This makes the novel's status as a myth different from other classical myths in that they took place in the known world at that time which included the Mediterranean theater of Greece and the Italian peninsula, Northern Scandinavian countries and Anglo-Saxon dominated areas. In Tolkien's case he went ahead and made an entirely different world with entirely different geography and entirely different races of people and histories. This of course is used to be conducive to the "fairy story written for adults" (The Letters of JRR Tolkien pg. 232) quality that Tolkien wanted in The Lord of the Rings and his other works. .
Some critics have seen Tolkien parallel what some would call "Christian mythology" in his writing with the creation of Arda and Middle Earth. Arda is the entire world of Tolkien, which includes Valinor, the Undying Lands, Numenor, which is Tolkien's Atlantis and Middle Earth, which is the continent on which The Lord of the Rings takes place. Tolkien's creation of Arda is not chronicled in The Lord of the Rings although it is mentioned several times throughout the book and in the Appendix. His creation myth was based on Iluvatar or "The One", who is seen as the creator in Christian tradition although he is not as close to his people, creating the Ainur or "Holy Ones" to carry out His plan for Middle Earth. With the Ainur come a subgroup called the Valar who are the most powerful of the Ainur and each have a special authority over Middle Earth. Although this does not go along with Christian tradition Tolkien explains his hierarchy of spirits in one of his letters.
"It is, I should say, a 'monotheistic but 'sub-creational' mythology.' There is no embodiment of the One, of God, who indeed remains remote, outside the World, and only directly accessible to the Valar or Rulers. These take the place of the 'gods', but are created spirits."(The Letters pg. 235).
Even though Tolkien clearly explains his "monotheistic but sub-creational mythology" some Christian critics argue that Tolkien's spiritual hierarchy does indeed parallel the Biblical account.
