LotR -- Book 3 - Chapter 06 - The King of the Golden Hall

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Bethberry

Now, I'm not saying Tolkien deliberately itended to describe Canada here, but that his depiction of the geography is important to our understanding of the Rohirrim people, perched precariously against the elements of land, weather, and beset on both sides by dark forces, of Saruman on the west and Mordor on the east.

For many years Rohan was conjoured up for me entirely from my imagination, and then I went to the Lambourn Downs and was struck by how much the place resembled Rohan (and also the Barrow-Downs). Strangely, it is known as a place where race horses are trained, and it is home to the Vale of White Horse, numerous barrows and Wayland's Smithy. Edoras also reminds me of a hill fort with its 'green terrace', and these can also be found in the area.

I've found a link to an English heritage site here (with pic of Uffington Hill Fort) and another link to a site selling paintings of race horses, one of which is very reminiscent of Rohan, here.

The whole area is just south west of Oxford, and I don't doubt Tolkien would have been there, and if he did base places in his work upon 'real' places then this is one of the most striking comparisons. Interestingly, in the films, while Rohan was nothing like the Rohan of my imagination or the Rohan that can be found in the Lambourn area, the flags of the Rohirrim bore a striking resemblance to White Horses carved onto English hillsides.