Middle-earth: Difference between revisions

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Middle-earth
Continent

"The Map of Middle-earth" by John Howe
General Information
Other names	Ennorath, Endor
Location	Arda, east of Belegaer
Type	Continent
Regions	The Westlands (Beleriand, Rohan, Gondor, Arnor, Mordor, Rhovanion, Forodwaith), Harad, Rhûn, Cuiviénen, Hildorien, others
People and History
Inhabitants	Men, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Hobbits, Ents, others
Events	Sleep of Yavanna, Battle of the Powers, Great March, War of the Jewels, Dark Years, Changing of the World, War of the Ring
Gallery	Images of Middle-earth

"The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!"

― Aragorn in The Two Towers, "The Riders of Rohan"

Middle-earth (Q. Endor) was a large continent of Arda, situated between Aman to the West (across Belegaer), and the Land of the Sun to the East (across the East Sea).

Most of the history of Arda takes place in Middle-earth, and it was where the Children of Ilúvatar: the Elves and Men, came into being, along with the Dwarves.

Geography[edit | edit source]

The northern regions of Middle-earth as envisioned by Karen Wynn Fonstad in The Atlas of Middle-earth

Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of Arda. It originally lay between two continents: Aman, the uttermost West, separated from Middle-earth by the ocean Belegaer, and the Land of the Sun, the uttermost East, separated by the East Sea.

In the Elder Days, the two large inland seas of Helcar and Ringil, created by the demise of the Two Lamps, were located to the north and south of the center of middle-earth.

The Westlands are the most well-known regions of the continent, and the only regions which have been mapped in great detail. Of the Westlands, the western portion called Beleriand was drowned at the end of the First Age and those who survived relocated to Lindon and Eriador, which was separated from Beleriand by the Blue Mountains. Another region of the Westlands was Rhovanion, separated from Eriador by the Misty Mountains.

The southern portion of the Westlands was around a large bay, including Belfalas the fief of Gondor, and Near Harad ("Near South").

During the Third Age before their decline, the sister kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor dominated the Westlands. Arnor was the northern kingdom of the two, and Gondor the southern.

Little is known about the East and South of Middle-earth, other than names such as Rhûn and Khand, found east of Mordor, and the Far Harad (Far South); although their size is unknown. Another name of the East was the Empty Lands.

Through the distant north-east of Middle-earth ran the Red Mountains, and to the distant south-east the Yellow Mountains, which mirrored the Blue Mountains and the Grey Mountains of the north-west and south-west respectively. The cradle of the Elves, Cuiviénen was located on the shores of the Sea of Helcar near the Red Mountains. In the far east between the Red Mountains and the Yellow Mountains were the Mountains of the Wind, and between these mountains and the easternmost shores of Middle-earth stood Hildórien, the cradle of Men. There was also a mythical Last Desert in the "East of East", however its status or existence during the later years was unknown.

History[edit | edit source]

This is the geographical history. For events happening in Middle-earth, see Timeline.

Early Arda

Aulë built Middle-earth amidst the encircling sea. To the North, the Valar set the lamp of Illuin, and to the South, the lamp of Ormal, and their light mingled in the middle of the continent, occupied by the island Almaren, the dwelling of the Valar.^[1]

Arda was initially flat, and symmetrical until the Valar (and Morgoth) created several seas a, formed a landmass in the centre of Arda, the earliest form of what would later be known as the Great Lands of Middle-earth. Major geographical features of that landmass were two central inland seas: the Sea of Helcar in the north and the Sea of Ringil in the south. Around them, massive mountain ranges were formed, the Blue Mountains and Red Mountains to the north, and the Grey Mountains and Yellow Mountains to the south. The Mountains of the Wind were a smaller range in the East, located south of the Red Mountains and north of the Yellow Mountains.^[2]

Eventually the Valar left the Great Lands for the Uttermost West, leaving Morgoth and his creatures in his fortress at Utumno, behind the Iron Mountains in the north of Middle-earth. Morgoth would later erect the Misty Mountains between the Blue Mountains and Red Mountains to hinder the Vala Oromë, who hunted his creatures.^[3] During the Battle of the Powers, the Sea of Ringil would merge with the East Sea, separating Middle-earth from a new continent to its south-east known as the Dark Land. To the west the shores of the Great Sea advanced upon the land as well, forming the Great Gulf dividing the lands of Beleriand from the lands of the south.^[4]

Karen Wynn Fonstad's drawing of western Middle-earth showing a deluged Beleriand adjacent to Eriador

During the First Age, the western side of Middle-earth was called Beleriand, stretching from the Ered Luin to the great ocean of Belegaer. On the northern edge of Beleriand were the fierce Ered Engrin, the Iron Mountains. Further north was the freezing Dor Daedeloth. Southwest of the Ered Engrin was Hithlum, separated from the coast of Lammoth and Belegaer by the Ered Lómin, and from the rest of Beleriand to the south by the Ered Wethrin. The woven wood of Doriath rested directly south of the Thangorodrim and Dorthonion, southeast of Hithlum. West of Doriath were Taur-en-Faroth and the Falas, and to the east was Nan Elmoth and Thargelion before reaching the Ered Luin. South of Doriath were first the Andram, then Arvernien and the Bay of Balar. East of the Bay of Balar and extending ever further south into the unknown lands were the Taur-im-Duinath and Ossiriand.

East of the Ered Luin was a land surrounded by four mountain ranges: the Ered Luin to the West, the Ered Engrin to the North, the Misty Mountains to the East, and some of the White Mountains to the South. Eriador was within these boundaries. Even further East, past the Hithaeglir, was the Great River Anduin, Palisor, and the East Sea.

After the First Age ended and Beleriand drowned, the geography east of the Ered Luin shifted. The Ered Luin themselves, now broken up and disfigured, marked the western border of Eriador, and thence Lindon and Belegaer itself. Eriador, now the Westernmost part of Middle-earth, was bordered on the East by the Misty Mountains, which stretched south to the White Mountains and the Bay of Belfalas. Across the Misty Mountains from Eriador was Rhovanion, which extended eastwards to the Sea of Rhûn and the vast lands of Rhûn beyond. Within Rhovanion were the great forests of: Mirkwood, Fangorn Forest, and the many-rivered area that became known as Gondor. Eastwards was the region of Mordor, bordered on three sides by mountains. Far north of Rhovanion was the icy Forodwaith, and where the Great Sea had advanced at its most there was the Icebay of Forochel.

The coasts of Middle-earth changed once more, in the cataclysm of the Downfall of Númenor. In many places the Great Sea advanced upon the land, but in others it shrank back. Lindon suffered a great loss of land at this time. While to the south, the eastern and southern shores of the Bay of Belfalas shrank back, pushing the city of Pelargir much farther inland. The Anduin river found new paths to the sea afterwards, forming the Ethir Anduin.^[5]

Long after the Fourth Age, the lands had all changed their shape. The Hobbits were said to have lingered long after in the same north-western regions east of the Sea, in what was known as the Old World.^[6]

Other names[edit | edit source]

The peoples called Middle-earth by several names. The Elves called the continent Endóre or Endor in Quenya, meaning "middle land"; the Sindarin word was Ennor, also used in the plural ennorath: "middle lands, lands of Middle-earth".

Other epithets of the continent were Hither Lands or Outer Lands in The Silmarillion,^[7] contrasted to Aman beyond the sea. On Tolkien's earliest maps of Arda, the term "Hither Lands" was written across both Middle-earth and the southern continent that would eventually contain Harad. Lacking a definite name for this southern landmass, "Hither Lands" is occasionally used by fans.

In the Akallabêth it was also the Great Lands,^[7], since it was so much larger than the island of Elenna. King Tar-Meneldur of Númenor also used the name Great Lands, and further Dark Lands in his speech to his son Aldarion.^[8]

In verses such as the Song of Eärendil and songs of Galadriel,^[9]^[10] it is referred to as the Hither Shores. The Hobbits envisioned Middle-earth as the Wide World.^[11]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In The Book of Lost Tales, Middle-earth was usually called the Great Lands. The name "Middle-earth" was never used until the writings from the 1930s.^[12] Originally the name in the Lost Tales was Outer Lands, but Tolkien gave the name a different meaning, "lands West of the Great Sea", and amended it to "Great Lands".^[12]^[13] Once is found the name Lands Without,^[14] that is: "Lands without Valinor".^[15]

Inspiration[edit | edit source]

Tolkien created Arda, especially Middle-earth, for his languages Quenya and Sindarin, especially the latter. To Tolkien, a scholar of the Anglo-Saxon language, Middle-earth was the English translation of the Old English word middanġeard. This word was transformed in the Middle English midden-erd or middel-erd, and the Old Norse Midgard. This is English for what the Greeks called the οικουμένη (oikoumenē) or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds.^[16]

The ancient peoples called the world "middle-earth", since it was imagined to be above the realm of the Giants and below the realm of the gods. However, in Tolkien's cosmology the name Middle-earth refers only to a continent, which (in the First and Second Ages) is set between two seas, Belegaer and the East Sea.

