In ancient times, the great central forest of Middle-earth had been known as Eryn Galen, Greenwood the Great, but during the Third Age a Shadow and a blight grew under its trees. This darkness grew out of Dol Guldur, the seat of the Necromancer in the south of the forest, and caused its name to be changed to the more familiar 'Mirkwood'.
This Shadow lasted for nearly two thousand years, gradually spreading through the trees to encompass almost the entire great wood. During the War of the Ring, the emissaries of Sauron were finally driven out from Dol Guldur, and the old Greenwood was cleansed of their influence.
At this time Celeborn of Lórien met with Thranduil of the Woodland Realm, and they chose a new name for the Forest. This was Eryn Lasgalen, recalling the old name of Eryn Galen, and translated from the Elvish as the 'Wood of Greenleaves'.
Notes
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When Mirkwood was renamed as the Wood of Greenleaves, presumably the Mountains of Mirkwood were also given a new name. We're not told what the new name might have been, but perhaps they reverted to their old name of Emyn Duir, the Dark Mountains. They had been known historically as the 'Dark' Mountains because of the shadowy forests of fir that grew on their slopes, not from any influence of Sauron, so the old name would not have been inappropriate after Sauron's defeat.
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- Updated 25 May 2021
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