Concerning Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"...we discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of Jackson's first Hobbit film. Topics include Guillermo del Toro (the original director), the philosophy of literary adaptation, the dwarf songs, the Erebor prologue, the Trolls, Azog, Radagast, Stone Giants, Gollum, Martin Freeman, and ...…

Concerning "Out of the Frying-Pan Into the Fire", from fir-tree firebombs to eagle-eyed escapes... Catching Up With the Gang - 3:00 The Landslide - 14:30 Wargs! - 19:00 Eagles! - 28:00 Bilbo's Dream - 37:00 Haiku - 41:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow ...…

Concerning "Riddles in the Dark", from random rings to perilous pity... Bilbo Wakes Up - 2:00 Old Gollum - 8:30 The Riddle Game - 28:00 Bilbo's Escape - 47:00 Haiku - 57:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoad. Please send cor ...…

Concerning "Over Hill and Under Hill", from giants and Goblins to Bilbo bonked... Intro - 2:00 Terrains! - 5:00 The Stone Giants - 14:00 Goblins - 21:00 Goblin Songs & Mimesis - 32:00 Goblin Culture - 43:00 The Chase - 45:00 Haiku Time - 52:30 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/To ...…

Concerning "A Short Rest", from over-merry elves to a fortnight with Elrond... Intro - 2:00 The Problem of the Annoying Elves - 7:00 Elrond & the Last Homely House - 16:00 Haiku Time - 26:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoa ...…

Concerning “Roast Mutton”, from bumbling burglary to trolling Trolls... Bilbo Catches Up - 2:00 Landscapes & Verisimilitude - 19:00 Trolls! - 22:00 Looting the Looters - 36:00 Haiku Time - 41:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @Tolkie ...…

Concerning "An Unexpected Party", from Gandalf's gamble to Dwarvish designs... We're Back! - 1:00 First Time I Read The Hobbit - 6:30 "In a Hole in the Ground..." - 11:00 Bilbo & Gandalf - 18:30 The Dwarves - 31:30 "Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold" - 46:00 Haiku Time - 1:01:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visi ...…

*** Visit TolkiensOverture.com to download a free electronic copy of the book *** Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Code (Epilogue) Music is Middle-earth's Reality Drawing "Straight" with Crooked Lines Musical Design / Is Music the Mind of God? The Orchestration of History Musical Reality Creation as Sacred Action Beyond the ...…

*** Visit TolkiensOverture.com to download a free electronic copy of the book *** Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Chapter Seven: Musical Mathoms Of the Beginning of Days and the Two Trees Of Elves and Men Of Dwarves and Ents The Teleri Thingol and Melian The Music of Elves in the Third Age The Music of the Dwarves The Musi ...…

*** Visit TolkiensOverture.com to download a free electronic copy of the book *** Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Chapter Six: Tom Bombadil, the Musical Master The Music of the Master Concerning Old Man Willow Tom's "Bat-Signal" Tom vs. Sauron's Ring Thanks again you for your interest in this free audio recording of Tolkie ...…

*** Visit TolkiensOverture.com to download a free electronic copy of the book *** Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Chapter Five: Lúthien, Mighty in Song The Meeting of Beren and Lúthien The Breaking of Sauron's Dungeon Invading Angband Lúthien's Plea Thanks again you for your interest in this free audio recording of Tolkien ...…

*** Visit TolkiensOverture.com to download a free electronic copy of the book *** Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Chapter Four: Ulmo, Lord of Water and Music Ulmo's Presence Ulmo and the Coming of the Elves The Founding of Nargothrond and Gondolin A Land of Music The Destruction of Gondolin Thanks again you for your intere ...…

*** Visit TolkiensOverture.com to download a free electronic copy of the book *** Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Chapter Three: The Reality The World That Is The Descent of the Valar The Mission of the Valar The Valar Incarnate The Descent of Melkor Thanks again you for your interest in this free audio recording of Tolkie ...…

Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Chapter Two: The Vision The Irony of Discord The Fear of the Ainur Melkor's Shame Sound Becomes Vision The Nature of the Vision Perspectives and Vantage Points Ilúvatar's Secret A Home for Ilúvatar's Children Melkor's Feigned Concern The Sound of the Sea Manwë, Ulmo, and Aulë Ulmo and the Wa ...…

Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Chapter One: The Music Does Ainulindalë Have a Plot? Teaching the Ainur to Play The First Theme Melkor's Movement The Second Theme The Third Theme The Beauty of Sorrow A Violent Unity The Music Ends Thanks again you for your interest in this free audio recording of Tolkien's Overture. To get ...…

Tolkien's Overture: Concerning the Music of the Ainur Introduction Originally published in 1977, "Ainulindalë" is the creation story of Middle-earth. In Tolkien's Overture, John Carswell conducts a close reading of "Ainulindalë", and then goes on to explore the role of music in Middle-earth's history. For more information (including paperback a ...…

Hey there fellow travelers! John here to let you know that it's time to get on the road again! Beginning in September, we will begin our journey through The Hobbit. This 8 episode podcast series will include in-depth, chapter-by-chapter discussions of the first 6 chapters of Tolkien's 1937 fantasy classic, and conclude with a discussion of Pete ...…

Concerning Peter Jackson's cinematic adaptation of "Return of the King", from mucky mouths to western ways... For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoad.By john@truemyths.org (John Carswell).

Concerning The Lord of the Rings’ Epilogue, from Sam’s stories to the sigh of the sea… Why Wasn't It Included? - 4:00 Version 1 - 18:00 Version 2 - 33:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoad. Please send correspondence to Tolk ...…

Concerning the Dwarves, from Durin’s dawn to Gimli’s glory... Durin the Deathless Erebor, the Arkenstone, and Smaug Thror, Thrain, and the Last Dwarf Ring Azog & the Battle of Azanulbizar Thrain & the Ring Thorin Meets Gandalf Dís, Dwarf-woman Gimli For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook. ...…

For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoad. Finally, please send correspondence to TolkienRoadPodcast@gmail.com.By john@truemyths.org (John Carswell).

Concerning Rohan, from Eorl’s oath to Eomer’s ascension... Origins of the Rohirrim / Eorl’s Triumph - 3:00 Eorl, Horsetamer / Felaróf - 11:30 Helm Hammerhand vs. the Dunlendings - 17:45 Saruman’s Dawn - 29:30 Théoden & Eómer - 34:00 Correspondence - 38:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Fac ...…

Concerning the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen, from Arador and Arathorn to Elessar and the Evenstar... Tolkien's Overture - Coming Soon! - 3:00 Background (Arathorn, Aragorn, & Arnor) - 7:00 Arwen, Gilraen, Elrond - 12:00 Aragorn in the wilderness - 24:00 Arwen & Aragorn pledge their troth - 29:00 Aragorn's death - 46:00 Arwen's death - 53:00 Corres ...…

Concerning the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, from the Annals of Anadûnê to the lineage of the Zaragambas... Appendix A - Annals of the Kings and Rulers - 9:00 Appendix B - The Tale of Years - 17:30 Appendix C - Family Trees - 25:00 Appendix D - The Shire Calendar - 32:00 Appendix E - The Pronunciation of Words and Names - 33:00 Appendix ...…

Concerning “The Grey Havens”, from sowing seeds to sails of sorrow... Restoring the Shire - 1:30 Galadriel’s Gift - 6:30 Frodo’s Wounds - 12:00 The Red Book - 18:30 "Saved, but not for me…" - 29:00 "Well, I’m back…" - 53:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 1:00:30 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Fa ...…

Concerning “The Scouring of the Shire”, from surly Shiriffs to snarky Sharkey... At the Gate - 2:00 The Shiriffs - 16:45 Shock in Bywater - 25:00 Farmer Cotton’s Ambush - 34:00 Sharkey and Pimple? - 37:30 The Battle of Bywater - 45:30 Hobbiton / Ted Sandyman - 50:00 Saruman - 52:30 Haiku / Correspondence - 1:11:00 For more on this episode and T ...…