Henry Resnick quoted Tolkien as saying that, "Middle-earth is Europe".^[17] However, Tolkien designed his maps to accommodate the mythology, conscious that they did not fit the ancient Earth as understood by contemporary archaeology and historical geology.^[18]^[19]

Appendix[edit | edit source]

Terminology[edit | edit source]

The continent of Middle-earth is the primary setting of most of the stories in the legendarium. Although there are several stories that take place in Aman (such as some chapters of The Silmarillion) and Númenor (such as the Akallabêth and Aldarion and Erendis).

In the fandom, the term "Middle-earth" generally refers to Tolkien's secondary world, or fictional universe, including its pantheon and cosmology. Tolkien himself used the term loosely at times to refer to his creation.^[20]

Being actually The Atlas of Arda

As a result, "Middle-earth" is used synonymously with "Arda" as a more recognisable term for titles such as The Complete Guide to Middle-earth and The Atlas of Middle-earth, while their scope is beyond the strict geographical definition of the continent of Endor. Even Christopher Tolkien, while publishing the early drafts and manuscripts of his father, titled the series The History of Middle-earth,^[20] thus equating the term "Middle-earth" with the entire legendarium. Wikipedia pages are an example of this usage, with article names such as Elf (Middle-earth) and the (somewhat erroneous) Arda (Middle-earth).

The proper but technical term "Arda", first appearing in The Silmarillion^[20], refers to the entirety of Tolkien's world, and is seen in the names of Encyclopedia of Arda or Ardalambion.

A frequent misuse of the term is the equation of "Middle-earth" with the mapped regions, as seen in the maps with Lord of the Rings. Actually, these regions are just the Westlands of Middle-earth: the north-western portion of the continent. How far Middle-earth extends to the East and the South of the map is unknown. Although Mordor is seen to the south-eastern corner of the map, that does not mean it belongs to the south-eastern Middle-earth, as there are presumably other lands to the east and south.^[21] Karen Fonstad has attempted to reconstruct the entirety of the continent, beyond the Westlands, based on an early map by Tolkien.^[22]

Middle-earth and the Old World[edit | edit source]

In the earliest drafts of the legendarium, The Book of Lost Tales, the mythology had more direct connections with our history: Littleheart compares the Fall of Gondolin with the fall of "Bablon", "Ninwi" and "Trui".^[23] The Mannish language of Taliska was based on Gothic.^[24] Britain was supposed to be former Tol Eressea that was driven towards the Great Lands, with Ireland (the Isle of Iverin) being a part that broke from it. The main character Ottor Wǽfre was intended to be the father of legendary figures Hengest and Horsa, who conquered England from the Guidlin, the Brithonin and the Rumhoth. In a later sketch, the Elves were from the region of Luthany before being pulled out of the mainland and becoming an island.^[25]

Tolkien envisioned his stories to take place on our world, in an imaginary historical period that contains the essentials of northwestern Europe. He did not see his stories as happening on a "remote globe in 'space'", as was the case with other contemporary fiction.^[26]

As for the later legendarium, The Shire was not only conceptually based on rural England,^[27] but was also expressly stated to be "in this region",^[19] "the North-West of the Old World, east of the Sea".^[28]

Experimental projection of the Westlands over Europe

Concerning the Shire, Tolkien stated that he intended it to correspond roughly to the latitude of Oxford, which would cause other Middle-earth locations to correspond (but not necessarily equate with) real-life locations. For instance, Minas Tirith would fall to about the latitude of Florence, and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin to that of ancient Troy.^[29] According to the annotations provided by J.R.R. Tolkien to Pauline Baynes, Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of Ravenna. The bottom of the map is about the latitude of Jerusalem, and Umbar about that of Cyprus. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near Belgrade.^[30]

Based on this information, it was possible to make more correspondences, and even project the Westlands on a real map of Europe.^[31]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

"...there is much else that may be told." — Glóin
This article or section is a stub. Please help Tolkien Gateway by expanding it.

The whole continent of Middle-earth as envisioned in Middle-earth Role Playing

Middle-earth has been depicted in a variety of adaptations of Tolkien's work, the most prominent of which have been the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies by Peter Jackson. Middle-earth has appeared in animation in Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings and Rankin/Bass' adaptations of The Hobbit and The Return of the King. Middle-earth has also appeared and in television series, such us The Rings of Power by Amazon. Middle-earth has also appeared in numerous video games such as The Lord of the Rings Online and War in the North and tabletop role-playing games like the Middle-earth Role Playing system by Iron Crown Enterprises.

Each adaptation has made changes, subtractions, or additions to Tolkien's creation, often adding new locations, creatures, or characters. For the most part, however, the overall geography and style of Tolkien's Middle-earth have been retained.

References

↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "V. The Ambarkanta"
↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Misty Mountains"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "V. The Ambarkanta"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VI. The Tale of Years of the Second Age" p. 183
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue", "Concerning Hobbits"
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife".
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Lothlórien"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Farewell to Lórien"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Flies and Spiders"
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "I. The Cottage of Lost Play": "Notes and Commentary", p. 21.
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "III. The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor": "Notes and Commentary", p. 81.
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "IV. The Nauglafring", p. 233.
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "Index", p. 370.
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 151, (dated 18 September 1954)
↑ Tolkien Journal II, 2 p. 1
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 169, (dated 11 September 1955)
↑ ^19.0 ^19.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 211, (dated 14 October 1958)
↑ ^20.0 ^20.1 ^20.2 "Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings", Wikipedia (accessed 24 April 2024)
↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Middle-earth"
↑ Karen Wynn Fonstad (1991), The Atlas of Middle-earth
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Quenya Phonology", in Parma Eldalamberon XIX (edited by Christopher Gilson), "The Comparative Tales", p. 22
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 183, (undated, probably written 1956)
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 190, (dated 3 July 1956)
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue"
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 294, (dated 8 February 1967)
↑ The Guardian, 23 October 2015, "Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings". An analysis of the map may also be found in "Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).
↑ Andreas Moehn, "A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map", Lalaith's Middle-earth Science Pages (accessed 24 April 2024)

[1] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days"

[2] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "V. The Ambarkanta"

[3] Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Misty Mountains"

[4] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "V. The Ambarkanta"

[5] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VI. The Tale of Years of the Second Age" p. 183

[6] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue", "Concerning Hobbits"

[ix-7] 7.0 ^7.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"

[8] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife".

[9] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Lothlórien"

[10] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Farewell to Lórien"

[11] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Flies and Spiders"

[LT1In-12] 12.0 ^12.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "I. The Cottage of Lost Play": "Notes and Commentary", p. 21.

[13] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "III. The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor": "Notes and Commentary", p. 81.

[14] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "IV. The Nauglafring", p. 233.

[15] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "Index", p. 370.

[16] J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 151, (dated 18 September 1954)

[17] Tolkien Journal II, 2 p. 1

[18] J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 169, (dated 11 September 1955)

[L211-19] 19.0 ^19.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 211, (dated 14 October 1958)

[wiki-20] 20.0 ^20.1 ^20.2 "Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings", Wikipedia (accessed 24 April 2024)

[21] Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Middle-earth"

[22] Karen Wynn Fonstad (1991), The Atlas of Middle-earth

[23] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin"

[24] J.R.R. Tolkien, "Quenya Phonology", in Parma Eldalamberon XIX (edited by Christopher Gilson), "The Comparative Tales", p. 22

[25] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales"

[26] J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 183, (undated, probably written 1956)

[27] J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 190, (dated 3 July 1956)

[28] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue"

[29] J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 294, (dated 8 February 1967)

[30] The Guardian, 23 October 2015, "Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings". An analysis of the map may also be found in "Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).

