Battles of Lórien and invasion of eastern Rohan

Three battles in the War of the Ring were fought between the Orcs of Dol Guldur and Mordor the Galadhrim of Lothlórien under the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, which took place March 11, 15, and 22 of 3019. The battles resulted in victory for the Elves and allowed Celeborn to lead an assault on Dol Guldur, where Galadriel ended the evil influence of Sauron.

History

The battles

Forces from Dol Guldur, reinforced with Orcs from Mordor, crossed the river Anduin and assaulted Lothlórien three times, assisted at least once in a joint attack from the west by the Orcs of Moria. Though the battles are not described in detail by Tolkien, the fair woods of the borders of Lothlórien suffered grievous harm by fire, though the valour of the Elves prevented the enemy from penetrating too deeply into their forest realm. Thrice the enemy attacked, and the three times the assaults were driven back.

The valor of the Elven people living in Lórien was great, but J.R.R. Tolkien states that Lórien was protected mainly due to a power dwelling there that was "far too great for any to overcome, save if Sauron had come there himself". Such power was Galadriel, wearing Nenya, who was able to defeat the Orcs.

Some of the Orcs then peeled south, either fleeing the defeat or more likely to deliberately invade Rohan and draw off any aid being sent to Gondor. Treebeard and a host of Ents, having already laid ruin to Isengard some days before, set out to prevent them entering Rohan. The Orcs encountered the Ents upon invading the Wold of Rohan where they were either killed by the tree-shepherds, drowned in the River Anduin, or fled to Dol Guldur.

Aftermath

Following the battle, Celeborn and Galadriel led the Galadhrim across the Anduin in a fleet of many small Elf boats. They entered Mirkwood and attacked Dol Guldur. Then, Galadriel came forth and threw down the walls and cleansed its pits with her power, ending the grasp of evil in the forest. As news of the victory of King Elessar down south reached the Wood-elves, Thranduil, who had recently defeated an army in a long battle under the trees, met with Celeborn on April 6.

Mirkwood, renamed Eryn Lasgalen, was divided between Thranduil (who claimed the North), the Beornings (who settled in the middle, the 'Narrows'), and Celeborn, who added the southern half to his realm, renaming it 'East Lórien'. Despite these victories, the Elves began to dwindle and Celeborn himself departed over the Sea during the early Fourth Age.

References