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Dates
A Shadow descended on this forest in about III 1050; it was cleansed and renamed the Wood of Greenleaves in III 3019
Location
Rhovanion, to the east of the Vales of Anduin
Origins
The Greenwood became known as Taur-e-Ndaedelos after Sauron established himself at Dol Guldur in the south of the Forest
Settlements
The Shadow of Fear within the Forest emanated from Dol Guldur in the south; the Woodland Realm of the Elves lay to the north, and Woodmen dwelt within its western borders, as (at one time) did the Wizard Radagast at Rhosgobel
Source
The Enchanted River rose in the Mountains of Mirkwood in the middle of the Forest
Outflow
The Enchanted River emptied into the Forest River that flowed on into the Long Lake
Important peaks
Amon Lanc, The Mountains of Mirkwood
Pronunciation
tow'r-e-ndae'delos (tow here rhymes with English 'now'; ae is pronounced like English 'eye')
Meaning
'Forest of the Great Fear'
Other names
Sometimes spelt with he alternative hyphenation Taur-e-Ndaedelos;1 the forest was also variously known as the Forest of the Great Fear, Forest under Nightshade, Mirkwood, Taur-nu-Fuin; at other times in its history it was given the names Eryn Galen, Eryn Lasgalen, The Forest, The Great Wood, Greenwood the Great, The Wood, Wood of Greenleaves

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 27 September 2021
  • This entry is complete

Taur e-Ndaedelos

The Forest of the Great Fear

Map of Taur-e-Ndaedelos

The great forest of central Rhovanion had traditionally been known as Greenwood the Great for much of Middle-earth's history. After about a thousand years of the Third Age, a Shadow began to fall on the wood with the emergence of the Necromancer at Dol Guldur, and its name changed, to 'Mirkwood'. Two Elvish forms of this new name are recorded: Taur-nu-Fuin is almost directly equivalent to 'Mirkwood', but a further name, apparently more common, was Taur e-Ndaedelos, the Forest of the Great Fear.


Notes

1

Within Unfinished Tales, Christopher Tolkien consistently spells the name Taur-e-Ndaedelos (that is, with a hyphen between Taur and e) and this is indeed the usual structure for Elvish names of this form. The name also appears in Appendix F to The Lord of the Rings and there, however, it is spelt Taur e-Ndaedelos (with a space, not a hyphen, between the first two words). The version in The Lord of the Rings has retained that spelling across multiple editions without amendment and, as such, we prefer that 'spaced' version of the name here. Nonetheless, the hyphenated form is also regularly seen.

See also...

Emyn Duir, Forest of the Great Fear

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 27 September 2021
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2004, 2021. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

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Taur e-Ndaedelos

The Forest of the Great Fear

Dates
A Shadow descended on this forest in about III 1050; it was cleansed and renamed the Wood of Greenleaves in III 3019
Location
Rhovanion, to the east of the Vales of Anduin
Origins
The Greenwood became known as Taur-e-Ndaedelos after Sauron established himself at Dol Guldur in the south of the Forest
Settlements
The Shadow of Fear within the Forest emanated from Dol Guldur in the south; the Woodland Realm of the Elves lay to the north, and Woodmen dwelt within its western borders, as (at one time) did the Wizard Radagast at Rhosgobel
Source
The Enchanted River rose in the Mountains of Mirkwood in the middle of the Forest
Outflow
The Enchanted River emptied into the Forest River that flowed on into the Long Lake
Important peaks
Amon Lanc, The Mountains of Mirkwood
Pronunciation
tow'r-e-ndae'delos (tow here rhymes with English 'now'; ae is pronounced like English 'eye')
Meaning
'Forest of the Great Fear'
Other names
Sometimes spelt with he alternative hyphenation Taur-e-Ndaedelos;1 the forest was also variously known as the Forest of the Great Fear, Forest under Nightshade, Mirkwood, Taur-nu-Fuin; at other times in its history it was given the names Eryn Galen, Eryn Lasgalen, The Forest, The Great Wood, Greenwood the Great, The Wood, Wood of Greenleaves

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 27 September 2021
  • This entry is complete

Taur e-Ndaedelos

The Forest of the Great Fear

Map of Taur-e-Ndaedelos

The great forest of central Rhovanion had traditionally been known as Greenwood the Great for much of Middle-earth's history. After about a thousand years of the Third Age, a Shadow began to fall on the wood with the emergence of the Necromancer at Dol Guldur, and its name changed, to 'Mirkwood'. Two Elvish forms of this new name are recorded: Taur-nu-Fuin is almost directly equivalent to 'Mirkwood', but a further name, apparently more common, was Taur e-Ndaedelos, the Forest of the Great Fear.


Notes

1

Within Unfinished Tales, Christopher Tolkien consistently spells the name Taur-e-Ndaedelos (that is, with a hyphen between Taur and e) and this is indeed the usual structure for Elvish names of this form. The name also appears in Appendix F to The Lord of the Rings and there, however, it is spelt Taur e-Ndaedelos (with a space, not a hyphen, between the first two words). The version in The Lord of the Rings has retained that spelling across multiple editions without amendment and, as such, we prefer that 'spaced' version of the name here. Nonetheless, the hyphenated form is also regularly seen.

See also...

Emyn Duir, Forest of the Great Fear

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 27 September 2021
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2004, 2021. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Axiom Discovery aptitude and skill testing.
Axiom Discovery gives you comprehensive online aptitude testing covering core skills across a wide range of disciplines.