We finally reach the end of Peter Jackson’s first Hobbit Movie! We’ll compare chapter 6 from the book to its on screen adaptation, and explore how the story’s subtle shift in narrative focus resolves. Share this episode using...
Bilbo Baggins becomes bacon . . . or at least he fears that he has. Some new creatures want to eat him, another new creature seems to want to eat him; yet despite feeling like food, Bilbo is starting to change, but is it all ...
One of the most chilling elements of a fantasy story is the descent into darkness. Darkness is the realm of evil, where wicked power have a home-court advantage. But journeys into the dark have a way of bringing out the light...
The dangers of adventure, an encounter with goblins, and the power of Gandalf. We continue our exploration of JRR Tolkien’s the Hobbit, by wandering through chapter 4: Over Hill and Under Hill. Share this episode using this l...
The dangers of adventure, an encounter with goblins, and the power of Gandalf. We continue our exploration of JRR Tolkien’s the Hobbit, by wandering through chapter 4: Over Hill and Under Hill. Share this episode using this l...
The nature of evil, the nature of elves, and a brief encounter with Elrond (curiously, not called Half-elven). We follow Bilbo and the dwarves on their adventure to the Lonely Mountain in chapter 3 of JRR Tolkien’s children’s...
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...
