Prototype of Middle-earth (version 2.0 with Elves)
I was inspired by discussion about real historic prototypes of Middle-earth lands, so I decided to make a more serious concept. Here it is:
Age on Earth: Late antiquity - Medieval
Age on Arda: Third
New map with Elves - below the map is my arguments of placement, please read them before critique:
Old one without Elves:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
MORDOR – in First Age in place of Mordor was Sea of Helkor, so I looked at map of Europe and – voila – we have The Black Sea on it. Black! Why one would call the sea black? Of course - because in ancient times there was an evil kingdom located.
And after end of Ages it would be only reasonable to sunk Mordor to prevent rise of evil and exterminate all still living orks (remember - orks are afraid of water).
GONDOR – Gondor are associated with Rome to me, so I choosed Western border of Western Roman Empire befote its fall and Eastern border of Eastern Roman Empire before its fall, and got a somthing interesting, lets see:
Minas Tirith, once mighty city with 7 levels and Rome – once mighty city on 7 hills.
Osgiliath, key city of Empire and Constantinople – key city of Empire.
Pelargir, city of seafarers and brave marines and Venice – city of seafarers and brave sailors.
Dol Amroth, autonomous region of Swan knights, fighters against Coarsairs of Umbar and Kingdom of Sicily, ruled by brave and mighty Norman knights, fighters against Muslims of North Africa.
ERIADOR – the lost realm of Arnor and modern Spain, France and England – lost provinces of Western Roman Empire.
HARAD – large Empire of the South, threat of Gondor and Ottoman Empire – greatest threat of Eastern Roman Empire and Catholic Europe. In details:
Harondor – lost regions of Southern Gondor and Asia Minor and Near East – lost regions of Eastern Roman Empire;
Umbar – base of Corsairs of Umbar and Tunis – base of Barbary corsairs.
Haradwaith – land of deserts and Arabic deserts.
KHAND – land of heavy Eastern raiders and Persia, birthplace of catafracts.
RHUN – land of raiders and axemen of Eastern plains around sea of Rhun and raider/axemen hordes of Cumans around Caspian Sea.
DALE – Northern land of trade between Dwarwes and Gondor and Novgorod – Northern land of trade between Vikings and Eastern Roman Empire.
Long lake – center of Dale trade and lake Ilmen – center of Novgorodian trade.
DWARWES – fierce axemen of Northern mountains and Vikings – fierce axemen of Scandinavian fyords and mountains.
RHOVANION – wild woodland inhabited by bear totemists and Principialities of Balts and Slavs located in wild woodland and honoring a bear as their totem.
ROHAN – Rohirim once were a wild Northmen in Rhovanion, pushed away by Eastern hordes and gained their new homeland in Gondor as allies of Gondor and Germanic people Goths, pushed from Eastern Europe by Huns and resettled in Roman empire as an allies (foederati). Attila the Hun was defeated by Romans only with help of the foederati Goths, like Minas Tirith was secured only with help of Rohirim.
Besides the most known king of Goths is Theodoric the Great, and most known king of Rohan is - guess who? Theoden.
DUNLAND (combined with ANGMAR and OofMM) – land inhabited by wild men, cause of fall of Arnor and threat to Gondor and various wild Germanic tribes (first of all – Vandals), cause of fall of Western Roman Empire.
ELVES - my placement of Elves is not based on historical geography but rather on geography of languages. Elven languages are mainly based on Velsh anf Finnish - there is a common point of those two - Gaelic and Finno Ugric speakers are very ancient inhabitants of Europe - older than for example speakers of Germanic or Slavic languages. So its very similar to Elves - the oldest inhabitants of Middle-earth. Next my step - finding out all last "bastions" of Gaelic and Finno Ugric languages and here it is:
High Elves - Gaelic speaking lands + last speakers of Celtic in central France as Rivendell.
(High Elves are leaving Middle-earth / Gaelic languages are unfortunately dying)
Silvan Elves - Finno Ugric speaking lands - Finns, Estonians and Karelians in North and Hungarians in South.
(Silvan Elves are stying in Middle-earth / Finno Ugric languages are storng and living)
PS And I'm sorry for my bad English..
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Originally Posted by ccllnply
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Is this your take on it?
