In Chapter 3 of The Silmarillion, we take a trip to Cuiviénen for the awakening of the Firstborn Children of Ilúvatar - the Quendi or Elves. Along the way we discuss the kindling of the stars, the origin of the Orcs, and the capture of Melkor. We...
In this special spoiler-filled episode, we delve into Tolkien's letters and The History of Middle-earth to examine Tolkien's concept of mortality as "the gift of the One to Men." We discuss the fates of Elves and Men and how they illustrate a...
In Chapter 2 of The Silmarillion, Aulë and Yavanna demonstrate the principle of “opposites attract” even among the Valar, we witness the power of humility, and learn the origins of some of Middle-earth's most mysterious creatures: Dwarves, Ents, and...
Finally reaching Chapter 1 of the Quenta Silmarillion, we behold an Arda too perfect to last, offer a brief geography lesson, and shamelessly poke fun at as many Valar as possible before stopping to admire the beauty of the Two Trees of Valinor...
In the second part of The Silmarillion we laugh with Tulkas, cry with Nienna, gaze on the starlit face of Varda and meet the rest of the Valar and Maiar who entered into the world at its beginning. We also answer the age-old question: which of the...
Happy Tolkien Reading Day! On March 25 every year - the date of the fall of Barad-dûr - Tolkien lovers worldwide celebrate by reading and promoting the Professor's life and work. For this special, Alan and Shawn read and discuss favorite...
Reunited in the common-room and finally beginning their discussion of The Silmarillion, Alan and Shawn tackle nothing less than the creation of the universe, check out Ilúvatar’s playlist, observe a cosmic toddler tantrum, and learn what SPBMI means.
This time, Alan flies solo over the battlefields of World War I and discusses both the explicit and the implied influences that the Great War had on Tolkien’s writings, while Shawn is safely away in the officers' club in Edoras with a refreshing...
Shawn takes a solo look at the real-world linguistic inspirations that shaped Tolkien's invented Elvish languages, Quenya and Sindarin, while Alan is away doing whatever a Man of the West does on his day off.
We continue our introduction to J. R. R. Tolkien's ideas on fantasy and myth with a look at his short poem dedicated to C. S. Lewis, "Mythopoeia" - a thematic companion piece to "On Fairy-Stories". Also, polar bears.