[31] Andreas Moehn, "A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map", Lalaith's Middle-earth Science Pages (accessed 24 April 2024)

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Contents

Geography[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

Other names[edit | edit source]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

Inspiration[edit | edit source]

Appendix[edit | edit source]

Terminology[edit | edit source]

Middle-earth and the Old World[edit | edit source]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Middle-earth''' is the name used for the inhabitable parts of J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional [[Arda]] (ancient Earth) where the (canonical) stories in his legendarium take place. "Middle-earth" is a literal translation of the Old English term ''middangeard'', referring to this world, the habitable lands of men. Tolkien translated 'Middle Earth' as ''Endor'' (or sometimes Endóre) and ''Ennor'' in the [[Elvish]] languages [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], respectively.  Mythologically, the north of Endor became the Eurasian land-mass after the primitive Earth was transformed into the round world of today.
+{{sources}}
+{{rewrite}}
+{{location infobox
+| name=Middle-earth
+| image=[[File:John Howe - The Map of Middle-earth.jpg|250px]]
+| caption="The Map of Middle-earth" by [[John Howe]]
+| pronun=
+| othernames=''[[Ennorath]]'', ''[[Endor]]''
+| location=[[Arda]], east of [[Belegaer]]
+| type=Continent
+| description=
+| regions=The [[Westlands]] ([[Beleriand]], [[Rohan]], [[Gondor]], [[Arnor]], [[Mordor]], [[Rhovanion]], [[Forodwaith]]), [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Cuiviénen]], [[Hildorien]], others
+| towns=
+| inhabitants=[[Men]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]], [[Orcs]], [[Hobbits]], [[Ents]], others
+| created=
+| destroyed=
+| events=[[Sleep of Yavanna]], [[Battle of the Powers]], [[Great March]], [[War of the Jewels]], [[Dark Years]], [[Changing of the World]], [[War of the Ring]]
+}}
+{{quote|The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!|[[Aragorn]] in ''[[The Two Towers]]'', "[[The Riders of Rohan]]"}}
+'''Middle-earth''' ([[Quenya|Q.]] ''[[Endor]]'') was a large continent of [[Arda]], situated between [[Aman]] to the [[Uttermost West|West]] (across [[Belegaer]]), and the [[Uttermost East|Land of the Sun]] to the [[East]] (across the [[East Sea]]).
-Middle-earth's setting is in a fictional period in Earth's own past. Tolkien insisted that Middle-earth is Earth in several of [[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien|his letters]], in one of them (no. 211) estimating  the end of the [[Third Age]] to about 6,000 years before his own time. The action of the books is largely confined to the north-west of the Endor continent, implicitly corresponding to modern-day Europe. [[The History of Middle-earth]] is divided into several Ages: ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' deal exclusively with events towards the end of the [[Third Age]] and conclude at the dawn of the [[Fourth Age]], while ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' deals mainly with the [[First Age]]. The world ([[Arda]]) was originally flat but was made round near the end of the [[Second Age]] by [[Eru Ilúvatar]], the Creator.
+Most of the history of Arda takes place in Middle-earth, and it was where the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]: the [[Elves]] and [[Men]], came into being, along with the [[Dwarves]].
-Much of the knowledge of Middle-earth is based on writings that Tolkien did not finish for publication during his lifetime. In these cases, this article is based on the version of the Middle-earth legendarium that is considered [[Canon|canonical]] by most [[Tolkien fans]].
-== The name ==
-The term "Middle-earth" was not invented by Tolkien, rather it existed in Old English as ''middan&#289;eard'', in Middle English as ''midden-erd'' or ''middel-erd''; in Old Norse it was called ''Midgard''. It is English for what the Greeks called the &omicron;&iota;&kappa;&omicron;&upsilon;&mu;&#941;&nu;&eta; (''oikoumen&#x113;'') or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds (''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', 151).
-''Middangeard'' occurs half-a-dozen times in [[Beowulf]], which Tolkien translated and on which he was arguably the world's foremost authority. (See also [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] for discussion of his inspirations and sources). See Midgard and Norse mythology for the older use.
-Tolkien was also inspired by this fragment:
-:''Eala earendel engla beorhtast / ofer middangeard monnum sended.''
-:''Hail Earendel, brightest of angels / above the middle-earth sent unto men.''
-in the Crist poem of Cynewulf. The name ''earendel'' (which may mean the 'morning-star' but in some contexts was a name for Christ) was the inspiration for Tolkien's mariner [[Eärendil]].
-The name was consciously used by Tolkien to place ''[[The Hobbit]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', and related writings.
-Tolkien began to use the term "Middle-earth" in the early 1930s in place of the earlier terms "Great Lands", "Outer Lands", and "Hither Lands" to describe the same region in his stories. "Middle-earth" is specifically intended to describe the lands east of the Great Sea ([[Belegaer]]), thus excluding [[Aman]], but including [[Harad]] and other mortal lands not visited in Tolkien's stories. Many people apply the name to the entirety of Tolkien's world or exclusively to the lands described in ''[[The Hobbit]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', and ''[[The Silmarillion]]''.
-In ancient Germanic and Old Norse mythology, the universe was believed to consist of nine physical worlds joined together.  The world of Men, the Middle-earth, lay in the centre of this universe.  The lands of Elves, Gods, and Giants lay across an encircling sea.  The land of the Dead lay beneath the Middle-earth.  A rainbow bridge, [[Bifrost Bridge]], extended from Middle-earth to Asgaard across the sea.  An outer sea encircled the seven other worlds (Vanaheim, Asgaard, Alfheim, SvartAlfheim, Muspellheim, Nidavellir, and Jotunheim).  In this conception, a "world" was more equivalent to a racial homeland than a physically separate world.
-== The world ==
-''Main article: [[Arda]]''
-Tolkien stated that the geography of Middle Earth was intended to align with that of our real Earth in several particulars. ([The_Letters_of_J._R._R._Tolkien Letters] #294) Expanding upon this idea some suggest that [http://people.wiesbaden.netsurf.de/~lalaith/Tolkien/Grid.html if the map of Middle Earth is projected on our real Earth], and some of the most obvious climatological, botanical, and zoological similarities are aligned, the [[Hobbits]]' [[Shire]] might lie in the temperate climate of England, [[Gondor]] might lie in the Mediterranean Italy and Greece, [[Mordor]] in the arid Turkey and Middle East, South Gondor and Near [[Harad]] in the deserts of Northern Africa, [[Rhovanion]] in the [[Forests]] of Germany and the steppes of Western and Southern Russia, and the Ice Bay of [[Forochel]] in the fjords of Norway.
-''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' are presented as Tolkien's retelling of events depicted in the [[Red Book of Westmarch]], which was written by [[Bilbo Baggins]], [[Frodo Baggins]], and other Hobbits, and corrected and annotated by one or more Gondorian scholars.  Like Shakespeare's ''King Lear'' or Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories, the tales occupy a historical period that could not have actually existed. Dates for the length of the year and the phases of the moon, along with descriptions of constellations, firmly fix the world as Earth, no longer than several thousand years ago.  Years after publication, Tolkien 'postulated' in a letter that the action of the books takes place roughly 6,000 years ago, though he was not certain.
-Tolkien wrote extensively about the linguistics, mythology and history of the world, which provide back-story for these stories. Many of these writings were edited and published posthumously by his son [[Christopher Tolkien|Christopher]].
-Notable among them is ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', which provides a Bible-like creation story and description of the [[cosmology]] which includes Middle-earth.  ''The Silmarillion'' is the primary source of information about [[Valinor]], [[Númenor]], and other lands. Also notable are ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' and the multiple volumes of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', which includes many incomplete stories and essays as well as numerous drafts of Tolkien's Middle Earth mythology, from the earliest forms down through the last writings of his life.
-== Cosmology ==
-''Main article: [[Ainulindalë]]''
-The supreme deity of Tolkien's universe is called [[Eru Ilúvatar]]. In the beginning, Ilúvatar created spirits named the [[Ainur]] and he taught them to make music. After the Ainur had become proficient in their skills, Ilúvatar commanded them to make a great music based on a theme of his own design.  The most powerful Ainu, [[Melkor]] (later called [[Morgoth]] or "Dark Enemy" by the elves), Tolkien's equivalent of Satan, disrupted the theme, and in response Ilúvatar introduced new themes that enhanced the music beyond the comprehension of the Ainur. The movements of their song laid the seeds of much of the history of the as yet unmade universe and the people who were to dwell therein.
