Where is middle earth

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.

Notable among them is The Silmarillion , which provides a creation story and description of the cosmology which includes Middle-earth. 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.

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. Moved by the Vision, many of the Ainur felt a compelling urge to experience its events directly.

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. 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 of Valinor 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 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.

Only Endor remained of the original world, and Endor had now become Eurasia. An expanded, composite map of Middle-earth drawn by Christopher Tolkien. Tolkien never finalized 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 both the original flat earth and round world, which his father had created in the latter part of the s.

Karen Wynn Fonstad drew from these maps to develop detailed, but 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.

Maps prepared by Christopher Tolkien and J. Endor , the Quenya term for Middle-earth, was originally conceived of 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 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 Balar ". Additional changes occurred when Valar assaulted Utumno. The North-west of the Middle-earth, where Melkor met the Valar host, was "much broken". The sea between the Middle-earth and Aman widened, with many bays created, including one which was the confluence of Sirion.

The highland of Dorthonion and the mountains about Hithlum were also a result of the battles. Since the changes mentioned include both the beginning and the ending points of Sirion, it is possible the river itself was created at the same time.

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. The world, not including associated celestial bodies, was identified by Tolkien as " Ambar " in several texts, but also identified as "Imbar", the Habitation, in later post- Lord of the Rings texts. His sketches show 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, were called "Middle-earth" and the site of most of Tolkien's stories. The eastern continent was not inhabited. 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.

Hence, before the end of the Second Age, the transition from "flat earth" to "round earth" had been completed. Discover the Lord of the Rings in New Zealand Visit famous filming locations and be transported into another world. The Lord of the Rings filming locations long-arrow-right Step into another world and visit the many Lord of the Rings filming locations.

Experience The Hobbit in New Zealand Explore iconic destinations and relive your favourite parts of the story. The Hobbit Trilogy Experiences long-arrow-right. Find out more. The Shire is known for its rural beauty and green pasture. The mountains also formed a barrier between Wilderland and Eriador. In the eastern Eriador lies Rivendell. Most scholars believe that Tolkien visited Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland in The valley with its rocky cliffs matches the description of Rivendell while the mountains of Monch, Eiger, and Jungfrau form the peak of the Misty Mountains.

Hobbiton which is located in Middle Earth. Puzzlewood is a famous ancient woodland site and attraction, near Coleford in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, that has an eerie ambience, not unlike that of Fangorn Forest. In the books, Fangorn Forest was home to the tree shepherds known as Ents. Puzzlewood is spread across acres, and there is evidence that links the site to cast iron ore mining from the Roman period.

There are claims that say it was around these parts that Tolkien heard a story about a cursed Roman ring bearing an inscription on it, shortly after he began work on The Hobbit. Hoh Rainforest is one of the largest temperate rainforests in America and is spectacular.

The soaring trees are covered in fairytale-like moss, fern and foliage so evocative of Treebeard and the rest of his pals. A hiking trail known as the Hall of Mosses is the spot to regale in proper Middle-earth vibes as you walk below branches enveloped in enchanting moss. In Middle-earth, the Lonely Mountain is a lone peak in the north of Wilderland. It was the seat of a thriving dwarf kingdom until Smaug brought his desolation upon it. Legend has it that the forest at the foot of the mountain is home to goblins and demons.