Exploring Tolkien23 Des 2025

153. The Christmas Eucatastrophe (and is The Lord of the Rings a Christmas movie?)

We turn our attention from The Hobbit to a long-hidden Tolkien gem: his 1936 Christmas poem, “Noel.” We take a look at the history of the poem’s rediscovery, its deep-rooted Tolkien-esque imagery, and why its message of hope stands uniquely in Tolkien’s literary career.

We discuss:

The surprising 2013 rediscovery of “Noel” and how Tolkien scholars tracked it down through forgotten school annuals and convent archives.
The poem’s Nordic and Middle-earth flavor in the early stanzas—and the “eucatastrophic” shift when a child is born.
Song and music as markers of Tolkien’s poetic voice, the emphasis on Mary’s song, and what it means for the joy of the world.
Why “Noel” is a rare example of Tolkien writing an explicitly Christ-centered poem, and how it stands apart from his other work.
The unmistakable hope and gladness that “Noel” brings to the weary, gray world.
The craft and subtlety Tolkien brings, never over-explaining the mystery—just inviting us to imagine, wonder, and rejoice.

In our extended episode (available for EVERYONE this week! :D. Merry Christmas! Become a member or a patron!), we tackle one of the greatest Christmas questions… is Lord of the Rings a Christmas film!?

Does simply watching a film at Christmas imbue it with holiday status, or must its core message embody the “eucatastrophe” of the season?
The surprisingly non-Christmas nature of Die Hard and Gremlins.
Our favorite Christmas movies, from It’s a Wonderful Life to Home Alone, and what really makes a story Christmas-worthy.

🔗 Episode Links
Noel – Tolkien’s Lost Christmas Poem (YouTube)
Get the Extended Podcast
Become a Patreon Member

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast
Become a Patreon Member
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Spotify

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book)
The Silmarillion
The Children of Hurin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(170)

166. Is Evil Really in Control? : Children of Húrin #4

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Is evil REALLY in control? Tolkien pursues this in this chapter–for the first and ...

7 Jul 50min

165. An Interview with Bernard Hill (Théoden)

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exlcusives! This is my favorite interview from the December 2, 2003 roundtable discussions for...

25 Jun 32min

164. A Glimmer of Hope Through the Eyes of Death : Children of Húrin #3

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exlcusives! “Day shall come again”–but for now, it’s the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. In this e...

9 Jun 52min

163. The Most Tragic Middle-earth Childhood : Children of Húrin #2

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exlcusives! Turin’s tragic journey starts here. In this episode, we examine the opening chapte...

26 Mai 1h 5min

162. Morgoth’s Curse and the Pride of Men : The Children of Húrin #1

We finally return to Tolkien’s First Age for a new deep-dive series on The Children of Húrin, starting with Christopher Tolkien’s introduction. We discuss why Tolkien considered Turin’s tale one of hi...

12 Mai 46min

161. Tolkien’s First Tragic Tale : The Story of Kullervo

The Kalevala is perhaps Tolkien’s earliest inspiration… In this episode, we dig into The Story of Kullervo the tragic Finnish myth (from the Kalevala) that captured Tolkien’s imagination as a young m...

28 Apr 1h 7min

160. Did Peter Jackson make Saruman too Powerful? : Film Changes #49 and #50

This episode tackles two more changes from Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring—Saruman orchestrating the storm on Caradhras, and the missing warg attack in Hollin. We break down how these adaptatio...

14 Apr 51min

159. Boromir’s Slippery Slope : Film Change #48 (and Stephen Colbert’s Lord of the Rings movie!?)

In this episode, we examine the insertion of Boromir’s ring-handling scene on the slopes of the Misty Mountains–though it was completely invented, how close was it REALLY to the books? … and THEN we d...

31 Mar 54min