History Main / TheHedgeOfThorns

Physically, it is a place of painful passage, thorns and brambles, that acts as a hazard for the main character(s) as they try to either pass it, or escape it. More often than not, it is connected to [[TheFairFolk fairies (Fae)]] or some other mysterious group of creatures, as the trope is linked to the idea of a natural barrier to some greater prize (or terrible horror). Fantasy-wise, the Hedge usually appears within enchanted forests. However, sometimes the Hedge is conjured by a "higher power," and thus can appear anywhere the summoner demands (though not the golden rule). Also, the thorns tend to quickly eat whatever dies or lets its guard down within it.

* Many of the levels in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorldPiranhaIsland'' contain sections where Mario has to avoid thorns, but StarMan Muncher is hard because Mario has to rely on the power of the Starman powerup to get through a thorny maze in a limited amount of time.

* The ''Anime/GrimmsFairyTaleClassics'' versions of ''Literature/{{Rapunzel}}'', ''The Iron Stove'' and other Grimm tales use this trope. In ''Rapunzel'' the Prince is blinded as he falls on it, in ''Iron Stove'' the Princess must go past hers to save her prince [[spoiler: and it turns out to be an illusion]], etc.

** There's other ones in the rest of the NewWorldOfDarkness, like the one that surrounds the Whispering Wood (a CircusOfFear that slowly mutates people in ways symbolically connected to their sins).

* In the Shannara series by Creator/TerryBrooks, the Druid castle of Paranor is protected by a poisonous hedge. Some parts are actually illusions, and passable, but usually a druid guide is required to find them.

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* A hedge also separates the faerie world from the normal world in Creator/{{Robin McKinley}}'s ''The Door in the Hedge.'' In that case, it's a fairly normal hedge.

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* The Hedge from ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'', which is the border between the "real world" and the fae world of Arcadia (not in any way to be confused with [[{{Arcadia}} the trope of the same name]]). There are actual thorns and a wide variety of other dangerous features, including living creatures, and it's generally an unhealthy place to be. Oh, and getting dragged through those thorns as a human rips your soul to pieces, which you then ([[UnreliableNarrator possibly]]) only gather together once you escape from Arcadia.

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* In ''[[TheDresdenFiles Summer Knight]]'', near the end of the story a Fey conjures up a nasty, poisonous hedge to keep Harry from interfering.

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime 3'' has the aptly-named Thorn Jungle area of planet Bryyo.

** French Bocage country, consisting of fields demarkated by hedgerows planted on top of rubble walls. A significant impediment to military operations in WWII.

** Introduced as a level theme in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'', which had a few levels set entirely in brambles, famous for its AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67nkzoJ_2M "Stickerbush Symphony."]] They really do act as a test of character, because they're all [[ThatOneLevel really freakin' difficult]].
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' also has similar bramble levels. SelfDemonstrating/CrankyKong's pogo cane lets him bounce off the thorns safely.
** ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has a pair of dungeons called Razorfen Kraul and Razorfen Downs that are both built under a network of huge, thorny trunks. The occupants aren't [[TheFairFolk faeries]], though: they're [[AlwaysChaoticEvil savage]] [[PigMan boar-people]], and the thorns aren't all that difficult for a player to get through.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' introduced this as a level theme in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'', which had a few levels set entirely in brambles, famous for its AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67nkzoJ_2M "Stickerbush Symphony."]] They really do act as a test of character, because they're all [[ThatOneLevel really freakin' difficult]].

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has a pair of dungeons called Razorfen Kraul and Razorfen Downs that are both built under a network of huge, thorny trunks. The occupants aren't [[TheFairFolk faeries]], though: they're [[AlwaysChaoticEvil savage]] [[PigMan boar-people]], and the thorns aren't all that difficult for a player to get through.

* ''Film/TheSatanicRitesOfDracula'' found a novel way of polishing off the Count: luring him into a tangled hawthorn thicker. Hawthorn being what Christ's crown of thorns was made from, the spiky branches prove as effective as holy water would've been.

* In the Shannara series by TerryBrooks, the Druid castle of Paranor is protected by a poisonous hedge. Some parts are actually illusions, and passable, but usually a druid guide is required to find them.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' introduced this as a level theme in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'', which had a few levels set entirely in brambles, famous for its AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67nkzoJ_2M "Stickerbush Symphony"]]. They really do act as a test of character, because they're all [[ThatOneLevel really freakin' difficult]].

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' introduced this as a level theme in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'', which had a few levels set entirely in brambles, famous for its AwesomeMusic: "Stickerbush Symphony". They really do act as a test of character, because they're all [[ThatOneLevel really freakin' difficult]].

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* The thorn bushes growing around the castle in ''Disney/SleepingBeauty''.

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* A hedge also separates the faerie world from the normal world in {{Robin McKinley}}'s ''The Door in the Hedge.'' In that case, it's a fairly normal hedge.

* Once the Wolfrider elves in ''ElfQuest'' establish a new Holt, their tree-shaper, Redlance, creates a thorn wall surrounding the area which only he can create a path through, to protect them from intrusion by unfriendly humans.

The Hedge is most often a home for various forms of life, whether carnivorous or not. Sometimes it's a kingdom in-and-of itself, being ruled by an {{Overlord}}, [[VainSorceress Sorceress]], Bandit King or similar character. Outside of the previously stated genre, the Hedge can be a torturously difficult [[TheMaze labyrinth]] made from plants and fungi, or a hideaway for smaller characters against the BigBad.