middle earth
"Tolkien's writing remained entirely rooted in the context of his British and European roots. For example, the political geography of Middle Earth is like that of historical Europe; the forces of freedom are centered in the west, while invasions come from the south and the east. What has been called Herbert's "anthropological" outlook gave him the opportunity to step outside the West and entertain Islamic and Eastern outlooks."
"I recall hearing that Tolkien grew up and lived in both South Africa and England (anywhere else?), and considering that Middle-earth is like a mythological past for England, I'm not surprised at all that he would use his own experiences with the land as a basis for what he wrote. The Shire does feel very English-like, in a way"
"Exploring Middle Earth is like exploring the rich mind of JRR Tolkien."
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.