Today, I just got my very own map of the Middle-Earth. I purchased this online, for less than a thousand bucks. This map is made of cloth. The feel is similar to silk.
Middle-Earth, is a fictional setting created by J.R.R. Tolkien. If you have seen the movie, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and have read the books, then you surely know what I'm talking about.
The term Middle-Earth was not originally from Tolkien, it comes from Middle English middel-erde. I believe that Tolkien got some inspiration from Beowulf the classic epic poem of English/Anglo-Saxon origins, that he had worked on. From the LoTR online Wikia, it says there that there are a lot of parallels between Beowulf and Tolkien's work.
There are a lots of inhabitants in the Middle-Earth. Iluvatar (origin of everything, the creator, The One) created the Ainurs, they were angelic beings who made beautiful music for Iluvatar, but one of them rebelled and his name is Melkor. I see a parallel here, the story of creation in the bible, and the fall of Lucifer. Next are those who entered the world, the Ainurs became Valars, and from the Valars came lesser spirits called the Maiar. The Maiars, worked for the Valars. For example the spouses Osse and Uinen, ruler of the seas, acted under Ulmo. I suggest you read the Silmarillion for better understanding of Tolkien's world and mythology. I had a hard time grasping it at first. So I made notes, and I also listen to the audio in YouTube. Over-all, as I read and learn of the writings of Tolkien, I am really impressed day by day of his works. I know that I should not make him an 'idol', God should always comes first. But in learning more of Tolkien, and other brilliant men like his son Christopher who continued the work of his father and because of him we have the Silmarillion, and Beren and Luthien among many others. I thank God for these men. All these came from Him anyway.
So much so about that, going on other inhabitants of the Middle-Earth are, the Elves (my favorite is Legolas Greenleaf), they are intelligent beings created by Iluvatar alone, the first born. There are many clans of Elves, there are the dark and light elves. But the dark here doesn't mean they are evil. They would just never see the light of the 2 trees in Aman. Because, they remained in Middle Earth, dark elves are called the Avari, and the Eldar. The 2 main languages of the Elves are called Quenya and Sindarin. Physically they resemble human, but are beautiful, and they have pointed ears. They are agile and quick-footed, and are taller than men. Though they can be killed, they are immortal, they can die of grief too.
Men are the second born of Iluvatar. They are mortal, ageing and dying quickly. Men, are less beautiful. Next are the Dwarves, who were said to be created by the Valar, Aule. They are master craftsman. Their language is known as Khudzul, a secret language for their own use. They are mortal, but live longer than men. Also, male and female dwarves are identical in their appearance. They are smaller in size too. Next, are the Hobbits or Halfling, according to Tolkien, they are offshoot of the race of men. They were generally half the size of men. They speak the Mannish tongue Westron. There are 3 kinds of hobbit, The Stoors, Fallohides, and Harfoots.
Other races were the Ents, shepherds of trees. They speak, and move. Created by Iluvatar, at the request of Yavanna. Treebird, in LoTR was the oldest Ent. Evil creatures such as Orcs and Trolls were created by Melkor also known as Morgoth. They are mockeries of the Children of Iluvatar and Elves. Other animals like the Eagles also live in the Middle-Earth. There are also giant spiders that descended from Ungoliant, also dragons are present here like Smaug. Another are Wargs, they are species of wolves allied with Orcs. In the Hobbit movie, one creature that I cannot forget was the skin-changer names Beorn, a man who could assume the form of a great black bear. I think he is the last of his kind. There are a lot more creatures in the Middle-Earth. (All the information here I got from Wikipedia and LoTR Wikia.)
Back to my review of my Middle-Earth map. The small characters are not that very clear, but when viewed from afar, over-all, its nice to look at. It is great for a room decor, either in your own room, or in your living room. I'm sure Tolkien fans and visitors will be amazed if they saw this hanging inside your place. If you are a Tolkien fan this is another must-have.