-Then Ilúvatar stopped the music and he revealed its meaning to the Ainur through a Vision.  Moved by the Vision, many of the Ainur felt a compelling urge to experience its events directly.  Ilúvatar therefore created [[Eä]], the universe itself, and some of the Ainur went down into the universe to share in its experience.  But upon arriving in Eä, the Ainur found it was shapeless because they had entered at the beginning of Time.  The Ainur undertook great labours in these unnamed "ages of the stars", in which they shaped the universe and filled it with many things far beyond the reach of Men.  In time, however, the Ainur formed [[Arda]], the abiding place of the Children of Ilúvatar, Elves and Men.  The fifteen most powerful Ainur are called the [[Valar]], of whom Melkor was the most powerful, but [[Manwë]] was the leader.  The Valar settled in Arda to watch over it and help prepare it for the awakening of the Children.
-Arda began as a single flat world, which the Valar gave light to through two immense lamps.  Melkor destroyed the lamps and brought darkness to the world.  The Valar retreated to the extreme western regions of Arda, where they created the Two Trees to give light to their new homeland.  After many ages, the Valar imprisoned Melkor to punish and rehabilitate him, and to protect the awakening Children.  But when Melkor was released on parole he poisoned the Two Trees. The Valar took the last two living fruit of the Two Trees and used them to create the Moon and Sun, which remained a part of Arda but were separate from Ambar (the world).
-Before the end of the [[Second Age]], when the Men of Númenor rebelled against the Valar, Ilúvatar destroyed Númenor, separated [[Valinor]] from the rest of Arda, and formed new lands, making the world round. Only Endor remained of the original world, and Endor had now become Eurasia.
 ==Geography==
-[[Image:Middle-earth map.PNG|thumb|Map of Middle-earth]]
+[[Image:Sage - Middle-earth.png|thumb|left|The northern regions of Middle-earth as envisioned by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] in ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'']]
-J.R.R. Tolkien never defined the geography for the entire world associated with ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.  In ''[[The Shaping of Middle-earth]]'', volume IV of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', Christopher Tolkien published several remarkable maps of a "flat Earth" which his father had devised for the first Silmarillion mythology.  These maps were cannibalized by Karen Wynn Fonstad to project possible compatible but entirely non-canonical "whole world maps" reflecting a world consistent with the historical ages depicted in ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Hobbit'', and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
+Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of Arda. It originally lay between two continents: Aman, the uttermost West, separated from Middle-earth by the ocean Belegaer, and the Land of the Sun, the uttermost East, separated by the East Sea.
-The only maps ever prepared by Christopher Tolkien and/or J.R.R. Tolkien for the world encompassing ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' were published as foldouts or illustrations in ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'', and ''The Silmarillion''.  Early conceptions of the maps provided in ''The Silmarillion'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' were included in several volumes, including "The First Silmarillion Map" in ''The Shaping of Middle-earth'', "The First Map of the Lord of the Rings" in ''[[The Treason of Isengard]]'', "The Second Map (West)" and "The Second Map (East)" in ''[[The War of the Ring]]'', and "The Second Map of Middle-earth west of the Blue Mountains" (also known as "The Second Silmarillion Map") in ''[[The War of the Jewels]]''.
-None of these maps are consistent with the several "flat Earth" maps, and the extraordinary "flat Earth" concept only survived into the Middle-earth mythology (established in print by the 1950 and later editions of ''The Hobbit'' and all editions of ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'', ''[[The Road Goes Ever On]]'', and ''The Silmarillion'') as a narrative structure which was not illustrated in any capacity by either J.R.R. Tolkien.
-Any discussion of the geography of Arda (prior to the changes which resulted in the enlargement of Arda to become what Tolkien identified as the Solar System) can only be speculative and fraught with conflicts and contradictions.
-The Endor continent, which in the "flat Earth" phase of Middle-earth's mythological history was only one of several which were later either reshaped or taken away from the world (identified by Tolkien as "Ambar" in several texts, but also identified as "Imbar", the Habitation, in later post-LoTR texts), was originally conceived of (by Tolkien, in the earlier ''Silmarillion'' mythologies) as conforming to a largely symmetrical scheme which was marred by Melkor. The symmetry was defined by two large sub-continents, one in the north and one in the south, with each of them boasting two long chains of mountains in the eastward and westward regions. The mountain chains were given names based on colours (White Mountains, Blue Mountains, Grey Mountains, and Red Mountains).
-The various conflicts with Melkor resulted in the shapes of the lands being distorted. Originally, there was a single inland body of water, in the midst of which was set the island of [[Almaren]] where the Valar lived. When Melkor destroyed the lamps of the Valar which gave light to the world, two vast seas were created, but Almaren and its lake were destroyed. The northern sea became the [[Sea of Helcar]] (Helkar). The lands west of the Blue Mountains became [[Beleriand]] (meaning, "the land of the Valar"). Melkor raised the [[Misty Mountains]] to impede the progress of the Vala Orome as he hunted Melkor's beasts during the period of darkness prior to the awakening of the Elves.
-The violent struggles during the [[War of Wrath]] between the Host of the Valar and the armies of Melkor at the end of the First Age brought about the destruction of Beleriand.  It is also possible that during this time the inland sea of Helcar was drained.
-From the time of the destruction of the two lamps until the time of the Downfall of Númenor, Ambar was supposed to be a "flat world", in that its habitable land-masses were all arranged on one side of the world, the shape of which Tolkien did not specify. It is generally assumed that he envisioned a disk-like face for the world which looked up to the stars. A western continent, Aman, was the home of the Valar (and the Eldar). The middle lands, Endor, are generally identified with "Middle-earth". The eastern continent was not inhabited.
-When Melkor poisoned the Two Trees of the Valar and fled from Aman back to Endor, the Valar created the Sun and the Moon, which were separate bodies (from Ambar) but still parts of Arda (the Realm of the Children of Iluvatar).  The Middle-earth mythology presupposes that Arda became a system of separate bodies traversing the universe at that time.  A few years after publishing ''The Lord of the Rings'', in a note associated with the unique narrative story "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" (which is said to occur in Beleriand during the [[War of the Jewels]]), Tolkien equated Arda with the Solar System; because Arda by this point consisted of more than one heavenly body.
-According to the accounts in both ''The Silmarillion'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'', when [[Ar-Pharazôn]] invaded Aman to seize immortality from the Valar, they laid down their guardianship of the world and ''[[Ilúvatar]]'' intervened, destroying Númenor, removing Aman "from the circles of the world", and reshaping Ambar into the round world of today.  ''[[Akallabêth]]'' says that the Númenóreans who survived the Downfall sailed as far west as they could in search of their ancient home, but their travels only brought them around the world back to their starting points. Hence, before the end of the Second Age, the transition from "flat Earth" to "round Earth" had been completed.
-The Endor continent became approximately equivalent to the Eurasian land-mass, but Tolkien had proceeded too far with his fictional geography to provide any realistic correlations between the narrative of ''The Lord of the Rings'' and Europe or near-by lands.  It is therefore assumed that the reader understands the world underwent a subsequent undocumented transformation (which some people speculate Tolkien would have equated with the Biblical deluge) sometime after the end of the Third Age.
-== Peoples ==
-''Main article: [[List of Middle-earth peoples]]''
-Middle-earth is home to several distinct intelligent species. First are the Ainur, angelic beings created by Ilúvatar. The Ainur sing for Ilúvatar, who creates Eä to give existence to their music in the cosmological myth called the ''[[Ainulindalë]]'', or "Music of the Ainur". Some of the Ainur then enter Eä, and the greatest of these are called the [[Valar]]. [[Melkor]] (later called ''Morgoth''), the chief personification of evil in Eä, is initially one of the Valar.
-The other Ainur who enter Eä are called the [[Maiar]]. In the First Age the most active Maia is [[Melian]], wife of the Elven King [[Thingol]]; in the Third Age, during the [[War of the Ring]], five of the Maiar have been embodied and sent to Endor to help the free peoples to overthrow Sauron. Those are the [[Istari]] (or ''Wise Ones'') (called [[Wizards]] by Men), including [[Gandalf]], [[Saruman]], [[Radagast]], [[Alatar]] and [[Pallando]]. There were also evil Maiar, called Umaiar, including the [[Balrogs]] and the second Dark Lord [[Sauron]].
-Later come the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]: [[Elves]] and [[Men]], intelligent beings created by Ilúvatar alone. ''The Silmarillion'' tells how Elves and Men awaken and spread through the world.  The Dwarves are said to have been made by the Vala [[Aulë]], who offered to destroy them when Ilúvatar confronted him. Ilúvatar forgives Aulë's transgression and adopts the Dwarves. Three tribes of Men who ally themselves with the Elves of [[Beleriand]] in the First Age are called the [[Edain]].
