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 only time Morgoth reveals himself in a long discussion… and the results are….? We dissect this showdown on a hill of bones and discover why it is unlike anything else in Tolkien’s works, what it reveals about free will, evil, and despair, and how Húrin’s stubborn defiance sets the stage for all the tragedy to follow.

We also cover:

Brandon Sanderson’s “five ingredients” for epic fantasy
The real meaning behind Morgoth’s boasts about fate and power
Where Tolkien slips myth, theology, and “eucatastrophe” right into the dialogue
Free will or predestination… is there an answer here?

In our extended episode (available via our Exploring Tolkien App or for our site’s members–), we go deeper on:

Did Tolkien “ruin” fantasy by setting too high a bar? Why so much modern fantasy struggles in his shadow
How much control did Morgoth really have over Húrin (and Turin)?
More listener questions: the flame from Fingon’s helm, the Doom of Mandos, and the limits of fantasy as a genre

🎉 To get the extended episode, become a member using our Exploring Tolkien app, or become a member at https://theonering.com/members ($4/mo and free for the 1st month).

Image Credit: The Words of Húrin and Morgoth by Alan Lee

🔗 Episode Links
Get the Exploring Tolkien App!
The Children of Húrin
The Story of Kullervo
The Silmarillion
Unfinished Tales

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Spotify
Get the Exploring Tolkien App
Get the Extended Podcast

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book)
The Silmarillion
The Children of Húrin
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(173)

169. Túrin’s Fatal Arrogance : Children of Húrin #6

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Túrin Turambar in Doriath transitions from Thingol’s foster son to a hunted outlaw...

18 Aug 0s

168. Orcs Writing Poetry and Galadriel’s Love Triangle – The Rings of Power News

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Is The Rings of Power Season 3 course-correcting—or just running out the clock? In...

5 Aug 0s

167. Pride Comes Before the Thrall : Children of Húrin #5

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Is Morwen heroic, tragic, or just stubborn to a fault? We’re on to chapter 4 of Th...

21 Jul 0s

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