In Chapter 16 of The Hobbit, little Bilbo takes matters (and the Arkenstone) into his own hands and makes a deal with Bard and the Elvenking, who presumably don’t already have one, in an attempt to end the standoff peacefully. We consider just how short-sighted Thorin’s position really is, discuss how Bilbo totally owns the whole “honest burglar” thing, and finally welcome the return of one of Tolkien’s most beloved characters. Plus still more raven voices, and a question from Barliman’s Bag about Gandalf’s D&D character sheet that makes us reach for a lifeline.
To read the full response about Gandalf’s D&D spells and level from listener, writer, roleplayer, and “Fellowship of the Podcast” member Jeff LaSala, click here. And visit Jeff’s biweekly Silmarillion Primer series at Tor.com for his take on the First Age: https://www.tor.com/series/the-silmarillion-primer/
Our guests in the North Wing, Carolyn and Mark Jablow, shared some of their photos from their Tolkien-related travels, and of Carolyn’s cross-stitch map of Middle-earth (a true must-see)!
Sarehole Mill in Birmingham:
“Hobbiton” near Matamata, New Zealand:
“Mount Doom”, a.k.a. Tongariro National Park, New Zealand:
And finally, Carolyn’s magnificent work-in-progress cross-stitch map of Middle-earth!
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Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback) pp. 244-249, “A Thief in the Night”
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)
Thank you for this enjoyable, informative post. Quick question: what is the significance of 083 – “Oh Yes, Ees Very Nice-uh” as the post title. I listened to the whole thing, but still don’t get it… :/
Thank you, Allacin! The title is another in our series of Monty Python references; this time to a scene in _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ in which a French knight with an “outrageous accent” is talking about the Holy Grail. It seemed appropriate for the Arkenstone, even though it is a bit of a digression… even for us. 🙂
Thanks for the illumination–an appropriate word when the Grail is being referenced, eh? I never got much into Monty Python, but whether I or other listeners did or not, what do you think about giving at least a passing explanation of something as important as a title so no one feels outside of an inside joke?
I think that’s a good idea. We don’t want anyone confused by our occasionally wide-ranging attempts at humor. Thank you for suggesting it. 🙂