Posted: November 23, 1999 at 11:18:34: by Martin Read
: : : : The Etymologies include the word for "lion" (RAW). Were they indigenous to ME and if yes where exactly were they found? It may be possible that the Eldar meet some lions during the Great Journey, but isn't strange that they (i.e. lions) should be found at such a northerly latitude?: : : Lions were found throughout Eurasia (the so-called cave-lion) during the Old Stone Age. More recently they were found in the Balkans in the Bronze Age and in Anatolia (modern Turkey) into the Mediaeval period. Of course the lion's relative the tiger is found in Eastern Siberia to this day. : : There is also some evidence that Lions were present in Classical Era Greece. Alexander the Great is reputed to have killed a lion in his youth and there are other references to them in Greek Literature although some historians think that they are apocryphal. : If we are to assume that Middle-Earth corresponds to our world then the Great Journey would have taken place along a route that roughly goes from Moscow to Iceland. The geographical references above correspond in Middle-Earth to Harad and areas southwards. My point was that lions north of the Alps (indeed far north) would be somewhat strange. The cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea)was found as far north as what is now Denmark, and the North American lion (Panthera atrox)was found in Alaska - are these northerly enough for you?
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