Maps of Middle Earth - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 09-02-2007, 08:46 AM

I have it too. I used to use it more than I do now. I wish it came in more handily for rpg's than it does. It's really quite informative as to relative locations, as well as the comparative timeline of the journey of Frodo & Sam vis-a-ví the adventures of Aragorn and the others. Each map page has a scale marker too, which can be useful. All in all, it's a volume done with great care and respect to the master. It is purely the work of a fan rather than a professional cartographer or artist, as the preface notes. Mine is a little beaten up too.

One great quote from the foreword written by Strachey herself is, "The evidence is - as one might expect - splendidly consistent. I have found only one or two difficult points which I have dealt with in the notes to the relevant maps."

The Contents page is invaluable, because the maps are at a wide variance of scales depending upon the scene depicted. Examples are:

Helm's Deep @ one mile per inch
The Argonath @ 2 1/2 miles per inch
Lorien @ 5 miles per inch
The Gates of Mordor @ 10 miles per inch
Weathertop and the Trollshaws @ 20 miles per inch
The Journey Home @ 100 miles per inch

One additional note is that Strachey plots more roads in the Shire than one finds on any Tolkien map; but most (not all) of them seem to make sense considering the locations of the villages.

09-02-2007, 08:46 AM	#3
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	I have it too. I used to use it more than I do now. I wish it came in more handily for rpg's than it does. It's really quite informative as to relative locations, as well as the comparative timeline of the journey of Frodo & Sam vis-a-ví the adventures of Aragorn and the others. Each map page has a scale marker too, which can be useful. All in all, it's a volume done with great care and respect to the master. It is purely the work of a fan rather than a professional cartographer or artist, as the preface notes. Mine is a little beaten up too. One great quote from the foreword written by Strachey herself is, "The evidence is - as one might expect - splendidly consistent. I have found only one or two difficult points which I have dealt with in the notes to the relevant maps." The Contents page is invaluable, because the maps are at a wide variance of scales depending upon the scene depicted. Examples are: Helm's Deep @ one mile per inch The Argonath @ 2 1/2 miles per inch Lorien @ 5 miles per inch The Gates of Mordor @ 10 miles per inch Weathertop and the Trollshaws @ 20 miles per inch The Journey Home @ 100 miles per inch One additional note is that Strachey plots more roads in the Shire than one finds on any Tolkien map; but most (not all) of them seem to make sense considering the locations of the villages. Last edited by littlemanpoet; 09-02-2007 at 08:49 AM.