German ''mirkiwidu'' writings.<ref name=L289/>

Projected into Old English, the term appears as ''Myrcwudu'' in Tolkien's ''[[The Lost Road]]'', as a poem sung by [[Ælfwine]]:<ref>{{HM|LR}}: "The Lost Road: (iii) The unwritten chapters": ''[[King Sheave]]'' and note to line 150</ref>
<poem style="font-style:italic; margin-left:20px;">
Sea-danes and Goths, Swedes and Northmen,
Franks and Frisians, folk of the islands,
Swordmen and Saxons, Swabes and English,
and the Langobards who long ago
beyond Myrcwudu a mighty realm
and wealth won them in the Welsh countries
where Ælfwine Eadwine's heir
in Italy was king. All that has passed.
</poem>

The name ''Mirkwood'' was also used by [[William Morris]] in his novel ''[[The House of the Wolfings]]'' ([[1888]]).<ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 13</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
{{Gallery
|title=Mirkwood in adaptations
|height=150
|width=250
|File:The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug - Bilbo and the butterflies in the canopy of Mirkwood.jpg|Mirkwood in [[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]
|File:The Lord of the Rings War in the North - Mirkwood-1-.jpg|Mirkwood in [[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]
}}

'''2003: [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|''The Hobbit'' (2003 video game)]]:'''
:Mirkwood is the setting of two large chapters of the game: the first one involves rescuing of Dwarves from the Spiders, while the second covers the Halls of King [[Thranduil]] and subsequent escape.

'''2004: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring]]'':'''
:Several missions of both good and evil campaigns take place in Mirkwood. In the Evil campaign, the [[Witch-King]] is reclaiming [[Dol Guldur]] for Sauron, while in the Good campaign [[Legolas]] and elven archers pursue the escaped [[Gollum]].

'''2004: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth]]'':'''
:Mirkwood is one the battlefields for the non-storyline engagements.

'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:Mirkwood makes appearance in both Good campaign and non-storyline skirmishes, in both cases the map is very different from the one in the first game.

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Southern Mirkwood and Dol Guldur are the setting of the game's second expansion, ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood]]''. In its storyline, Celeborn and Galadriel organize a military campaign against Dol Guldur while the Fellowship still resides in Lothlorien (not to be confused with the later battle during the War of the Ring). The announced goal is to saw chaos into Orc forces by destroying as many of their troops, weapons and supplies as possible, to delay an inevitable assault upon Lothlorien. The true purpose, however, is to distract the Eye of Sauron from the company departing down the shores of Anduin. An assault by the Golden Host of the Galadhrim is successful despite minor losses and after establishing multiple camps throughout southern Mirkwood arrives at the walls of the fortress itself. However, without the White Lady they do not have the means of bringing down the walls, so the Elves prepare to swiftly fall back beyond Anduin before the main forces of the Enemy arrive.

'''2011: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]'':'''
:Mirkwood is the setting of one the missions in the game, where [[Eradan]], [[Farin]] and [[Andriel]] have to rescue [[Radagast|Radagast the Brown]] from a giant spider.

'''2012-14: [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series)]]:'''
:Mirkwood is featured in the [[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug|second Hobbit film]], with its scenes being shot both on set in the studio and on location.

== See also ==
*[[Taur-nu-Fuin (Dorthonion)]]
{{references}}
{{companyroute}}
[[Category:Forests]]
[[Category:Regions]]
[[Category:Rhovanion]]
[[de:Düsterwald]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/forets/rhovanion/foret_noire]]
[[fi:Synkmetsä]]

The History of Middle-earth

2024-01-03T16:39:34Z

Cam1170: Undo revision 384427 by Cam1170 (talk)

[[File:The History of Middle-earth 12.jpeg|thumb|275px|First hardcover editions of ''The History of Middle-earth'']]
'''''The History of Middle-earth''''' is a 12-volume series of books published between [[1983]] and [[1996]] that collects and analyses much of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[legendarium]], compiled and edited by his son, [[Christopher Tolkien]].

The series shows the development over time of Tolkien's conception of [[Middle-earth]] as a fictional place with its own peoples, languages, and history, from his earliest notions of a "mythology for England" through to the development of the stories that make up ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

Volume 6-9 has been published independently as a boxed set, by HarperCollins in [[1998]] and [[2002]], as ''[[The History of The Lord of the Rings]]''. In this set, ''[[Sauron Defeated]]'' retained only content related to ''The Lord of the Rings'', and was published under the title ''[[The End of the Third Age]]''.

