Did Tolkien base Middle-earth on real history?
Tolkien enthusiasts have long debated the curious theory that Middle-earth, a realm filled with hobbits, elves, and orcs, isn't entirely fictional. Some suggest it’s Earth itself, just in prehistoric times before the so-called "Age of Man," a phrase popularized by historian Dan Carlin in his podcast 'Hardcore History.' While the origins of this idea remain hazy, it may trace back to Tolkien himself, who envisioned Middle-earth as England's mythology to rival those of the Greeks or Icelanders. The theory gained momentum following a 2022 University of Oxford lecture, 'On Hobbits and Hominins.' There, Victorian literature professor John Holmes teamed up with archeologists Rebecca Wragg Sykes and Tom Higham to explore intriguing parallels between Tolkien's races—like dwarves and hobbits—and ancient hominin species that once roamed our Earth. Click through the gallery to learn how ancient myths and wars shaped Tolkien’s famous world.
2025-04-21T07:09:46Z
