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Middle-earth is the setting of much of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The term is equivalent to the term ''Midgard'' of Norse mythology, describing the human-inhabited world,〔During an interview in January 1971, when asked whether the stories take place in a different era, Tolkien stated, "No ... at a different stage of imagination, yes." Speaking of ''Midgard'' and ''Middle-earth'', he said: "Oh yes, they're the same word. Most people have made this mistake of thinking Middle-earth is a particular kind of earth or is another planet of the science fiction sort but it's just an old fashioned word for this world we live in, as imagined surrounded by the Ocean." 〕 i.e. the central continent of world of Tolkien's imagined mythological past. Tolkien's most widely read works, ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' take place entirely in Middle-earth, and ''Middle-earth'' has also become a short-hand to refer to the legendarium or its "fictional-universe". Within his stories, Tolkien translated the name "Middle-earth" as ''Endor'' (or sometimes ''Endórë'') and ''Ennor'' in the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin respectively, sometimes referring only to the continent that the stories take place on, with another southern continent called the Dark Land. Middle-earth is the central continent of Earth (''Arda'') in an imaginary period of the Earth's past〔 ''Fellowship of the Ring'', "Prologue" and Appendix D. Tolkien, ''Letters'', ed. Humphrey Carpenter, nos. 151, 165, 183, 210, 211, 212, 294, 325.〕 (Tolkien placed the end of the Third Age at about 6,000 years before his own time),〔''Letters'', no. 211, footnote; "... a brief episode of History" ''Letters'', nos. 325, 328, and p 457.〕 in the sense of a "secondary or sub-creational reality".〔''Letters'', nos. 180, 200, 328.〕 Its general position is reminiscent of Europe, with the environs of the Shire intended to be reminiscent of England (more specifically, the West Midlands, with Hobbiton set at the same latitude as Oxford).〔''Letters'', no. 294.〕 ==Tolkien's legendarium== (詳細はArda) and the continent of Middle-earth: on one side, the angelic Valar, the Elves and their allies among Men; on the other, the demonic Melkor or ''Morgoth'' (a Vala fallen into evil) and his minions, mostly Orcs, Dragons and enslaved Men. In later ages, after Morgoth's defeat and expulsion from Arda, his place was taken by his lieutenant Sauron. The Valar withdrew from direct involvement in the affairs of Middle-earth after the defeat of Morgoth, but in later years they sent the wizards or Istari to help in the struggle against Sauron. The most important wizards were Gandalf the Grey and Saruman the White. Gandalf remained true to his mission and proved crucial in the fight against Sauron. Saruman, however, became corrupted and sought to establish himself as a rival to Sauron for absolute power in Middle-earth. Other races involved in the struggle against evil were Dwarves, Ents and most famously Hobbits. The early stages of the conflict are chronicled in ''The Silmarillion'', while the final stages of the struggle to defeat Sauron are told in ''The Hobbit'' and in ''The Lord of the Rings''. Conflict over the possession and control of precious or magical objects is a recurring theme in the stories. The First Age is dominated by the doomed quest of the elf Fëanor and most of his Noldorin clan to recover three precious jewels called the Silmarils that Morgoth stole from them (hence the title ''The Silmarillion''). The Second and Third Age are dominated by the forging of the Rings of Power, and the fate of the One Ring forged by Sauron, which gives its wearer the power to control or influence those wearing the other Rings of Power (hence the title ''The Lord of the Rings''). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Middle-earth」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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