The History of Dol Guldur, Sauron's Northern Fortress | Tolkien Explained

[@meenalkale136]

Yeah the way Galadriel destroyed Dol Guldur mirrored Luthiens actions in the first age. Both destroyed fortresses belonging to Sauron who killed someone they loved ( Finrod & Beren ). Truly magnificent writing and I love how Tolkien connects small small details to the first age.... really brings more meaning and depth to them.

[@NerdoftheRings]

While Sauron didn't kill Beren (he certainly would have I'm sure), he did kill Finrod right before his fortress is destroyed. Like you said, it is quite an awesome connection that Finrod's sister would destroy his later fortress in much the same manner!

[@meenalkale136]

@@NerdoftheRings Ah yes I was just about to edit my comment about Beren almost getting killed, but not dying by the hands of Sauron, and yep the connections are quite fascinating.

[@michaelminch5490]

@@meenalkale136 Superb storytelling.

[@EAKugler]

Every Age is an echo of the First Age

[@nfragala]

Huan held Sauron's throat in a death grip until he revealed the words that would unlock the fortress holding Beten. Galadriel used her own might to destroy Dol Goldur.

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

This is what I love about Sauron, he takes what seems trivial to the forces of good and turns it into a focal point of corruption and power.

[@JohanCruyff-the-Dutch-GOAT]

NOTR said he could have used the fortress to destroy everything west and north of middle earth! Just an abandoned fortress, hell in the game battle for middle earth 2 you can actually use that fortress to launch all these attacks and win for evil! As it actually happen play all these stories he said in the video from defending Rivendell to taking the fortress down

[@RadicalCaveman]

Focal point? More like a fecal point

[@thomasbravado]

Only to meet his end thanks to the seemingly trivial hobbits.

[@mariapazgonzalezlesme]

I imagine that Sauron re-decorated the whole fortress with gothic designs and show how much of a edgelord he is.

[@NerdoftheRings]

😂

[@rebeccalyn9908]

Go copyright the concept before Amazon sees this and somehow screws it up trying to incorporate it. Sauroun's sexy, remember?

[@Broockle]

I imagine it's the same kind of magic Galadriel and Elrond use to make their realms beautiful. Sauron instead makes it all look edgy 😅

[@samuelbattershell3413]

I wouldn't call Mairon an edgelord, he atleast has the will to fight his greatest foe... it hasn't worked out see the story of Beren and Luthien and the final battle of The Last Alliance... but he he tried to back it up...

[@jeromebirth2693]

Gothic decor is tight

[@chrisworland7754]

I still struggle to comprehend how one mind can create such a complete and utterly stunning world

[@edcramer5370]

Word

[@totallylegityoutubeperson4170]

Well people didn't have to work 3 jobs to survive, he was already well off, and had a lot of time. If I'm not.ustaken he basically dedicated 15 or so years of his life penning his thoughts about Middle Earth.

[@Nrating2024]

Even so, it’s impressive. Most people with that kind of time wouldn’t come up with something so amazing. People are just mediocre for the most part 😅

[@TheCradM]

Your videos literally get me to the weekend. The best part of my Saturday is always drinking a room temperature black coffee with my pups outside, late morning, and hearing these great narratives. I found your channel when I had two broken ankles. Couldn’t work, for a week in the midst of the deepest dark of the pandemic.. and since then you’ve been a major part of my lifely routine. Thank you, nerd

[@NerdoftheRings]

Glad to hear the vids are a fun part of your weekend! ❤️ We’ll see you right back here tomorrow. 😊

[@kyungsik]

Galadriel curb stomping Dol Guldur will always be one of my fav events in the lore

[@leonardofaber5823]

Small thing: I believe the Wise did not suspected it was Sauron, not at first. They believed (If memory serves, and I might be wrong) that the shadow over Dol Guldur was that of a Wraith.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Ah, yes. I didn't really clarify that very well, but you are correct - they did initially think it to be a wraith. It was Gandalf alone who first had the suspicion of Sauron. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!

[@leonardofaber5823]

@@NerdoftheRings no problems, man. The Legendarium is vast. We are aim to slip here and there.

