User blog comment:Awobbie/Elder Scrolls and Lord of the Rings... Same Universe?/@comment-14027812-20140713055708

Those similarities are very, very, very standardized and common to the fantasy theme in general. LotR paved the way to almost all modern fantasy themes, so expect it to have similarities with nearly everything. In addition, Tolkien has implied/suggested that Middle-Earth was actually Earth in a different time period or setting.