This Is Huge

[Selwythe]

Um, if Tolkien was born in South Africa, would he always metaphorise the Black Lands to be Africa?

Hey wait...he experienced a World War there, right?

[Ñólendil]

I'm not sure what you mean Selwythe.

In response to fatclown:

No canada was in the sun lads. Middle earth was Asia, india, eruope and harad was africa...

I'm not entirely sure whether the 'Sun Lands' business is not entirely an imagining of David Day, but Middle-earth included all the lands of Arda excluding Elenna and Aman (by which I include Tol Eressea). It would thus now correspond to the whole of Arda, since the others have been buried or removed. It may be that Tolkien decided the ancient land masses that would many years later be known as the Americas only arose after the destruction of Númenórë.

[rashbold]

Middle-earth of course means the world we live in (Old English middan-geard, Old Norse Midgard). Remember these lines?

Éala Earendel, engla beorhtast,
ofer middan-geard monnum sended,
and sôðfæsta sunnan leoma
torht ofer tunglas, þu tida gehwane
of sylfum þe symle inlîhtes!

O Earendel, brightest of angels,
over Middle-Earth sent to men,
and (the) true light of the sun
radiant above the stars, which thou
of thyself ever enlighteneth!

Note the first line: Aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima!

Anyway, has anyone noticed that the place-name Minhiriath ("between the rivers") is etymologically equivalent to Mesopotamia?

[Ñólendil]

Fascinating! Didn't know that. I wonder if that was an accident. Tolkien made a few very remarkable linguistic accidents, you know.

[Selwythe]

I was saying that Tolkien probably metaphored Africa as Mordor/Harad/evil lands because he fought in World War 1 there.

[Ñólendil]

But there were 'good'* people living in the far South, and Nurn was a free land after the destruction of Sauron. Why, in the First Age it was the North that had an evil name.

I think Tolkien selected Mordor/Harad/evil lands (as you put it) as the abode of Sauron and many of his subjects by geographical necessity.



*I use the word here to express people allied against the Dark Lord.