048 - King Theoden leads "The Muster of Rohan"

This week we discuss book 5, chapter 3: The Muster of Rohan from "The Return of the King".

The Riders of Rohan gather, the Red Arrow arrives, and Théoden prepares to lead 6,000 horsemen into the shadow of Mordor. In this chapter, Merry feels smaller than ever, Aragorn is presumed extremely dead, Dunharrow gets deeply creepy, and the hosts of Rohan ride toward Minas Tirith with very little hope and, somehow, excellent snack energy.

Conversation Topics

Where is Merry?

Merry hangs with Théoden, tells Shire stories, and realizes the world is way too big

Dunharrow shows up with creepy roads, fat haunted statues, and very bad mountain vibes

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli enter the Paths of the Dead, so naturally everyone assumes they’re super dead

Hirgon arrives with the Red Arrow, which is basically Gondor’s “please help, everything is on fire” text

Théoden has to ride for Minas Tirith while Rohan is also actively getting attacked

The Dawnless Day begins, which is a pretty aggressive way for Mordor to ruin breakfast

Théoden tells Merry to stay home, and Dernhelm immediately says, “Absolutely not, get on the horse”

Dunharrow, fey, sundered, wold, Dernhelm, all of it

Timestamps

00:00:00 - The Mustard of Rohan begins

00:04:31 - Merry rides with King Théoden

00:09:54 - The Rohirrim arrive at Dunharrow

00:12:08 - Creepy roads, statues, and mountain ghosts

00:19:27 - Aragorn enters the Paths of the Dead

00:23:25 - Hirgon brings the Red Arrow

00:30:41 - Mordor brings the Dawnless Day

00:36:06 - Dernhelm secretly takes Merry to war

00:39:06 - Rohan rides into the deepening shadow

00:40:20 - Debating Tolkien’s timeline and chapter pacing

00:50:25 - The Púkel-men and forgotten civilizations

01:01:19 - Debating the Red Arrow’s big moment

01:10:50 - Dernhelm means secret helmet, apparently

01:13:46 - Food for Thought: chocolate Red Arrows

01:20:25 - Next week: The Siege of Gondor

Today's "Food For Thought": The Red Arrow of Gondor

Melt milk chocolate, tempering if you want a shiny, firm finish. Dip pretzel rods in chocolate and cool on parchment. If the chocolate gets too thick, gently rewarm it. Melt dark chocolate and add black food coloring if desired. Pipe thick 2-inch lines onto parchment, then drag one side with a fork to shape them like feathers. Make more than you think you’ll need, then freeze until firm.

Cut the centers out of large strawberries and dry them well. To assemble, wear food-safe gloves to avoid fingerprints. Trim excess chocolate from the base of each pretzel rod. Working with frozen feathers, gently melt the smooth edge of each feather against a warm plate, then press it onto the pretzel rod and hold until set. Dry the inside of each strawberry again, pipe in a dollop of chocolate, and press the pretzel rod into place, handling as little as possible.Once you are done swearing about chocolate, admire your creations!

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