Europe as Middle Earth. (For you LOTR fans).

[Feuer Frei!]

I've thought of something.
What about this:

Gondor---Northern Italy/Austria/Slovenia/western Slovakia
Harandor--- (Southern Gondor)--Southern Italy/Sicily
Rohan---Germany/Switzerland/eastern France
Umbar---Morocco
Near Harad---Egypt/Libya
Far Harad---Sub-Saharan Africa
The Bay of Belfalas---The Meditteranean Sea
The Sea of Rhun---The Black Sea
Khand---Turkey
Dunlad--Denmark
Rhun---Russia
The Misty Mountains---Mountain range in Norway/Sweden
The Iron Hills---The Ural Mountains
The Grey Havens---Ireland
Brandywine River---The Thames River
The Anduin--- Most of Europe's rivers run east/west and not north/south.
The Shire/Bree---England
Arnor---The British Isles
Amon Sul---Scotland!! It should be further west.
Rivendell--Trondheim, Norway
Carrock--Umea, Sweden
Moria---West Gate (Bergen) East Gate (Oslo)
Trollshaws---The Faroe Islands
Mirkwood---Primarily Finland
Dol Goldur---Malmo, Sweden. The Necromancer could represent Malmo's huge and violent Muslim minority.
Erebor---Murmansk, Russia
Esgaroth/Lake Men of Dale---Arkhangelsk, Russia
The Long Lake---The White Sea
The River Running---The Volga River
The White Moutains---The Alps
Emyn Muil---The Lusatian Mountains
Helm's Deep---Zurich, Switzerland
Dunharrow---Bern, Switzerland
Edoras---Munich, Germany
Minas Tirith---Vienna, Austria
Isengard---Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Osgiliath---Bratislava, Slovakia
Mordor---Hungary/Northern Romania/Western Ukraine
Minas Morgul---Budapest.

Baradur---Debrecen, Hungary
Mt. Doom---Uzhhorod, Ukaine
Ered Lithui/Ash Mountains---The Carpathians

The Silmarillion

The Blue Mountains--Have been replaced as a natural barrier by the Atlantic Ocean
Dorthonion---Iceland
Gondolin---Reykjavík
Hithlum---Greenland
Ice Bay of Forochel---Arctic Ocean
Anfauglith---The Norwegian Sea
The ruins of Angband---Svalbard

Here a map, looks just like Europe, England, France, Ireland, Spain and Italy are all clearly seen:

http://i51.tinypic.com/1zx8jr4.jpg



Tolkien probably did look at a map when making Middle Earth.
Middle Earth is supposed to be a mythological pre-history of Europe.

Thoughts?

[Torplexed]

Does this make the Americas Valinor? Could explain all the cheap elvish labor in the country lately. :D

[Betonov]

Blast, I'm right between Gondor and Mordor

[Feuer Frei!]

Blast, I'm right between Gondor and Mordor
:haha:

[Feuer Frei!]

Does this make the Americas Valinor? Could explain all the cheap elvish labor in the country lately. :D
Not sure, but, North America represents the Undying Lands.
Back on-topic, i missed a few:

Numenor is Bermuda,
Pelenor is Hainburg, Austria,
Cirith Ungol is Jazbereny, Hungary,
The watch tower at Amon Hen is Dresden, Germany,
The Dead Marshes is Prague, Czech Republic, and
The Pirate Port in Harad is Algiers, Algeria.

[Oberon]

Proudfeet! :woot:

[Torplexed]

From looking where Rohan roughly is is I guess they decided to switch from horses and cavalry to Mercedes and BWM. :O:

[Feuer Frei!]

From looking where Rohan roughly is is I guess they decided to switch from horses and cavalry to Mercedes and BWM. :O:
Yes, they've come a long way! :DL

[DarkFish]

Well, it certainly could be. Tolkien did base large parts of LOTR on Germanic mythology.


PS, Isengard isn't really located on the place of Amsterdam;) I'd say it's probably more like where Kiel is.

[Weiss Pinguin]

http://images.wikia.com/lotr/images/3/30/Newline-boromir2.jpg
"One does simply... walk into Hungary/Northern Romania/Western Ukraine!"

[Bakkels]

People of Gondor, protect your daughters, for I am your king!

http://img864.imageshack.us/img864/9295/berlusconi3.png

:haha:

[Chad]

Blast, I'm right between Gondor and Mordor

You would be in Osgillliath.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Osgiliath

--No this is a pretty good comparison. Better than many I've seen. I'm a pretty big LOTR fan so this makes me happy :up:

[jimbob]

Mirkwood, land of about a thousand lake.
No wait....

[Betonov]

You would be in Osgillliath.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Osgiliath

--No this is a pretty good comparison. Better than many I've seen. I'm a pretty big LOTR fan so this makes me happy :up:

Yep, you're right. That's definately our economy on those screens.

