What Was the Battle of Mirkwood?

Q: What Was the Battle of Mirkwood?

ANSWER: There was no “battle of Mirkwood” or “battle under the trees”. These are nonsense names made up by people who misunderstand what Tolkien meant when he wrote (in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings) about “battle under the trees”:

In the North also there had been war and evil. The realm of Thranduil was invaded, and there was long battle under the trees and great ruin of fire; but in the end Thranduil had the victory. And on the day of the New Year of the Elves Celeborn and Thranduil met in the midst of the forest; and they renamed Mirkwood Eryn Lasgalen, The Wood of Greenleaves. Thranduil took all the northern region as far as the mountains that rise in the forest for his realm; and Celeborn took the southern wood below the Narrows, and named it East Lórien; all the wide forest between was given to the Beornings and the Woodmen. But after the passing of Galadriel in a few years Celeborn grew weary of his realm and went to Imladris to dwell with the sons of Elrond. In the Greenwood the Silvan Elves remained untroubled, but in Lórien there lingered sadly only a few of its former people, and there was no longer light or song in Caras Galadhon.

The other reference to this fighting is found under the entry for March 15, 3019:

In the early hours the Witch-king breaks the Gates of the City. Denethor burns himself on a pyre. The horns of the Rohirrim are heard at cockcrow. Battle of the Pelennor. Théoden is slain. Aragorn raises the standard of Arwen. Frodo and Samwise escape and begin their journey north along the Morgai. Battle under the trees in Mirkwood; Thranduil repels the forces of Dol Guldur. Second assault on Lórien.

The only named battle in this passage is “Battle of the Pelennor”, where Tolkien capitalizes the word “battle”.

There were also three battles in Lothlorien during this time frame, so to refer any one battle in the forests as “Battle Under the Trees” is misleading. There were multiple battles in at least two forests.

There is an article at Wikipedia which — at the writing of this article — is filled with total absolute nonsense about Sauron’s plan’s and strategies. None of that “information” comes from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The “battle of Mirkwood” is just one of many examples of why people should avoid using Wikipedia as a reference for the works of Tolkien. David Day’s books would be a better source of information.

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