Monstrous Races in Lord of The Rings and Medieval Literature

The Lord of the Ring Trilogy is relatable to the Medieval concepts we have learned such as the concept of the closer you get to the boundaries of middle earth within the Lord of the Rings world. The more beastly creatures you encounter, these include but are not limited to orcs, goblins, werewolves, vampires, giants, etc. In ancient times Jerusalem was considered by many to be the center of the world. As with the concept portrayed in the Lord of the Rings the more you move away from that centralized place the more beastly things you start to see. This is because Jerusalem was thought of to be the holiest city of the ancient world. It was often represented as the founding city of the popular modern day religion of Christianity. Christianity as a whole during this time period was still gaining traction in terms of popular belief. Thus, Jerusalem is considered a holy city of the Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. The city is important to the Christian and Jewish faith due to the fact that they believe that many biblical events have taken place there. This is because both religions believe in the Old Testament teachings. In modern day society we do not consider Jerusalem the center of the earth anymore. Nowadays this concept would have sounded completely unethical. In relation to Middle Earth the city of Jerusalem would have to been compared to Valimar; which is the city of the Gods. Numerous people in Middle Earth chose a more urban life which included living in large cities such as Helms Deep, Riven Dell, and The Gray Havens, etc.

The city of Jerusalem has for many years been regarded as one of the most controversial cities in the entire world. No one really knows who Jerusalem belongs to. That is why it is split up into 4 separate quarters. These quarters consist of the Christian, Armenian, Muslim, and Jewish quarters. This can be perceived as a similar trait when describing the diverse territories in Middle Earth by their uniqueness in that each city or large quantity of land has a border that cannot be crossed or certain consequences will be dealt upon the individual that attempted this action. The monsters that reside on the outskirts of Middle Earth play a significant role in developing the plot of the story during the Lord of the Rings Trilogy much like the Muslims and Armenians did in their conquest to take over the holy city of Jerusalem. The underlying meaning of this practice can be related back to the concept that the further away one gets from a centralized point in a territory the more beastly the creatures become. All in all, this concept can be seen all throughout history which can only be personified by the greed and selfishness we humans possess.