Q: Is Middle-earth Medieval?
ANSWER: There is much reader confusion about the nature or status of Middle-earth. Many readers incorrectly assume that Middle-earth is simply Medieval Europe masquerading under a set of different names. The word medieval can mean more than one thing. Most often we use it to speak of things relating to Europe during the timeframe from approximately 700 CE to 1350 CE. Some people use slightly different timeframes but Medieval Europe is popularly associated with a very powerful Roman Catholic Church led by the popes, feudalism-based monarchies in England, France, Germany, and Italy, and by relatively small armies led by knights (although some of the armies of the Crusades numbered over 100,000 soldiers).
Like Europe, Middle-earth has a long history that is marked by different cultural periods. Ancient European civilization was dominated by first the Minoans, then the Greeks, and finally the Romans. Of course, other cultures existed around these European cultures but they were the dominant European civilizations. Middle-earth’s civilizations were first dominated by the Sindar of Beleriand, then by the Eldar (Noldor and Sindar) of Beleriand/Lindon, and finally by the Numenoreans (and their successors the Dunedain of Arnor and Gondor).
Each of the great civilizations of Middle-earth experienced a rise and fall, but in the earlier ages there are nothing like the so-called “dark ages” that have affected European history. Technically speaking, Europe experienced two Dark Ages: the first Dark Age occurred from approximately 1200 BCE to 800 BCE. The fall of the Minoan civilization had a profound impact upon Europe’s advanced cultures. European civilization came out of this first dark period under the leadership of Greek culture, and the Greco-Roman civilization flourished across southern and western Europe for about 1300 years. That civilization continued to flourish in eastern Europe and Asia Minor for another 1000 years.
The second European Dark Age lasted from about 500 CE (after the collapse of the western Roman Empire) until about 1000 CE, through which time western Europe had been transformed by two major waves of migrations: the Germanic tribal migrations of 300 CE to 700 CE and the Scandinavian migrations of 800 CE to 1000 CE. The Dark Age periods marked a decline in education, infrastructure, and the power of central governments. Great kingdoms and empires succeeded the dark ages and produced extensive construction of cities, roads, and fortifications.
Nonetheless, early modern scholars coined the word medieval to refer to the “Middle Ages” of European history, as opposed to the “Ancient Ages” of the Greco-Roman period and the “Modern Age” in which Europe became closely associated with the post-Columbian Americas and Africa. The word has since become associated with “old-fashioned” or “primitive” ideas and practices.
When Tolkien’s readers ask if Middle-earth is medieval, they are almost certainly referring to the period in which the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings occur. The problem with using the term “medieval” to describe Middle-earth at this point in its history is that Middle-earth is not passing through a “Middle Age”. The Third Age of Middle-earth is the last of the Elder Ages, the most ancient periods in prehistory before “true” history begins.
The late Third Age is not quite a Dark Age because civilization still exists, and is in fact revived in the wake of Sauron’s defeat. So the term “medieval” cannot be properly applied to late Third Age Middle-earth.
But may readers do argue that the Middle-earth of Rohan and Gondor seems to resemble medieval Europe; however, that is technically incorrect. Both Rohan and Gondor represent blends of historical and fanciful cultures, some ancient and some medieval. Lake-town has also been compared to medieval Europe. Concerning these points I have already written a great deal in “Tolkien’s Middle-earth Doesn’t Look Like Medieval Europe”.
There are some parallels between medieval Europe and Middle-earth. However, there are also parallels between ancient Egypt and Middle-earth, modern England and Middle-earth, etc. It is inaccurate to say that Middle-earth is very much like Europe or other cultures at any specific time in history. It is simple Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
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