As you can see this is a map of Europe (which in Tolkien's view was Middle-earth a long time ago) The map probably shows Europe quite some time ago, maybe 10000 years ago or something like that...I am not sure. Anyway, if you look it fits Middle-earth a lot. Anyway, you can notice that back then Europe's land size was much bigger as the water level was lower. And that way you can see that Great Britain did fit the Shire. And Germany seems to have been...Rohan...interesting. Anyway, if you look closely you can see the light green area represents Europe today. The dark green area represents the area of Europe in the past.
Now I realise the map doesn't perfectly fit Middle-earth as we know it, but it still is an interesting map.
aha...and do you have a better map perhaps? all I wanted to say is that Tolkien had good reason to associate Middle-earth with Europe, as in the past they did resemble one another. I never said they fit perfectly...that would be impossible. But, it could show that Europe did ar one point resemble Middle-earth in shape.
I posted the URL to make it fit better. And...yes, I believe he said that Middle-earth was Europe 7000 or 8000 years ago. So...perhaps it would somehow fit to this map, though I am not sure how old Europe was there.
That is an interesting map. I live right on the dot where the Shire is and there is a house near me that looks just like a hobbit hole. Cut into a hill, round door. Coincidence?
I live right on the south-eastern boarder of the Old Forest on that map and and about 5 miles from me (further into the forest on the map) there is a set of woods which look strangely like how the Old Forest is described!
This is definately not coincidence, maybe, probably, I'm farily sure.
ahh...nope...not really it wouldn't work out with us...such a long distance relationship... plus I'm not quite a River-daughter, more like a River-son I guess you'll find a better Goldberry
well, not really, I'm living in Germany at the time. well, as I see I live...in Orodruin??? cool, maybe that makes me the One Ring... Hungary is a nice country as well, and there is really good food there...
Serbia...never been there...but I hope that Serbia will manage to recover after the whole wars that took place and will perhaps one day also join the EU. yeah, seems that most of the Balkans are Mordor...but I used to live really in the middle of it, near the Dark Tower. So that makes me...an Orc?
I agree that this map is interesting to say the least. But if it's accurate even we would try to make it fit there, i don't think so. Tolkien did say that there's elements of Europe in his work, mythology, folktales, literature and therefore i wouldn't be surprised if Middle-Earth would have started to take a shape of Europe also in his mind as a vision of a map. It's interesting map Might and according to it, i would live somewhere far North, near Anfauglith.
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I am Tulkas the Valiant who laughs ever in the face of Good or Evil.
wow Italy...nice girls...lots of sun...PIZZA...sounds like Gondor to me well, of course, I personally doubt that Tolkien had such elaborate maps when he wrote the book, but it still an interesting map, and it is as close alike as our continent and ME have ever been.
I found somewhere on the net. If I remember correctly, some students at a university came up with the idea to match the map of Arda in the Third Age with a map of the continents some thousands of years ago