125. Bilbo Trembled and Found Pity : The Hobbit #14

Stuck in trees with fire at their heels, the company find themselves surround by intelligent wolves and taunting orcs… but the eagles notice the commotion and decide to save Gandalf and his friends. This week we look at: Why did Tolkien decide to use wolves in this story? The orcs’ taunting and incredibly detailed, frightening song. Why the eagles decided to save Gandalf. Why Tolkien liked the eagles and used them here. In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about: Are the eagles in Middle-earth really deus ex machina? Did Tolkien rely on the eagles too much? BECOME A MEMBER! Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon! Thumbnail Image : “Bilbo and the Eagles” by Ted Nasmith 🔗 Episode Links The History of The Hobbit The Annotated Hobbit Join our Discord Community (for free) 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

21 Jan 52min

Life took an unexpected turn this week with the fires in southern California.

15 Jan 0s

Bilbo makes it out of the Misty Mountains with more courage than ever before, while the dwarves prove their disloyalty.  This is the chapter where Bilbo finally comes into his own as a Burglar–he’s becoming the hero of a great tale as he embraces his Tookish side. This week we look at: Middle-earth’s 1st connection to Anime (not War of the Rohirrim!) Bilibo’s Courage Dwarves Disloyalty Gandalf’s confidence Tolkien’s growth as a master of prose In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about: How Michael would have changed War of the Rohirrim War of the Rohirrim and the Bechdell test BECOME A MEMBER! Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon! 🔗 Episode Links The History of The Hobbit The Annotated Hobbit Join our Discord Community (for free) 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

7 Jan 40min

This poem, Noel, was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Hobbit was published, and only just discovered in 2013. Here’s how that happened! In 2013, Tolkien scholars Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull found something they didn’t expect. While researching a 1936 edition of The Tablet (a Catholic journal), they found mention of 2 Tolkien poems published in the Abingdon Annual of Our Lady’s School — a still active school in Abingdon! The school directed them where to find the 80 year-old publication.  In it, they found an early version of Tolkien’s poem The Shadow Bride (here titled The Shadow Man) and this poem, Noel! There is distinct beauty in the images Tolkien creates; it resonates profoundly with the winter season’s cold and desolate landscape… but the heavens and earth are overwhelmed with joy by the eucatastrophe (as Tolkien would put it) of Christ’s birth BECOME A MEMBER! Get access to the extended edition of our podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon! 🔗 Episode Links Noel, a Christmas Poem on Youtube (with imagery) Our Extended Discussion on Noel A Letter From Father Christmas Tolkien’s North Pole Mythology 🎧 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

25 Des 20240s

We all had high hopes when War of the Rohirrim was announced a few years ago–particularly since it was attached to Philippa Boyen, screenwriter of the original trilogy. So, Michael and I went out this week to see it in person (with our kids in tow too!). Here, then, is our unabashed review of the film… the ups (a couple), the downs (too many), and the whys that remain unanswered. We examine the following in War of the Rohirrim: The Animation/Art Style The Music The Characters/Acting The Dialogue The Story The Pacing The Lore In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about: What the movie SHOULD have been if it was lore-accurate, fleshing out a tail that focuses directly on Helm Hammerhand. ME A MEMBER! Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon! 🔗 Episode Links Join our Discord Community (for free) 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

24 Des 20241h 9min

Once Tolkien finished writing The Lord of the Rings, it became clear to him that The Hobbit needed to change–particularly Bilbo and Gollum’s interaction in chapter 5, “Riddles in the Dark”.  But what exactly did he change?  How necessary was it?  Did it make The Hobbit Better? If you haven’t read the original chapter, you can download a PDF here! Be sure to check out our side-by-side comparison, to easily spot the differences between the original and rewritten chapter. This week we look at: Why Tolkien though the tone and style of The Hobbit was a mistake. How Tolkien ret-conned The Lord of the Rings into The Hobbit – right in the prologue! Tolkien’s original depiction of Gandalf explaining Bilbo’s lies to Frodo (found in Peoples of Middle-earth). How Tolkien changed the Ring into a character. How Tolkien changed Gollum into a villain. How Tolkien even made the orcs more sinister. In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about: How Tolkien should really ever be the only person to write more Middle-earth stories. Screenwriter Phillipa Boyen’s comments on The War of the Rohirrim movie and how the untold story is the most “compelling” story. How her story can’t “ruin Tolkien”. A few thoughts on the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia Netflix series. BECOME A MEMBER! Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon! 🔗 Episode Links The History of The Hobbit The Annotated Hobbit Join our Discord Community (for free) 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

17 Des 20240s

“Riddles in the Dark” is not only the most memorable event from all of Middle-earth — it’s also the turning point that ultimately led to The Lord of the Rings.  In this episode we look at: Tolkien’s use of the words “miserableness” and “miserabler”. The original character that inspired Gollum. What *actually* brings Bilbo comfort. Where Tolkien’s riddles originated. How Gollum’s riddles and Bilbo’s riddles reflect the characters and mindsets. In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about: Which is our least favorite riddle? Would we have been able to actually answer any of the riddles? Our members’ reactions to the differences between goblines and orcs The genius of Tolkien to allow us to subcreate the goblins/orcs. BECOME A MEMBER! Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon! 🔗 Episode Links The History of The Hobbit The Annotated Hobbit Join our Discord Community (for free) 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

26 Nov 202451min