In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dark Years is a term used in The Lord of the Rings for the time of Sauron's great and almost undisputed domination of Middle-earth, during which many peoples were enslaved or corrupted. It was also referred to as the Accursed Years, the Black Years, the Days of Flight, and the Dark Days. In the story, this period lasted from ca. SA 1693 to 3441, when Sauron was overthrown by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. During this period, Sauron built the stronghold Barad-dûr, forged the Rings of Power, and fought the War of the Elves and Sauron.
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Famous quotes containing the words dark and/or years:
“Even such is Time, which takes in trust
Our youth, our joys, and all we have,
And pays us but with age and dust,
Who in the dark and silent grave
When we have wandered all our ways
Shuts up the story of our days.
And from which earth, and grave, and dust,
The Lord shall raise me up I trust.”
—Sir Walter Raleigh (1552–1618)
“Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come to us again. All Americans understand the basic lessons of history: that we need to be resolute and able to protect ourselves, to prevent threats and domination by others.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)