The approximate location of the Dimholt (somewhat conjectural)2
The approximate location of the Dimholt (somewhat conjectural)2
From Dunharrow, a double row of standing stones marked an ancient roadway that led away into the east, towards the Dwimorberg and the Paths of the Dead. A traveller taking that road would soon come under the trees of a dark fir-wood. This was the Dimholt, a name that comes from old words literally meaning 'dark wood'. Deep within the wood stood a single great stone to mark the way, and beyond that, among the roots of the Dwimorberg, lay the Dark Door of the Dead.
Notes
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Given that this wood is commonly described as having been dark and gloomy, it would be natural to assume that the dim element corresponded to the modern English word 'dim'. Though etymologically related, the sense intended by Tolkien is closer to 'obscure' or 'secret' (that is, concealing the secrets of the Paths of the Dead) rather than simply 'dark'.
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2 |
Mapping the Dimholt is difficult, because the text of The Lord of the Rings does not quite agree with the large-scale contoured map of the region provided in the book. The text describes the wood running eastward from the Firienfeld of Dunharrow, whose standing stones seem to have led directly to the wood's edge. From there its trees ran eventually into a glen (a wooded valley) leading into the lower slopes of the Dwimorberg, with the Door of the Dead at its head.
On the large-scale map, however, no glen is shown (presumably it was too small to be seen even at that map's scale) but the way eastward is crossed by a low ridge. Matters are complicated by the fact that the Door of the Dead is not marked on that map, and so a degree of conjecture is needed to match the various elements against one another. The arrangement shown here seems to match most of the sources, but there are other possible interpretations.
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- Updated 27 February 2026
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