Exploring The Rings of Power Map: Key Differences From The Lord of the Rings

The prequel series to The Lord of the Rings has sparked considerable controversy among Tolkien enthusiasts due to its alterations of Middle-earth lore. Much discussion has arisen around the map of Middle-earth as depicted in The Rings of Power, which highlights several significant changes.

The geography of Middle-earth in The Rings of Power contrasts markedly with the familiar landscape traversed by Frodo and the Fellowship in The Lord of the Rings. Set over 3000 years ago during the Second Age, The Rings of Power presents a landscape that offers some recognition but to a limited degree.

By the time The Lord of the Rings unfolds, many kingdoms featured in The Rings of Power have already fallen, while some regions are merely aspirations of their founders. Exploring the key areas on The Rings of Power map reveals the evolution of Middle-earth into the realm that fans know from both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

1. Valinor Lies To The West

Valinor, known as the Undying Lands, is situated far to the west of Middle-earth, across the Sundering Seas. This divine realm is where the Elves journey in The Lord of the Rings, marking the conclusion of Frodo’s tale. During the Second Age of The Rings of Power, Valinor could be accessed by sailing directly westward.

However, reaching Valinor uninvited would be nearly impossible unless one’s presence was warranted. The accessibility to Valinor diminished before the Third Age of The Lord of the Rings, with only a select route known to a few leading there.

Valinor, the abode of the Valar, Maiar, and the Elves who chose to stay, remains a place of extraordinary beauty and peace. Despite the devastation of the Two Trees of Valinor by Morgoth, its ethereal qualities continue to inspire all beings who inhabit it, even prior to The Rings of Power.

The Rings of Power S2 E4 Ending Explained — Morfydd Clark in Where the Stars are Strange | Source: IMDb

2. Númenor Sits Between Valinor & Middle-earth

Númenor is positioned in the oceanic expanse between Valinor and Middle-earth. The Valar created this star-shaped isle as a reward for those who fought against Morgoth in the First Age. The inhabitants of Númenor enjoy extended lifespans and have cultivated a remarkable society complete with impressive architecture and culture.

The Númenoreans are permitted to sail east towards Middle-earth to establish a lasting presence on their ancestral land, though they cannot venture west toward Valinor. This explains why the Númenoreans did not contribute to the destruction of the One Ring, as their island had already been ravaged before the events of The Lord of the Rings.

Aragorn and Boromir are both descendants of Númenor.

3. North-Western Middle-earth: Lindon & Eriador

To the west of Second Age Middle-earth lie two expansive regions. Lindon serves as the de facto capital of the Elves and is home to High King Gil-Galad, who, during the early Second Age, was responsible for establishing this magnificent realm. Círdan the Shipwright oversees the Grey Havens, a bustling location in The Rings of Power that borders Eriador.

This location is the departure point for any elf leaving for Valinor, a tradition that persists even as Frodo departs in The Lord of the Rings. By Frodo’s time, however, the decline of Númenor and the death of Gil-Galad have diminished Lindon’s significance and size.

Eriador’s territory begins just east across the Blue Mountains. Although verdant and beautiful, Eriador is less prominent in The Rings of Power than it is in The Lord of the Rings.

Centuries later, Eriador becomes the home of Elrond’s Rivendell and the kingdom of Men known as Arnor before succumbing to darkness wrought by the Witch-king of Angmar. It is also where early hobbits settled to form the Shire, the main setting for The Fellowship of the Ring.

4. Elves In Eregion & Dwarves In Khazad-dûm

Eregion, another major elven realm in The Rings of Power, is situated further east near the Misty Mountains and was ruled by Celebrimbor, the famed elven smith responsible for creating the Rings of Power.

Eregion is another noble domain akin to Lindon and Rivendell, but it ceases to exist during the events of The Lord of the Rings. It is destroyed by Sauron’s forces in the Second Age conflict between Elves and their foes, leading to Rivendell’s establishment upon its ruins.

Khazad-dûm, also known as the Mines of Moria, lies in proximity to Eregion within the Misty Mountains. While Khazad-dûm plays a crucial role in The Fellowship of the Ring, it is abandoned and in decline by the time Frodo and his companions traverse its depths.