Concerning “Homeward Bound”, from banter with Butterbur to goodbyes for Gandalf... The 6th of October / Passing Weathertop - 7:20 The State of Bree / A Chat with Butterbur - 17:00 Goodbye to Gandalf - 33:30 Haiku / Correspondence - 38:50 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienR ...…

Concerning “Many Partings”, from Théoden’s burial to Bilbo’s twilight... Frodo Begs Leave - 2:30 Théoden’s Burial - 6:00 A Chat with Treebeard - 16:00 Catching Up with Saruman - 30:00 Rivendell & Bilbo - 40:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 51:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/Tolki ...…

Concerning “The Steward and the King”, from Éowyn’s angst to Elessar’s ascension... Éowyn & Faramir - 9:00 The Coronation - 53:00 Beregond & Éomer - 59:00 Nimloth’s Sapling - 1:04:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 1:08:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us o ...…

Concerning “The Field of Cormallen”, from eagles’ wings to minstrels’ songs... The Eagles Are Coming! - 2:30 Rescuing Frodo & Sam - 12:00 “Is everything sad going to come untrue?” - 17:30 Long live the Halflings - 28:00 The Fellowship Reunited - 41:00 Legolas’ sea song - 44:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 51:00 For more on this episode and The Tolk ...…

Concerning “Mount Doom”, from last legs to the end of all things... LOTR Amazon TV - Coming in 2020? - 2:00 The Long and Winding Path to Mt. Doom - 20:00 Sauron’s Folly - 29:00 Climbing Mount Doom - 39:00 Gollum’s Return - 52:00 The Crack of Doom - 1:00:00 The End of All Things - 1:12:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 1:25:30 For more on this episode ...…

Concerning “The Land of Shadow”, from the Morgai march to Sam’s star... What a Week! - Amazon, LOTR, Christopher, etc - 1:30 The Lay of the Land - 19:00 The Escape from Cirith Ungol - 23:30 Hope Out of the West - 29:00 Along the Morgai - 33:30 A Small and Passing Thing… - 40:00 Mordor Up Close - 53:00 Orc Fight - 58:30 The Turn East 1:03:00 Hai ...…

BOOM! Tolkien fans got big news yesterday with the official announcement from Amazon that they will be producing a "LOTR Prequel" TV series with the blessing of The Tolkien Estate and Trust. On this special episode, Greta and I discuss the details of the announcement, including what we know and what we don't know, and talk about what this serie ...…

Concerning “The Tower of Cirith Ungol”, from finding Frodo to offing Orcs... Sam Outside the Gates - 6:30 The Landscape of Mordor - 15:00 Sam & the Ring - 24:00 The Two Watchers - 28:00 Sam the Elf-Warrior - 35:30 Shagrat vs. Snaga - 40:30 Sam Sings - 45:30 Frodo awakens - 51:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 1:02:30 For more on this episode and The ...…

WE'RE BACK!!! Sorry for the delay... We pick up where we left off in Episode 125 with a discussion of the BREAKING NEWS that the Tolkien Estate is apparently in talks with Amazon (and perhaps other studios) about a Middle-earth TV show. SAY WHAT!?!? We are not kidding... After catching our breaths, we dive into the feedback from you all on wher ...…

What was Tolkien's view on miraculous events? What did he believe about the supernatural realm of our own reality? On this episode, we explore Tolkien's Letter 89, written to his son Christopher during World War II. It's a letter that reveals Tolkien's deepest beliefs about reality and the way it truly operates. From guardian angels to the mira ...…

What is the future of our beloved Middle-earth? This is a huge and timely question, and we need your help to explore it! For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoad. Finally, please send correspondence to TolkienRoadPodcast@gmail.com.…

Concerning “The Black Gate Opens”, from Elessar’s return to Sauron’s trap... The March to Mordor - 5:00 The Daunted - 18:30 The Black Gate - 27:00 The Mouth of Sauron - 31:00 The Trap Is Sprung - 45:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 49:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. ...…

