Tolkien’s Mirkwood

As in medieval tales, the terrifying forest of fantasy is populated by disturbing creatures. The nature it evokes is perceived as uncontrollable and invasive. The forest of Mirkwood (whose name is inspired by a term in Old Norse for "dark wood") described by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Hobbit is thus not inhabited by marvellous beings but by gigantic spiders — animals long associated with nightmares and phobias. This creature is now part of the classic fantasy bestiary where it is often placed in a forest, as for example in the Harry Potter universe.