As Chapter 6 of The Hobbit opens, Bilbo emerges from the mountains and soon hears the familiar voices of Gandalf and the Dwarves. He sneaks up on them with the help of his new ring, and finally wins some respect with his stealth and the tale of his escape. But the happy reunion proves short-lived; the company move on, coming to a clearing in the woods… and find themselves surrounded by howling wolves. We revisit the nature of wargs, showcase our limited botanical knowledge, and enjoy yet another philological joke from Professor Tolkien.
To learn how to recognize a larch from quite a long way away, watch the classic Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketch here: https://www.youtube.com/Tzmp8T2xX2A
The long-anticipated return of our Venn diagram on wolves, wargs and werewolves: (see also Episode 032 – Lady and the Tramp)
The original painting Taur-na-Fuin by J.R.R. Tolkien, which was later redrawn in ink as Mirkwood for The Hobbit: (see also Episode 041 – Make It So, artwork below copyright of The Tolkien Estate Limited or The Tolkien Trust)
Looking for the firs from the illustration The Misty Mountains looking West from the Eyrie towards Goblin Gate by J.R.R. Tolkien? See Episode 065 – Lobbest Thou Thy Holy Pine Grenade.
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Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. and Douglas A. Anderson, ed. The Annotated Hobbit (HarperCollins, hardcover)
Rateliff, John D. The History of the Hobbit (HarperCollins, one-volume hardcover)
Olsen, Corey. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback)
