A Hobbit Meets a Bear | Tolkien's The Hobbit | Chapter 7 | 232

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo meets the most perplexing creature yet, and another simple choice saves the fate of Middle-earth.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Today we explore Chapter 7 of J.R.R.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Tolkien's The Hobbit, queer lodgings.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think you'll see that if Bilbo had to leave a review on Airbnb for Bayhorn's flower encircled wooden cottage.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Complete with live large bees and table serving animals, he might give Bayhorn a five-star rating.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Likewise, if you like this episode, please leave a rating and review and help your fellow Middle-Earth Wanderers find some respite in their wandering.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, let's wander.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Let's start by addressing the chapter title, queer lodgings.

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[SPEAKER_00]: To our modern ears, queer has quite a different definition and usage than what Tolkien would have meant when he selected that description.

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[SPEAKER_00]: To Tolkien, queer would have meant strange or odd.

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[SPEAKER_00]: That's not usually how we use the word queer today.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But for the purposes of this chapter, let's keep our eyes open for those things that are strange or odd.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Coincidentally, various synonyms for queer include a few themes that we've seen throughout Bilbo Story already, including unexpected, peculiar, and unfamiliar.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And this chapter has a share of unexpected and peculiar characters, not to mention some of the most mysterious creatures yet.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The chapter opens with another mention of Bilboat telling the time by a meal.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He wakes up thinking he should go but the kettle on for breakfast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: As the Eagles fly Bilboat down from their iris, he can see a river running through grasslands.

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[SPEAKER_00]: This river is the Anduin, the Great River, on the east of the Misty Mountains, that runs south past Lothlorian, where the Fellowship of the Ring will join the river as they float on little boats, but that's not for another 60 years.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The Eagles drop the company on a tall rock.

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[SPEAKER_00]: As Bilbo descends the rock, he can see that a path has been worn into the rock side.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Complete with steps.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo later learns that this feature is called the Karak, by someone that can't off those.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But what does Gandalf have to say about this new person?

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[SPEAKER_00]: First that he is very dangerous, and that he, quote, gets angry easily.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Gandalf names him Beir, and calls him a skin-changer.

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[SPEAKER_00]: This Beiron is apparently a giant of a man who can change his shape into a black bear.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Gandalf explains, quote, some say that he is a bear descended from the great and ancient bears of the mountains that lived there before the giants came.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Others say that he is a man descended from the first man, who lived before smog, or the other dragons came into this part of the world.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Gandalf suspects that the second explanation is near the truth.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So let's unpack each of those origin stories.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The first guess that Bayorn is a bear is rather mysterious.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I have no information about the ancient bears that lived in the mountains.

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[SPEAKER_00]: On the second guess, if Bayorn is a man descended from the ancient fathers of men, how could he have the ability to turn into a bear?

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[SPEAKER_00]: One possibility is that Bayorn is from the Myr, that class of spirits that serve the Valar.

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[SPEAKER_00]: However, I find that very unlikely, as to my knowledge Tolkien didn't return much to the idea of Bayorn.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And the idea of Myr living on Middle-Earth is very, very rare.

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[SPEAKER_00]: To me, Bayorn is simply one of those mystifying mysteries of Middle-Earth.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Not everything has an explanation.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm reminded of Tolkien's thoughts about how to approach fantasy from his essay on fairy stories.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Note, the land of fairy story is wide and deep and high, and is filled with many things.

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[SPEAKER_00]: All manner of beasts and birds are found there.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Surely sees and stars uncounted.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Beauty that is an Enchantment and an Ever-Present Parallel, both sorrow and joy as sharp as swords.

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[SPEAKER_00]: In that land, man may perhaps count himself fortunate to have wandered.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But it's very riches and strangeness make dumb the traveler who would report it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And while he is there, it is dangerous for him to ask too many questions,

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[SPEAKER_00]: So a warning here, those who seek for scientific explanations of Bayorn, the manner of his skin changing, where he came from and why he exists in Middle-earth, will be sorely disappointed and perhaps the gates of the land of fairy story may be shut to you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: That's it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: In chapters past, Bilbo has encountered new creatures before, who are most often revealed by their landscape and home.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So let's look for clues to Bans Nature and what he chooses to surround himself with.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Besides Gandalf's warnings and unhelpful explanation of Bayorn, the next clue are his lands in home.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It was the middle of the afternoon before they noticed that great patches of flowers had begun to spring up.