Concerning “The Last Debate", from Legolas’ longing to baiting Barad-dûr... Legolas and Gimli - 3:00 The White Gulls Crying - 5:45 Beyond the Paths of the Dead - 18:00 Baiting Suaron - 27:00 The 7000 - 39:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 43:30 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/Tolkien ...…

Concerning "The Houses of Healing", from Merry's malaise to Aragorn's alchemy... The Aftermath - 4:00 In The Houses of Healing - 10:00 The King’s Delay - 16:00 Athelas - 27:00 Faramir Awakens - 31:00 Éowyn’s Emptiness - 36:30 Merry Healed & The King Is Come Again - 41:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 45:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Ro ...…

Concerning “The Pyre of Denethor", from Beregond’s bravery to Denethor’s despair... Backtracking a bit… - 4:00 Denethor’s Madness - 11:00 Heathen? - 19:00 Denethor's Palantír - 26:00 A New Hope - 39:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 42:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. ...…

Concerning "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields", from Éowyn’s valor to Aragorn’s victory... The Battle is Joined! - 9:00 Théoden Falls / Éowyn Rises - 16:00 The Battle Continues - 32:00 Hope from the South! - 42:00 The Toll of the Fallen - 51:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 1:01:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit ...…

Concerning “The Ride of the Rohirrim”, from distant drums to righteous riders... Distant drums - The Woses - 4:00 Ghân-buri-Ghân - 11:00 “Now is the hour come!” - 30:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 44:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @T ...…

Concerning "The Siege of Gondor", from the flight of Faramir to Grond at the gate… Pippin, Prince of Halflings - 5:30 Gandalf vs. the Nazgûl - 9:00 Faramir’s Return - 14:30 Calculating Hope - 26:00 Osgiliath Overrun - 30:00 The Siege Begins - 36:00 Denethor’s Despair - 39:30 Mordor’s Assault - 51:00 Haiku & Correspondence - 58:30 For more on th ...…

Concerning "The Muster of Rohan", from arcane artifacts to an urgent summons... Merry’s Weariness - 15:00 White Rider, Black Rider - 21:00 The Púkel-men & the Firienfeld - 30:00 Legends of the Paths of the Dead - 37:30 The Red Arrow - 47:00 "From dark Dunharrow in the dim morning…" - 57:00 Haiku & Correspondence - 1:02:00 For more on this episo ...…

On this episode, we’d like to introduce you to some of the bonus content that we’ve been creating over on our Patreon site. Greta and I have been going through the various poems contained in The Lord of the Rings and having a focused discussion on them. These mini-episodes are normally only available to paying patrons, but we thought you guys m ...…

Concerning “The Passing of the Grey Company”, from Éowyn's entreaties to the oathbreakers' obligations... From Isengard, the Road Goes On... - 8:00 Halbarad, Elrohir, and Elladan - 14:00 Merry and Théoden - 22:30 3 Days to the Muster! - 27:00 Aragorn & Sauron - 32:00 The Prophecy of Malbeth, Seer of Fornost - 48:00 Éowyn & Aragorn - 53:00 The P ...…

Concerning "Minas Tirith", from Pelennor Principalities to Pippin's Pledge... The Amazing Minas Tirith - 8:00 The Beacons Are Lit - 16:00 The Pelennor Fields / The Peoples of Gondor - 20:00 The Shape of Minas Tirith - 29:30 Denethor, Steward of Gondor - 37:00 Beregond - 56:00 The Gathering Darkness - 1:05:00 Haiku / Correspondence - 1:10:00 For ...…

Concerning Tea With Tolkien, from hobbitish hearts to travelogues for Tolkienites... On this episode we interview superfan Kaitlyn Facista of TeaWithTolkien.com about the various ways in which she is building community amongst Tolkienites. For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/Tolkie ...…

Concerning Peter Jackson’s cinematic version of The Two Towers, from Faramir’s faults to Osgiliath offerings... The Good - 13:00 The Bad - 48:45 The Ents - 1:25:00 For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoad.…