Where can I find a map of Middle Earth during the Second Age circa SA 1600 (before the war of the Elves and Sauron)?  The following site () says:     The Second Age geography of Middle-earth prior to the Downfall of Numenor was different from the geography depicted by the Third Age map you see published in The Lord of the Rings. So far as I know, Tolkien never made an intermediate map, so we have no idea of what changes rendered by the War of Wrath were modified or wiped out by the Downfall of Numenor.
115188
I am making my own Lotr themed Risk game and I am having trouble finding a very accurate map of Arda before beleriand was lost. This map should include Valinor and Numenor as well.  The best I can find so far appears to be a map from David Day's "Tolkien Bestiary"  I hope this is not a bad question, I am new.
121800
If Gollum had not died in Mount Doom, would he have been allowed to join the elves, Bilbo, and Frodo in the Undying Lands?  He was, after all, by far the longest-lasting bearer of the One Ring (not counting Sauron himself before it was taken from him), which is the reason given for Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam’s being allowed to go there.  And would his being or not being allowed to go to the Undying Lands be affected by whether or not the Gollum part of him would vanish after the destruction of the Ring, leaving only Sméagol behind?  Note: As Richard’s answer (with comments) points out, there are various logistical practicalities that would likely get in the way of Gollum ever getting anywhere. However, what I am asking here is whether whoever decides who is and isn’t allowed to go to the Undying Lands would consider Gollum, as a Ringbearer, qualified to go there.
55486
On the last Hobbit movie, after the Battle of the Five Armies, Legolas tells Thranduil that he won't be coming home. The latter tells him to go to find the infamous son of Arathorn, that goes by the name of Strider.  But, the Battle of the Five Armies was fought on T.A. 2941 and Aragorn was only born on T.A. 2931.  Aragorn did not leave Rivendell until 20 years old.   How could Aragorn be such an infamous rogue in the age of only ten and still in Rivendell??  Sources: ,  and .
50441
I know Tauriel is a Jackson created character, but I wondered if anywhere in the legendarium there was fodder for the story arc between her and Kili.  I do not have access to all my books for the time being and recall stories of love between men and elves in the Silmarillion and Appendices but don't remember any such stories between elves and dwarves and wondered if there was any basis of inspiration for this aspect of their relationship within Tolkien's works.   This movie, of course, departs even further from the original than those made before it, but as a story unto itself, I can still appreciate the ride, so if there is no Tolkien basis, what inspired Jackson, Boyens, and Walsh to create this particular arc?  Is there interview info or anything?
81492
So Gandalf and the Balrog of Moria have a little fisticuffs and they both died. Presumably dead bodies lie on the mountain side somewhere.  Gandalf "strayed out of thought and time", gets a can of spinach and a new colour then he comes back sometime after his death as Gandalf 2.0.  The questions are thus:   Did Gandalf's old body get burnt to a crisp, or suffer some other death that meant there was no dead body left? OR Did his old body get renewed?   Or do we not know? If his body was left in the snow, then wouldn't it have been preserved due to freezing? This seems like an obvious oversight in the story.   I'd like to stick with the book canon, but out-of universe answers are also welcome.  Clarification: I'm not asking about his soul or whether he can die or where he went. I am specifically asking about what was left behind on the mountain.
91299
As was , it is known that Istari were meant to inspire and guide the mortals of Middle Earth in the fight against Sauron.  Does the fight against Balrog in Moria violate that "rule"/"guideline"?  If so, why did Eru restore Gandalf back to life after?  If not, is there a canon confirmation that it was NOT against the rules (aside from circumstantial evidence I noted, namely that Gandalf was restored, promoted and given seemingly greater powers; instead of being punished/demoted)?  I'm guessing it was within the rules since Balrog was a servant of Melkor, not Sauron; and Istari's limitations were on fighting Sauron directly, but at the moment it's a guess not backed up by canon sources.
93705
The whole multi-continent aspect of A Song of Ice and Fire seems to be getting out of hand. Do the other continents suffer those long winters?  Can the Others harm the other continents?  In The Lord of the Rings there were other realms than Middle-earth, but Middle-earth was still all of humanity and dwarf population and hobbits.  Sure there are stories like Romeo and Juliet where the only thing that matters is whether those 2 are going have a chance to love.  But in these fantasy / sci-fi stories there's usually danger of world domination by evil.  It's not usually just one continent is going to be a terrible (or impossible) place to live but other civilizations will flourish.
47544
Silmarillion tells us what happens to the souls of Men and Elves:     ... For the Elves die not till tile world dies, unless they are slain or waste in grief (and to both these seeming deaths they are subject); neither does age subdue their strength, unless one grow weary of ten thousand centuries; and dying they are gathered to the halls of Mandos in Valinor, whence they may in time return. But the sons of Men die indeed, and leave the world; wherefore they are called the Guests, or the Strangers. Death is their fate, the gift of Ilúvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy. ...   But what happens to the souls of other creatures likes dwarves, hobbits, ents, orcs, uruk-hai, maiar, balrogs (and other conscious creatures I might have forgotten)?
