Tolkien openly acknowledged that the idea of Middle-earth was not his own. The importance of magic in this world, known as the Dark Ages in Old English, was previously thought to only exist in Tolkien's writings; nevertheless, Professor Brian Bates now offers a detailed account of this actual culture. The past of Middle-earth, a realm of magic, mystery, and destiny, is concealed behind the legends we are familiar with about kings and queens of the Dark Ages, warriors, and conflicts. Monsters stalked the marshes, fiery dragons were spotted soaring across the sky, and elves shot poisoned arrows. Wizards conjured up cures, wise trees bestowed favours, and omens predicted monarchs' demises. The planet was infused with a vital energy, and the scenery itself was magical. Repressed by a millennium of Christianity, this belief system all but disappeared, leaving only faint traces in folk memory and fairy tales. In this remarkable book Professor Brian Bates has drawn on the latest archaeological findings to reconstruct the imaginative world of our past, revealing a culture with insights that may yet help us understand our own place in the world.