Middle-earth is the name used for the inhabitable parts of J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional Arda (ancient Earth) where the (canonical) stories in his legendarium take place. "Middle-earth" is a literal translation of the Old English term middangeard, referring to this world, the habitable lands of men. Tolkien translated "Middle-earth" as Endor (or sometimes Endóre) and Ennor in the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin, respectively. Mythologically, the north of Endor became the Eurasian land-mass after the primitive Earth was transformed into the round world of today. Less formally, the term "Middle-earth" is also often used to refer to the entire setting of Tolkien's legendarium.

Middle-earth's setting is in a fictional period in Earth's own past. Tolkien insisted that Middle-earth is (part of) our Earth in several of his letters, in one of them (no. 211) estimating the end of the Third Age to about 6,000 years before his own time. The action of the books is largely confined to the north-west of the Endor continent, implicitly corresponding to modern-day Europe. The history of Middle-earth is divided into several Ages: The Hobbit and the main text of The Lord of the Rings deal exclusively with events toward the end of the Third Age and conclude at the dawn of the Fourth Age, while The Silmarillion deals mainly with the First Age. The world (Arda) was originally flat but was made round near the end of the Second Age by Eru Ilúvatar, the Creator.

Much of the knowledge of Middle-earth is based on writings that Tolkien did not finish for publication during his lifetime. This has caused some controversy over what is considered "canonical"; for more information, see Middle-earth canon.

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New post: The Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth Anthology (http://bit.ly/k7zXl)
bent330 (Bent Some) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:18:03 -0000
New post: The Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth Anthology (http://bit.ly/k7zXl)
http://www.iglooo.in/ The best site to buy books in India. They scout the middle earth for best deals :D
tosifahmed (Tosif Ahmed) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:50 -0000
http://www.iglooo.in/ The best site to buy books in India. They scout the middle earth for best deals :D
Can't wait to see a movie after The Hobbit, in my opinion the best of the Middle-Earth books...
teominator (Teo) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:59:24 -0000
Can't wait to see a movie after The Hobbit, in my opinion the best of the Middle-Earth books...
LOL send a Terminator to Middle Earth, he's a cyborg and doesn't give a s#&% about the ring -- it has no power over him http://bit.ly/4hBlPR
961Ant1 (Antoine Naaman) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:07:01 -0000
LOL send a Terminator to Middle Earth, he's a cyborg and doesn't give a s#&% about the ring -- it has no power over him http://bit.ly/4hBlPR
@DaddyBird I thought so too. Not to mention the history of Middle Earth and how important that is in everyday life.
MMM (Moh'd Marwen Meddah) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:51:21 -0000
@DaddyBird I thought so too. Not to mention the history of Middle Earth and how important that is in everyday life.
Can't wait until December. - Battle for Middle Earth II Heaven Forum http://tinyurl.com/yzmwmyk
jomarkv1wy (Jo Marks) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:37:46 -0000
Can't wait until December. - Battle for Middle Earth II Heaven Forum http://tinyurl.com/yzmwmyk

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