In The Rings of Power, however, Khazad-dûm thrives and is bustling at the height of its prosperity. This dwarven city is one of several, with the dwarf race inhabiting mountainous regions throughout Middle-earth, but it remains uniquely significant within the narrative.

5. The Enemy Lies North

In The Rings of Power, Morgoth has been defeated, but Sauron has yet to emerge as the principal adversary of Middle-earth. Viewers of The Lord of the Rings often associate evil with the South and Mordor, yet Sauron’s stronghold is not yet constructed during this timeframe in The Rings of Power.

Instead, peril lurks in the north. Morgoth’s strongholds, Utumno and Angband, were found among the Iron Mountains in the cold reaches of northern Middle-earth.

Although these sinister locations would be conquered by the start of The Rings of Power, areas like Forodwaith remain desolate, still echoing the memory of their evil past.

6. Rhovanion (The Hobbit’s Setting) Is Very Different

The Rhovanion region, similar to Eriador, plays a more prominent role in the Third Age than in the Second, although many of its notable locations still exist under different names. East of the Misty Mountains lies Lórinand, the elvish land that will later transform into Galadriel’s realm of Lothlórien. The Galadriel of The Rings of Power is preoccupied with other matters.

Further east lies the expansive forest that will eventually be known as Mirkwood; however, in The Rings of Power, it has not yet taken on its murky identity. The mountain of Erebor remains isolated during this time, with Dwarves yet to establish operations there.

According to J.R.R. Tolkien’s account of Hobbits, early breeds like the Harfoots migrated westward across the Misty Mountains before settling in the Shire. Rhovanion is the backdrop for The Rings of Power’s Harfoot storyline and contrasts greatly with the Shire, the domain of Frodo and his other hobbit ancestors.

7. Gondor & Rohan Aren’t Yet Founded

To the south of Rhovanion, one would usually discover the magnificent golden plains of Rohan, celebrated in The Two Towers, and finally arrive at the capital of Men, Gondor, which plays a crucial role in The Return of the King. However, as The Rings of Power begins, neither kingdom is recognizable.

Prior to Rohan achieving prominence, the area is designated as Calenardhon and bears little resemblance to Théoden’s kingdom in The Lord of the Rings.

Gondor exists as a settlement of Men during Tolkien’s Second Age but is far from the grand kingdom that Aragorn will bequeath after Sauron’s overthrow. Minas Tirith has not yet been constructed, and no king reigns until Isildur arrives in Middle-earth from Númenor to strengthen Gondor.

8. Mordor Is The Southlands

Known as Sauron’s dark fortress in The Lord of the Rings, Mordor is a barren wasteland filled with ash, fire, and malevolence. Before Sauron claimed it for himself, the region remains shrouded in mystery. Nonetheless, marketing for The Rings of Power refers to the Southlands, a realm inhabited by Men.

As depicted in The Rings of Power, these Southlands are the area that will eventually evolve into Mordor.

The series takes place just before Sauron marks his territory, illustrating the land’s state before it transforms into a desolate volcanic expanse.

9. Why are The Maps In The Lord Of The Rings And The Rings Of Power Different?

The differences in named locations when comparing The Rings of Power map to that of The Lord of the Rings can be attributed to the passage of time.

Even though characters like Galadriel and Elrond appear through both series, it is easy to overlook the numerous millennia that separate LotR from the prequel.

In a broader context, if the elves from The Rings of Power existed in today’s world, they’d relate to an era akin to Ancient Rome during the timeline portrayed in The Lord of the Rings.

Several millennia passed between The Rings of Power and The Lord of the Rings, which explains the absence of notable locations like Gondor, Rohan, the Shire, and even Mordor on The Rings of Power map.

While Gondor may have been an established monarchy in The Lord of the Rings, this is seen through the lens of mankind. To the Elves, the establishment of Minas Tirith occurred relatively recently in their lengthy lives.

10. About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American television series inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s literature, developed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay for streaming on Amazon Prime.

Set 3,000 years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the series explores the Second Age of Middle-earth. Beginning in a period of tranquility, it narrates the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the forging of the Rings of Power.

The cast features Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, and Dylan Smith, among others.