With which Human culture of Middle Earth do you have the greatest affinity?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I could start with saying once again by being picky and saying that you are not very precise. Where are the Drúedain? And I'm not sure you can mix Umbarean and Haradrim together. What about the men from the White Mountains? And what about Enedwaith/Minhiriath folk, do they count among Eriadorean? The Enedwaith folk from the Second Age should be counted as separate, I believe, and someone could identify themselves with them. But no, I believe for the basic it suffices. Well, maybe indeed except for the Drúedain. That may really seem missing to someone.

And what about Beornings? Do you count them amongst Northerners? And Woodmen, also?

(Oh no, please, don't get me wrong, elempi, it's not supposed to be anything bad against you. These threads are great. But I just have to say these things because I consider them important. At least for me. Maybe others are not as picky, but if there are more people like me, the more importantly should I mention it. "Constructive criticism", you may call it.)

Personally, since this thread is not about what do you feel you are but with what do you have the greatest affinity, I'm for the Northerners. If you mean by it the men of Lake-Town and Dale, and also the Woodmen, then definitely. Certainly not the Northerners like Eorlings (and you do well to discern them), but these are very nice folks. I feel very close to both Woodmen and the men of Lake-Town and the men from Dale.

[mormegil]

I voted Numenoreans mainly because of their religious aspect. Obviously I refer to the earlier Numenoreans than the latter, but their devotion is something I admire and try to acheive in my own life. I also seem them in a cycle similar to many of us in our own lives of the highs and lows, of course, theirs is an extreme but illustrative nonetheless.

[Groin Redbeard]

I think I feel that I always was more of a northener at heart. I love the forests and rivers, and I like simple people who you can relate to. From what I remember from the Hobbit I think that resembles the people of the North-East best.

[Meneltarmacil]

Probably the Rangers. I'm the kind of person that has several long-term friends that are not too well acquainted with every aspect of me (there's always something they don't know) and who just likes to travel for no particular reason.

[McCaber]

Definitely the Eorlingas. I like their culture, emphasizing the warrior spirit and heroism.

[Nogrod]

Even though I'm a Finn (soon turning 40...) and thence I feel a great affinity to the people like the woodsmen, the Lake-town people and Beornings - and also the people of old in Arnor possibly (even though I have quit a faint view of them) - I must probably vote for the Gondorians.

Now I may be mistaken but I have always associated the great cities of Gondor (not just Minas Tirith but even more the southern cities like Dol-Amroth) with learning and multiculturalism; different palates and music, different customs and codes co-existing peacefully under the moral principles of freedom and justice. And as places where people can still unite under the banner of their ideals more than with their ethnicity or creed. They kind of remind me of the ancient Rome (at it's best), Holland of the late Middle-Ages, Paris of the enlightenment (not the horrors of the revolution), London and New York today (I'm deeply moved by the "down the street" reaction of people in both of those cities in the hour of despair as seen lately).

But I'm witholding my vote as yet to hear whether you better-educated will crash my idealistic views on Gondor...

[littlemanpoet]

Hmm... the Drúedain would have been an interesting inclusion. I think I am limited to 10 choices. I could have made 20 were it possible.