==Volumes and contents==
* I. ''[[The Book of Lost Tales: Part One]]'' - (1983)

* II. ''[[The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two]]'' - (1984)

* III. ''[[The Lays of Beleriand]]'' - (1985)

* IV. ''[[The Shaping of Middle-earth]]'' - (1986)

* V. ''[[The Lost Road and Other Writings]]'' - (1987)

* VI. ''[[The Return of the Shadow]]'' - (1988)

* VII. ''[[The Treason of Isengard]]'' - (1989)

* VIII. ''[[The War of the Ring]]'' - (1990)

* IX. ''[[Sauron Defeated]]'' - (1992)

* X. ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' - (1993)

* XI. ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'' - (1994)

* XII. ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'' - (1996)

* ''[[The History of Middle-earth Index|Index]]'' - (2002)

The first two books introduce us to ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the first conception of Tolkien's [[legendarium]]. The third volume deals with long poems concerning some of the main stories. The following two books follow developments from ''The Book of Lost Tales'' to the first so called ''Quenta Silmarillion''. Volumes 6 through 9 discuss the development of ''The Lord of the Rings'', while the second half of book 9 discusses the tale of Númenor. Books 10 and 11 discuss the later developments of ''The Silmarillion'', which served as source material for ''[[The Silmarillion|the published edition]]''. The final book entails the development of [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|''The Lord of the Rings'' Appendices]], followed by some assorted essays J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in the last years of his life.

A thirteenth volume was published in 2002, ''[[The History of Middle-earth Index]]''. This book has completely integrated all the indices from the set in one large index.

==Conception==
After the publishing his edition of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' in [[1977]], Christopher Tolkien continued investigating the earlier manuscripts of his father, preparing a book which he called ''The History of The Silmarillion''. In [[1981]], he wrote to [[Rayner Unwin]] (then chairman of [[Allen and Unwin]]), informing him of the work acomplished till that point: a book of 1,968 pages so far, 16,5 inches across.<ref>{{BL|Preface}}</ref>

{{blockquote|If and/or when you see this book, you will perceive immediately why I have said that it is in no conceivable way publishable. The textual and other discussions are far too detailed and minute; the size of it is (and will become progressively more so) prohibitive. It is done partly for my own satisfaction in getting things right, and because I wanted to know how the whole conception did in reality evolve from the earliest origins...

If there is a future for such enquiries, I want to make as sure as I can that any later research into JRRT's "literary history" is not turned into a nonsense by mistaking the actual course of its evolution. The chaos and intrinsic difficulty of many of the papers (the layer upon layer of changes in a single manuscript page, the vital clues on scattered scraps found anywhere in the archive, the texts written on the backs of other works, the disordering and separation of manuscripts, the near or total illegibility in places, is simply inexaggerable...

In theory, I could produce a lot of books out of the History, and there are many possibilities and combinations of possibilities. For example, I could do "[[Beren]]", with the [[The Tale of Tinúviel|original Lost Tale]], ''[[The Lay of Leithian]]'', and an essay on the development of the legend. My preference, if it came to anything so positive, would probably be for the treating of one legend as a developing entity, rather than to give all the Lost Tales at one go; but the difficulties of exposition in detail would in such a case be great, because one would have to explain so often what was happening elsewhere, in other unpublished writings.}}

==Publication history and gallery==
:''Here is given the publication history and gallery of the three-volume set. For the details of each book see its respective article.''

In [[2000]] & [[2001]], ''The History of Middle-earth'' series was released in three volumes in a Deluxe India paper edition, each in a cloth covered slipcase, and each limited to 1000 copies. The three volumes respectively covers the ''HoMe'' vol.1-5, vol.6-9, and vol.10-12.

In the following year [[2002]], the standard one-slipcase boxed set was released. A new deluxe boxed set was released in [[2017]].

{{Gallery
|width=125
|height=125
|lines=2
|File:The History of Middle-earth india set.jpeg|India paper edition vol.1-3
|File:The History of Middle-earth india cover.png|India paper edition cover
|File:The History of Middle-earth Boxed Set.jpeg|2002 edition boxed set
|File:The History of Middle-earth cover 1.png|2002 edition vol.1
|File:The History of Middle-earth cover 2.png|2002 edition vol.2
|File:The History of Middle-earth cover 3.png|2002 edition vol.3
|File:The History of Middle-earth deluxe.jpeg|2017 deluxe edition boxed set
}}
* Deluxe India paper edition
** [[HarperCollins]], hardcover with slipcase ([[2000]]), ISBN 0007105053
** HarperCollins, hardcover with slipcase ([[2001]]), ISBN 0007105061
** HarperCollins, hardcover with slipcase (2001), ISBN 000710507X

* 2002 edition
** [[HarperCollins]], boxed set ([[2002]]), ISBN 0007105088
** HarperCollins, hardcover (2002), pp.1920. ISBN 0007149158
** HarperCollins, hardcover (2002), pp.2032. ISBN 0007149166
** HarperCollins, hardcover (2002), pp.1488. ISBN 0007149174

* 2017 deluxe edition
** [[HarperCollins]], boxed set ([[2017]]), ISBN 0008259844

==See also==
* [[The History of Middle-earth/Summary|A summary of the 12-volume content]]

* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]''
* ''[[The Nature of Middle-earth]]''
* ''[[The History of Middle-earth 2024 Boxed Sets|2024 Boxed Sets]]''

==External links==
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/md_hm.html What's in the History of Middle-earth?], by Ninni M. Petterssons
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/md_hmch.html The HoMe-texts in chronological order] - list of the HoMe components in the order they were written by Tolkien (by Ninni M. Pettersson)

{{references}}
{{home}}
{{Publishedmajorbooks}}
{{title|italics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:History of Middle-earth}}
[[Category:Books by Christopher Tolkien]]
[[Category:Books by J.R.R. Tolkien]]

The History of Middle-earth

2024-01-03T13:50:03Z

Cam1170: Hyphenate ISBNs

[[File:The History of Middle-earth 12.jpeg|thumb|275px|First hardcover editions of ''The History of Middle-earth'']]
'''''The History of Middle-earth''''' is a 12-volume series of books published between [[1983]] and [[1996]] that collects and analyses much of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[legendarium]], compiled and edited by his son, [[Christopher Tolkien]].

The series shows the development over time of Tolkien's conception of [[Middle-earth]] as a fictional place with its own peoples, languages, and history, from his earliest notions of a "mythology for England" through to the development of the stories that make up ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

Volume 6-9 has been published independently as a boxed set, by HarperCollins in [[1998]] and [[2002]], as ''[[The History of The Lord of the Rings]]''. In this set, ''[[Sauron Defeated]]'' retained only content related to ''The Lord of the Rings'', and was published under the title ''[[The End of the Third Age]]''.

==Volumes and contents==
* I. ''[[The Book of Lost Tales: Part One]]'' - (1983)

* II. ''[[The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two]]'' - (1984)

* III. ''[[The Lays of Beleriand]]'' - (1985)

* IV. ''[[The Shaping of Middle-earth]]'' - (1986)

* V. ''[[The Lost Road and Other Writings]]'' - (1987)

* VI. ''[[The Return of the Shadow]]'' - (1988)

* VII. ''[[The Treason of Isengard]]'' - (1989)

* VIII. ''[[The War of the Ring]]'' - (1990)

* IX. ''[[Sauron Defeated]]'' - (1992)

* X. ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' - (1993)

* XI. ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'' - (1994)

* XII. ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'' - (1996)

* ''[[The History of Middle-earth Index|Index]]'' - (2002)

The first two books introduce us to ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the first conception of Tolkien's [[legendarium]]. The third volume deals with long poems concerning some of the main stories. The following two books follow developments from ''The Book of Lost Tales'' to the first so called ''Quenta Silmarillion''. Volumes 6 through 9 discuss the development of ''The Lord of the Rings'', while the second half of book 9 discusses the tale of Númenor. Books 10 and 11 discuss the later developments of ''The Silmarillion'', which served as source material for ''[[The Silmarillion|the published edition]]''. The final book entails the development of [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|''The Lord of the Rings'' Appendices]], followed by some assorted essays J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in the last years of his life.

A thirteenth volume was published in 2002, ''[[The History of Middle-earth Index]]''. This book has completely integrated all the indices from the set in one large index.

