The Prancing Pony Podcast Tolkien And Middle-earth

Our heroes ride up the long and winding road that leads to Théoden’s door, but first they have to get through two sets of guards. Fortunately, Gandalf’s polyglottal talents get them through the first gate into Edoras, and they’ll be allowed into Meduseld itself just as long as they check their weapons at the door… their ancient, irreplaceable, priceless weapons. Inspired by Tolkien’s skill with Latin and Greek, Shawn takes a stab at speaking Old English; and a sidebar on Helm Hammerhand sends a chill down our spines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before we return to The Lord of the Rings for the further adventures of The White Rider and Friends in Rohan, we spend some time in the common-room with listeners for another quarterly live Q&A episode! Current events with Saruman at Isengard are clearly on the minds of many, as we field questions about Ol’ Many Colors himself and the Ents who’ve unexpectedly shown up on his doorstep. We take another look at the Secret Fire and Tolkien’s theological inspirations for it, opine on some mysterious words to Aragorn from his new in-laws, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Tolkien Reading Day! On March 25 every year — the date of the fall of Barad-dûr — Tolkien lovers worldwide celebrate by reading the Professor’s works. A theme is chosen by The Tolkien Society every year, and for 2021 the theme is Hope and Courage. Join us for our sixth annual celebration of this international event, as Alan and Shawn courageously battle their way through readings on the topic from The Children of Húrin, The Lay of Leithian, and The Lord of the Rings... and find hope in a non-legendarium reading like nothing we’ve done before, brought to life with a little help from our producer, Jordan Rannells. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The newly-minted Gandalf the White advises the Three Hunters to leave the Hobbits in the strong, twiggy hands of Treebeard and go to Edoras. They agree, but Legolas still wants to know how Gandalf is — y’know, not dead — launching the wizard into a brief account of his fight with Durin’s Bane, and your hosts into an epic series of sidebars about Gandalf’s resurrection, mythology, and religion. All this, plus a Tolkien Quote of the Day about sacrifice, and a couple of mailbag stumpers that make Alan question the wisdom of letting Shawn pick the questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The old man is revealed to be an old friend: Gandalf the (Formerly) Grey, returned beyond hope from death in battle with the Balrog of Moria. Enhanced in power and in insight, Gandalf gets caught up on the news he missed while he was out; and then offers some wisdom to his companions about Sauron, Saruman, and the power hidden in the forest. Danger is all around, not least in Barliman’s Bag where we pull a hardball question about the inevitably of marring in Tolkien’s world… and also in a surprising connection back to C.S. Lewis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli follow the trail of the missing hobbits, gradually drawing closer to the forbidding fringes of Fangorn Forest. They find new signs that give them hope, but the Dwarf can’t forget about the mysterious old man, and the trees don’t seem to be taking too kindly to his axe. Soon the old man appears again, leading to a surprisingly nimble confrontation. We revisit The Silmarillion for a look at Sauron’s phantom-conjuring skills, wonder if the Eagles are Gandalf’s personal charter bus, and ask the improbable question: do Hobbits have wings? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We welcome the acclaimed illustrator Ted Nasmith back to The Prancing Pony Podcast for his first full-length interview! We catch up with Ted about life, art, and everything else since we last spoke to him at Tolkien 2019, including the recent publication of the illustrated edition of Unfinished Tales and teasers about the new illustrated edition of The Silmarillion. Ted also shares the encouraging (and entertaining) story of his first big break… and the unfinished Middle-earth tale he’d love to know more about. Plus, an unexpected bit of word-nerdery that connects Tolkien with classic cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waiting for the Ents to make a decision turns out to be an exercise in patience for Merry and Pippin, until Treebeard mercifully excuses them from the proceedings. He leaves them in the company of Quickbeam: a younger, hastier Ent who’s about as hobbitish as they come (admittedly, a low bar). We get to the rocky bottom of the relationship between Ents and Trolls, revisit the marital strife of Aulë and Yavanna, and see the Ents get barking mad about Saruman’s destruction of the forest. Plus, Ent-versions of classic rock songs you never knew you wanted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Wellinghall, Merry and Pippin learn more about the Ents’ hope for the future (in song form!) and get some sleep — horizontally — before leaving in the morning for Entmoot under the protective bough of Treebeard. Ents soon arrive in a startling variety of shapes, sizes, and likenesses, and begin a meeting to get to the root of the Saruman problem. We call The Council together as we dig deeper into the irreconcilable differences between the Ents and the Entwives, ponder mysterious evergreens, and engage in idle speculation (again) about Mrs. G. Bombadil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After hearing Merry and Pippin’s account of their recent adventures, Treebeard starts talking (and doesn’t stop) about wizards, ecopolitics, and “the one that got away”. Unfortunately, spokesplants for Fimbrethil and the Entwives have not responded to requests for comment, and we won’t hold our breath waiting for them to. But at least now Treebeard seems motivated to do something about Saruman, if only he can find enough Ents to form a posse. Plus, a letter to Barliman offers possible alternatives to the *cough* old-fashioned way of making baby Ents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merry and Pippin