[@swordofstabbingold]

Well, eventually it was a wraith.

[@midimusicforever]

@@swordofstabbingold Ba-dum-dum...

[@hushamnoor6112]

@@NerdoftheRings The falls of rhaudar next

[@midimusicforever]

Now, Saruman was corrupt and all, but still, I can't get over what a bad take it was to say that Sauron was not a threat without the ring. Had the ring never been found, Sauron would have won!

[@anlumo1]

Well, Saruman only wanted them to ignore the threat so he could claim the Ring, and Gandalf didn't believe him anyways. The rest probably just couldn't know.

[@midimusicforever]

@@anlumo1 Yeah, I know. He was corrupt as I said. But it's still such a dumb lie.

[@goochmcduck4285]

Right, look at all he did without the ring

[@thomasbravado]

The ring is central to the story for a reason. Orcs need dark lords who know dark magic in order to be organized enough to pose a threat outside their mountain homelands, where they have overwhelming strength in numbers. The Nazgul serve the ring because their spirits are bound to the nine rings of men, and it is with their help that Sauron is able to gather and organize a lot more orcs than he could alone. It is his command of giant armies of orcs that enables him to corrupt and intimidate evil kings of men into serving him as well. The Nazgul, bound to the nine rings of men, are therefore central to the story, and they are always constantly focused on finding the one ring as a long term goal. The ring itself also wants to be found, and has a magical way of making itself discovered. The Nazgul and Sauron could feel the ring making its presence known, and that is why Sauron has been on the rise the way he has, it's all connected.

[@FatGuyInALittleCoat1]

Yeah that’s right. But the ring was his biggest weakness and weapon. He knew he needed it to preserve himself from certain death if someone manages to destroy it

[@makoyoverfelt3320]

I was having a terrible day today but new NOTR videos put me right on cloud 9. Great work as always, cant express enough how high quality your work is.

[@NerdoftheRings]

❤️ Hope your day gets better. Glad to hear the vid could start it back on the right track. Stay strong, my friend!

[@TheCradM]

NOTR is also my constant 😂🤙

[@GOLDSLF]

Check out grace for purpose

[@rogueascendant6611]

@@NerdoftheRings I like your channel man! The images, the music - all synchronized in perfect hum along your voice! I've been a huge fan of Tolkien since going back in 2000s!

[@christopherbennett5713]

Debbie is my favorite supporter of the channel. I imagine her contributions to be glorious.

[@Garl_Vinland]

Dol Guldur was Sauron’s workplace. Mordor was his Summer home where he would go to unwind after being defeated

[@Knowfere]

One of my favorite zones in Lord of the Rings Online, Mirkwood and Dol Guldur! The story writers of that game are phenomenal. From the very first day of my playing back in 2007, I have truly felt like I have lived and wandered all of Middle-earth. Fifteen long years I have been wandering Middle-earth. I encourage anyone who loves Tolkien's world to go play that game

[@darkhighwayman1757]

That was a great map area. I played from launch day and missed a few years as I had kiddos but came back. It's still great. I'm poking around Mordor now.

[@gyderian9435]

Im going through siege of mirkwood for the first time now and came for the extra lore tidbits 😅

[@Averagejoemk262]

As a movie only person (I just can’t get into reading a lot) I appreciate this channel a ton. I think the movies are fantastic but it barely scrapes the surface of this fantasy world

[@nunya___]

Try a few pages a night at bedtime or on the throne. The adventure is worth it. If not that then audio books are nice to dose off to or take on a walk. Popular audiobook players have stop timers you can set to slowly fade to silence.

[@frankphillips7436]

I was the same way when I first read the books in 1990. However, once I started I found that before I knew it, I’d read 50-60 pages and I wasn’t ready to put it down for the evening.

[@chrisseals6191]

I must say that I've viewed most, if not all of your videos. You have an excellent narrator's voice. Keep these videos coming!

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks so much! ❤️ I will certainly keep them coming! We will be talking Fell Beasts this Saturday! 🦇

[@TolkienAnswers]

If they ever did remake LOTR (like an animated clone wars series), they need to show the northern campaign. It would be awesome to see the siege of Erebor and Galadriel casting down the walls of Dol Guldur.

[@NerdoftheRings]

I would love an animated LOTR series! (Actually one of my earliest videos gave the clone wars example!)

[@LagunaShirogane]

​@@NerdoftheRings I would love to see an anime series of the 1st Age up to the 3rd Age. Anime in the style like Dragon Ball Z or Sword Art Online. Or even Bleach. And Sauron and Morgoth be the big bads of the anime. I can only imagine the epic battle of the final battle of the War of Wrath happening and seeing Ancalagon the Black get slain. The intensity and the despair in that battle would be felt and epic. I know i felt those battles in LotR. Especially Helm's Deep.

[@ghost_wizard_rain]

@@LagunaShirogane idk imo if it were to be in an anime style a Berserk/Vinland Saga or Samurai Champloo would be a better fit

[@dracorn8558]

Just don't let Amazon touch it.

[@bandite1250]

@@LagunaShirogane You kidding? Don't ruin LOTR

[@trenchcoatbrigade698]

Great cover as always. I think you should a video covering the Undying Lands. It's still a bit of a mysterious subject.

[@thighdude7]

Yes this would make for great content.

[@Rauruatreides]

Well the comment is hearted so it very well could be a possibility.

[@mudyao]

Except this isn’t much said about the undying lands

[@davidponseigo8811]

I love the term " Make War " it just sounds so final and complete. As someone who has been in war " Make War " to myself is complete and total destruction.

[@istari0]

Sometimes I think the worst thing Saruman did was delay the assault of the White Council on Dol Guldur. They could have thrown Sauron's plans into disarray if not for Saruman's interference.

[@blinkin78]

That’s kind of the whole point was Saruman being corrupted 🤦‍♂️

[@tonypapas9854]

Excellent summary. This is very impolrtsnt info. for those who have not read the books nor have really studied the timeline of events that occured simultaneously with the events at Osgiliath, Minas Tirith, and the Morannon. Well done.

[@rebeccalyn9908]

Thanks for this video. Being the "nerd" in my company, when the movies were released I was asked a lot about how Sauron was able to be in Mirkwood when elves live there by casual fans of the book or Jackson introduced fans. Edit- When The Hobbit movies came out.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Absolutely. You don't get a sense of geography in those scenes, I think. Especially throwing in the High Fells of Rhudaur (made up for the movie). That would be on the entire opposite side of the Misty Mountains. It all seems really close by in the films.

[@rebeccalyn9908]

@@NerdoftheRings I know. If I'm not mistaken Gimli, Aragon, and Legolas tracked the orcs some 60/70 miles (US here) in the three days they'd started before encountering the Roharim. That's damn impressive. Says something about the Ûrk-Hai

[@death2denemy]

@@rebeccalyn9908 coOL!!

[@CounciloftheRings]

Great video! Dol Guldur is a location always worth reading about

[@finrodfelagund8668]

It is both a strange and a great feeling when you understand every word in video explaining Tolkien's vast world 😃

[@dolandarkxgrandayy6953]

Elrond attacking the ringwraiths at Dol Guldur and saying "you're supposed to be dead" was the best moment in any Hobbit Film, it was so bad ass.

[@alexanderren1097]

"You should have stayed dead." But yes, it was a fantastic line. That whole scene is incredible; Elrond, Saruman, and especially Galadriel when she's "revealed in wrath." The extended edition is even better

[@KazgarothUsher]

I have always wondered about the history of Dol Guldor. Great post, and the illustrations are excellent. :)

[@mavinajfan]

I honestly know I shouldn’t, but the more I learn about Sauron the more I like and respect the guy for his skill and cunning. Also have you seen the fan art, forget being a snack, Sauron is a full course meal! If only he had a more elite tier name like Morgoth or Melkor, he had to be evil from creation with such bad ass metal names, there was no other option. What are Sauron fangirls called and if they don’t have a name we need to create one. I might be the only Sauron fan girl but that’s a cross I’ll bear.

[@dimitrikron9941]

Your videos are still so well made and interesting. Very understandable and well documented. Best LOTR work on KZbin

[@leonardofaber5823]

Another video, another day. Well done, man

[@rafaelgustavo7786]

Interesting that Dol Guldur demonstrates a strategic sense of Sauron. From this stronghold, he covered Mirkwood in a cloak of darkness and disorientation. This must have greatly disrupted the flow of trade and movement in the Dwarven and Northmen realms, as well as hampering communication between Lórien and the realm of Thranduil. Another possibility is to open another front in the north and prevent the union of the dwarves and elves with the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor. I remember that in the Unfinished Tales version, Sauron cast a cloud/shadow to stop the Eored of Eorl, the Young, from passing. If not for the power of the white mist that protected the army that aided Gondor.

[@NerdoftheRings]

I always love stuff like this, and the downfall of Numenor, etc that demonstrate how cunning and smart Sauron is. If one only watched the films, they might think he was all about brute strength, but he really is an incredible strategic villain.

[@juliahenriques210]

@@NerdoftheRings True. Sauron could have never foreseen the redemption of the Forsworn, nor the strength of Samwise Gamgee, the Brave. For everything else, however, he was uncanningly prepared, forcing the powers that opposed him to fight in several fronts so as to not unite in a formal alliance against him again. And he only needed one or two of those fronts to succeed for the balance of power to swing heavily in his favour. In the end, but for his blindness to good, Sauron would have undoubtedly won the war.

[@jeffersonjjohnson]

But what were his tax policies?

[@thegamingpigeon3216]

"Hey guys, uh, Sauron has returned to Dol Guldur like 3 times now. You think maybe we should have a force, idk, occupying the fortress or something? Or maybe even tear it down?" "...............................nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

[@diddyknux]

Its easy to lose track of the timeframes when there's hundreds to thousands of years, so its amusing that in the times Sauron set up in Dol Guldur, the One Ring was still there in the Anduin. The "halflings" living on its shores probably never even crossed his mind.

[@user-zb8tq5pr4x]

KZbin randomly recommended this channel that I never heard of to me, and I'm very glad it did. This is the first video I'm watching, but I imagine I'll be binging this channel for a while

[@NerdoftheRings]

Welcome! I’m glad you found the channel and even more glad you enjoyed the vid! 😊

[@urbynwyldcat9131]

Some of the artwork here is unreasonably cool.

[@GreatGreebo]

Thanks for the video. *WELL DONE* . Also, thanks for such an engaging conversation yesterday 🤘

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks GG! Likewise, I appreciate folks like yourself who are willing to engage in conversation, especially when dealing with topics where emotions can run high. It certainly speaks to your quality.

[@erich9882]

Welcome back, missed you last week

[@nickolas.vicente]

I've always thought "devices of Saruman" to be another ambiguous term Tolkien uses that people misinterpret. This could just mean that Saruman was the architect of the White Council's plan. I don't think Peter Jackson's interpretation is as far off as most people make it out to be.

[@jimdoom2276]

He's literally described in the books as having "a mind of wheels and metal". His deforestation campaign and industrialisation of Isengard is unambiguous also. Peter Jackson's interpretation isn't wrong at all.

[@jimdoom2276]

Oh sorry I misunderstood. Thought you were talking abt his general characterization of saruman in LOTR. Sorry.

[@jimdoom2276]

I think in this context though "devices of Saruman" could almost equally mean 'stratagems' or 'physical inventions'. He's more of a mad scientist archetype than a traditional wizard, to my mind. Basically the difference comes down to strategy or tactics. Either way, he was instrumental to the victory of the White Council, even if acting out of selfish motives.

[@chrisp.9380]

I love this video and the way you bring Tolkein's world to life for us, but I have one point I would like to make. The elven ring's powers was not in destruction, even the destruction of evil, the ring's powers were those of preservation against the decays of time, healing, and protection from evil. So I don't think the means by which Galadriel threw down the walls of Dol Guldur had their source in Nenya. I believe it had more to do with her tutelage under the Valar and the maia Melian, as well as the strength of her bloodline and the enhancement that comes with being born under, and dwelling within, the light of the two trees. I also assume her sheer age and time it allowed for her to further learn and practice her arts didn't hurt either.

[@titan_redeemer7371]

I love how at the end you’re going through all of these intricate names that’s people have given themselves, all dramatic and cool, and the. There’s just Debby. 😂

[@MrLemon-fe3qc]

Best Chanel on KZbin rn 🔥🔥

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks so much! ❤️

[@KlaelDemon]

Love videos like this, focusing on an in-depth look at more specific parts of Tolkien's world. Skål!

[@madmerlinsart]

This was very informative. The war against Dol Guldur and the Necromancer is one of my favourite pieces of Middle-Earth lore. I'm currently gearing up to play the old Fall of the Necromancer MESBG campaign over on my channel, one I've been planning to do for 15 years now.

[@rossm2340]

Great video! I feel adding the Turin / Mim story here would've been a nice addition to the importance of this place. Thanks!

[@grimmalurch8173]

I am new to your channel and I love you're content! I love lord of the rings and the hobbit but I am more into the movies than the books because I unfortunately don't have the time to read the books. I love all the storys from middle earth and your videos make it possible to understand all the lore that's behind the great world of Tolkien. keep it up man!

[@wrestlebro69]

Amazing video brother 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@mrrbb2028]

Awesome video as always. 🔥🔥

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks so much! :)

[@yatothinks4506]

This is such a treat! Another amazing video added to the list!

[@michaelminch5490]

Now I want to see a cinematic or television depiction of Sauron's war in the north.

[@craemac]

That Sauron took Thrain's ring but missed the map and key is mind boggling.

[@nunya___]

Maybe they were sewn into his undies. Not even Orcs would search a Dwarf's skivvies.

[@iandennis7836]

@ Nunya: I think if Sauron had tried he would have ended up hobbling back to his throne room 😂

[@VoiceoftheRings]

Such a great video Matt! Enjoyed it alot! Such good details. Also, love the images you use and how! Your details on top of that just make it so fun!

[@petersheffer3482]

I consider myself learned in the LOTR lore.. but this was new to me! Well done!

[@haggishighways]

I just love that there's so much depth in this world that I keep discovering new things about Tolkein's world

[@metaforge9978]

I'm currently building an underwater volcano experiece for VR (Quest 2) and recently made a custom 3D model of Barad Dur for the summit, because its the only building tall enough to reach out of the water. However I cant seem to find any useful videos relating to its lore, not even on your channel 😱 so I would love to see a Barad Dur video in future too ❤️

[@NerdoftheRings]

That sounds awesome! And a fun video topic! Spoiler alert: it did not actually have a giant flaming eyeball on it. 😉

[@metaforge9978]

@@NerdoftheRings Not to worry, the seawater extinguished the giant flaming eyeball 🌊🔥 right before the titanic ran aground between the horns 😅🤦‍♂️

[@Wijking_A]

Hi Nerd of the rings was this video as a respons to my suggestion about geography/location based videos? That would be FIRE

[@rehanmomin3199]

Really great explain ❤️ from India

[@elwizschold]

Things relating to Dol Guldur (including Radagast) was the highlight of the Hobbit movies.

[@LetsTalkLions]

Incredible work as always ✊🏼

[@Alaedious]

Awesome, thanks so much to you, your team and patrons! 😍🥰

[@aleksandarvujanic7914]

Looking the Dol Guldur in ruins, it makes it even more scary and powerfull to me. So old, dark and scary, with long and high towers that looks like they are rising from the hill and Earth.

[@sriharshab7792]

was a fortress of the elves of mirkwood before it fell to Sauron.

[@aleksandarvujanic7914]

@@sriharshab7792 This were lands of elves, including the hill where Dol Guldur was made later by Sauron in second age.

[@LordTelperion]

Galadriel is a third generation High Elf, born in Valinor under the light of the Two Trees. Her native power is quite substantial even without wielding one of the Three...with her Ring she's probably as strong as Melian was.

[@BigSarnt]

Melian? Hold on there bucko...

[@LordTelperion]

@Lord Balthos Ad Inferni She was born and lived in the light of the Two Trees and the presence of the Valar, that by default makes her a Calaquendi/High Elf. Even one day in the light of the Trees would uplift an Elf to Calaquendi status (hence why Thingol was considered a High Elf having been one of the three ambassadors). But I'll check out this video you mentioned.

[@gabrieltippery3873]

Elvish power sometimes seems to be enhanced by great need, great dedication to do good or right, and righteous emotion. Things that enhance the spirit of men to endure seem to enhance the power of magic elder. They can perform great acts in pivotal moments. Think of Fingolfin riding out to face Morgoth, looking like Orome, and the fight he gave him, Finrod battling Sauron in song before breaking his bonds to kill a werewolf with his bare hands, that sort of thing. I think the peaks of elvish power are high, but I don’t think they generally, even the highest and mightiest of them, even with a ring of power, are a match for maia, of which Melian was one of the most powerful. Maybe I’m wrong, and the realm of Lorien was more blessed and protected by Galadriel and her ring than Doriath was by the Girdle of Melian. It seems to me that Galadriel was taking a page from her friend and mentor’s book in the method of protecting her realm, but wasn’t as powerful. Ungoliant couldn’t even dispel Melian’s protection. That’s a pretty high standard. That said, I don’t think Melian could have thrown down Dol Guldor to punctuate the end of the age. I think Luthien got that power from her elvish side, as well.

[@LordTelperion]

@@gabrieltippery3873 Thoughtful analysis, thanks for contributing! I agree Elven power had moments of peaking, going above their order. Heck, even humans do that too to some degree (though there could be some argument about divinely given fortitude) as well as the Ainur (the Two Trees were a once-in-a-universe event). As for Melian, she was a demigoddess of the Vala Lorien, a worker of dreams and enchantments, but her and Elwë's love actually empowered her to then effect physical matter too, allowing her to throw up the shield around Doriath (similarly how Manwë and Varda's love empowered them to see and hear across the world in ways they couldn't alone). This was unfortunately also the reason why when Thingol died Melian's powers also ended. I don't think that was the same with Galadriel and Celeborn, but I could be wrong, I don't think Tolkien said anything on the matter, but it would be consistent with the legendarium. That said, Tolkien did state that Galadriel had the most native power of all Elves besides Fëanor. That combined with her Ring, I contend, she was as strong as a Maia.

[@jamiegregg9211]

awesome vid Matt loved it looking forward to the next

[@ritchieblackmore2711]

Hay my Lord of the rings friend these video's are amazing thanks...greetings from Scotland to you...

[@ergu7811]

Very impressive. I had no idea the fortress still played a role at the time of Frodo.

[@shehansenanayaka3046]

We always appreciate your hard work and dedication towards these videos. Thank you for this video.

[@TheRedBook]

That's some nice artwork, it has Ralph Damiani all over it 😅

[@briangarrow448]

I was at the Prancing Pony a few years ago, on a cold midwinter evening, and I happened to meet a dwarf who told me about his last trip south. He was traveling from the Lonely Mountain to visit the Glittering Caves that the famous Gimli had worked on for the King of Rohan and he took a small detour to check out the old fortress of Dol Guldur. He said that the old evil had been cleansed, but it still wasn’t a place anyone with half a hobbit brain would spend the night in. As we all know that dwarves don’t scare easily, I can imagine how creepy that place still must be. He said in jest, “just give it 500 years or so and it should be tolerable.” LOL! BTW- he also said if you get a chance, definitely check out those caves Gimli and his compatriots “remodeled” for the King of the Rohirrim. On his top 10 of caves of Middle Earth!

[@overhyped_1005]

I really like your thumbnails

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks!! This one features art that I was able to commission by Ralph Damiani thanks to the support of my Patreon & KZbin supporters! It's been a really fun development with the channel that I've been able to have original artwork made for the fandom to enjoy. :)

[@mboyd92]

Been waiting for this dive!!!

[@donquijoker9871]

Sauron with a fake moustache: "Sauron? I've never heard that name, I'm just a humble Necromancer"

[@treyowen9213]

2:07 it was right under his nose and he never even noticed.

[@charlienorway]

You have the best stories about middel earth.

[@spacejocky6012]

Hi dude I just wanna say its awsome watching you i only watch your videos about dwarfs your awsome

[@kimopuppy]

Dol Guldur is worthy of a novel all by itself

[@chadiradwan5511]

thank you for this great video

[@bryanasmr62]

The narration and the microphone sounds amazing. What mic does the narrator use?

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks. It’s the AT-2035. 👍

[@joeybox0rox649]

G'mornin' Matt!👍

[@NerdoftheRings]

Good morning, Joey!!

[@h2obubbli]

I really like name, Dol Guldur, its satisfying to say as strange as that sounds

[@rickjensen2035]

While watching this video brought a question to mind. Even though Sauron was in his weaken state and at Dol Guldur when the ring was found, why didn't he feel the presence of the ring when Gollum put on the ring or was he too weak to notice?

[@JohnEversen]

He was looking for the ring in the area of Dol Guldur because of Gollum. I think his weakened state required Gollum to be using it. It has been long since I read the Simarillion.

[@jorenaltura524]

Great video! But I highly doubt Galadriel used Nenya in Dol Guldur's destruction. It was already stated in LOTR by Elrond that the Elven Rings were not made for conquest or destruction, but for preservation and protection. So the destruction of Dol Guldur was purely Galadriel's feat, without any help from her ring.

[@Ithirahad]

To be fair, Dol Guldur was both a) a work of Sauron and b) a blight on the land. So if there was any power at all left in Nenya (due, say, to Sauron being dispersed but not quite dead) Nenya's power to preserve good and fair things might have deleterious effects on a work of evil, and its tie to Sauron's own power might've helped in unmaking a place Sauron had a hand in creating and maintaining.

[@loopeydloop]

Awesome video, thank you!!

[@BlimpMcGee]

This format would work great for history educational purposes, trademark your process man

[@gibranlewis7300]

Very well done as usual, and I agree with most of your assessment and presentation, again as usual. We have, I think, discussed before Gandalf's concerns, as wonderfully expressed in Unfinished Tales, about Sauron's original plans to attack Lothlorien and Rivendell as soon as he felt strong enough ( one thing I think it would have been well to mention in this video, that he indeed originally intended to launch war on Lothlorien from Dol Guldur, and that the foresight and "meddling" of Mithrandir/Gandalf prevented that ): one scenario that I have never shrugged aside, and one which I would greatly enjoy seeing you address, is the possibilities of the Dol Guldur and Moria alliance: Gandalf feared what an alliance between Sauron and Smaug could mean... but there was one other alliance which could have proved at least as terrible and maybe more so: that of Sauron and the other fallen Ainur demon we know inhabited Middle-Earth, that being the Balrog of Moria, Durin's Bane. Durin's Bane allowed Sauron's servants to remain in his realm, albiet under his reign of terror. The Nazgul feared to attack Lothlorien directly without Sauron and could not overcome the white ring and it's lady, but a Balrog?? THe Balrog of Moria had magic so powerful that he was able to partly override a spell of Gandalf the Gray, and the magical contest between them eventually caused an explosion that destroyed the chamber in which Balin was buried ( briefly burying but quite failing to destroy the incarnation of the Balrog ). If Gandalf had not dueled with Durin's Bane, what would have happened if Sauron had been able to coax his kindred demon into full alliance?? What would have happened if the Balrog of Moria had led Sauron's Nazgul and an evil army against the borders of Lothlorien, and would the power of Galadriel have sufficed to fence out a demon of the ancient world, an evil Ainur far older than she or any other Elf, and who had been present and involved in the mythic creation of Arda?

[@dhs1988]

Yet Gandalf was able to destroy the balrog with only a small fraction of his power. Let's not forget that Gandalf along with the other four members of the Istari were temporarily stripped of the majority of their power/knowledge by the Valar when they were sent to Middle Earth.

[@gibranlewis7300]

@@dhs1988 Their power was inhibited, but they retained some of it. Saruman still had certain powers even after his staff was broken. It is also highly probable that gandalf allowed some of his inner spiritual power to come through when battling Durin's Bane ( the Moria Balrog ) which would have contributed to his flesh being damaged ( see the death of Feanor ). The Istari had as much power as the great High Elven Lords and Ladies, more than most in fact, though veiled. When Gandalf says of the Balrog's demonic, sorcerous counterspell that forced the chamber door in Moria to begin opening in spite of Gandalf's powerful shutting spell, that he had "never felt such a challenge" it is no small thing. This is the same Gandalf who fought all of the Nazgul, Witch-king included, to a standstill atop Amon Sul from dusk until dawn, then repulsed them at dawn and escaped, having, in Toklkien's words, already badly "shaken" the witch-king ( " he [ the witch-king ]had been shaken by the fire of Gandalf ). The evil power and sorcerous strength of the Balrog was enormous, and cannot be taken as a small thing. It is not something Galadriel would have wished to face, nor something Gandalf would have wanted her confronted with: and unlike the Nazgul, he ( the Balrog ) would have had no fear of her.

[@Pelorious]

Really great stuff. The visuals and pace of narration work very well! Might I ask what the main sources of information are? Been meaning to get back into the books as it was a long time ago when I read them and have not yet read silmarillion.

[@bryanmatthews2370]

The mighty Mihm? A might petty dwarf? Lol, awesome dude

[@Jacob33333]

Are you going to do another What If video real soon because I would like to know what would happen if Saruman got the One Ring and Isengard wasn't defeated so easily in both the books and Films.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Ah, that's an interesting one! I would imagine it would be somewhat similar to Gandalf getting the ring, but I think the military movements would be very interesting to track/speculate! I'll add that to my "What if" list right now!

[@Jacob33333]

@@NerdoftheRings Thanks it does seem like a great idea to look into.

[@andrewbrown9981]

Dol Guldur served a important purpose during the war of the ring to keep the elven and dwarven kingdoms away from Gondor.

[@jeromebirth2693]

No surprise Galadriel had the power to level Dol Guldur to the ground. When her words to Frodo were: "And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!" This was no boast, only the honest truth from a humble Sorceress.

[@hollowichigo7540]

Literally the greatest fictional stuff ever written

[@kirandeepchakraborty7921]

Refreshing Episode

[@javiermauricio8377]

I imagine Sauron saying "Holy Crap, they all came and they even brought the white witch, I'm out" when he saw the White Council arriving at Dol Guldur

[@Minifutzi_o.O]

Could you maybe do a video about what if the ring wasn't found or indeed swept in to the ocean and Smaug still killed? How that would affect the Ring war and Sauron?

[@sinasafizadeh1164]

Best KZbin channel ever

[@davidmiddleton7958]

Purely a what if. What if (at the time of The Hobbit) Gandalf manages to fool Sauron into believing that the One Ring is in the lonely mountain guarded by Smaug!

[@michaelschodel6362]

I am glad you made this video. Thank you very much for the interesting content.

[@Iamtherealvicky]

Great video 😊

[@ethanbailey6075]

I really wish the battles in Dol Guldur had made it into the films. That would have been pretty awesome.

[@andreasderycke42]

always wonderd what it was before dol guldur

[@aprylrittenhouse4562]

Wow the artwork is fantastic. Where could I purchase these

[@christophertoledo5161]

It never get old watching the same history different timelines Nerd of the Rings and my favorite is What if Gandalf Grey took the one Rings and take totally control on Middle-Earth 9 mortal Nazgul and witch-Kimg Angmar following directions order from Gandalf new LORD

[@shaolinotter]

loving the background music lol

[@joemck74]

For some reason it hadn't occurred to me that Galadriel destroyed Dol Guldur *after* the Ruling ring was unmade and the power of the Three was failing. It shows how devastating her intrinsic power actually was, and makes Amazons 'warrior Galadriel' seem even more ridiculous. Galadriel with a sword and in armour is 1000 times *less* powerful and dangerous than a barefoot Galadriel in a dress.

[@jeromebirth2693]

Agreed when has a Sorceress ever needed armor and sword? That's the gear her bodyguards wear.

[@Bryon1187]

Love yor stuff - keep it up!