The Tolkien Lore Podcast

Many people find Tolkien’s long descriptions of landscapes, scenery, and other features of his world boring, but pay a little attention and you begin to realize Middle-earth is more than a place, it’s a character unto itself. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/j...

Tolkien gives us a pretty clear timeline of the major events of the Second Age, including when construction of the Barad-dur, Sauron’s fortress, was begun. Elrond tells us the foundations were made with the power of the Ring. The only problem is, the Ring was made 600 years later…. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://o...

It’s Tolkien Reading Day again, so it’s time for Tolkien YouTube to bring you plenty of extra content! This year’s them is “travel and adventure,” and if ever there was something Tolkien handled realistically, it’s the rough and tumble of what we romantically call “adventure,” which translates very well to life as a whole. For the whole playlist of YouTube content from the other creators check thi...

Peter Jackson did some interesting things with Elves in his movies, and Legolas’ personality is the main victim. Far from the always-steady, joyless stoic portrayed by Orlando Bloom, Legolas was much more emotional and humorous. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/...

I have one final theory about wizard staves to share, and this one is much more speculative and likely not true, but hinges on some...interesting words that Saruman has for Gandalf. For my previous two videos on the subject, check here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1GRzWjH_V4 or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71xKryi28ak Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumb...

I know I’m late to the party on this, but at long last here’s my review of The Fall of Numenor, edited by Brian Sibley and illustrated by Alan Lee.  Do you need to get this book?  Probably not, but you might still want it. For my video on The Lost Road, check here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYQ2ft3r8iA Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://...

Earlier this week (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1GRzWjH_V4) I took a look at whether the Istari, or wizards, of Middle-earth actually needed their staves to perform magic.  In this follow-up, I explain my theory as to why exactly they need them. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f T...

The Wizards we meet in The Lord of the Rings always seem to be carrying a staff, and those pieces of wood sure seem important, but are they actually necessary to the Wizards’ use of magic? Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: https:// www.patreon...

A viewer suggested this topic, and particularly asked for any lessons we moderns could learn from the Numenorean’s folly. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: https:// www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek Discord server invite link:   https://discord...

Many of us at one point or another had an idealized conception of hobbits, but whether you’ve grown out of that or not, this book will give you a fresh look at hobbits and probably teach you a few lessons about yourself along the way. Buy the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YSPcWp Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https:/...

David Rowe (who has appeared on my channel in a criminally underwatched video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHLbX0u8EI ) recently noted on Twitter that while he understood the logic, he still wondered how Gandalf and Elrond knew that the Ring had to be destroyed in Mount Doom.  I thought this made for an engaging question and in this video I address what I think are the reasons for their...

Now that I’ve covered the basic rules for Elvish ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJNita-4Ujk ), we can explore some other rules unique to other languages, like Khuzdul, Black Speech, and the tongue of the Rohirrim! Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore P...

Tolkien is famous for creating a sense of history in his Middle-earth Legendarium, but his references to ancient history is only the beginning of how he leads us to want to get more out of his imaginative worlds. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patre...

Years ago I made a video about how to pronounce words in Tolkien’s Middle-earth which was...a bit flawed.  Now I’m redoing that in two videos.  This first video will cover the rules for Elvish words, which forms the groundwork for all the other stuff.  Next week I’ll cover rules for Dwarvish, Adunaic, and other miscellany. For part 2, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMPI...

For a story that focuses so little on eating and drinking (outside of the Shire of course!), The Lord of the Rings has quite a few important and seemingly magical beverages, each with its own effects and (often questionable) contents. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twit...

One of Tolkien’s key themes throughout his work is subcreation, the idea that as beings created by a creator God, we (or his invented elves and other races) are also by nature creative.  But there are many hints that the pinnacle of this impulse is actually the simple act of bringing new life into the world. For my video on subcreation as developed in “On Fairy Stories,” click here: https://w...

As a young reader my brain quite naturally correlated Aman, west of Middle-earth (Europe) with America, though I was aware that was not really Tolkien’s intent.  Imagine my surprise to find out he almost went there himself…. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.c...

The contrast between book Theoden and movie Theoden could hardly be more striking.  Some of that is related to some plot changes introduced in the movie, but those don’t justify movie Theoden’s whiny attitude and complete lack of sense. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https...

The Ruling Stewards of Gondor declined to use the standard of the kings and instead used a simple white flag.  What’s the significance of this choice?  Whatever it means, it definitely isn’t surrender. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreo...

Someone alerted me to the existence of yet another fan film called “One of the Seven,” which naturally enough tells a story about one of the seven rings given to the Dwarves.  But is that really what it’s about?  Or is it just an excuse to drop Easter eggs? If you want to watch the film yourself, it's here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljrq687h2tg Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.c...

A viewer asked about how Tolkien came up with Ents, and it’s actually a great example of one of his most-used creative tools. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: https:// www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek Discord server invite link:   https://dis...

A viewer commented on the channel and asked a rather interesting question about how we can reconcile Eru Iluvatar’s essential goodness with the fact that he sank the entire island of Numenor and killed untold numbers of its inhabitants.  While I don’t intend to make a huge argument for theodicy (the defense of God as good in spite of things which might seem to contradict that), I do think I c...

Tolkien rather famously based Luthien off of his wife, but there’s a subtle way in which he also inserted himself and Christopher Tolkien into The Lord of the Rings as the collaborative authors, Bilbo and Frodo. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreo...

Suggested by a Discord member (join my Discord using the link below!), I discuss whether Gurthang speaking to Turin is actually a case of a magic, talking sword, or merely the hallucinations of a man whose mind has been broken by the tragedies of his own life. For other interesting ambiguities in Turin’s story, check out my video on the curse of Morgoth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lROuU1RPDpU...

When first encountering the Ring Poem, which lists groups of 9, 7, 3, and 1 rings, we might be tempted to wonder why there isn’t a group of 5, and what race they might have been made for, but this is based on a simple misconception regarding the making of the Rings of Power. Other Links: Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee...