# Was Rhûn based primarily on the lands of Asia?



## norrinradd (Jul 10, 2020)

I think there are related references in The Hobbit, but I do not know certainly. I will write what I find below. This part is a quote from the source _*tolkiengetaway*_.

In the earliest drafts of The Hobbit, Bilbo offered to walk from the Shire "_to [cancelled: Hindu Kush] the Great Desert of Gobi and fight the Wild Wire worm(s) of the Chinese._"(*J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The First Phase, "The Pryftan Fragment", p. 9*). In a slightly later version J.R.R. Tolkien altered this to say "_to the last desert in the East and fight the Wild Wireworms of the Chinese_" (*J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The First Phase, "The Bladorthin Typescript", p. 40*). And in the final version it was altered once more to say "_to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert._" (*J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"*)

Finally; in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, was Rhûn based primarily on the lands of Asia? Could we say yes?


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## Hisoka Morrow (Jul 11, 2020)

Ofc yes^^. As you've seen, Gondor's position matches the heartland of BYzantine empire, you can infer where Rhun matches^^


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## norrinradd (Jul 11, 2020)

There was an interview of Tolkien which I found to clarify the thread.

Excerpts from: Henry Resnick, “An Interview with Tolkien [March 2, 1966],” Niekas No. 18 (Late Spring 1967).

“_Rhun is the Elvish word for ‘east.’ Asia, China, Japan, and all the things which people in the west regard as far away. And south of Harad is Africa, the hot countries._” (Resnick, “An Interview,” 41)


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## Halasían (Jul 11, 2020)

And so where in the world does Khand fit in? Not quite east and not quite south?


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## norrinradd (Jul 11, 2020)

Halasían said:


> And so where in the world does Khand fit in? Not quite east and not quite south?


Tolkien described Rhûn and south of Harad, not Khand. We don't know because of that.


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## Halasían (Jul 11, 2020)

norrinradd said:


> Tolkien described Rhûn and south of Harad, not Khand. We don't know because of that.


Yeah I know. But no speculation or conjecture or anything? That is always fun isn't it?
Otherwise, since Tolkien described it, why even ask the question of _"
Was Rhûn based primarily on the lands of Asia?
"_ in the first place.


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## norrinradd (Jul 12, 2020)

Halasían said:


> Otherwise, since Tolkien described it, why even ask the question of _"
> Was Rhûn based primarily on the lands of Asia?
> "_ in the first place.


After asking the question, I found this interview from a book on books.google


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