-As a reward for their loyalty and suffering in the [[Battles of Beleriand|Wars of Beleriand]], the descendants of the Edain are given the island of [[Númenor]] to be their home.  But as described in the section on [[#History of Middle-earth|Middle-earth's history]], Númenor is eventually destroyed and a remnant of the Númenóreans establish realms in the northern lands of Endor.  Those who remained faithful to the Valar found the kingdoms of [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]].  They are then known as the [[Dúnedain]], whereas other Númenórean survivors, still devoted to evil but living far to the south, become known as the [[Black Númenóreans]].
-Tolkien identified Hobbits as an offshoot of the race of Men.  Although their origins and ancient history are not known, Tolkien implied that they settled in the [[Anduin|Vales of Anduin]] early in the Third Age, but after a thousand years the Hobbits began migrating west over the [[Misty Mountains]] into [[Eriador]].  Eventually, many Hobbits settled in the [[Shire]].
-After they are granted true life by Ilúvatar, the Dwarves' creator Aulë lays them to sleep in hidden mountain locations.  Ilúvatar awakens the Dwarves only after the Elves have awakened.  The Dwarves spread throughout northern Endor and eventually found seven kingdoms.  Two of these kingdoms, Nogrod and Belegost, befriend the Elves of [[Beleriand]] against Morgoth in the First Age.  But the greatest Dwarf kingdom is [[Khazad-dûm]], later known as [[Moria]].
-The [[Ents]], shepherds of the trees, are created by Ilúvatar at the Vala [[Yavanna]]'s request to protect trees from the deprivations of Elves, Dwarves, and Men.
-[[Orcs]] and [[Trolls]] are evil creatures bred by Morgoth. They are not original creations but rather "mockeries" of the Children of Ilúvatar and Ents, since only Ilúvatar has the ability to give being to things.  The detailed origins of Orcs and Trolls are unclear (Tolkien considered many possibilities and frequently changed his mind).  It seems most likely that the Orcs were bred largely from corrupted Elves or Men or both.  Late in the Third Age, the Uruks or [[Uruk-hai]] appear: a race of Orcs of great size and strength.  (Some claim that by the end of the Third Age, the only Uruks properly called Uruk-hai are those serving Saruman.)  And Saruman breeds Orcs and Men together to produce "Men-orcs" and "Orc-men"; at times, some of these are called "half-orcs" or "goblin-men". (There is no consensus as to whether Saruman's Uruk-hai were among these.  The books contain no hint of the "pod grown" Uruk-hai portrayed in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]].)
-Seemingly sapient animals also appear, such as the [[Eagles]], [[Huan]] the Great Hound from [[Valinor]], and the [[Wargs]]. The Eagles are created by Ilúvatar along with the Ents, but in general these animals' origins and nature are unclear. Some of them might be Maiar in animal form, or perhaps even the offspring of Maiar and normal animals.
-==Languages==
-''Main article: [[Languages]] of [[Middle-earth]]''
-Tolkien devised two main Elven languages which would later become known to us as [[Quenya]], spoken by the [[Vanyar]], [[Noldor]], and some [[Teleri]], and [[Sindarin]], spoken by the Elves who stayed in [[Beleriand]] (see below). These languages were related, and a [[Common Eldarin]] form ancestral to them both is postulated.
-Other languages of the world include
-*[[Adûnaic]] &ndash; spoken by the [[Númenor|Númenóreans]]
-*[[Black Speech]] &ndash; devised by [[Sauron]] for his slaves to speak
-*[[Khuzdul|Khuzdûl]] &ndash; spoken by the [[Dwarves]]
-*[[Rohirric]] &ndash; spoken by the [[Rohirrim]] &ndash; represented in the Lord of the Rings by Old English
-*[[Westron]] &ndash; the 'Common Speech' &ndash; represented by English
-*[[Valarin]] &ndash; the language of the Ainur.
-== History of Middle-earth ==
+In the [[Elder Days]], the two large inland seas of [[Sea of Helcar|Helcar]] and [[Sea of Ringil|Ringil]], created by the demise of the [[Two Lamps]], were located to the north and south of the center of middle-earth.
-''Main article: [[History of Arda]]''
-The history of Middle-earth is divided into three time periods, known as the [[Years of the Lamps]], [[Years of the Trees]] and [[Years of the Sun]].
+The [[Westlands]] are the most well-known regions of the continent, and the only regions which have been mapped in great detail. Of the Westlands, the western portion called [[Beleriand]] was drowned at the end of the [[First Age]] and those who survived relocated to [[Lindon]] and [[Eriador]], which was separated from Beleriand by the [[Blue Mountains]]. Another region of the Westlands was  [[Rhovanion]]''',''' separated from Eriador by the [[Misty Mountains]].
-The Years of the Lamps began shortly after the [[Valar]] finished their labours in shaping Arda. The Valar created two lamps to illuminate the world, and the Vala [[Aulë]] forged great towers, one in the furthest north, and another in the deepest south. The Valar lived in the middle, at the island of [[Almaren]]. [[Melkor]]'s destruction of the two Lamps marked the end of the Years of the Lamps.
+The southern portion of the Westlands was around [[Bay of Belfalas|a large bay]], including [[Belfalas]] the fief of [[Gondor]], and [[Near Harad]] ("Near South").
-Then [[Yavanna]] made the [[Two Trees]] named [[Telperion]] and [[Laurelin]] in the land of [[Aman]]. The Trees illuminated Aman, leaving the rest of Arda in darkness, illuminated only by the stars. At the start of the [[First Age]] the [[Awakening of the Elves|Elves awoke]] beside Lake [[Cuiviénen]] in the east of Endor, and were soon approached by the Valar. Many of the Elves were persuaded to undertake the [[Great Journey]] westwards towards Aman, but not all of them completed the journey (see [[Sundering of the Elves]]). The Valar had imprisoned Melkor but he appeared to repent and was released on parole. He sowed great discord among the Elves and stirred up rivalry between the Elven princes [[Fëanor]] and [[Fingolfin]]. He then slew their father, king [[Finwë]] and stole the [[Silmarils]], three gems crafted by Fëanor that contained light of the Two Trees, from his vault, and destroyed the Trees themselves.
+During the [[Third Age]] before their decline, the sister kingdoms of [[Arnor]] and Gondor dominated the Westlands. Arnor was the northern kingdom of the two, and Gondor the southern.
-Fëanor persuaded most of his people, the [[Noldor]], to leave Aman in pursuit of Melkor to [[Beleriand]], cursing him with the name ''[[Morgoth]]''.  Fëanor led the first of two groups of Noldor.  The larger group was led by [[Fingolfin]]. The Noldor stopped at the [[Teleri]]'s port-city, [[Alqualondë]], but the Teleri refused to give them ships to get to Middle-earth. The first [[Kinslaying]] thus ensued, Fëanor and many of his followers attacked the Teleri and stole their ships.  Fëanor's host sailed on the stolen ships, leaving Fingolfin's behind to cross over to Middle-earth through the deadly [[Helcaraxë]] (or Grinding Ice) in the far north. Subsequently Fëanor was slain, but most of his sons survived and founded realms, as did Fingolfin and his heirs.
+Little is known about the East and South of Middle-earth, other than names such as [[Rhûn]] and [[Khand]], found east of [[Mordor]], and the '''[[Far Harad]]''' (Far South); although their size is unknown. Another name of the East was the [[Empty Lands]].
-The Years of the Sun began when the Valar made the Sun and it rose over the world, [[Imbar]]. After several great battles, a [[Long Peace]] ensued for four hundred years, during which time the first Men entered Beleriand by crossing over the [[Blue Mountains]]. When Morgoth broke the [[siege of Angband]], one by one the Elven kingdoms fell, even the hidden city of [[Gondolin]].  The only measurable success achieved by Elves and Men came when Beren of the [[Edain]] and Luthien, daughter of [[Thingol]] and [[Melian]], retrieved a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth.  Afterward, Beren and Luthien died, and were restored to life by the Valar with the understanding that Luthien was to become mortal and Beren should never be seen by Men again.
+Through the distant north-east of Middle-earth ran the [[Orocarni|Red Mountains]], and to the distant south-east the [[Yellow Mountains]], which mirrored the Blue Mountains and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains]] of the north-west and south-west respectively. The cradle of the Elves, '''[[Cuiviénen]]''' was located on the shores of the Sea of Helcar near the Red Mountains. In the far east between the Red Mountains and the Yellow Mountains were the [[Mountains of the Wind]], and between these mountains and the easternmost shores of Middle-earth stood '''[[Hildórien]]''', the cradle of Men. There was also a mythical [[Last Desert]] in the "East of East", however its status or existence during the later years was unknown.
-Thingol quarrelled with the Dwarves of Nogrod and they slew him, stealing the Silmaril.  With the help of Ents, Beren waylaid the Dwarves and recovered the Silmaril, which he gave to Luthien.  Soon afterwards, both Beren and Luthien died again.  The Silmaril was given to their son [[Dior]] [[Half-Elven]], who had restored the Kingdom of [[Doriath]].  The sons of [[Fëanor]] demanded that Dior surrender the Silmaril to them, and he refused.  The Fëanorians destroyed Doriath and killed Dior in the second Kinslaying, but Dior's young daughter Elwing escaped with the jewel. Three sons of [[Fëanor]] &ndash; [[Celegorm]], [[Curufin]], and [[Caranthir]] &ndash; died trying to retake the jewel.
+==History==
+:''This is the geographical history. For events happening in Middle-earth, see [[Timeline]].''
+[[File:Steven White Jr. - Early Arda.jpg|thumb|left|Early Arda]]
+[[Aulë]] built Middle-earth amidst the [[Ekkaia|encircling sea]]. To the [[North]], the [[Valar]] set the lamp of [[Illuin]], and to the [[South]], the lamp of [[Ormal]], and their light mingled in the middle of the continent, occupied by the island [[Almaren]], the dwelling of the Valar.<ref>{{S|1}}</ref>