travel deeper into Fangorn Forest with a guided tour (really more of a picked-up-and-carried tour) provided by Treebeard. Their host may be more wooden than Alan and Shawn, but he’s both informative and entertaining, singing songs and telling stories about the forest and the Ents themselves. Soon they arrive at Wellinghall, where he sets them down and offers them jars of some potent drink that we can only hope he has a license to make and distribute. Hopefully, the ent-draught won’t have any long-term effects on the young hobbits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Escaping from mortal danger into deadly peril, Merry and Pippin wander into Fangorn Forest. The place seems more strange than scary, but it’s far from welcoming; and an offhand comment by Pippin about almost liking the forest attracts the attention of the local plant life. Is the mysterious Ent all bark and no bite? Or will it tear the hobbits limb from limb, mistaking them for little Orcs? We discuss the importance of real names, offer a sidebar on the late appearance of the Ents into Tolkien’s legendarium, and Pippin branches out into writing his own lyrics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following up on our previous examination of race in Tolkien’s work in Episode 114, today we welcome listeners of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to join us and share their experiences of Tolkien’s works and fandom. By looking beyond the author's own views and intentions, we hope to gain a better understanding of the actual impact of Tolkien’s treatment of race from people who have experienced racism directly. We urge all listeners to tune in for this special, which challenges our assumptions while keeping at heart the love of Middle-earth that unites us all.Alan and Shawn wish to sincerely thank our listeners who came forward to let their voices be heard for this episode. Your stories have inspired us and opened our eyes. 'Eglerio! A laita te!' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now ringed in by the Rohirrim, the Orcs wait for reinforcements, all the while continuing their civilized parliamentary deliberations. On the committee agenda: 1. You’re a maggot. 2. That guy’s an ape. 3. Consideration of a motion for a vote of no confidence in Uglúk. Grishnákh seizes an opportunity — and the prisoners — but Pippin thinks quickly and devises a Tookish (and very, very dangerous) ruse to take advantage of the Mordor Orc’s secret plot. Who’s a fool now, Gandalf? All this, plus a Tolkien Christmas surprise, in our last episode of 2020! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hobbits continue their zero-star walking tour of Rohan, trudging along with the Orcs in an endless tunnel of misery with nary a pub nor a B&B in sight. But the feel of wet grass between his hairy toes gives Pippin an idea, and he breaks away from the beaten path for just long enough to leave a message for any friend who may be following them: a token that may or may not idly fall. We wonder about Orc parents’ baby naming practices, revisit The Fall of Gondolin, and imagine Ulmo talking like a Cockney street tough in a Victorian melodrama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looks like meat’s back on the menu as we pick up the tale of Pippin and Merry and their delightful hosts: an army of Orcs on their way to Isengard. Merry is apparently down for the count, but Pippin takes in their surroundings and gradually begins to piece together an escape plan. We learn way more about Orkish medicine than we ever wanted to, offer a sidebar on the history of the Black Speech, and speculate about whether there are some things even Orcs won’t eat (probably not). Plus, how to make a holiday Orcmanbit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli look for their horses, we welcome listeners to the common-room for our last live Q&A episode of 2020! As always, the questions are unrehearsed, so hearing us muddle through head-scratchers like “Do Orcs have free will?” is as entertaining as expected. We speculate on what Lobelia might have done if the One Ring had fallen into her hands along with Bilbo’s spoons, get into chains and bondage with Beren and Lúthien, and more. Plus, what were the guys hoping to do if they actually caught up to the Uruk-hai? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Éomer bends the rules “just this once” to let the wanderers go free in Rohan, and even lends them cocon— uh, horses* to ride, on the condition that after they find the bodies— uh, their friends*, they return the rentals to Edoras in good condition and hand the keys back directly to Théoden King. They ride quickly to the Entwash and camp near the edge of Fangorn Forest, where a mysterious visitor appears and makes them wish they’d sprung for the loss damage waiver. (*We apologize for the fault in the blurbs. Those responsible have been sacked.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Éomer, Third Marshal of the Riddermark, demands proper identification from the Three Hunters, and Aragorn gives it to him by name-dropping a lineage going back three thousand years and unsheathing a sword even older than that. In one of the greatest “okaayyy” moments in Tolkien’s legendarium, Éomer accepts their explanation and proceeds to catch them up on current events in this region where Saruman’s betrayal is more than just a rumor. Also, word-nerdery on another Old English word for a horse… hint: it’s not coconætt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Three Hunters continue their pursuit across the plains, their hearts growing wearier due to the physical effects of Saruman’s opposing will. A new sunrise brings new counsel, and a chance meeting (if chance you call it) with an éored of Rohan’s finest; but the Riders are strong and bold, much like the cocon— er, horses they ride, and they don’t take too kindly to strangers in Elvish cloaks. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at our character voices, a sidebar on the history of Rohan, and a closer examination of just what Legolas’ elf-eyes see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices