The Real Middle Earth

J.R.R. Tolkien claimed that he based the land of Middle Earth on a real place. The Real Middle Earth brings alive, for the first time, the very real civilization in which those who lived had a vision of life animated by beings beyond the material world. Magic was real to them and they believed their universe was held together by an interlaced web of golden threads visible only to wizards. At its center was Middle Earth, a place peopled by humans, but imbued with spiritual power. It was a real realm that stretched from Old England to Scandinavia and across to western Europe, encompassing Celts, Anglo Saxons and Vikings. Looking first at the rich and varied tribes who made up the populace of this mystical land, Bates looks at how the people lived their daily lives in a world of magic and mystery. Using archaeological, historical, and psychological research, Brian Bates breathes life into this civilization of two thousand years ago in a book that every Tolkien fan will want.

Rediscovering the Real Middle-Earth * The Real Middle-Earth * The People of Middle-Earth * How They Lived * The Magic of the Forest * The Doom of Dragons * Towers of Doom * The Dragon's Lair * A Hoard of Treasure * The Enchanted Earth * Elves' Arrows * Plant Magic * Spirit Nights * Wells of Wisdom * Magical Beasts * The Raven's Omen * Shapeshifters * The Wizard's Wild Ride * Wizards of Wyrd * The Web of Destiny * The Seeress * Dwarves, Giants and Monsters * Ents * The Dwarves' Forge * Spellbinding * The Spider Monster * Voyage to the Otherworld * Journey to the Edge of Middle-Earth