-By the end of the age, all that remained of the free Elves and Men in [[Beleriand]] was a settlement at the mouth of the River [[Sirion]]. Among them was [[Eärendil]], who married [[Elwing]]. But the Fëanorians again demanded the Silmaril be returned to them, and after their demand was rejected they resolved to take the jewel by force, leading to the third Kinslaying. Eärendil and Elwing took the Silmaril across the [[Great Sea]], to beg the Valar for pardon and aid. The Valar responded. Melkor was captured, most of his works were destroyed, and he was banished beyond the confines of the world into the [[Door of Night]].
+Arda was initially flat, and symmetrical until the [[Valar]] (and [[Morgoth]]) created several seas a, formed a landmass in the centre of Arda, the earliest form of what would later be known as the [[Great Lands]] of Middle-earth. Major geographical features of that landmass were two central inland seas: the Sea of Helcar in the north and the Sea of Ringil in the south. Around them, massive mountain ranges were formed, the Blue Mountains and Red Mountains to the north, and the [[Grey Mountains]] and [[Yellow Mountains]] to the south. The [[Mountains of the Wind]] were a smaller range in the East, located south of the [[Red Mountains]] and north of the [[Yellow Mountains]].<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>
-The Silmarils were recovered at a terrible cost, as [[Beleriand]] itself was broken and began to sink under the sea. Feanor's remaining sons [[Maedhros]] and [[Maglor]] were ordered to return to [[Valinor]]. They proceeded to steal the Simarils from the victorious [[Valar]].  But the power of the Simarils was too great for them to hold.  Each of the brothers met their fate, one falling into the chasm of fire and the other throwing the jewel into the sea.
+Eventually the Valar left the Great Lands for the [[Uttermost West]], leaving Morgoth and his creatures in his fortress at [[Utumno]], behind the [[Iron Mountains]] in the north of Middle-earth. Morgoth would later erect the [[Misty Mountains]] between the Blue Mountains and Red Mountains to hinder the Vala [[Oromë]], who hunted his creatures.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Misty Mountains"</ref> During the [[Battle of the Powers]], the Sea of Ringil would merge with the East Sea, separating Middle-earth from a new continent to its south-east known as the [[Dark Land]]. To the west the shores of the Great Sea advanced upon the land as well, forming the [[Great Gulf]] dividing the lands of [[Beleriand]] from the lands of the south.<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>
+[[File:Sage - Beleriand and Eriador collage.png|thumb|[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]]'s drawing of western Middle-earth showing a deluged Beleriand adjacent to Eriador]]
+During the [[First Age]], the western side of Middle-earth was called Beleriand, stretching from the Ered Luin to the great ocean of Belegaer. On the northern edge of Beleriand were the fierce Ered Engrin, the Iron Mountains. Further north was the freezing [[Dor Daedeloth]]. Southwest of the Ered Engrin was [[Hithlum]], separated from the coast of [[Lammoth]] and Belegaer by the [[Ered Lómin]], and from the rest of Beleriand to the south by the [[Ered Wethrin]]. The woven wood of [[Doriath]] rested directly south of the [[Thangorodrim]] and [[Dorthonion]], southeast of Hithlum. West of Doriath were [[Taur-en-Faroth]] and the [[Falas]], and to the east was [[Nan Elmoth]] and [[Thargelion]] before reaching the [[Ered Luin]]. South of Doriath were first the [[Andram]], then [[Arvernien]] and the [[Bay of Balar]]. East of the Bay of Balar and extending ever further south into the unknown lands were the [[Taur-im-Duinath]] and [[Ossiriand]].
-Thus began the [[Second Age]]. The Edain were given the island of [[Númenor]] toward the west of the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]] as their home, while many Elves were welcomed into the West. The Númenóreans became great seafarers, but also became increasingly jealous of the Elves for their immortality. But after a few centuries, [[Sauron]], Morgoth's chief servant, began to organize evil creatures in the eastern lands. He persuaded Elven smiths in [[Eregion]] to create [[Rings of Power]], and secretly forged [[the One Ring]] to control the other rings. But the Elves became aware of Sauron's plan as soon as he put the One Ring on his hand, and they removed their own Rings before he could master their wills.
+East of the Ered Luin was a land surrounded by four mountain ranges: the Ered Luin to the West, the Ered Engrin to the North, the Misty Mountains to the East, and some of the [[White Mountains]] to the South. [[Eriador]] was within these boundaries. Even further East, past the Hithaeglir, was the Great River [[Anduin]], [[Palisor]], and the East Sea.
-[[Image:numenor.png|thumb|left|200px|A map of Númenor during the Second Age, courtesy of the [http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/ Encyclopedia of Arda].]]
+After the First Age ended and Beleriand drowned, the geography east of the Ered Luin shifted. The Ered Luin themselves, now broken up and disfigured, marked the western border of [[Eriador]], and thence Lindon and Belegaer itself. Eriador, now the Westernmost part of Middle-earth, was bordered on the East by the Misty Mountains, which stretched south to the White Mountains and the [[Bay of Belfalas]]. Across the Misty Mountains from Eriador was Rhovanion, which extended eastwards to the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and the vast lands of Rhûn beyond. Within Rhovanion were the great forests of: [[Mirkwood]], [[Fangorn Forest|Fangorn Forest]], and the many-rivered area that became known as Gondor. Eastwards was the region of Mordor, bordered on three sides by mountains. Far north of Rhovanion was the icy [[Forodwaith (lands)|Forodwaith]], and where the Great Sea had advanced at its most there was the [[Icebay of Forochel]].
-The last Númenórean king [[Ar-Pharazôn]], by the strength of his army, humbled even Sauron and brought him to Númenor as a hostage. But with the help of the One Ring, Sauron deceived Ar-Pharazôn and convinced the king to invade Aman, promising immortality for all those who set foot on the [[Undying Lands]]. [[Amandil]], chief of those still faithful to the Valar, tried to sail west to seek their aid. His son [[Elendil]] and grandsons [[Isildur]] and [[Anárion]] prepared to flee east to Middle-earth. When the King's forces landed on Aman, the Valar called for Ilúvatar to intervene. The world was changed, and Aman was removed from [[Imbar]]. From that time onward, Men could no longer find Aman, but Elves seeking passage in specially hallowed ships received the grace of using the [[Straight Road]], which led from Middle-earth's seas to the seas of Aman. Númenor was utterly destroyed, and with it the fair body of Sauron, but his spirit endured and fled back to Middle-Earth. Elendil and his sons escaped to Endor and founded the realms of [[Gondor]] and [[Arnor]]. Sauron soon rose again, but the Elves allied with the Men to form the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men|Last Alliance]] and defeated him. His One Ring was taken from him by Isildur, but not destroyed.
+The coasts of Middle-earth changed once more, in the cataclysm of the [[Downfall of Númenor]]. In many places the Great Sea advanced upon the land, but in others it shrank back. Lindon suffered a great loss of land at this time. While to the south, the eastern and southern shores of the Bay of Belfalas shrank back, pushing the city of [[Pelargir]] much farther inland. The Anduin river found new paths to the sea afterwards, forming the [[Ethir Anduin]].<ref>{{PM|Second}} p. 183</ref>
-The [[Third Age]] saw the rise in power of the realms of Arnor and Gondor, and their decline. By the time of ''The Lord of the Rings'', Sauron had recovered much of his former strength, and was seeking the One Ring. He discovered that it was in the possession of a Hobbit and sent out the nine [[Ringwraiths]] to retrieve it. The Ring-bearer, [[Frodo Baggins]], travelled to [[Rivendell]], where it was decided that the Ring had to be destroyed in the only way possible: casting it into the fires of [[Mount Doom]]. Frodo set out on the quest with eight companions&mdash;the [[Fellowship of the Ring]]. At the last moment he failed, but with the intervention of the creature [[Gollum]]&mdash;who was saved by the pity of Frodo and [[Bilbo Baggins]]&mdash;the Ring was nevertheless destroyed. Frodo with his companion [[Sam Gamgee]] were hailed as heroes. Sauron was destroyed forever and his spirit dissipated.
+Long after the [[Fourth Age]], the lands had all changed their shape. The [[Hobbits]] were said to have lingered long after in the same north-western regions east of the Sea, in what was known as the Old World.<ref>{{FR|Hobbits}}</ref>
-The end of the Third Age marked the end of the dominion of the Elves and the beginning of the dominion of [[Men]]. As the [[Fourth Age]] began, many of the Elves who had lingered in Middle-earth left for Valinor, never to return; those who remained behind would "fade" and diminish. The Dwarves eventually dwindled away as well. The Dwarves eventually returned in large numbers and resettled Moria. Peace was restored between Gondor and the lands to the south and east. Eventually, the tales of the earlier Ages became legends, the truth behind them forgotten.
+==Other names==
+The peoples called Middle-earth by several names. The Elves called the continent ''[[Endóre]]'' or ''[[Endor]]'' in [[Quenya]], meaning "middle land"; the [[Sindarin]] word was ''[[Ennor]]'', also used in the plural ''ennorath'': "middle lands, lands of Middle-earth".
-==Books==
+Other epithets of the continent were '''[[Hither Lands]]''' or '''Outer Lands''' in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'',<ref name=ix>{{S|Index}}</ref> contrasted to [[Aman]] beyond the sea. On [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s earliest maps of Arda, the term "Hither Lands" was written across both Middle-earth and the southern continent that would eventually contain [[Harad]]. Lacking a definite name for this southern landmass, "Hither Lands" is occasionally used by fans.
-===Works by Tolkien===
+In the ''[[Akallabêth]]'' it was also the '''Great Lands''',<ref name="ix" />, since it was so much larger than the island of [[Elenna]]. King [[Tar-Meneldur]] of Númenor also used the name Great Lands, and further '''Dark Lands''' in his speech to his son [[Aldarion]].<ref>{{UT|4}}.</ref>
-* 1937 ''[[The Hobbit]]''
+In verses such as the ''[[Song of Eärendil]]'' and songs of [[Galadriel]],<ref>{{FR|Lorien}}</ref><ref>{{FR|Farewell}}</ref> it is referred to as the '''Hither Shores'''. The Hobbits envisioned Middle-earth as the '''Wide World'''.<ref>{{H|8}}</ref>
-** The [[Hobbit]] [[Bilbo Baggins]] joins a company of Dwarves and the Wizard Gandalf in a quest to reclaim an old Dwarvish kingdom from the [[Dragons|dragon]] [[Smaug]].
-* 1954 ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', part 1 of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''
-** Bilbo's cousin and heir [[Frodo Baggins]] sets out on a quest to rid Middle-earth of the [[One Ring]], joined by the [[Fellowship of the Ring]].
-* 1954 ''[[The Two Towers]]'', part 2 of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''
-** The Fellowship is split apart: while Frodo and his servant [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] continue their quest, [[Aragorn]], [[Gimli]] and [[Legolas]] fight to rescue the hobbits [[Peregrin Took]] (Pippin) and [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] (Merry) from [[Orcs]] and to save the Kingdom of [[Rohan]].
-* 1955 ''[[The Return of the King]],'' part 3 of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''
-** Frodo and Sam reach [[Mordor]], while Aragorn arrives in [[Gondor]] and reclaims his heritage.
-* 1962 ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]] and Other Verses from the Red Book''
-** An assortment of poems, only loosely related to ''The Lord of the Rings''
-* 1967 ''[[The Road Goes Ever On]]''
-** A song cycle with the composer [[Donald Swann]] (long out of print but reprinted in 2002)
-Tolkien died in 1973. All further works were edited by [[Christopher Tolkien]]. Only The Silmarillion portrays itself as a finished work &mdash; the others are collections of notes and draft versions.
+==Other versions of the legendarium==
+In ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', Middle-earth was usually called the '''Great Lands'''. The name "Middle-earth" was never used until the writings from the 1930s.<ref name=LT1In>{{LT1|In}}, p. 21.</ref> Originally the name in the Lost Tales was '''Outer Lands''', but Tolkien gave the name a different meaning, "lands West of the Great Sea", and amended it to "Great Lands".<ref name=LT1In /><ref>{{LT1|IIIn}}, p. 81.</ref> Once is found the name '''Lands Without''',<ref>{{LT2|IV}}, p. 233.</ref> that is: "Lands without Valinor".<ref>{{LT2|Index}}, p. 370.</ref>
-* 1977 ''[[The Silmarillion]]''
+==Inspiration==
-** The history of the Elder Days, before the Lord of the Rings, including the [[Akallabêth|Downfall of Númenor]]
+[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] created Arda, especially Middle-earth, for his languages Quenya and Sindarin, especially the latter. To Tolkien, a scholar of the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] language, Middle-earth was the English translation of the Old English word ''middanġeard''. This word was transformed in the [[Middle English]] ''midden-erd'' or ''middel-erd'', and the [[Old Norse]] ''Midgard''. This is English for what the Greeks called the &omicron;&iota;&kappa;&omicron;&upsilon;&mu;&#941;&nu;&eta; (''oikoumen&#x113;'') or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds.<ref>{{L|151}}</ref>
-* 1980 ''[[Unfinished Tales]] of Númenor and Middle-earth''
-** Stories and essays related to the ''Silmarillion'' and ''Lord of the Rings'', but many were never completed.
-''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' series:
+The ancient peoples called the world "middle-earth", since it was imagined to be above the realm of the Giants and below the realm of the gods. However, in Tolkien's cosmology the name Middle-earth refers only to a continent, which (in the First and Second Ages) is set between two seas, Belegaer and the East Sea.
-* 1983 ''[[The Book of Lost Tales 1]]''
-* 1984 ''[[The Book of Lost Tales 2]]''
-** The original mythologies, introducing many ideas which were used in later mythologies
-* 1985 ''[[The Lays of Beleriand]]''
-** Two long poems (the Lay of Leithian about [[Beren]] and [[Lúthien]], and the [[Túrin]]ssaga)
-* 1986 ''[[The Shaping of Middle-earth]]''
-** The first Silmarillion mythology
-* 1987 ''[[The Lost Road and Other Writings]]''
-** The original Númenor mythology, the second Silmarillion mythology
-* 1988 ''[[The Return of the Shadow]]'' (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.1)
-* 1989 ''[[The Treason of Isengard]]'' (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.2)
-* 1990 ''[[The War of the Ring]]'' (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.3)
-* 1992 ''[[Sauron Defeated]]'' (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.4)
-** The development of the Lord of the Rings, from 'The Hobbit 2' to what would become more a sequel for 'The Silmarillion'. ''Sauron Defeated'' also includes the second the Númenor mythology.
-* 1993 ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' (The Later Silmarillion, part one)
-* 1994 ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'' (The Later Silmarillion, part two)
-** The primary source materials for the published Silmarillion, as well as late materials related to the Silmarillion mythologies.  Includes the controversial 'Myths Transformed' section, which documents how Tolkien's thoughts changed radically in the last years of his life.
-* 1996 ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]''
-** Source material for the appendices in The Lord of the Rings and some more late writings related to The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings.
-* 2002 ''History of Middle-earth: Index''
-** This book has completely integrated all of the indices from the previous twelve volumes into one large index.
-===Works by others===
+[[Henry Resnick]] quoted Tolkien as saying that, "Middle-earth is Europe".<ref>[[Tolkien Journal]] II, 2 p. 1</ref> However, Tolkien designed his maps to accommodate the mythology,  conscious that they did not fit the ancient Earth as understood by contemporary archaeology and historical geology.<ref>{{L|169}}</ref><ref name=L211/>
-A small selection of the dozens of books about Tolkien and his worlds:
-* 1978 ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'' (ISBN 0345449762, [[Robert Foster]], generally recognised as the best reference book on The Lord of the Rings. This guide does not include information from ''Unfinished Tales'' or the ''History of Middle-earth'' series, which leads to some errors by our choice of "canon" above.)
+==Appendix==
-* 2004 ''[[The Annotated Hobbit]]'', [[Douglas Anderson]], a comprehensive study of the publication history of The Hobbit.
+===Terminology===
-* 1981 ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'' ([[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] &ndash; an atlas of ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Hobbit'', ''The Silmarillion'', and ''The Unfinished Tales''; revised 1991)
+The ''continent'' of Middle-earth is the primary setting of most of the stories in the [[legendarium]]. Although there are several stories that take place in Aman (such as some chapters of ''The Silmarillion'') and Númenor (such as the ''[[Akallabêth]]'' and ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'').
-* 1981 ''[[Journeys of Frodo]]'' ([[Barbara Strachey]] &ndash; an atlas of ''The Lord of the Rings'')
-* 1983 ''[[The Road to Middle-earth]]'' ([[Tom Shippey]] &ndash; literary analysis of Tolkien's stories from the perspective of a fellow philologist; last revised 2003)
-* 2002 ''[[The Complete Tolkien Companion]]'' (ISBN 0330411659, [[J. E. A. Tyler]] &ndash; a reference, covers ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Hobbit'', ''The Silmarillion'', and ''Unfinished Tales''; substantially improved over the two earlier editions.)
-==Adaptations==
+In the [[fandom]], the term "Middle-earth" generally refers to Tolkien's [[secondary world]], or [[Wikipedia:fictional universe|fictional universe]], including its pantheon and cosmology. Tolkien himself used the term loosely at times to refer to his creation.<ref name=wiki/>
-===Films===
+[[File:The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|Being actually ''The Atlas of '''Arda''''']]
-In [[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien|letter #202]] to [[Christopher Tolkien]], J. R. R. Tolkien set out his policy regarding film adaptions of his works: "Art or Cash". He sold the film rights for ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' to [[United Artists]] in 1969 after being faced with a sudden tax bill. They are currently in the hands of [[Tolkien Enterprises]], which has no relation to the [[Tolkien Estate]], which retains film rights to ''The Silmarillion'' and other works.
+As a result, "Middle-earth" is used synonymously with "Arda" as a more recognisable term for titles such as ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'' and ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', while their scope is beyond the strict geographical definition of the continent of Endor. Even [[Christopher Tolkien]], while publishing the early drafts and manuscripts of his father, titled the series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'',<ref name=wiki>{{webcite|articleurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth#Usage_and_misunderstandings|articlename=Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings|website=Wikipedia}}</ref> thus equating the term "Middle-earth" with the entire legendarium. Wikipedia pages are an example of this usage, with article names such as [[Wikipedia:Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf (Middle-earth)]] and the (somewhat erroneous) Arda (Middle-earth).
