Dol Guldur

The Hill of Sorcery where the shadow first fell upon Greenwood the Great.

Dol Guldur, meaning 'Hill of Sorcery' in Sindarin, stands as a rocky and barren stronghold within the southwestern part of Mirkwood. Originally known as Amon Lanc or 'Naked Hill,' it was the highest point in that region before falling under the influence of evil. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit as the dungeons of the Necromancer. This fortress served as the focus for Sauron's rise during the period leading up to the War of the Ring, allowing him to search for the One Ring in the nearby Gladden Fields just up the river.

Quick Facts

Location: Southwestern part of Mirkwood, across the Anduin from Lothlórien
Original name: Amon Lanc (Naked Hill)
Sindarin name: Dol Guldur (Hill of Sorcery)
Notable occupants: The Necromancer (Sauron)
Strategic purpose: To search for the One Ring in the Gladden Fields

Lore & Background

Before Sauron's occupation, the hill was called Amon Lanc. It lay near the western edge of the forest, directly across the Anduin from Lothlórien. In The Hobbit, it is identified as the seat of the Necromancer, whose power caused the expansive forest of Greenwood the Great to be renamed Mirkwood. Tolkien suggests Sauron settled here specifically to search for the One Ring in the Gladden Fields. When the White Council eventually flushed Sauron out of his tower at Dol Guldur, he fled to Mordor, and his influence in the forest diminished.

Reader's Guide

Visitors to the lore of Middle-earth find Dol Guldur situated in the southwestern part of Mirkwood, east of the river Anduin. It acts as the primary source of the corruption that darkened the woods, turning Greenwood the Great into a realm of giant spiders. The site is geographically distinct: it is the highest point in its section of the forest and sits opposite Lothlórien. Its historical significance lies in Sauron's strategy to locate the One Ring from this vantage point before his eventual retreat to Mordor upon the White Council's intervention.