[Onkel Neal]

People of Gondor, protect your daughters, for I am your king!

http://img864.imageshack.us/img864/9295/berlusconi3.png

:haha:


Hahah!! :haha:

[Rilder]

Gondar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondar) is in Ethiopia, and Isengard and the White Wizard Saruhan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saruhan) is in Turkey. :O:

Aragon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragon) of course will soon rule Gondar.

[Buddahaid]

Works pretty good except The Shire is way too far south.

[tater]

I al;ways saw the Misty Mountains as the Himalaya.

I read LOTR each of 2 visits there

[Buddahaid]

I know what you mean. I first read it when about age twelve camping in Oregon.

[PhantomLord]

Rohan... :hmmm:

where´s me horse... me noggin, noggin horse?
all gone for beer and tobacco

[Torplexed]

I guess Sauron won in the end now that the EU is running everything. :D

[PhantomLord]

I guess Sauron won in the end now that the EU is running everything. :D

Hungary ... ehmm... MORDOR leads the european council at the moment! :arrgh!:
Followed by Poland (?) and Denmark (Dunlad)

[UnderseaLcpl]

Geographic and topographical similarities be damned. Contrary to Torplexed's claim, Texas is the only proper home of the horse-lords, so we're Rohan, not some homeland for overly effeminate people who look like men but actually aren't. Well, maybe Austin could be described as such... but not the rest of the state!

[TLAM Strike]

Mt. Doom---Uzhhorod, Ukaine

I would have gone with Pripyat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pripyat_%28city%29). ;)

[DarkFish]

Geographic and topographical similarities be damned. Contrary to Torplexed's claim, Texas is the only proper home of the horse-lords, so we're Rohan, not some homeland for overly effeminate people who look like men but actually aren't. Well, maybe Austin could be described as such... but not the rest of the state!Texas?!:har: You know who the real horse-lords are? The Netherlands, located in Northwestern Rohan on the map:yeah:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavi_%28Germanic_tribe%29
Finds of horse skeletons in graves suggest a strong equestrian preoccupation.
[...]
Well-regarded for their skills in horsemanship and swimming—for men and horses could cross the Rhine without losing formation
[...]
The Batavi also provided a contingent for the Emperor's Horse Guard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equites_singulares_Augusti).

[Tchocky]

The Dutch gave up on horses after the invention of the bicycle :D

[Weiss Pinguin]

The Dutch gave up on horses after the invention of the bicycle :D
http://davidavery.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/tour-de-france.jpg
"Ride now! Ride to ruin, and the World's endiiiiiing!"

[UnderseaLcpl]

Texas?!:har: You know who the real horse-lords are? The Netherlands, located in Northwestern Rohan on the map:yeah:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavi_%28Germanic_tribe%29

Sure about that? How many horsemen do you have now? How many times have the exceptional cavalry of the Netherlands been cited or referenced in popular culture?:O:

Texans = horse lords. And that's without the need for a warlike barbarian culture that happens to use horses because it needs to. We're horse-lords because we choose to be. :smug:

[Bakkels]

Sure about that? How many horsemen do you have now? How many times have the exceptional cavalry of the Netherlands been cited or referenced in popular culture?:O:

Texans = horse lords. And that's without the need for a warlike barbarian culture that happens to use horses because it needs to. We're horse-lords because we choose to be. :smug:

Well I think the native Americans would be the real horse lords. But you're right though, we never had any cavalry worth mentioning.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Well I think the native Americans would be the real horse lords.
That's debatable. They didn't even have horses until the bloody Spaniards came along and demonstrated their ineptitude at keeping horses in an enclosure.


But you're right though, we never had any cavalry worth mentioning.

Yay! Texas wins again!

Now for wrath, now for ruin, and the red dawn!

[DarkFish]

Well I think the native Americans would be the real horse lords. But you're right though, we never had any cavalry worth mentioning.The native Americans never. They never had horses until the Spaniards introduced them.

Also, if we ever had any cavalry worth mentioning depends on what time period you're looking at. If you're talking about the renaissance till now, you're right. Our cavalry was pretty equivalent to those of other nations. Not better, but also not worse.

If you go back a little further in time however, to the Roman era, many Germanic tribes living in the Netherlands (especially the Batavians) were renowned for their horsemanship.

And even nowadays, Dutch horses are famous in showjumping.

So especially considering the fact that Tolkien based LOTR on Germanic culture and history, I think Rohan is a perfect location for the Netherlands:yeah:

[antikristuseke]

Texas is the only proper home of the horse-lords

So basically what you are saying is, that Texas is like Brokeback mountain, but with more horseplay?:D

[Feuer Frei!]

So basically what you are saying is, that Texas is like Brokeback mountain, but with more horseplay?:D
*shudders* :O:

[Gargamel]

So basically what you are saying is, that Texas is like Brokeback mountain, but with more horseplay?:D
You know what they say........ it's always.... well....