Tolkien and Poul Anderson independently wrote fantasies based on Norse mythology.
Anderson also wrote sf, including alternative histories.
SM Stirling specializes in alternative histories with some Andersonian allusions, including a series where some Change survivors base themselves on Numenoreans. For them, Tolkien's Middle Earth History might as well be real history.
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Kaor, Paul!
For Astrid Larsson, at least, the Change was a godsend! It enabled her to "act out" her passion for the Middle Earth mythos of Tolkien. Given her very real abilities and talents, plus her strong willed and persuasive personality, she won over followers who believed as she did about THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION.
The devastation caused by the Change enabled Astrid and her followers to set up a new culture based as much as possible on the works of Tolkien. Considering how passionately devoted many Tolkien fans are, I think such a situation MIGHT be possible, IF something like the Change happened.
And this extended even to religion. Astrid and some of her followers worshiped or venerated the Vala. Altho others were either Christians or neo-pagans. But, I think the "neo-Numenoreans" were basically monotheistic, because that was what THE SILMARILLION clearly taught.
One of Tolkien's shorter works, set in the First Age, was a debate King Finrod and a mortal woman named Amdreth called "Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth." It can be found in Volume X of THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE EARTH, ed. by Christopher Tolkien. Altho primarily a discussion of the different life spans and fates of the elves and mankind, the later parts touched on certain ideas held by Andreth's people. She said there were traditions in her house that, even after mankind fell due to the lies of Morgoth, Eru Iluvatar had not forgotten the Second Born. Andreth said one tradition declared that somehow Eru Himself would personally intervene in Middle Earth for the salvation of the human race.
MORGOTH'S RING was pub. in 1993, nearly five years before the Change. So I think it's very likely that passionate Tolkien devotee, Astrid, had read it. And others of her followers who were Christians would find the "Athrabeth" a pre-Judaic confirmation of their faith.
How strangely cultures might arise and develop if given the chance!
Sean
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