Woodland Realm

The Woodland Realm is an Elvish kingdom within the vast Forest of the Wilderland in Mirkwood. It was the realm of the Silvan Elves, the well-known Wood Elves of Middle-earth, tracing its beginning during the Second Age. After the War of Sauron and the Elves, the Sindarin Elf Thranduil reigned over the kingdom of the Wood Elves. The Elves of the Woodland were among the strongest and most renowned Elves in all of Middle-earth. Yet most perceived them as sensitive and destructive. Legolas, the Elf warrior in the Fellowship of the Ring, originated from this kingdom.

In the second half of the First Age and Years of the Trees, The Avarin and Nandorin Elves settled in the woods amid the Misty Mountains and the distant lands of the East. They united through intermarriage and eventually became the Silvan Elves or Wood Elves.

At the devastation of Beleriand during the end of the War of Wrath, Oropher, an Elf prince of the Sindar from Doriath, remained in Middle-earth. He arrived in the forest named Greenwood the Great. [1] They welcomed the prince and his companions as they previously lived with King Thingol, a far relative of the Wood Elves. The Sindarin elves preferred the peaceful forest life of the Wood Elves and therefore wished to stay. The idea pleased the Wood Elves thus later on named Orophir as their king. In return, Orophir gained its culture and language. As the King of the Woodland Realm, Orophir built the center of his kingdom in Amon Lanc, in the southmost area of the woods. The Woodland realm prospered and maintained its peace with its uninterrupted borders. They kept their idyllic living for over a thousand years. After SA 1000, the increasing shadow of Sauron prompted King Oropher to move his seat of power close to the Mountains of Mirkwood in the north. The Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the existence of Celeborn and Galadriel in the woods also concerned Orophir and the Silvan Elves. Still, the Wood Elves wandered south of the woods, reaching even the Anduin despite these matters.

A century passed since the Downfall of Numenor, Sauron’s shadow heightened to its full-fledged power and beginning to advance in Middle-earth. Oropohir together with Amdir, ruler of the Elves of Lorien, resolved to vanquish Sauron to his absolute end as Middle-earth will never attain lasting peace with his presence. A grand army assembled with the forces of the Wood-Elves and the Galadhrim. They battled in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, united with the rest of the Middle-earth against Sauron. The Woodland Elves were as resolute as the others to subdue Sauron, yet they were not as heavily armed and not as seasoned in battle as the rest. Also, they battled on their own, rejecting the superior sovereignty of Gil-galad because of former disagreements with the Noldor Elves. Their forces sustained severe damages, and both Orophir and Amdir perished. The son of Oropher endured the battle and replaced his father as the King of the Woodland Realm.

Even though the Woodland Elves lost many of their brethren in the War of the Last Alliance, they prevailed and maintained their peace within the Woodland Realm for a thousand years. But in TA 1050, a mystical entity called the Necromancer emerged from the uninhabited edifice of Amon Lanc. Soon after, the woods turned foul and defiled with evil creatures lurking such as Orcs, giant spiders, and other vile and ferocious beasts. This compelled the elves to leave the northern forest lands. They removed all habitations from the Mountains of Mirkwood. The realm’s seat of power and its citizens migrated to the caves of a forested hill along the northeast boundary of the woods. Since then, the Woodland Elves restrained their movements strictly within the north.

During this period they referred to the woods and all their past territories as Mirkwood. The Woodland Elves [2] abide well in their new kingdom but were observant and protective because of the imminent threat. They thrived in trade with the surrounding kingdoms of Lonely Mountain and Dale. Yet this did not continue for long as most of Middle-earth, especially the Elves and Rhovanion, suffered in an extreme winter season thus referred to as the Long Winter of TA 2758 and TA 2759. Another phenomenon occurred in the Fell Winter of TA 2911- TA 2912, in which the most severe temperatures and glacial mass of snow afflicted the land.

In TA 2770 a disastrous event befall the Woodland Realm in which the dragon Smaug emerged from the north. The dragon devastated the neighboring kingdom of the Dwarves in the Lonely Mountain and the town of Men called Dale. From then on, the elves discretely continued their living and dealings in the forest. They were always suspicious of foreigners and rarely communicate with outside parties other than trading and the survivors of Dale turned settlers of Lake-town by the Long Lake. Around this time, the Elves of the Woodland Realm created the Forest Path. It traversed the distance of the northern woods and was the only road considered safe. The former main road was full of threats and dangers.

During TA 2941, Thorin and his party reached the Woodland Realm on their journey towards the Lonely Mountain for The Quest of Erebor. Thranduil declared them as intruders and captured them all but Bilbo, who has invisibility through the power of his Magic Ring. Upon the dragon Smaug’s death, Thranduil helped and provided supplies for the Men of Lake-town because of Bard’s heroic defeat of the dragon.

They gathered their forces to reclaim a portion of the treasure. However, Thorin Oakenshield rejected all other claims, thus raising a conflict leading to war. Bilbo attempted to ease the circumstance by presenting the archaic jewel called Arkenstone to the hands of Elves and Men. This failed to relieve the situation and five hundred Dwarf warriors of Dáin II Ironfoot joined Thorin, preparing for battle against the Elves and Men. However, Gandalf reached them in time to warn all of them about the approaching army of Wargs and Goblins also waging war for the treasure.

The Dwarves, Elves, and Men agreed to unify their armies against their mutual foe. The Woodland Elves, their allies, and the Eagles, who came later in the battle, overcome the Orcs. Many perished in the great battle. Middle-earth attained peace with the defeat of the Orcs and the victory of the White Council in casting out the Necromancer from Dol Guldur. And with this, the Woodland Realm was peaceful for many years. Yet after several decades, beings of darkness re-emerged in Dol Guldur and Mordor intensified its control and evil power.

The War of the Ring was the most disastrous period for the realm. Aragorn captured Gollum, a revolting creature, and kept him in the dungeons of the Woodland Realm. The Orcs ambushed the Woodland Realm, with this Gollum found the opportunity to escape. For this reason, Thranduil charged his son Legolas to be the ambassador of the realm to Rivendell. There Legolas announced the escape of Gollum to the Council. During the Battles of the North, on March 15, 3019, the army of Dol Guldur attacked the Woodland Realm. Thranduil and his Woodland Elves army triumphed over their adversaries. Galadriel also destroyed the walls of Dol Guldur, thus the shadow has completely vanished in the region and will forever be untouched by evil. The realm was finally free from all threats and enemies of darkness. On April 6, 3019, Thranduil forgathered with Celeborn, and together they called the forest with a new name, Eryn Lasgalen. They parted the woods into separate domains, and Thranduil reigned in the north's majority.

The Elves of the Woodland Realm contributed a significant part at the beginning of the age. The Wood-Elves headed by Legolas journeyed to aid in rebuilding Minas Tirith, the great city of Gondor. They also restored and adorned the war-torn area of Ithilien. There were no later mentions of the realm, yet it proves that as all evil had disappeared, the Woodland Realm thrived incessantly. Many of the Elves departed from Middle-earth in the Fourth Age as the reign of Men was forthcoming. The Woodland Realm and the Wood Elves remain independent from the realm of Men and all others, as they have always been ever since..

1. ^Greenwood the Great.
2. ^The Elves of the Wood.