The White Tree

Fifth Age Podcast: Tolkien Stories

In this discussion from our Stewards of Gondor recordings, we talk about Nimloth, the White Tree of Gondor. We also talk about Elrond solving everyone’s problem by just kicking Isildur into a volcano and the Netflix Shannara series.

00:30 What’s the deal with the tree?

00:58 It’s name is Nimloth

1:08 Descendent and look alike of Telperion

1:20 The trees of Valinor

1:30 You were right, Erica, the lamps were first!

1:50 The silver tree is Telperion.

2:00 The trees were killed by Morgoth and Ungoliant

2:20 Who are Morgoth and Ungoliant again?

2:40 Ugh. Spiders.

3:00 The tree in Numenor

3:15 Tar Palantir’s prophecy.

3:30 Sauron was in Númenor and wanted the tree destroyed.

3:57 Isildur stole a fruit from the tree/Herculean labor

4:30 Derpules – get a photo of Derpules

4:47 Nerd alerts all around!

4:57 Isildur brought the fruit to Middle Earth (the continent)

5:50 Isildur doesn’t mess up all the things he does…

6:00 At least he’s not an idiot like Eänur!

6:09 But… he had a chance to destroy the ring and he didn’t.

6:14 Elrond didn’t Sparta-kick him in like he could have.

6:23 Beowulf – Killing one’s kin is one of the worst crimes imaginable. Unfortunately, Erica was wrong here. Elrond wasn’t really related to Isildur, but they were definitely buddies.

6:47HISHE, LOTR pt 2: Elrond Sparta-kicking Isildur into Mount Doom.

7:07 Elrond’s dad was an amazing fighter

7:10? (oops, Erica said badass).

7:07 Elrond was the standard bearer for Gil-Galad.

7:43 The tree in Gondor was tended in the courtyard. One died and was buried in the tombs of the kings. They didn’t want to burn it after the last time… The one in LOTR is the second one.

8:26 Buried another fruit

8:37 Aragorn and Gandalf find it in the mountains.

9:00 It’s a new tree when Aragorn takes the throne.

9:08 In the movie, it’s different. The tree comes back to life.

9:42 Shannara – Ellcrys – Netflix series.

11:58 Magic has a price.

13:40 Back to the topic…

13:45 Tree that Galadriel gave Sam was a mallorn tree. There were mallorns in Númenor, but they aren’t the same.

14:15 Was Sam’s seed from the golden tree? No. It was a mallorn, which is different. It’s the only one West of the Misty Mountains and East of the Sea.

14:38 Sam is Sam

15:12 In the book, Sam gets an important box of dirt. There’s no scouring of the Shire, so they didn’t have to put it in.

References:

All music is by the amazing Doctor Turtle! Feel free to show him some love over on Bandcamp.

All LOTR movie references will be to the extended editions because Erica can’t stand the theatrical cut of the Two Towers.

Here are links to our sources for free at your local library. We heartily encourage you to support your public library, but if you want to own your own copy we understand, so we are also supplying links through IndieBound.org so you can get it from your local independent bookstore.

The Hobbit local library / local bookstore

LOTR local library / local bookstore

The Silmarillion local library / local bookstore

Unfinished Tales: local library / local bookstore

LOTR Film extended edition blu-ray:local library