After hearing Merry and Pippin’s account of their recent adventures, Treebeard starts talking (and doesn’t stop) about wizards, ecopolitics, and “the one that got away”. Unfortunately, spokesplants for Fimbrethil and the Entwives have not responded to requests for comment, and we won’t hold our breath waiting for them to. But at least now Treebeard seems motivated to do something about Saruman, if only he can find enough Ents to form a posse. Plus, a letter to Barliman offers possible alternativ...
Jan 31, 2021•1 hr 57 min
Merry and Pippin travel deeper into Fangorn Forest with a guided tour (really more of a picked-up-and-carried tour) provided by Treebeard. Their host may be more wooden than Alan and Shawn, but he’s both informative and entertaining, singing songs and telling stories about the forest and the Ents themselves. Soon they arrive at Wellinghall, where he sets them down and offers them jars of some potent drink that we can only hope he has a license to make and distribute. Hopefully, the ent-draught w...
Jan 24, 2021•1 hr 38 min
Escaping from mortal danger into deadly peril, Merry and Pippin wander into Fangorn Forest. The place seems more strange than scary, but it’s far from welcoming; and an offhand comment by Pippin about almost liking the forest attracts the attention of the local plant life. Is the mysterious Ent all bark and no bite? Or will it tear the hobbits limb from limb, mistaking them for little Orcs? We discuss the importance of real names, offer a sidebar on the late appearance of the Ents into Tolkien’s...
Jan 17, 2021•1 hr 47 min
Following up on our previous examination of race in Tolkien’s work in Episode 114, today we welcome listeners of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to join us and share their experiences of Tolkien’s works and fandom. By looking beyond the author's own views and intentions, we hope to gain a better understanding of the actual impact of Tolkien’s treatment of race from people who have experienced racism directly. We urge all listeners to tune in for this special, which challenges our assumpt...
Jan 10, 2021•1 hr 56 min
Now ringed in by the Rohirrim, the Orcs wait for reinforcements, all the while continuing their civilized parliamentary deliberations. On the committee agenda: 1. You’re a maggot. 2. That guy’s an ape. 3. Consideration of a motion for a vote of no confidence in Uglúk. Grishnákh seizes an opportunity — and the prisoners — but Pippin thinks quickly and devises a Tookish (and very, very dangerous) ruse to take advantage of the Mordor Orc’s secret plot. Who’s a fool now, Gandalf? All this, plus a To...
Dec 20, 2020•1 hr 37 min
The Hobbits continue their zero-star walking tour of Rohan, trudging along with the Orcs in an endless tunnel of misery with nary a pub nor a B&B in sight. But the feel of wet grass between his hairy toes gives Pippin an idea, and he breaks away from the beaten path for just long enough to leave a message for any friend who may be following them: a token that may or may not idly fall. We wonder about Orc parents’ baby naming practices, revisit The Fall of Gondolin, and imagine Ulmo talking l...
Dec 13, 2020•1 hr 27 min
Looks like meat’s back on the menu as we pick up the tale of Pippin and Merry and their delightful hosts: an army of Orcs on their way to Isengard. Merry is apparently down for the count, but Pippin takes in their surroundings and gradually begins to piece together an escape plan. We learn way more about Orkish medicine than we ever wanted to, offer a sidebar on the history of the Black Speech, and speculate about whether there are some things even Orcs won’t eat (probably not). Plus, how to mak...
Dec 06, 2020•1 hr 47 min
While Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli look for their horses, we welcome listeners to the common-room for our last live Q&A episode of 2020! As always, the questions are unrehearsed, so hearing us muddle through head-scratchers like “Do Orcs have free will?” is as entertaining as expected. We speculate on what Lobelia might have done if the One Ring had fallen into her hands along with Bilbo’s spoons, get into chains and bondage with Beren and Lúthien, and more. Plus, what were the guys hoping to ...
Nov 22, 2020•1 hr 30 min
Éomer bends the rules “just this once” to let the wanderers go free in Rohan, and even lends them cocon— uh, horses* to ride, on the condition that after they find the bodies— uh, their friends*, they return the rentals to Edoras in good condition and hand the keys back directly to Théoden King. They ride quickly to the Entwash and camp near the edge of Fangorn Forest, where a mysterious visitor appears and makes them wish they’d sprung for the loss damage waiver. (*We apologize for the fault in...
Nov 15, 2020•1 hr 40 min
Éomer, Third Marshal of the Riddermark, demands proper identification from the Three Hunters, and Aragorn gives it to him by name-dropping a lineage going back three thousand years and unsheathing a sword even older than that. In one of the greatest “okaayyy” moments in Tolkien’s legendarium, Éomer accepts their explanation and proceeds to catch them up on current events in this region where Saruman’s betrayal is more than just a rumor. Also, word-nerdery on another Old English word for a horse…...