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[SPEAKER_00]: All the same kinds growing together as if they had been planted.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Ah, so Bayorn is a planner and designer.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He has an appreciation for the natural beauty of plants like flowers.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He is careful enough to cultivate many different kinds of flowers, yet to grow them together with their kinds.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Let's continue.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The second clue is a sound, quote, there was a buzzing and a worrying and a droning in the air.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bees were busy everywhere.

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[SPEAKER_00]: These bees were large, quote, bigger than your thumb, with a fiery golden color to them.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But the bees are not the only creature to reveal their master?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Well-groomed horses, quote, looked at them intensely with very intelligent faces.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Gandalf has devised a plan as to not overwhelm Bayorn and have them all killed.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He will tell a good story and keep interrupting it by introducing the dwarves in pairs.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It's a fabulous technique and works perfectly in order to win Bayorn's hospitality, but not quite his friendship, yet.

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[SPEAKER_00]: When Bilbo sees Bearn, clearly Bearn is the opposite of a habit.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bearn is huge, with a black beard and hair, with arms and legs rippling with muscles.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He's so tall that Bilbo's head is shorter than the lower fringe of Bearn's tunic.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Also, unlike Bilbo, when Gandalf introduces himself, Bearn claims to have never heard of Gandalf.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And later, as the dwarves are introduced, they offer their service.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But unlike Bill though from chapter 1, Bayhorn says, quote, I don't need your service.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But I expect you need my.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But like the other creatures we've encountered so far, Bayhorn does not recognize what a hob it is.

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[SPEAKER_00]: quote, And what's this little fellow?

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[SPEAKER_00]: He said, stooping down to frown at the hobbit with his bushy black eyebrows.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bayorn at least invites them in, and Gandalf begins his long tail to slowly introduce the rest of the company.

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[SPEAKER_00]: At one point Bayorn understands that he is about to be the host of an unexpected party, quote, ''Go on, whistle again, I am in for a party, it seems, and one or two more won't make a difference.''

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[SPEAKER_00]: Eventually, the whole party is introduced to Bayorn, who has refused their service each time it's been offered.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It's then that Bilba understands Gandalf's strategy, but Mr. Baggins saw then how clever Gandalf had been.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The interruptions had really made Bayorn more interested in the story, and the story had kept him from sending the dwarves off at once, like suspicious beggars.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bayorn feeds the company.

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[SPEAKER_00]: His animals have been trained to wait on the guests.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The meal matches their dinner with El Rond back in Rivendell, which is a nice book and to their mountain journey.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Both El Rond and Beirann live close to nature are the combination of two races and provide the best meals the dwarves have on their adventure.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Beirann is very interested to hear about how the orcs and works suffered at the hands of Gandalf and the dwarves, but doesn't care for the stories of gold and jewels that the dwarves have to share.

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[SPEAKER_00]: night falls.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bayhorn takes his leave, and the dwarves sing a song much like their song from the unexpected party in Bilbo's Hobbit Hole all those months ago.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo hears a growling and scuffling outside during the night.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The next day, Gandalf returns from a scouting expedition, and reports that he observed Prince that suggest the Bears had a dancing party the night before.

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[SPEAKER_00]: all dancing outside from dark to nearly dawn.

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[SPEAKER_00]: That night, Bilbo even dreams of quote hundreds of black bears dancing slow, heavy dances round and round in the moonlight.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The idea of bears dancing is an interesting one.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Though he didn't elaborate in the Hobbit,

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[SPEAKER_00]: Tolkien did write about the bare dances that occurred in the second age on the island of Numenor.

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[SPEAKER_00]: There, the bears and the men of Numenor were friendly with each other, and, as told in the book, The Fall of Numenor, edited by Brian Sibley, we get this gem, quote, most strange wall were the bare dances.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The bears, the black bears, especially, had curious dances of their own.

