The Tolkien Lore Podcast

The question of what counts as "canon" in Tolkien's Middle-earth writings is thorny and convoluted, and devolves pretty quickly into guesswork, but let's see if we can narrow things down a bit. Hello Future Me's video on the unreliable narrator is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P-brBxPFJk For my video on the Hobbit retcon, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIbXfJ72j4c And for the...

Anglachel, the black sword of Turin which he renamed Gurthang, has many interesting parallels with Narsil, the Sword that was Broken and renamed Anduril by Aragorn, but despite their parallels they are in many ways opposites. You should check out The Clueless Fangirl on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvucCKVHa7m2VzerpMwJPeA Her Twitter is @HelenaLahnstein, and Tony Meade’s is @tonymea...

This book came out in 2021, and is a compilation of essays covering a wide variety of topics where Middle-earth and modern science intersect.  Or at least, that’s the theory.  How scientific is this book, really? Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek

I have my problems with Peter Jackson, but on this decision he made the right call.  Not because Tom Bombadil is a bad character, but because in the medium PJ was working in, he no longer serves the same purpose. For my videos on some of the issues raised here regarding Bombadil and the slow progression of danger as Frodo leaves the Shire, check the following: The Old Forest: https://www.yout...

Peter Jackson’s and even Ralph Bakshi’s movies give the impression that Isildur single-handedly took down the Dark Lord Sauron, and while this isn’t exactly accurate, it turns out they did get one detail right. Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek

In a letter, Tolkien stated that The Lord of the Rings was a “fundamentally religious and Catholic” work, which seems strange given the lack of obvious religion in the story.  A close look, however, reveals numerous examples of the author’s theology in all his Middle-earth stories. For videos discussing many of these ideas in further detail, check the links below: Fate and free will generally...

The theme for this year’s Tolkien Reading Day is “Love and Friendship,” and a unique view of that comes from Merry and Pippin, cousins who endure hardship and separation from each other and their friends, much like Tolkien did in WWI. For the full playlist of all the Tolkien Reading Day content put out by my fellow YouTube creators for this collaboration, click here: https://youtube.com/playlist?l...

With so many characters, the Lord of the Rings is bound to have some you relate to, some you look up to, and some you recognize as real world villains.... You can check out my half-serious personality quiz here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Df6sQKuVGU Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: ww...

The Tolkien Estate website recently got a huge makeover, including a much large FAQ section which sent the fandom into a tizzy about how draconian it appeared they would be regarding copyright and trademark violations.  How big a deal is this exactly?  Here’s some basic info and thoughts from a legal mind. DISCLAIMER: I may be an attorney but I DO NOT practice IP law and nothing I say sh...

Rounding out my discussion of fate and free will in Middle-earth, here’s a comparison of how Tolkien handles these topics with the 2011 film, “The Adjustment Bureau.” For a crash course on how Tolkien handles the topic broadly, see my first video in this mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIzDndXGRsY I also have videos on these themes in the story of Turin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

In a followup to our previous collaboration (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZLce_96994) dealing with various literary criticisms of The Lord of the Rings, GirlNextGondor and I take on the Michael Moorcock essay “Epic Pooh.”     If you want to read Epic Pooh for yourself, you can do so here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/undergraduate/modules/en361fantastik...

There has been a huge amount of digital ink spilled since Amazon dropped the teaser trailer for The Rings of Power.  I have thoughts that I need to unburden, which hopefully will help everyone to have a more civil discussion. Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek

The themes of fate and choice are heavy in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and they show us that while many things are outside of our control, our own decisions may have the greatest impact on our own story. For some background on the concepts of fate and free will, check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIzDndXGRsY For an analysis of how these themes play out in the story of Turi...

A viewer asked in the comments if I could do a video on how the book descriptions of characters compared to the movie portrayals, so here’s a video breaking down what the members of the Fellowship (plus Gollum!) should have looked like, and which movie did the best for each. Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/...

In my previous video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIzDndXGRsY ) I discussed the general concept of fate vs. free will.  Here I explore how those two factors (plus a third!) all shape the narrative of a particular story—that of Turin Turambar (“master of fate”). Apologies for the slightly sloppy execution; I was a bit rushed getting this one out, hence all the background noise! GirlNextGo...

The subject of fate is a common theme in Tolkien’s stories, and we can get a good idea of how he thought about its interaction with free will from the stories themselves, but also from an essay in the recently published “Nature of Middle-Earth.” Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: www.patreon....

Where Peter Jackson gave us a fairly flashy and bombastic scene with fist fights and exorcism, Tolkien weaves a much more subtle web of fear, hope, and drama.  Also, Tolkien uses no magic in his version! This sort of follows my previous videos on tech vs. magic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O44qroaf0Nw) and magic vs. art (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12MZ58_tmjg) in Middle-earth. Other...

Tolkien’s view of “magic” (or machine) was that it was distinguished from “art” by the fact that it was the use of an external plan or apparatus to more efficiently impose the will of the user.  In my previous video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O44qroaf0Nw) I discussed the more colloquial distinction between magic and technology, but here I dive into some examples that help us understand...

Middle-earth is a realm of high fantasy, so there’s lots of magic and Medieval-style technology, but there are hints of more advanced technology as well…. For GirlNextGondor’s series on magic, go to this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2f0QuMeFhk&list=PLoUG1YSYOhDSrOjZ1F1ELTUiE0JM2ldTs For my prior video on orcs, if you’re interested in some serious metaphysics, click here: https://...

ewsweek released a special edition issue celebrating the 20thanniversary of the release of Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring, but it’s full of misinformation and misleading statements, so get ready for some major corrections. For my video on “The Story of Kullervo,” go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-FtGIqizCY Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee...

Twenty years ago one of the greatest movie experiences ever came to theaters.  What made it so great?  What is its legacy?  Here are my thoughts. Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek

In the books, Gollum tells us the Dark Lord has only 9 fingers, but since he is a Maia manifesting a body and not strictly an incarnate being, why should this be the case? For my review of David Rowe’s book, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi2mJ6mFopM You can find David Rowe on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mrdavidrowe or (for proverbs) https://twitter.com/TolkienProverbs Other Links: Ru...

Boromir, Faramir, and even Gandalf all have something important to say about the decision to send Boromir to Rivendell instead of Faramir, and how we reconcile all these statements has significant implications for how we understand the characters. If you want to watch GirlNextGondor’s video on what would have been different if Faramir had gone instead, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w...

In my previous video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz5Kf5H1BPM ) I discussed how events in the Shire might have changed if Merry and Pippin had followed Elrond’s advice and returned there.  In this video I follow that up by discussing possible changes to the rest of the story. Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://t...

After the Council of Elrond, Elrond has misgivings about Merry and Pippin going on the quest with Frodo and suggests they should instead return to the Shire to warn the Hobbits.  What might have changed if his advice had been followed? My video on the character arcs of the four Hobbits is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOQ7dIVsktQ Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Od...