This is one of the most majestic, secluded, and peacful places in Middle Earth and it’s also home to Fangorn which was the original name of Treebeard.  He was the eldest of his species the “Ents” who looked after vast areas of the surrounding land which was named Fangorn Forest. Additionally, Fangorn translated in Sindarin from “fanga” meaning “beard” and “orne” meaning “tree”.  Sindarin was the language of the elves who originally awoke the Ents and taught them language.   In other parts of Middle Earth, Fangorn was knows as the “Entwood” by the Rohirrim.

Treebeard also referred to the forest by many different Quenya names in the Lord of the Rings, some of which were Ambrona which meant uprising, or Tauremornalome which meant sunrise.   Some other names he used were Tauremorna which meant gloomy forest as the folk of Middle Earth had heard many strange stories about Fangorn, some of which spoke about trees who moved and even spoke.

The Forest of Fangorn was located at the south-eastern end of the Misty Mountains near the Gap of Rohan. The mountains formed the western border of Fangorn. At the end of the mountain range stood the tower of Isengard the home of Saruman.  Rohan surrounded this forest to both the south and east, and Lothlorien just to the north.  This was a large forest that stretched many miles, with many paths to be traveled.  Two rivers ran through the forest as well, the Limlight to the north formed the northern border of Rohan which then merged with the much larger Anduin.  To the south, the Entwash spread deep into the forest arriving from Methedras, a mountainous region located near the Misty Mountains. The valley of Derndingle was located just to the south-west which is where the Entwash passed into Wellinghall just past the home of Treebeard.

Fangorn was said to be humid, and the trees trunks grew large with dense foliage which allowed very little to penetrate the forest. Similarly, Fangorn was said to be a dangerous and evil place like Mirkwood where huge spiders roamed the forest and other evil creatures lay, but this unlike Mirkwood had not been corrupted in such a way.  This forest was home to many different creatures but Huorns also lived in the forest, similar to Ents but more discreet and lived very deep in the forest.

One of the greatest and also oddly sized meetings in the forest was when Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took entered the forest meeting Treebeard and alerted him of the danger Saruman posed to the Ents and their forest. Following an Entmoot, the rest of the Ents agreed to march against Isengard, taking Merry and Pippin with them, and sent Huorns to Helm’s Deep to deal with the Orcs there. Part of the Ents’ anger was caused by Saruman’s Orcs chopping down the trees at the south and west side of the forest. It was especially notable in that Fangorn Forest was embodied by Treebeard.

Other famed visitors to this great forest were Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas as they entered the forest to search for Merry and Pippin. They encountered an old Man dressed in white which at first they believed to be Saruman before realizing that it was Gandalf, whom they thought had been killed at Khazad-dum.

Fangorn forest was, just the easternmost remnant of the immense forest that spanned all of Eriador and Calenardhon in the First Age and early Second Age. Treebeard expressed a deep sadness at the loss of the forest to the Orcs and to the age of Men and their machines. The rest of the forest was destroyed by the Numenoreans and Sauron. This portion of the forest was the the oldest part of Treebeard’s realm, and the Ents’ last retreat.

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