I see Middle-earth

[Lathriel]

I am somewhat afflicted

For exampl when I see an extremely dark red sunrise It reminds me of Mordor and I call it a Mordorian sunrise. This view is however affected by the movies.

But i also have the old forest nearby. Althought it is a very small old forest since Alberta doesn't have many deciferous trees.

[mark12_30]

There are beech groves nearby that sing to me of Lothlorien.

Pine ridges that remind me of Frodo's desire to check out the Pine Ridge in Rivendell.

Drumlins (that's what New Englanders call rocky outcroppings on the tops of old hills) remind me of trolls caves in the Ettenmoors.

Any beach reminds me of the Grey havens or of the older elf-havens to the south (Edhellond.)

Streams remind me of the stream near Bag End that both Bilbo and Frodo crossed as they departed (with the little wooden bridge, there are a few of those around.)

...I could go on and on...

[alatar]

Originally Posted by mark12_30

...I could go on and on...

Do these places always make you think about ME, or is it when ME is on your mind (or when you're reading the books) you look at the location and think (for example) Lothlorien?

In the examples that I provided, I always think that the locations are ME. I've had the idea that I should take pictures of the same, label them, format them as a calendar and distribute them as 'Middle Earth is Here!' (I'm sure that some lawyers would have a long talk with me if I did so).

Might have trouble coming up with 12 good ones...

Anyway, wanted to add one more. At the bottom of this steep hill is a square doorway - aged, dark, of stone construction. Try as I might I cannot see where it leads, and again it is on private property so... I assume that the actual purpose of the 'room' is for some kind of storage, like a root cellar frm years past. However, to me it just inspires visions of the Paths of the Dead.

[mark12_30]

The places drive the thoughts, not the other way around. Any beech grove reminds me of Tolkien. And there's this one magnificent beech tree at the top of a hill... the roots spread all around the hilltop, and the branches are plentiful and close, and the trunk is thick. I call it the Crown Beech. I am sure Tolkien would have been pleased with it.

I often look out into our oaks in my backyard and try to decide where to put my talan.

Very cool, your stone doorway...

[Formendacil]

Well, I would say that I have beheld the Misty Mountain (ie. the Canadian Rockies) from my front yard. I know what the wide flatlands of Rohan look like (the natural flat grasslands of the prairie). I have beheld the mostly barren, but with scattered trees and shrubs and hills, and altogether unpopulated Eriador (Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, where the prairie and forest meet in a rather bumpy terrain). I feel like I have walked in the Woody End (anywhere up in the Parkland band of forest. Elk Island Nat. Park springs to mind). I have walked in the pine-forest of Dorthonion, tracking the footsteps of Barahir and his men (lodgepole pine forest, either in Cypress Hills or Waterton Nat. Park). I have gone down the River Running in a canoe (Red Deer River).

Yes, I have seen Middle-earth.

[alatar]

Thanks for the replies.

Around here we have these huge sycamore trees that I picture as examples of the 'Party Tree' - especially when they stand along. However, the areas around the same do not lend themselves feelings of the Shire.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Well, I would say that I have beheld the Misty Mountain (ie. the Canadian Rockies) from my front yard. I know what the wide flatlands of Rohan look like (the natural flat grasslands of the prairie). I have beheld the mostly barren, but with scattered trees and shrubs and hills, and altogether unpopulated Eriador (Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, where the prairie and forest meet in a rather bumpy terrain). I feel like I have walked in the Woody End (anywhere up in the Parkland band of forest. Elk Island Nat. Park springs to mind). I have walked in the pine-forest of Dorthonion, tracking the footsteps of Barahir and his men (lodgepole pine forest, either in Cypress Hills or Waterton Nat. Park). I have gone down the River Running in a canoe (Red Deer River).

Yes, I have seen Middle-earth.

Interesting how often Alberta, Canada seems connoted with Rohan! I can't say that when I have seen these places, I believe I see Middle-earth, but rather when I read about Rohan, I think of the foothills, where mountain and grassland come together. Places like Nordig and Rocky Mountain House, or even farther south, like Frank, near Crowsnest Pass.

I have, one dank, grey November day, looked out upon a beech tree, its orange leaves dead but drooping on its limbs, and its white bark shimmering, and seen Lothlorien, a land of memory and commemoration like a moment out of time.

[Bêthberry]

Well, I wasn't atop a mountain, nor did I see a burning bush, although some of the euonymous shrubs here are a brilliant burst of screaming scarlet. I did however come face to face with Eru today.

An Emergency Rescue Unit (yes, it really is labled in large- lettered acronym, ERU) pulled around the corner without siren or lights flashing and raced into my lane. You cannot guess what imaginings I felt as I faced this music. Luckily I was able to stop in time and so the sight did not foretell my doom.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by alatar

Anyway, wanted to add one more. At the bottom of this steep hill is a square doorway - aged, dark, of stone construction. Try as I might I cannot see where it leads, and again it is on private property so... I assume that the actual purpose of the 'room' is for some kind of storage, like a root cellar frm years past. However, to me it just inspires visions of the Paths of the Dead.

I think that, though I am not an expert on troll-lore ( I would redirect you to Pio) that your picture looks like a troll refuge/store room.

And Lommy, Tolkien did visit Northern France both as a tutor and a soldier.

[AragornII]

On my way to school in the morning (at 6 am ) sometimes I see the Barrow-downs. I have to drive along a golf course, and if it's foggy, the course looks like the Downs. There are some trees scattered around and you can't see through the fog so you can't tell what's on the other side. Also, some of the holes have hill, which look like barrows. I have a hard time not seeing an LOTr figure come walking out of the mist.

[Lalwendë]

I swear that this place, Padley Gorge, is Rivendell. We had a walk down there this morning, when I decided to pull up and see why there were cars parked at the side of the road and found this stream with waterfalls and oak groves, and huge half-carved millstones lying around in the woods. It's at one end of Longshaws (near Hathersage in Derbyshire) which I thought I knew well, but I didn't know this part existed. The pictures cannot quite capture how lovely it is.

[Texadan]

Olórë Mallë

[Snorri Swifthammer]

My aunt has a cabin up near Imperial, PA that struck me as a good vision of Woodhall. Nice old trees with some good paths between them. Clearings that my family maintained. Racoon Creek is literally down a hill from the cabin.

Originally Posted by Lathriel

For exampl when I see an extremely dark red sunrise It reminds me of Mordor and I call it a Mordorian sunrise.

Is it just me or would that make a great drink name?

[Glirdan]

That would be a very interesting drink name Snorri. There's this really big forest in the back that reminds me of Mirkwood. It's dark and creepy so, you understand why hopefully.

Glirdy

[Thinlómien]

I don't know is this related to the topic, but I'll write it anyways.
My father visited France a few years ago and found a place called Lorien. He even visited a village named Rohan. There was an inn in the middle of the village called Le Cheval Blanc , which means The White Horse. Tolkien ever visited Northern France?
(The Lorien-thing was probably a coincidence, since it's Elvish, but what about Rohan? Was (the village or) the inn named after Tolkien's inventions or did Tolkien get the idea from a little village in France? The place was coincidentally named Rohan and a Tolkien-fan named his inn the White Horse?)
Well, anyways I think it's funny.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Well, anyways I think it's funny.

That's cool. Might be random chance, but surely there are a few Tolkienists out there who've influenced names, etc - kinda like (Pittsburgh) Steeler fans who live in LA.

[Glirdan]

I agree with alatar. Maybe all of this is just coincadential, well, for the inn anyway. But the town Rohan? I think Tolkien was inspired by that town. But that's just my opinion.

Glirdy

P.S. Notice how its just you, AragornII and myself in the thread of "If they still had Gandalf."? Wish other people would join that.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Glirdan

I agree with alatar. Maybe all of this is just coincadential, well, for the inn anyway. But the town Rohan? I think Tolkien was inspired by that town. But that's just my opinion.

Actually, "Rohan", like "Lorien", is a word with meaning in Tolkien's Sindarin. "Rohan" is a slightly softened (or whatever the technical term is) form of "Rochan", which means knight-land, basically. A knight is a "Rohir", as can be seen in the name "Elrohir". Tolkien MIGHT have had the town Rohan in the back of his mind somewhere when devising a name for the horsefolk, but I think that the name "Rohan" was chosen quite plainly for its meaning.

In case anyone asks, the reason that the Riders' country has a Sindarin name is that Rohan is the name given to the country in Gondor. In their own land, they call it the Riddermark (Rider-land, sorta....) and they call themselves the Eorlingas (Eorl-lings, people of Eorl).

[Ghazi]

Originally Posted by alatar

...there are a few Tolkienists out there who've influenced names, etc - kinda like (Pittsburgh) Steeler fans who live in LA.

I'm curious about the reference to orcs, oops, Steeler fans in LA and their similarity with Tolkienists.

Cleveland Brown

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Ghazi

I'm curious about the reference to orcs, oops, Steeler fans in LA and their similarity with Tolkienists.

Cleveland Brown

That's probably better handled via PM, but for the rest of the world, think that most would consider both Cleveland and Pittsburgh suburbs of Mordor (but at least we have a real football team ).