# Hey, man, what's a readable cosmology of Middle Earth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-man-whats-a-readable-cosmology-of-middle-earth/347491>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 8, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-man-whats-a-readable-cosmology-of-middle-earth/347491 "2006-03-08T03:45:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-man-whats-a-readable-cosmology-of-middle-earth/347491/1 "2006-03-08T03:45:21Z")

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I hate to admit it, but I cannot freaking read _The Silmarillion_ or the books of lost tales, unfinished tales, and so on - their quasi-biblical style just bores me to tears for some reason, and I suddenly realize I’ve read three pages withuot actually reading a thing.

Is there some sort of “Cliff’s Notes” guide online that lays out the basic cosmology of Middle Earth - that is, the creation myth, the pre-history, and so on, everything leading up to the LOTR series?

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-man-whats-a-readable-cosmology-of-middle-earth/347491/2 "2006-03-08T03:57:44Z")

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There are several tries at what you want on the internet.  
I don’t know of any in Print.  
Here is a list of possible internet Readings:  
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainulindale#Main\_Synopsis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainulindale#Main_Synopsis) Fairly good  
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eru\_Ilúvatar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eru_Il%C3%BAvatar) On Erü  
[http://www.physics.ccsu.edu/Larsen/jrrt.html](http://www.physics.ccsu.edu/Larsen/jrrt.html)  
A strange take on it: [http://www.ufodigest.com/quest4.html](http://www.ufodigest.com/quest4.html)

Good Luck

Jim

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**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-man-whats-a-readable-cosmology-of-middle-earth/347491/3 "2006-03-08T03:59:43Z")

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Hey, thanks!

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-man-whats-a-readable-cosmology-of-middle-earth/347491/4 "2006-03-08T04:13:26Z")

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> [@VCO3](#):
>
> Hey, thanks!

If you have questions after reading, toss them back here.  
We can always try to gather up the Tolkien Experts. There are many of us.

Jim