Nov 08, 2020•1 hr 35 min
The Three Hunters continue their pursuit across the plains, their hearts growing wearier due to the physical effects of Saruman’s opposing will. A new sunrise brings new counsel, and a chance meeting (if chance you call it) with an éored of Rohan’s finest; but the Riders are strong and bold, much like the cocon— er, horses they ride, and they don’t take too kindly to strangers in Elvish cloaks. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at our character voices, a sidebar on the history of Rohan, and a...
Nov 01, 2020•1 hr 46 min
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Orcs taking Merry and Pippin through Rohan, where the folk of Eorl raise the greatest cocon— uh, horses. Real-life horses. But the Orcs are moving quickly, not stopping by night or by day; and for the three weary hunters to stop and rest might mean losing their trail. We pause to remember some late-October dates in a new This Week in Tolkien History, and pick out Halloween costumes for the Fellowship. Plus, no African or European swallows here, just an eagl...
Oct 25, 2020•1 hr 43 min
The three remaining members of the Fellowship of the Ring (as far as they know) prepare Boromir for his last journey down the Anduin, and as the son of Denethor floats away they eulogize their fallen comrade… in song form! Then it’s back to business as they solve the riddle of what happened to the hobbits, and as they weigh their decision of which way to go, Aragorn steps into the leadership role he was born for. Plus, how to write a touching elegy for a friend in just a few minutes, and we beat...
Oct 18, 2020•1 hr 25 min
Still searching for Frodo after the chaotic events of the previous chapter, Aragorn is interrupted by the sound of Boromir’s horn. He arrives on the scene just in time to bid farewell to the fallen hero, and for Shawn to atone for all the Boromir-bashing he did last season. Soon Legolas and Gimli arrive, and the trio investigate the scene to determine their next move. We talk about Tolkien’s use of interlacing as a narrative technique (not for the last time), root for Aragorn to get his groove b...
Oct 11, 2020•1 hr 41 min
And the number of the towers shall be two. Or three. Or… five? If it’s not clear yet, we’ll clear it up in this introduction to Book III of The Lord of the Rings, and the second volume of the not-really-a-trilogy that happens to be named after some arbitrarily chosen pair of very tall buildings. We also look back at the story so far and learn that Tolkien himself was the first person to leave Tom Bombadil out of an adaptation of his work. Plus, what we did over our summer break: including favori...
Oct 04, 2020•2 hr
Before we return to The Lord of the Rings with Book III, we welcome guest listeners to the common-room for our first Q&A episode of the season! As always, we don’t know the questions ahead of time, but we get a timely look ahead with questions about Ents and the Hobbits who love them. Also: Galadriel unfriended Fëanor, but was Gandalf a new friend or some guy she remembered from high school? We get metaphysical about Sauron, Ringwraiths, and Gollum… and wonder if Aragorn ever considered sett...
Sep 27, 2020•1 hr 27 min
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations like the Tolkien Society and Signum University have held their annual gatherings (Oxonmoot and Mythmoot) online in 2020. Alan and Shawn begin the new season by interviewing some of the people who made those moots possible — including Tolkien Society chair Shaun Gunner, Signum University President Corey Olsen, and more — to learn about the challenges and advantages of bringing these events into the digital space, glimpse the changing face of Tol...
Sep 20, 2020•1 hr 52 min
Alan and Shawn welcome Verlyn Flieger back to The Prancing Pony Podcast to finish out our fourth season! We catch up with her on Beowulf, free will, and the mistakes of Túrin (because who can resist?). We also ask her thoughts on some of our favorite moments from Book II of The Lord of the Rings, like Lothlórien, Galadriel, and the “tra-la-la-lally”–free version of Rivendell. Finally, we discuss — and are treated to a sneak preview reading from — her new book Arthurian Voices, a series of monolo...
Aug 09, 2020•1 hr 51 min
While Frodo and Boromir are away “talking”, the Company (still not officially called “the Fellowship", but that won’t stop us) attempt to reach a decision about where to go — or rather, who’s to go where. Each member of the party speaks his piece, and Samwise explains to them all what’s on Frodo’s mind… but when Boromir returns, Aragorn realizes that it may be too late to influence events at all. Join us as we finally close the book on The Fellowship of the Ring with word-nerdery, hope, despair,...
Aug 02, 2020•1 hr 52 min
The Fellowship stop at Parth Galen to rest and make the decision they’ve been putting off since Lórien: to go west to Minas Tirith, or east to Mordor. Frodo asks for an hour alone to make his decision, but Boromir (not taking the hint, or not wanting to) follows him, and manages to persuade him that he needs to get as far away from Boromir as possible. All this, plus we push the limits (again) on how many music references we can squeeze into a single podcast, and we background check Sauron’s res...
