Dol Guldur

Dol Guldur, the Hill of Sorcery, was the dark fortress that rose in the southern reaches of Mirkwood, a place of shadow and evil that served as Sauron's primary dwelling in the Third Age before his open return to Mordor. For centuries it was the hidden heart of the Enemy's power in the North, a stronghold from which he spread his influence, gathered his forces, and ultimately prepared for the War of the Ring.

Location and Description

Dol Guldur stood upon a stony height in the midst of Southern Mirkwood, a region of dark fir-trees that strove against one another, their branches rotting and withering. The fortress itself was a fastness of evil, long the hidden dwelling of the Enemy, and after his return to Mordor it was said to be inhabited again with power sevenfold. A black cloud often lay over it, and from its heights a dark influence spread across the land. The Elves of Lothlórien, from the high place of Cerin Amroth, could see the two powers opposed: the light of Lórien perceiving the very heart of the darkness, while its own secret remained undiscovered.

History and Role in the War

During the early centuries of the Third Age, Sauron dwelt in Dol Guldur in secret, calling himself the Necromancer, while his power grew. The White Council, led by Saruman and Gandalf, eventually drove him out in the very year that Bilbo Baggins found the One Ring, a coincidence that Gandalf later noted as strange. But Sauron had long prepared against this stroke, governing Mordor from afar through Minas Morgul, and he only feigned to flee, soon after openly declaring himself in the Dark Tower. After his return to Mordor, Dol Guldur remained a stronghold of his servants. Orcs and other evil things multiplied there, and the forest around it became ever more dangerous. The Elves of Mirkwood, under Thranduil, maintained their realm against this encroaching shadow, but the fortress was a constant threat.

The Escape of Gollum

It was from Dol Guldur that Gollum, after being captured and questioned by Sauron's servants, was allowed to depart on an errand. The Elves of Mirkwood, who had been holding him prisoner at Gandalf's bidding, reported that Orcs attacked their realm on a moonless and starless night, and in the confusion Gollum escaped. The attack had been made for his rescue, and he knew of it beforehand. The trail of the Orcs led deep into the Forest, drawing near to Dol Guldur, a place so evil that the Elves dared not continue the hunt. This escape set Gollum on the path that would eventually lead him to Frodo and Sam, and ultimately to the Crack of Doom.

Significance

Dol Guldur represents the persistent, creeping threat of Sauron's power in the North, a shadow that long troubled the free peoples before the War of the Ring. Its fall came only after the destruction of the One Ring, when Celeborn led the host of Lórien across the Anduin, took the fortress, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, cleansing the forest. The name itself became a byword for the hidden malice of the Enemy, a place from which evil issued forth to corrupt and destroy.