-The first adaption to be shown was ''[[The Hobbit (1977 movie)|The Hobbit]]'' in 1977, made by [[Rankin/Bass]] studios. This was initially shown on United States [[television.
+The proper but technical term "Arda", first appearing in ''The Silmarillion''<ref name=wiki/>, refers to the entirety of Tolkien's world, and is seen in the names of ''[[Encyclopedia of Arda]]'' or ''[[Ardalambion]]''.
-The following year (1978), a movie entitled ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]'' was released, produced and directed by [[Ralph Bakshi]]; it was an adaption of the first half of the story, using rotoscope animation. Although relatively faithful to the story, it was neither a commercial nor a critical success.
+A frequent misuse of the term is the equation of "Middle-earth" with the mapped regions, as seen in the maps with ''Lord of the Rings''. Actually, these regions are just the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth: the north-western portion of the continent.  How far Middle-earth extends to the East and the South of the map is unknown. Although [[Mordor]] is seen to the south-eastern corner of the map, that does not mean it belongs to the south-eastern Middle-earth, as there are presumably other lands to the east and south.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Middle-earth"</ref> [[Karen Fonstad]] has attempted to reconstruct the entirety of the continent, beyond the Westlands, based on an [[:File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Ambarkanta Map V.png|early map by Tolkien]].<ref>{{HM|AME}}</ref>
-In 1980, Rankin-Bass produced a TV special covering roughly the last half of ''The Lord of the Rings'', called ''[[The Return of the King (1980 movie)|The Return of the King]]''. However, this did not follow on directly from the end of the Bakshi film.
+===Middle-earth and the Old World===
+In the earliest drafts of the [[legendarium]], ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the mythology had more direct connections with our history: [[Littleheart]] compares the [[Fall of Gondolin]] with the fall of "[[Wikipedia:Babylon|Bablon]]", "[[Wikipedia:Nineveh|Ninwi]]" and "[[Wikipedia:Troy|Trui]]".<Ref>{{LT2|III}}</ref> The [[Mannish]] language of [[Taliska]] was based on [[Gothic]].<ref>{{PE|19}}, "The Comparative Tales", p. 22</ref> Britain was supposed to be former [[Tol Eressea]] that was driven towards the [[Great Lands]], with Ireland (the Isle of [[Iverin]]) being a part that broke from it. The main character [[Ottor Wǽfre]] was intended to be the father of legendary figures [[Wikipedia:Hengest|Hengest]] and [[Wikipedia:Horsa|Horsa]], who conquered England from the Guidlin, the [[Wikipedia:Britons (Celtic people)|Brithonin]] and the [[Wikipedia:Ancient Rome|Rumhoth]]. In a later sketch, the Elves were from the region of [[Luthany]] before being pulled out of the mainland and becoming an island.<ref>{{LT2|VI}}</ref>
-Plans for a live-action version would wait until the late 1990s to be realised. These were directed by [[Peter Jackson]] and funded by [[New Line Cinema]] with backing from the New Zealand government and banking system.
+Tolkien envisioned his stories to take place on our world, in an imaginary historical period that contains the essentials of northwestern Europe. He did not see his stories as happening on a "remote globe in 'space'", as was the case with other contemporary fiction.<ref>{{L|183}}</ref>
-*''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' (2001)
-*''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers|The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'' (2002)
-*''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' (2003)
-The films were a huge box office and critical success and together won seventeen [[Awards#Oscars|Oscars]] (at least one in each applicable category for a fictional, English language, live-action feature film, except in the acting categories). However, in adapting the works to film, changes in the storyline and characters offended some fans of the books.
+As for the later legendarium, [[The Shire]] was not only conceptually based on rural England,<ref>{{L|190}}</ref> but was also expressly stated to be "in this region",<ref name=L211>{{L|211}}</ref> "the North-West of the [[Wikipedia:Old World|Old World]], east of the Sea".<ref>{{FR|Prologue}}</ref>
-===Games===
+[[File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png|thumb|left|Experimental projection of the Westlands over Europe]]
-The works of Tolkien have been a major influence on role-playing games along with others such as Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, H. P. Lovecraft, and Michael Moorcock. Although the most famous game to be inspired partially by the setting was [[Dungeons & Dragons]], there have been two specifically Middle-earth based and licensed games. These are the [[Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game]] from [[Decipher Inc.]] and the [[Middle Earth Role Play]] game (MERP) from [[Iron Crown Enterprises]]. A Middle Earth play by mail game was originally run by [[Flying Buffalo]] and is now produced by [[Middle Earth Games]]; this game was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design's Hall of Fame in 1997.
+Concerning the Shire, Tolkien stated that he intended it to correspond roughly to the latitude of [[Oxford]], which would cause other Middle-earth locations to correspond (but not necessarily equate with) real-life locations. For instance, [[Minas Tirith]] would fall to about the latitude of [[Wikipedia:Florence|Florence]], and [[Pelargir]] and the mouths of Anduin to that of ancient [[Wikipedia:Troy|Troy]].<ref>{{L|294}}</ref> According to the annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]], Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Ravenna|Ravenna]]. The bottom of the map is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], and [[Umbar]] about that of [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near [[wikipedia:Belgrade|Belgrade]].<ref>''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings  Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes  Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes]" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).</ref>
-Simulations Publications created three war games based on Tolkien's work. ''War of the Ring'' covered most of the events in the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. ''Gondor'' focused on the battle of Pelennor Fields, and ''Sauron'' covered the Second Age battle before the gates of Mordor. A war game based on the ''[[Lord of the Rings]]'' movies is currently being produced by [[Games Workshop]]. A board game also called ''War of the Ring'' is currently published by [[Fantasy Flight Games]].
+Based on this information, it was possible to make more correspondences, and even project the [[Westlands]] on a real map of Europe.<ref>{{webcite|website=Lalaith|articleurl=http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Grid.html|articlename=A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map|author=[[Andreas Moehn]]}}</ref>
-The computer game [[Angband (game)|Angband]] is a free roguelike D&D-style game that features many characters from Tolkien's works. The most complete list of Tolkien-inspired computer games can be found at http://www.lysator.liu.se/tolkien-games/
+==Portrayal in adaptations==
+{{stub}}
+[[File:Pete Fenlon - Map of Middle-earth (large).jpg|thumb|The whole continent of Middle-earth as envisioned in ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'']]
+Middle-earth has been depicted in a variety of adaptations of Tolkien's work, the most prominent of which have been the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'']] and [[The Hobbit (film series)|''Hobbit'']] film trilogies by [[Peter Jackson]]. Middle-earth has appeared in animation in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and [[Rankin/Bass]]' adaptations of ''[[The Hobbit (1977 film)|The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]''. Middle-earth has also appeared and in television series, such us ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power|The Rings of Power]]'' by Amazon. Middle-earth has also appeared in numerous video games such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North|War in the North]]'' and tabletop role-playing games like the ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'' system by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]].
-EA Games has released games for the gaming consoles and the PC platform. These include ''The Two Towers'', ''The Return of the King'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth|The Battle for Middle Earth]]'', and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age|The Third Age]]''. Vivendi released ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' while Sierra created ''The War of the Ring'', both games that proved highly unsuccessful.
+Each adaptation has made changes, subtractions, or additions to Tolkien's creation, often adding new locations, creatures, or characters. For the most part, however, the overall geography and style of Tolkien's Middle-earth have been retained.
-Apart from this game, many commercial computer games have been released. Some of these derived their rights from the Estate, such as ''[[The Hobbit (computer game)|The Hobbit]]'' &mdash; others from the movie and merchandising rights.
+==See also==
+* [[Arda]]
+* [[History of Arda]]
+{{references}}
+[[Category:Middle-earth| Middle-earth]]
+[[de:Mittelerde]]
+[[fi:Keski-Maa]]
+[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/terre_du_milieu]]

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