Dol Guldur: Digging a Little Deeper, Part Two

Radagast, Gandalf, and the High Fells

Here is the second part in my series on Dol Guldur, which very well may lead up to the release of The Desolation of Smaug. This particular post will focus on the return of Radagast and the High Fells. 





As many of you already know, the High Fells is a non-canonical creation of Peter Jackson and the other screenwriters of The Hobbit. Because of this, there is some dispute as to their location in Middle-earth. Some believe they are in the Misty Mountains. Others hold the view that they are further north, where the kingdom of Angmar once stood. I, for one, believe that the High Fells are in Mirkwood, beneath the ruins of the not-so-abandoned fortress, Dol Guldur.

This would explain a lot. If you were able to see the live sneak peek hosted by Peter Jackson and Jed Brophy back in March, you will remember the clip where Gandalf meets Radagast while investigating the High Fells. Since then, we have seen several clips of Gandalf and Radagast on the surface, apparently in Dol Guldur. If these to places were to share the same location, this would greatly cut down on wasted time showing Gandalf's journey to first one, and then the other. Besides, what are the chances that Radagast would show up twice?

Now, concerning Radagast. I am well aware that this odd, animal-loving wizard has received a lot of criticism. I will admit that he was a little bit of a shock at first. However, I have grown fond of this befuddled, bumbling character, even though he does have bird droppings running down the side of his head. I do not have the time nor the space to give the reasons why, so I will instead direct you to an excellent essay written by a blogger who shares similar sentiments: In Defense of Radagast the Brown.

In the High Fells, we learn that the nine Ringwraiths, the Nazgul, are on the loose. I doubt we will see much of them, although this would serve to increase the link between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Instead, I believe that this revelation will only show how the power of the Necromancer is growing, and the ominous threat he places upon Middle-earth. This is recognized by both Gandalf and Radagast, though perhaps only Gandalf realizes the full consequences, and I guess that this is where he truly guesses what Bilbo has in "its pocketses."

Ramblings put aside, I expect that we will get to see some pretty awesome wizard-action. First we see Gandalf dueling it out with the mysterious figure, and something exciting has to follow Radagast's ill-fated words "What if it's a trap!" Gandalf's reply, "It's undoubtedly a trap," leaves very little doubt about this.

Come back again for Part Three, in which I will discuss Bolg and what he has to do with Dol Guldur. If you have any questions, ideas, or simply want to give your own opinion, be sure to leave a comment!