Necromancer

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The Necromancer was an evil entity that took up residence at the fortress of Dol Guldur in Greenwood the Great in the late Third Age. Although the White Council suspected as much from the beginning, it was only later confirmed that the Necromancer was Sauron.

History

Sauron's Return

After his defeat in the year S.A. 3441 by the combined forces of The Last Alliance between the Elves of Lindon under Gil-Gilad and the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor led by Elendil and his son Isildur, Sauron had lost his ability to form a physical body for a great while. It is thought that he fled to the far east to regain his power and strength before returning. It was not until c. T.A. 1000 that Sauron could again begin to take shape and in 1050 his power was enough that he began again to throw a shadow across portions of Middle-earth. It is around this time that he first began to inhabit southern Greenwood the Great, choosing the hill of Amon Lanc as a place to build the fortress of Dol Guldur. At first, it was thought by the wise that it was one of the Nazgûl who had returned and taken up residence in southern Greenwood, but when Gandalf entered the fortress in 2063 the power in Dol Goldur fled before him into the East thus beginning the Watchful Peace.

The Watchful Peace

The Watchful Peace was a period from 2063 until Sauron's return to Dol Guldur in 2460. During this time Dol Guldur was ruled by Khamûl the Easterling in the Absence of the Necromancer. It was during this period that the Witch-king of Angmar had overthrown the Northern Kingdon of Arnor and its three successor kingdoms: Arthedain, Rhudaur, and Cardolan. The Shadow on Mirkwood had lessened, but the Nazgûl had used this period to prepare for Sauron's return.

The End of the Watchful Peace

Sauron returned from the east in 2460 and again took up residence in Dol Guldur. Eventually, after many hundreds of years of pressing the White Council to take action against the Necromancer, Gandalf enters Dol Guldur in secret in 2850 and learned that the Necromancer was actually none other than Sauron. In 2851, the White Council were informed of this, and Gandalf urged an immediate attack upon the fortress, but Saruman the White opposed him, having already learned of the presence of the Ruling Ring near the Gladden Fields.

It is not until 90 years later, in 2941 that Gandalf finally prevailed upon the White Council to attack Dol Guldur and drive Sauron out. At this point, Sauron returned to Mordor and finalized the reconstruction of Barad-dûr, which had been prepared for him by the Nazgûl for many years prior to this.

Necromancy

The Necromancer was an obscure villainous entity mentioned fleetingly by Gandalf in The Hobbit, as one of the dangers of the wider world and the reason why Gandalf advised Thorin and company to traverse Mirkwood instead of going around it by the southern route, or by the main road through Mirkwood on their way to confront the Dragon Smaug in Erebor or The Lonely Mountain. The Necromancer is mentioned again in the end, as eventually defeated by Gandalf's companions in the White Council. The Necromancer gives a scent of backstory to the otherwise "light" story but is never elaborated. Tolkien later decided to merge him with Sauron of his mythology.

Apart from that, it is not clear whether the White Council named that entity "The Necromancer" or whether Sauron himself chose the name and what his powers in this regard were. Generally, a necromancer is a magician who has a power over dead, whether that be over their bodies or over their spirits that have been trapped so that they may not go to their final destinations (The Halls of Mandos for the Elves, Beyond the world for humans, and to where ever Dwarves return upon their deaths) upon the death of their bodies.

It could be argued that Sauron used both the power of control of the bodies of the dead and over the spirits of the dead in his role as the Necromancer. He no doubt taught the Witch-king of Angmar how to either create or control the Barrow-wights, which were a form of eälar (spirit) in Middle-earth. It is likely that Sauron may have made use of similar spirits as well at Dol Guldur.

Forces of the Necromancer

In addition to the greater spirits and undead either created or controlled by the Necromancer, he may have had at his disposal a greater force of undead. This is only hinted at, but the area had ample sources of the bodies of the dead and likely their spirits as well. The largest group of the bodies and spirits of the dead available to Sauron as the Necromancer were the many dead bodies and Ghost Candles of the Dead Marshes north of the Dagorlad Battle Plain (and some miles to the south of Dol Guldur) who were already in a form of undead over which necromancers tend to wield power. This would have been a relatively nearby supply of readily armed troops for any army that the Necromancer may have had.

Also close at hand would be the many dead bodies of the last battle between the Goblins and Dwarves at the Battle of Azanulbizar (Nanduhurion) that took place below the East Gates of Moria in 2799. This would be little more than 100 years before the assault upon Dol Guldur by the White Council.

The Many battles of the Third Age in the Wilderlands between the Northmen or Éothéod and the various invading Easterlings, Blachoth, and Wainriders could also have placed great numbers of dead near to Dol Guldur and within the purview of the Necrmancer.

Going even further back in time, the Battle of the Gladden Fields was right upon the doorstep of Dol Guldur, and a great many Númenórëans fell in that battle. Either their spirits or bodies may also have been a source of "manpower" for the Necromancer.

The Orcs of the Misty Mountains may also have provided the Necromancer with a ready supply of troops, as the Orcs and Goblins of Middle Earth seemed to always bee at the beck and call of Sauron.

The Assault upon Dol Guldur

Unfortunately, J.R.R. Tolkien left very little account of the assault upon Dol Guldur. And, it is not known if this was simply a dual between great powers, or if it involved the use of armies of any kind.

As speculation, it seems more likely that there was no direct confrontation between Sauron and the Ishtari, as their mandate was to avoid these types of direct confrontations with The Enemy, and they were not to openly use their power as Maia. So, it is more likely that the Assault upon Dol Guldur was by force of arms involving the armies of the Southern Kingdoms: Primarily Gondor, but likely Rohan would have played a role as well due to its proximity to Dol Guldur.

References