One-of-a-kind annotated map of Tolkien’s Middle-earth found

A map of Middle-earth covered in notes made by JRR Tolkien himself has been discovered inside a copy of The Lord of the Rings, The Guardian reported on Friday.

Image source: theguardian.com

The book belonged to illustrator Pauline Baynes, whose notable works include illustrations for both The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. Notes from Baynes were also written on the discovered map.

According to Tolkien’s notes on the map, Hobbiton is at around the same latitude as Oxford. The map also uses Cyprus, Jerusalem, and Belgrade as reference points. Ravenna, a city in Italy, could also possibly be the inspiration for Minas Tirith.

The map is currently on display at Blackwell’s, a rare book store, and is being sold for £60,000 (around P4.28 million). — Bea Montenegro/BM, GMA News