Maps can help make a fantasy world more tangible to us. JRR Tolkien created Middle Earth originally from linguistic inspiration simply because he needed a reason, a place, and history for the Elvish languages he created. The maps of Middle Earth would become one of Tolkien’s most arduous journeys in creating his world. While some may argue that fantasy isn’t “real,” to Tolkien, the world he imagined has at least some truth to it. Middle Earth has a sense that it all existed in his imagination. Tolkien could have told you the height of the Misty Mountains or how vast of the Dead Marshes are. There are fantastical elements to Middle Earth, sure, but Tolkien’s “imaginary” languages, cultures, world, and geography are based upon our world and his travels during World War I. In a sense, they are rooted in some truth. ESRI now offers a Middle Earth “Style” labeled as “My Precious Style,” created by our guest speaker John Nelson. Join me and other fellow nerds to learn about the stories, pop culture, history, geography, and maps that brought fantasy into the mainstream.
