Fangorn Forest

Fangorn forest was a dark and dense woodland located beneath the Southeastern part of the Misty Mountains. The forest earned an ill name as Ents lived there in the Third Age. The forest was also referred to as “Entwood” by the Rohirrim.

The word “Fangorn” comes from a Sindarin word which translates to “Treebeard”, from which “fang” being the beard and “orn” the tree.

When talking about the forest, Legolas described it as “tense, old, very old….and full of memory”. Legolas also mentioned that the trees had feelings and they spoke to each other. He explained that the Elves started the culture of waking up the trees and speaking to them. While the dwarf Gimli is noted to have said that the air is stuffy, being lighter than Mirkwood, while also being musty & shabby.

Several characters in the book mentioned that Fangorn was an evil and cursed place. This belief likely originated from the fact that anyone who wandered deep inside the Fangorn forest or cut down its trees were killed by the Ents. This, along with the old and dark feel of the forest led to its bad repute.

Fangorn forest is known to have survived the First Age and early Second Age but was later destroyed by the Numenoreons cutting down trees to build mighty ships, apart from Sauron’s war on Elves. Close to the end of the Second Age, all the Entwives had left Fangorn, passing over the river Anduin never to return.

Saruman frequently strolled in Fangorn to talk to the Treebeard. He enjoyed listening to legends of the forest that the old Ent told him. However, he used the forest’s secrets to his own advantage. Beginning in the Third Age, the Orcs of Saruman began harassing trees and Ents to build their own fortifications and war machines. [1]

1. ^When Saruman began cutting lumber from Fangorn Forest.