Tolkien's Middle-earth: A Mythical Connection to Our Earth?

Some argue that Middle-earth, the magical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, could also be a reference to our own world, just from a distant past. This fascinating hypothesis has led many to explore potential real-world locations for landmarks such as Mordor and The Shire. But is Middle-earth truly based on a real map? Were Tolkien's intentions to create a detailed historical narrative, or was he following a different path?

Mythical vs. Historical

Tolkien was unmistakably not writing a traditional historical novel. He was weaving a rich, mythical world. Middle-earth is a creation of his imagination, designed to transport readers to an entirely different realm. However, the Shire is meant to evoke an idealized landscape reminiscent of rural England. This does not mean that you can place Mordor exactly in the Balkans or The Shire in rural England on a real-world map. Yet, the detailed descriptions often make Middle-earth seem so real that it feels like walking into a world that exists beyond our own.

A Real-World Geography?

Despite its fantastical nature, many enthusiasts and scholars have attempted to place Middle-earth within a real-world geographical framework. For instance, The Shire is undoubtedly based on an idealized English countryside, drawing parallels to the picturesque pastures and villages of rural England. If you were to map Middle-earth onto our real world, Mordor would be positioned near the southeast corner, resembling the Balkans or the former Yugoslavia. The lands of Rhun and Harad, situated even further east and south, could be loosely mapped to regions of Russia, North Africa, and the Middle East. This could explain the darker complexion of the Haradrim and their use of oliphaunts.

Aman, the Undying Lands, encompasses regions outside the stories told in Tolkien's works and is believed to be equivalent to our planet Earth after Numenor's fall. In this context, Middle-earth is a round planet, and the stories are preserved in the Red Book of Westmarch: a manuscript written down by hobbits like Bilbo, the protagonist of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Mythology and Reality

Tolkien’s notion is that the timeline of Middle-earth is indeed connected to our reality in a mythic past. While he often mentioned that the events of his stories occurred around 6,000 years before the dawn of real-world recorded history, this timeframe is more symbolic than literal.

In Tolkien's universe, the vanishing of other humanoid races and the regression of human civilization from a medieval to a pre-industrial level can be attributed to the War of the Last Alliance, which led to the destruction of Sauron and a significant decline in the persecuted races such as the Ents, Eagles, and Gnomes.

However, Tolkien eventually conceded that attempting to make Middle-earth's timeline directly connect to our Earth is too complex. Instead, he declared it an 'imaginary' timeline. In-universe, Middle-earth and our world are interconnected, and the stories come from the written records of the hobbits. Tolkien believed that his work was a translation of the Red Book of Westmarch, and he acknowledged that the tales in Middle-earth are part of a larger, ongoing history that includes contemporary events.

Conclusion: While Middle-earth is undoubtedly a product of Tolkien's imagination, it draws heavily from the mythic and historical context of our world. The concept of mapping Middle-earth onto our real-world geography offers a fascinating perspective on the storytelling and mythology of the tales. But ultimately, the true essence of Middle-earth lies in its magical realms, epic battles, and the enduring spirit of its inhabitants.

Keywords: Middle-earth, Tolkien, mythology, geography, literature