Was the northwest of Middle-earth, where the story takes place, meant to actually be Europe?
Yes, but a qualified yes. There is no question that Tolkien had northwestern Europe in mind when he described the terrain, weather, flora, and landscapes of Middle-earth. This was no doubt partially because NW Europe was his home and therefore most familiar to him and partially because of his love for the “Northern tradition”. As he said himself: “The North-west of Europe, where I (and most of my ancestors) have lived, has my affection, as a man’s home should. I love its atmosphere, and know more of its histories and languages than I do of other parts; …” (Letters 376 (#294)). Thus, the environment of Middle-earth will seem familiar to dwellers of that region of Europe (see the second letter excerpted in FAQ, Tolkien, 6 (#183)). However, the geographies simply don’t match. This was the result not so much of a deliberate decision on Tolkien’s part to have things so but rather a side-effect of the history of the composition: the question did not occur to him until the story was too far
Yes, but a qualified yes. There is no question that Tolkien had northwestern Europe in mind when he described the terrain, weather, flora, and landscapes of Middle-earth. This was no doubt partially because NW Europe was his home and therefore most familiar to him and partially because of his love for the “Northern tradition”. As he said himself: “The North-west of Europe, where I (and most of my ancestors) have lived, has my affection, as a man’s home should. I love its atmosphere, and know more of its histories and languages than I do of other parts; …” (Letters 376 (#294)). Thus, the environment of Middle-earth will seem familiar to dwellers of that region of Europe (see the second letter excerpted in FAQ, Tolkien, 6 (#183)). However, the geographies simply don’t match. This was the result not so much of a deliberate decision on Tolkien’s part to have things so but rather a side-effect of the history of the composition: the question did not occur to him until the story was too far
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- Was the northwest of Middle-earth, where the story takes place, meant to actually be Europe?
