Today's Tolkien Times

Join The Man of the West for another Letter From Father Christmas as we learn of North Polar Bear’s illness and recovery — and his not-thought-through decision to replace coal with ice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for more adventures with Father Christmas and North Polar Bear as Father Christmas is grateful for time zones around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West for a special holiday celebration as we read through Letters From Father Christmas so that we can all realize what inadequate parents we are — or something like that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West as Ar-Pharazôn is drunk on Sauron’s words, while Amandil makes audacious but hopeless plans, as we conclude Series 8 of the TTT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lúthien shows great promise for a career in the medical profession, as she heals Beren — and he thanks her by leaving her in the paws of the best dog ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, it was actually younger than The Man of the West. Join him for a deeper dive into the Song of Durin as we look at the rich history found in these stanzas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for The Man of the West to finally do some word-nerdery on the name of everyone’s favorite place: Middle-earth itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West for a strange mix in the second half of Letter 211 as Tolkien answers a barrage of questions as only the Professor can. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West as we move on from Eregion to study the longest mountain range in this part of Middle-earth: the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains, as we begin the last week of Series 8 of the TTT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just a normal weekend for The Man of the West? Thankfully, no — just a summary of what’s happening as Ar-Pharazôn opens the latest infrastructure project in Armenelos: a temple to Morgoth himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You underestimate Lúthien at your own peril. Join The Man of the West for more from the Lay of Leithian as Huan once again proves to be the bestest boy ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Company finally leave Rivendell and so do we, as we join Gimli for a rich history lesson in this week’s Third Age Thursday poetry reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West for this deep dive into the names of four Faithful men in the darkest time of Númenor in this week’s Word-nerd Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No, this is not a claim of knowledge on behalf of The Man of the West; in fact, it’s a quote from one of Tolkien’s letters that we’ll look at today, as he acknowledges he doesn’t have them all either. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Man of the West’s advice to Celebrimbor: never meet your heroes. Today’s Middle-earth Map Monday follows up on last week as we continue our time in the land of Eregion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West as he notes the company that Ar-Pharazôn keeps in brooding darkly, while the mightiest King of Númenor decides it’s time to bring home a Dark Lord for safe-keeping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The folk of Nargothrond finally come to their senses about the Sons of Fëanor, while Beren decides it’s time to part ways with Lúthien, in this week’s reading from The Lay of Leithian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have time for one more poem in Rivendell before leaving with the Company, this time a nostalgic and sorrowful set of verses from Bilbo as he sits beside the fire and thinks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West for some word-nerdery on several of the names of Númenóreans from last week’s reading in the Akallabêth for Silmarillion Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once again, a title that could be speaking about The Man of the West but, thankfully, is instead referring to ‘silly alterations’ made for an adaptation as we continue our time in Tolkien’s Letter #210. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West as we venture south of Rivendell for this week’s Middle-earth Map Monday, with the Company arriving at “the country that Men call Hollin”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West as a series of Númenórean kings play a game of “who can be worse than their fathers?”. Except for Tar-Palantír, of course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for yet more beautiful poetry on First Age Friday as we continue our read through the Lay of Leithian: this time, Draugluin dies, Sauron shapeshifts, and Lúthien looks for her love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That’s it, no more alliteration today. The Man of the West reads a bit more poetry in The Lord of the Rings, starting with a verse that stymied Men of Gondor, followed by a brief warning from Bilbo about the weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join The Man of the West as he looks at far more names for Rivendell than you might have expected, and reads a bit about Tolkien’s adventures in the Swiss valley that inspired it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices