Middle-earth Portal

In the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Dol Guldur, or Hill of Sorcery, was a stronghold of Sauron located in the south of Mirkwood. It makes its first published appearance in the Hobbit as the dungeons of the Necromancer, a stronghold of evil, but not the only place where evil exists^[1], and its mention is used to contrast the small comforts of the homely hobbit, to the 'wide-world' of greater danger and epic deeds.^[2]

Dol Guldur was established by Sauron after his return to Middle-earth somewhere after 1000 Third Age, although his identity was long unknown. Dol Guldur was originally known as Amon Lanc (bald hill), and had been the capital of Oropher's Silvan Elves, who had departed north to the Black Mountains (later known as the Mountains of Mirkwood). After Sauron took over Amon Lanc, Thranduil son of Oropher led his people over the Forest River, where they remained.

The White Council long feared the power in Dol Guldur might be Sauron. In 2063, Gandalf went to Dol Guldur, and Sauron, not yet powerful, fled to the east, returning in 2460 just as the One Ring was obtained by Sméagol the Stoor. However, the Ring disappeared with Sméagol under the Hithaeglir.

In 2845, Thráin II, King of Durin's folk in exile and holder of the last of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves, was imprisoned in Dol Guldur's dungeons. In 2850 Gandalf again entered Dol Guldur, finding the dying Thráin, and was entrusted with the map and key to give to Thorin Oakenshield, although Thráin could not tell him his own or his son's name before he died. Gandalf confirmed that Sauron was the master of Dol Guldur at that time.

Gandalf returned to the White Council and urged an attack on Dol Guldur, but was overruled by Saruman, who had begun his own search for the One Ring in that area. In 2941, Saruman finally agreed to an attack, which occurred at the same time as the Quest of Erebor. This was carefully planned by Gandalf so that Sauron and Smaug could not assist each other, as they otherwise surely would have done. Sauron fled to Mordor, his plans now ready. Dol Guldur remained staffed by Khamûl, a lieutenant of Barad-dûr and second of the Nazgûl.

During the War of the Ring, the forces of Dol Guldur made three assaults upon Lórien, causing grievous damage to the outlying woodlands. They were driven back each time by the power of Nenya, which only Sauron himself could have overcome. After Sauron perished, Celeborn led the Lórien host over the Anduin and captured Dol Guldur. Thus Dol Guldur was finally cleansed by the Elves of Lórien, for Galadriel herself came forth and "threw down its walls and laid bare its pits". Renamed Amon Lanc it was part of Celeborn's realm of East Lórien for a time.

• Games Workshop Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game Supplement Fall of the Necromancer centers on Dol Guldur[2]
• Iron Crown Enterprises's Dol Guldur contains diagrams of the tower, scenarios and adventures for the MERP game,[[3]] and the tower also features as a location in thier Mirkwood supplements
• In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II Dol Guldur appears as an iconic, non-spatial representation of architecture with an abstracted materiality within its game-space. ^[3]

1. ^ Nelson, Charles W. J.R.R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances: Views of Middle-Earth, "Chapter 6: The sins of Middle Earth, Tolkiens use of Allegory", Greenwood Press, p86
2. ^ Rutledge, Fleming The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in "The Lord of the Rings" Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, p. 43
3. ^ McGregor, Georgia Leigh. Videogames, Virtual Worlds & Architecture, ACM International Conference Proceeding Series; Vol. 223, Murdoch University, 2006 ISBN:86905-901-7 [1]