==Conception==
After the publishing his edition of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' in [[1977]], Christopher Tolkien continued investigating the earlier manuscripts of his father, preparing a book which he called ''The History of The Silmarillion''. In [[1981]], he wrote to [[Rayner Unwin]] (then chairman of [[Allen and Unwin]]), informing him of the work acomplished till that point: a book of 1,968 pages so far, 16,5 inches across.<ref>{{BL|Preface}}</ref>

{{blockquote|If and/or when you see this book, you will perceive immediately why I have said that it is in no conceivable way publishable. The textual and other discussions are far too detailed and minute; the size of it is (and will become progressively more so) prohibitive. It is done partly for my own satisfaction in getting things right, and because I wanted to know how the whole conception did in reality evolve from the earliest origins...

If there is a future for such enquiries, I want to make as sure as I can that any later research into JRRT's "literary history" is not turned into a nonsense by mistaking the actual course of its evolution. The chaos and intrinsic difficulty of many of the papers (the layer upon layer of changes in a single manuscript page, the vital clues on scattered scraps found anywhere in the archive, the texts written on the backs of other works, the disordering and separation of manuscripts, the near or total illegibility in places, is simply inexaggerable...

In theory, I could produce a lot of books out of the History, and there are many possibilities and combinations of possibilities. For example, I could do "[[Beren]]", with the [[The Tale of Tinúviel|original Lost Tale]], ''[[The Lay of Leithian]]'', and an essay on the development of the legend. My preference, if it came to anything so positive, would probably be for the treating of one legend as a developing entity, rather than to give all the Lost Tales at one go; but the difficulties of exposition in detail would in such a case be great, because one would have to explain so often what was happening elsewhere, in other unpublished writings.}}

==Publication history and gallery==
:''Here is given the publication history and gallery of the three-volume set. For the details of each book see its respective article.''

In [[2000]] & [[2001]], ''The History of Middle-earth'' series was released in three volumes in a Deluxe India paper edition, each in a cloth covered slipcase, and each limited to 1000 copies. The three volumes respectively covers the ''HoMe'' vol.1-5, vol.6-9, and vol.10-12.

In the following year [[2002]], the standard one-slipcase boxed set was released. A new deluxe boxed set was released in [[2017]].

{{Gallery
|width=125
|height=125
|lines=2
|File:The History of Middle-earth india set.jpeg|India paper edition vol.1-3
|File:The History of Middle-earth india cover.png|India paper edition cover
|File:The History of Middle-earth Boxed Set.jpeg|2002 edition boxed set
|File:The History of Middle-earth cover 1.png|2002 edition vol.1
|File:The History of Middle-earth cover 2.png|2002 edition vol.2
|File:The History of Middle-earth cover 3.png|2002 edition vol.3
|File:The History of Middle-earth deluxe.jpeg|2017 deluxe edition boxed set
}}
* Deluxe India paper edition
** [[HarperCollins]], hardcover with slipcase ([[2000]]), ISBN 0-00-710505-3
** HarperCollins, hardcover with slipcase ([[2001]]), ISBN 0-00-710506-1
** HarperCollins, hardcover with slipcase (2001), ISBN 0-00-710507-X

* 2002 edition
** [[HarperCollins]], boxed set ([[2002]]), ISBN 0-00-710508-8
** HarperCollins, hardcover (2002), pp.1920. ISBN 0-00-714915-8
** HarperCollins, hardcover (2002), pp.2032. ISBN 0-00-714916-6
** HarperCollins, hardcover (2002), pp.1488. ISBN 0-00-714917-4

* 2017 deluxe edition
** [[HarperCollins]], boxed set ([[2017]]), ISBN 0-00-825984-4

==See also==
* [[The History of Middle-earth/Summary|A summary of the 12-volume content]]

* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]''
* ''[[The Nature of Middle-earth]]''
* ''[[The History of Middle-earth 2024 Boxed Sets|2024 Boxed Sets]]''

==External links==
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/md_hm.html What's in the History of Middle-earth?], by Ninni M. Petterssons
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/md_hmch.html The HoMe-texts in chronological order] - list of the HoMe components in the order they were written by Tolkien (by Ninni M. Pettersson)

{{references}}
{{home}}
{{Publishedmajorbooks}}
{{title|italics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:History of Middle-earth}}
[[Category:Books by Christopher Tolkien]]
[[Category:Books by J.R.R. Tolkien]]