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[SPEAKER_00]: At times, the bears would perform dances for the entertainment of their human friends.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps this dance that Gandalf finds evidence for is an ancient tradition of the bears.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps, even related to the bare dances of Numenor.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Soon, bear in return, and having discovered that their story is actually true, also asserts that, quote, a great raid of the whole goblin army with their wolf allies might soon be made to find the dwarves.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Talk to that bit of information away for now.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It's a bit of foreshadowing.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bayour now gives his friendship to Thorn and Company, and offers his help to get them as far as the forest of Merkwood.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But we'll get to that right after this break.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bayhorn Aids Thorn and his companions in the quest his help comes in the form of food, advice, and ponies.

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[SPEAKER_00]: First, food.

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[SPEAKER_00]: How could anything else be first at a tale about a Hobbit?

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[SPEAKER_00]: One of the items that Bayhorn provides is, quote, twice-baked cakes that would keep good for a long time.

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[SPEAKER_00]: and on a little of which they could march far.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The making of these was one of his secrets, but honey was in them, and they were good to eat.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Now you may read this description of Beirun's bread and think to yourself, this sounds an awful lot like Lambus.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Easy to preserve, gives lots of energy, secret recipe.

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[SPEAKER_00]: However, Baylorans' bread is not lembas.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Though I do concede, Baylor and May have been inspired by Lembas, if he even knew of its existence.

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[SPEAKER_00]: From the Silmarillion we discover a little more about Lembas, quote, According to the customs of the Adalia, the keeping and giving of Lembas belonged to the Queen alone.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The Eldar had never before allowed men to use this waybred, and seldom did so again.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Next, Byron gives advice, which is primarily the admonition to not leave the path of Markwood for any reason.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And a warning that the forced river is under an encchantment that will cause, quote, a great drowsiness and forgetfulness.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Hmm, that seems important to remember for a future chapter, and Bayron also gives some advice that seems an awful lot like Pippin's logic in the two towers film.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bayron tells the dwarves that they will be riding north closer to the Orch Strongholds, quote, for that is what they will least expect.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I see a connection there to Pippin saying, the closer we are to danger, but further we are from harm.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Lastly, Bayorn gives them ponies to ride, asking the dwarf to send back the animals at the forest edge, a promise, which they almost did not keep.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And though he doesn't say it, Bayorn also gives them protection while on the two or three day journey to Merkwood.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Only Bilbo and Gandalf are observant enough to realize the black bear that has been tracking the party.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But before entering the forest, Gandalf says he will not be going with them into the forest.

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[SPEAKER_00]: For he has quote, some pressing business away south.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He does not specify what that pressing business is, and I wonder if even Tolkien knew when he wrote the habit.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Remember, we're more than 15 years away from the publishing of the fellowship of the ring.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But we now know that what Gandalf's business was.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He entered the old forest, dokeldor, in the southern reaches of Merquid, and with the other members of the White Council, banished the Necromancer.

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[SPEAKER_00]: For now, though, the only mention of the Necromancer is this, quote, before you could get around the forest in the south, you would get into the land of the Necromancer.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And even you, Bilbo, won't need me to tell you tales of that black sorcerer.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I don't advise you to go anywhere near places overlooked by his dark tower.

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[SPEAKER_00]: How lucky was this advice heated?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Gandalf and the White Council did not then know that the necromancer was indeed the dark Lord Sauron.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Again, taking shape and calling all evil things to him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: What if Bilbo had gone south with Gandalf?

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[SPEAKER_00]: In an effort to bypass the dark path of Merkwood.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Would the White Council have been able to banish the necromancer or, more sinisterly, would Sarn have been able to reclaim the one ring and suddenly erupted into his full power again?

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[SPEAKER_00]: How catastrophic for middle-earth would that have been?

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[SPEAKER_00]: But Gandalf turns away, his last advice being to not leave the path.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo and the dwarves, quote, turned from the light that lay on the lands outside and plunged into the forest.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Another journey through the dark has begun.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But we'll get to that next week.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Join me in the next episode, while we'll look at this chapter's adaptation in the second Hobbit movie.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for wandering with me today.

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[SPEAKER_00]: My friends, if you enjoyed this episode, let me know by subscribing, leaving a review and sharing with your friends.

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[SPEAKER_00]: For feedback on the show, please email me using the link in the show news.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Until next Thursday, remember, not all those who want to, are lost.