That is, fun to me, i.e. wearing functional clothing and gear and knowing how to use that gear, being in the woods, occupying a small camp site, and many more things that will be discussed here.
Tolkien created Middle Earth with more than enough “accurate History”, meaning it is chronological, accurate and cross-referenced. That makes it easy to re-create his world with some guidelines and limits. Middle Earth is founded in our history. Therefore, nothing has to be make-believe in order to enjoy it. I want to stress real-life, true "historical" re-creation/living. Meaning, your abilities are your real abilities. For example, my rate of fire with my bow is my actual rate of fire, not what it would be if I were an 86-year-old Ranger in the prime of my life who had been shooting bows for 78 years. Building ones basic skills is part of the fun. One thing that drives me is the pressure to be at a skill level that enables me to function as a Ranger.
I will never discourage other types of groups. The way I approach this is definitely not for everyone. This isn’t LARP. There are groups for that and I don’t discourage it.
This site is for and about the “Historical” Re-creation of Tolkien’s Middle Earth and more specifically, the Rangers of the North in the Third Age; the Dunedain that remained in Eriador living as “a strange and wandering folk”. I’ve approached this much like any of the Historical Re-creation groups out there, be it French & Indian war, Viking, or 12th Century English bowmen. I take as much as I can, straight from the books (Tolkien’s words), as well as his letters.
It is fantasy, so it should be fun.
PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING
The overwhelming drive for myself is to use real functioning gear and weapons to include training with those weapons to put into practice the basic skill sets used by the Rangers.
IN DOING THIS THERE IS A RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY EITHER THROUGH WEAPONS TRAINING, EMPLOYING PRIMITIVE SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES, OR EVEN SIMPLY MOVING THROUGH THE WOODS AT NIGHT WITH A SPEAR OR STAFF IN HAND.
THIS RISK IS MINIMIZED THROUGH PROPER TRAINING AND HANDLING OF ALL GEAR AND WEAPONS, BY PLANNING YOUR ACTIVITIES, AND BY STAYING WITHIN THE LAWS OF THE AREA YOU ARE OPERATING IN. FOR EXAMPLE, CARRYING SWORDS, SPEARS, BOWS, AND OTHER WEAPONS IN AREAS WHERE IT IS PROHIBITED, IE. STATE PARKS.
`Middle-earth`, by the way, is not a name of a never-never land without relation to the world we live in (like the Mercury of Eddison).4 It is just a use of Middle English middle-erde (or erthe), altered from Old English Middangeard: the name for the inhabited lands of Men ‘between the seas’. And though I have not attempted to relate the shape of the mountains and land-masses to what geologists may say or surmise about the nearer past, imaginatively this ‘history’ is supposed to take place in a period of the actual Old World of this planet.
From Tolkien's letter # 165
This site was last updated: 19 May, 2008
As for my guidelines and approach to Rangers and Middle Earth life in general…
They are just that, General guidelines, not law. I've talked to too many people who belong to re-enactment groups who spend most of their time going over each others outfits with a fine tooth comb just to find a discrepancy. Again, this is fantasy and should be fun.
Tolkien, like I said, gave us more than enough to create a good set of guidelines or parameters to stay within. To me, that makes it feel more like Middle Earth.
The guidelines are a living document. Any accurate input or discoveries are welcomed. Some have been easy, being stated clearly by Tolkien, others, have to be put together by compiling and cross-referencing several sources, i.e. the wearing of cloaks and the presence of apple trees. Easy! Copper pots. Harder to dig up.
There are many beautiful maps out there that I have or have looked at. As for accuracy in regards to geography and maps, I don’t think it gets any better than The Atlas of Middle Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad.
I love to find real places that I feel fit in Middle Earth.
Michael Martinez has quite a few well researched articles on various subjects about Middle Earth.
