He had collected many – flat and squared ones, with few uneven edges. This year he would build a tower that took an age to knock down. Heaving the canvas bag over his shoulder, Gino struggled down the path that led to home. The little sticks he needed to fit between the stones would be found in his mother’s garden.

She had her arms deep in flour. Feast days aimed to give the children fun, demanded effort from the women.

“You have good ones?” she asked, as he dragged the heavy load across the floor.

“Yes. And since last year I have learnt how to place the sticks so that the stones will not be disturbed when the others pull them out. My tower will be the last one standing.”

“I am sure you will do well tomorrow,” his mother agreed. “But do you know why the children build stone towers in March?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Gino admitted.

“Then do you not think you ought to ask the priest?

He ruffled Gino’s black hair. “Long, long ago the Lord and the devil strove for this land. The Lord built a huge city that rose against the mountain behind us. The devil built an evil tower the other side of the Great River.  The men in the Lord’s City and the monsters in the devil’s tower glared at each other for many years. Over time, the devil grew in strength. Worried he would attack the City, a small boy crept up to the tower. Because the boy had faith in the Lord, he was able to pull it down and vanquish the devil.”

Gino struggled with the knowledge. “But that means I should make my tower so that it can be destroyed quickly.”

“Ah, my son. That is your decision.”

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 300 Words

Middle –earth - correspondence with the geography of Earth – from Wikipedia.

Tolkien described the region in which the Hobbits lived as "the North-West of the Old World, east of the Sea", which indicates a connection to England and the north-western region of Europe (the Old World). However, as he noted in private letters, the geographies do not match, and he did not consciously make them match when he was writing:

"As for the shape of the world of the Third Age, I am afraid that was devised 'dramatically' rather than geologically, or paleontologically."

"...if it were 'history', it would be difficult to fit the lands and events (or 'cultures') into such evidence as we possess, archaeological or geological, concerning the nearer or remoter part of what is now called Europe; though the Shire, for instance, is expressly stated to have been in this region."

In another letter, he made correspondences in latitude, not equations, between Europe and Middle-earth:

"The action of the story takes place in the North-west of 'Middle-earth', equivalent in latitude to the coastlands of Europe and the north shores of the Mediterranean. ... If Hobbiton and Rivendell are taken (as intended) to be at about the latitude of Oxford, then Minas Tirith, 600 miles south, is at about the latitude of Florence. The Mouths of Anduin and the ancient city of Pelargir are at about the latitude of ancient Troy."

He did confirm, however, that the Shire, the land of his Hobbit heroes, was based on England:

"'The Shire' is based on rural England and not any other country in the world..."

In the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien writes: "Those days, the Third Age of Middle-earth, are now long past, and the shape of all lands has been changed..."

It is fun to speculate! Thanks to Adaneth for confirming the reasoning for the location, and to Lia and others in the Garden for reading and commenting.  LBJ