60207
By the Third Age, gunpowder was obviously invented, but it was very rarely used. In late medieval and early modern Europe (and subsequently on the whole planet) it completely changed warfare.  As Middle Earth is a very low-magic setting, gunpowder would not be made obsolete by magic, as magic hardly exists at all.   We don't see any cannon artillery, or tercios which would mop up the floor with a similarly sized army from Middle Earth (maybe except the Elves whose archery would probably still be superior to muskets).
63342
The One Ring gave Sauron control of the Nine, yet when it was taken from him he still possessed the power to control them (or, at least he regained it towards the end of the third age).  Why is this?   mentions that he drew the Nine to him, but not how.
81214
Shortly after they were defeated by the mountain of Caradhras, the Fellowship decided to go through Moria so that they could pass the Misty Mountains. One night on their way to Moria, they were attacked by a large pack of wolves. After a little while (and with a particularly powerful spell from Gandalf) they managed to push the wolves back, but in the morning they discovered something strange:  When the full light of the morning came no signs of the wolves were to be found, and they looked in vain for the bodies of the dead. No trace of the fight remained but the charred trees and the arrows of Legolas lying on the hill-top. All were undamaged save one of which only the point was left.  &quot;It is as I feared,&quot; said Gandalf. &quot;These were no ordinary wolves hunting for food in the wilderness. Let us eat quickly and go!&quot; The Lord of the Rings Book 2 Chapter 4: A Journey in the Dark  If they weren't &quot;ordinary&quot; wolves, what were they? I understand that they were probably servants of Sauron, but what was special about them that made their bodies apparently disappear? Where did they come from?
98861
Duh!  But, do the books ever describe what he actually looks like? I found a diagram by Tolkien himself:  But this looks too... vague? And I don't know whether he was ever intent on continuing with this one as the official look for the great villain. I just started reading Fellowship, completed half of it, when I was informed that everything in the movies is not accurately modelled after the book. And I know for a fact that the fiery eye was just imagined by Peter Jackson for the movies. So, is the Sauron seen in the movie a correct description? Is there a description at all? And if there is, how do the books describe Sauron?
70388
In the Peter Jackson movie, once the One Ring is thrown into the volcano in Mount Doom, why does the mountain and tower collapse, and the ground disappears everywhere where the orcs are standing but not where the humans are? Where are all the orcs running to, what do they do next?
62354
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Histories of Middle Earth, all lore related to this universe is acceptable fodder. Regardless of their power, susceptibility to The One Ring, amount of appearances, or any other constraint, who or what is the oldest?   Since Eru is the "easy" answer, then who or what is second? Any canon source, including letters, is acceptable.  I am asking this as more defined version of  which was put on hold.  And if it matters, the criteria would be oldest at the end of LotR or whatever place he left off in his tales whether the being was alive or not at that point. Example: if being 1 was 999 years old at point A and died, and being 2 was 998 at point B (years after point A) and died, being 1 was oldest in the lore.   (I am not well-read in the Histories and letters and such. If he continued the tale much past the end of LotR, then that is the cut-off point. Oldest sentient being, alive or dead, at the end of canon.)  If you have a question about if some source counts, ask yourself: Did it come from JRR or Christopher working from his father's notes? If the answer is Yes, then it counts. If it does not come from the family, then no. I can trust scholars, but would like the trail to be only one degree of separation. If your case is compelling enough, a pass may be granted.   EDIT  If it's not bad form, can I extend the question to the oldest four? Eru is too obvious and as Kevin comments, "Eru was clearly first, he created the ainur second, and it's generally indicated that Tom Bombadil is tied to Middle-Earth and so third." The "generally indicated" thing is not decisive, but, if this is indeed accurate, I'm curious to know just a little bit more. Please either play along with me, or slap my hand for grabbing too many cookies. It's a fascinating and complicated history I know too little about. (I do plan to remedy this someday.)  NEWER EDIT  I just noticed this question still gets viewed and was active a few months ago. Let me further clarify. I am after the oldest entity AT ANY POINT in the canon. If a creature lived to be 99 years (I'm using low numbers to keep it simple) and then died, and another lived to be 98 at the close of the canon, the dead one wins. Living, dead, doesn't matter. Age at end of canon is all that counts.
86133
I've heard a lot about the Undying Lands but I don't fully understand how they're different from Middle-earth and why only certain people/races are allowed to go there.  Can someone explain?
73491
Tolkien wrote The Hobbit as a story for children. However, I've never seen a specific age mentioned. Did Tolkien intend the story for young children or for teens?   What reading level should a child be at to understand and enjoy The Hobbit?
84361
Why is it that more rings of this nature/power could not be made again? Are there no elven smith's left with the capability? How were the rings of power "enchanted" with their magical properties to begin with if Sauron did not directly forge them?   You would think that more would be made to aid in the battles against Sauron and his armies if someone had the capabilities to do so.