 | |
| Pine-forest,[1] Highlands[2] | |
| Taur-nu-Fuin | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Location | Northern Dorthonion |
| Type | Pine-forest,[1] Highlands[2] |
| Description | Evil, darkened forest |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Orcs |
| Events | Dagor Bragollach, Massacre at Tarn Aeluin |
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.
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 of 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".[3]
After Sauron was defeated by Huan in their battle upon Tol-in-Gaurhoth he took the form of a vampire and fled to Taur-nu-Fuin, filling the forest with horror.[4]
After the formation of the Union of Maedhros, in 468, Dorthonion was briefly cleared of evil when the Orcs were driven out of all the northward regions of Beleriand.[5] At some point before 489, though, it had returned to a place so full of dread and evil that not even the Orcs would go through it save by a single Orc-road, and even then only when in great need and haste.[6]
After Túrin was captured upon Amon Rûdh, he was taken by the Orcs through Taur-nu-Fuin northwards on the Orc-road. In those woods the pursuing Beleg came upon Gwindor, who told him of seeing Túrin being whipped and driven towards Angband. Together the two Elves followed the orcs out onto the barren dunes of Anfauglith.[7]
Etymology
Taur-nu-Fuin is Sindarin for "Forest under Night(shade)",[8] from taur ("great forest") nu ("under") and fuin ("night, gloom").[9]
In the Noldorin phase of the language, it was spelled Taur-na-Fuin (as seen in the excerpt from the Lay above), meaning "Forest of Night".[10]
Other names
A variation of the name was Dor nu Fuin.[11]
Another Sindarin name was Deldúwath, translated as "Horror of Night-shadow".[12]
Other versions of the legendarium
Book of Lost Tales
In The Book of Lost Tales, Taurfuin is described as "a dark and perilous region so thick with pines of giant growth that none but the goblins might find a track, having eyes that pierced the deepest gloom, yet were many even of these lost long time in those regions; and they were called by the Noldoli Taurfuin, the Forest of Night."[13]:104
In The Tale of Tinúviel, Beren and Tinúviel passed the glooms of the forest as they were fleeing from the pursuit of Melko's Orcs after retrieving a Silmaril and Beren had his hand bitten off by Karkaras.[14]:48 It was also in Taurfuin that Dairon, while seeking for Tinúviel after she escaped from Thingol's captivity, became wrapped in the deceit and utterly lost, and turned towards Palisor and came never back to Elfinesse.[14]:63
In Turambar and the Foalókë it was in Taurfuin where Beleg, pursing the Orcs which had captured Túrin, came upon the Gnome Flinding who had escaped from Melko.[13]:104
Other
In The Lay of the Children of Húrin, Taur-na-Fuin is described as follows:[15]:753-767
Never-dawning night was netted clinging
in the black branches of the beetling trees;
oppressed by pungent pinewood’s odours,
and drowsed with dreams as the darkness thickened,
he strayed steerless. The stars were hid,
and the moon mantled. There magic foundered
in the gathering glooms, there goblins even
(whose deep eyes drill the darkest shadows)
bewildered wandered, who the way forsook
to grope in the glades, there greyly loomed
of girth unguessed in growth of ages
the topless trunks of trees enchanted.
That fathomless fold by folk of Elfland
is Taur-na-Fuin, the Trackless Forest
of Deadly Nightshade, dreadly naméd.
As before, Beleg encountered Flinding while pursuing the Orcs who had taken Túrin captive.[15]:773-780 Unique details include that the Orc-road "is beaten broad through the black shadows by wizardry warded from wandering Elves".[15]:834-836
In The Earliest 'Silmarillion', following the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Isfin (Aredhel) was lost in Taur-na-Fuin where she was trapped by Eöl.[16]:section 15
In The Later Annals of Beleriand, Turgon's host was delayed in joining the Battle of Unnumbered Tears as they had come through Taur-na-Fuin and "were delayed by the deceit and evil of the forest". Later, during the War of Wrath, Morgoth himself came forth from Angband, and passed over Taur-na-Fuin, on his way to confront the Host of the Valar.[17]
See also
- Nan Dungortheb: another dark forest closely located to Tuar-nu-Fuin; as the legendarium developed, elements initially associated with Nan Dungortheb were transitioned to Taur-nu-Fuin.
- Tol Fuin: an island, located where Taur-nu-Fuin was situated, which survived the submerging of Beleriand
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: [Section] 9", p. 103
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: Commentary on the Quenta, [Section] 9", p. 174
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: [Section] 9"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Túrin Turambar"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", entry "Taur-nu-Fuin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entries taur, fuin
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "III. The Lay of Leithian: Canto I (Of Thingol)", p. 133
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 81
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", entry "Deldúwath"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "II. Turambar and the Foalókë"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "I. The Tale of Tinúviel"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: II. Beleg"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "II. The Earliest 'Silmarillion' (The 'Sketch of the Mythology')"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, III. The Later Annals of Beleriand"