Taur-nu-Fuin (Dorthonion)
From Tolkien Gateway
| This article is about the forest in Dorthonion. For the alternative name for Mirkwood, see Taur-nu-Fuin (Mirkwood). |
| Taur-nu-Fuin | |
|---|---|
| Physical Description | |
| Type | Forest |
| Location | Northern Dorthonion |
| Inhabitants | Orcs |
| Realm(s) | Angband |
| Description | Evil, darkened forest |
| General Information | |
| Other names | Dorthonion* |
| Etymology | S. taur "great forest" + nu "under" + fuin "night, gloom" (translated "nightshade") |
| Events | Dagor Bragollach, Massacre at Tarn Aeluin |
| References | The Silmarillion |
- "To North there lay the Land of Dread
whence only evil pathways led
o’er hills of shadow bleak and cold
or Taur-na-Fuin’s haunted hold
where Deadly Nightshade lurked and lay
and never came or moon or day." - – Lay of Leithian, Canto I
Taur-nu-Fuin was a name for the northern parts of Dorthonion, and sometimes for the forest as a whole after it was corrupted by Morgoth after the Dagor Bragollach. The kingdoms of Dorthonion were destroyed at that point, including Ladros and the realm Angrod and Aegnor. Barahir remained as an outlaw in Taur-nu-Fuin, and after his death Beren his son dwelt in this forest for several years, before crossing the Ered Gorgoroth and forsaking Dorthonion to its captors. Then it was truly wholly "under nightshade".
In early texts it was spelled Taur-na-Fuin, as seen in the excerpt from the Lay above.
