Food, fire, and foreshadowing: we wander the second chapter of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and explore how this simple chapter is a major clue to the rest of Bilbo’s adventure. Share this episode using this link: ringspodcast.c...
How Peter Jackson's Hobbit films made one subtle change that had profound implications. We explore the opening of the movie The Hobbit, an Unexpected Journey, and compare it to the chapter in JRR Tolkien’s classic children’s ...
How an unsuspecting, comfortable hobbit became the host of a party of dwarves and a burglar of a dragon: Today we explore chapter 1 of JRR Tolkien’s classic story: The Hobbit or There and Back Again. Share this episode using ...
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." Tolkien’s simple opening line to his book The Hobbit wasn’t merely the first sentence to a children’s story of adventure, bravery, and dragons: this sentence is the first step i...
If you’ve seen or read Tolkien’s The Hobbit , then you know that Gandalf convinced Thorin and the dwarves to take Bilbo Baggins, a simple hobbit from the Shire. But you may not know why Gandalf chose Bilbo in the first place,...
Return to the lore and possible inspirations of "This Wandering Day" from Rings of Power Season 1. Share this episode using this link: ringspodcast.com/2 20 Who are you? Please tell me a little about you: ringspodcast.com/sur...
March 25 marks the day when the One Ring was destroyed and the Dark Lord Sauron was overthrown. Every March 25 for the last 20 years, the Tolkien Society commemorates Tolkien Reading Day. This is a day to read and share your ...
We embark on a melodious expedition, comparing and contrasting three iconic songs from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" with their literary counterparts. These songs, "Blunt the Knives," "Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold,...
What exactly is the power of a Ring of Power? How did Sauron rise from a second-in-command for the Great Enemy to becoming the dominant Shadow, the formidable Lord of the Rings? Today we wander, for the fourth time, into Tolk...
In Tolkien's rich tapestry of storytelling, the First Age unfolds with tales of valor and tragedy, while the very essence of light is both a scientific and imaginative marvel. Join us in uncovering the divine creation of Midd...
Without Bilbo, there would be no J.R.R. Tolkien. Without "The Hobbit," there would be no "Lord of the Rings" or "Silmarillion." Bilbo's tale, as Tolkien himself insists, is the linchpin, the essential connecting link, of his ...
Where did it all begin? Middle-earth, the languages, the books, the stories, the legends . . . Why did JRR Tolkien imagine Middle-earth? What does it all mean? What is the meaning of life? Today we explore these questions of ...
Discover five essential books that reshaped how I see J.R.R. Tolkien, his stories, and the world of Middle-earth. From rare insights into Tolkien’s imagination to indispensable resources like The Atlas of Middle-earth and the...
Is The Lord of the Rings one book, three books, or six? And why do we call it a trilogy when Tolkien himself insisted it wasn’t? Dive into the behind-the-scenes story of how The Lord of the Rings was published, exploring the ...
Nine ancient wraiths close in on a single hobbit at the Ford of Bruinen — and Tolkien weaves one of The Lord of the Rings' most powerful moments of defiance, courage, and friendship. This episode explores the final scene of "...
Frodo’s journey through the wilds takes a dramatic turn as the wounded hobbit nears the Ford of Bruinen. This episode explores three pivotal moments from the chapter Flight to the Ford in The Fellowship of the Ring . First, S...
Eucatastrophe, a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien, encapsulates the sudden, unexpected joy that breaks through moments of despair. Drawing from Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories", this episode delves into how eucatastrophe shape...
Frodo retraces Bilbo’s footsteps through troll-country , but the path is darker, colder, and far more perilous. This episode explores the rich narrative echoes between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , revealing how Tolk...
Frodo’s journey to Rivendell grows more perilous as the Black Riders lurk and his Morgul wound worsens. Strider leads the hobbits through the wild, relying on hidden paths and small signs of hope—a green stone on the Last Bri...
Join us for a special crossover as we welcome the hosts of Nerd Best Friends ! Their podcast dives into all things nerdy—from Marvel and Star Wars to 80s cartoons and comic books—but they’ve never done an episode on The Lord ...
Why does the One Ring make some wearers invisible but not others? Why could the Nazgûl still see Frodo when he put on the Ring at Weathertop? And why didn’t Sauron, Gandalf, or Galadriel vanish when wielding a Ring of Power? ...
Dive into one of the most chilling moments in The Fellowship of the Ring : the attack on Weathertop. As Frodo and the hobbits face the Nazgûl, we explore the overwhelming power of fear, the courage of Aragorn, and the deep th...
Eärendil the Mariner—hero, wanderer, and the ancestor of Elrond and Aragorn—holds a legendary place in Tolkien’s mythology. But how does his tale connect to The Lord of the Rings ? In this bonus mini-episode, we explore the h...
We continue our exploration into A Knife in the Dark from The Fellowship of the Ring . Unravel Tolkien’s masterful use of time, explore the growing sense of overwhelm the hobbits feel on Weathertop, and uncover Strider’s chil...