Jul 26, 2020•1 hr 53 min
Gimli gives mad props to Legolas for shooting down the — whatever that thing was — while Frodo (who knows exactly what that thing was) deals with some stuff. Sam’s perplexed at having lost count of days in Lórien, leading to a debate about the nature of time that would make Doc Brown proud, while Boromir is getting creepier by the day. All this, plus a look ahead to The Two Towers with a news report from the Fords of Isen, and a look back into the history of Gondor as the Fellowship pass by ever...
Jul 19, 2020•1 hr 53 min
Floating down the Anduin, the Fellowship put off their next move for a few days after leaving Lórien. Sam’s not sure if he’s most scared of the trees, the lack of trees, or the curiously Gollum-shaped log that’s following them down the river (which Aragorn has known about, like, forever). Before anyone can say “failure to communicate”, the Company are attacked by Orcs… and something worse. We talk Entwives, vehemently defend Tolkien’s use of the word “eyot”, and watch what happens when a wood-el...
Jul 12, 2020•1 hr 46 min
Join us once again as we welcome guest listeners to the common-room for our eleventh unscripted Q&A episode! Looks like Elves are back on the menu (that came out way weirder than we meant it to) as we answer live questions about Galadriel, the fading of the Eldar, and whether Elrond has Thranduil on his speed dial. Also, Alan and Shawn read favorite passages from The Lord of the Rings to shine a light of hope through the darkness, and go deep into the dictionary and Tolkien’s works to discov...
Jun 28, 2020•1 hr 41 min
Galadriel says farewell with a few extra-special gifts for the extra-special members of the Fellowship while the others sit back and grumble about their belts and stuff. Gimli — unfazed by Celeborn’s presence — sweet-talks the Lady into giving him something incredibly personal, and Frodo and Sam receive gifts that seem nice, but aren’t something they’ll be using every day. We remember our painful teenage years with some weepy ‘80s love songs, whack the Fëanor piñata again (because why not), and ...
Jun 21, 2020•2 hr 17 min
Now outfitted with boats, travel gear, and road snacks, the Fellowship leave Lothlórien. They make it just a little way down the river before they’re attacked by a gargantuan swan (which is just a big boat! Whew. And obviously we all totally knew that... who’s freaked out? We’re not freaked out) and invited to finally have a meal with the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim. After an epic picnic on the grass, Celeborn — typical dad — gives directions, and Galadriel gives the Company “personalized” gi...
Jun 14, 2020•1 hr 37 min
Galadriel and Celeborn test the Fellowship once again by kindly inviting them to leave Lothlórien and not let the light plaited screen hit them on the way out. The Company are all ready to move on, but not sure where to go — fortunately, a few boats delay the need to make a decision for at least another week. Pippin gets confused looks for saying the M-word around Elves; Sam might have warned him if he wasn’t so busy geeking out on ropes. And your hosts get word-nerdy on lembas and the ladies wh...
Jun 07, 2020•1 hr 35 min
Galadriel welcomes Frodo and Sam to come on in and see what’s happening with her Mirror. Sam receives a vision of some devilry at work in the Shire; but the Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds, and Sam is forced to choose between going on and going home. Frodo catches a glimpse of someone who fortunately can’t see him just yet, and Galadriel faces a temptation of epic proportions. Eärendil shows up to shine a little light on the situation, and we speculate about everything from ring resizing...
May 31, 2020•1 hr 48 min
The Fellowship pass “some days” in Lórien as guests of Galadriel and Celeborn (though not the kind of guests who actually get to see or speak to their hosts), and get plenty of recovery, escape, and consolation from their travels and their grief. With nothing to do but eat, drink, rest, and walk, they are content — but life in a time bubble can’t last forever, and even Sam knows they’ll have to be leaving soon. Frodo remembers Gandalf in song, Pippin gets awfully protective about his blankets, a...
May 24, 2020•1 hr 53 min
The Fellowship comes to Caras Galadhon — the city of Lothlórien — where lights twinkle like stars in trees as tall as skyscrapers. After climbing to a high a and enormous flet they are greeted by Middle-earth’s #1 power couple: Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. Celeborn’s welcome is warm at first, but cools when he learns the Company awoke something very warm (and wingless) in Moria. But when the Lady comes to their defense, even Gimli starts to feel all gooey inside. All this, and a sidebar ill...
May 17, 2020•1 hr 56 min
Alan and Shawn are pleased to welcome John Garth back to the podcast to talk about his upcoming book, The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien. It gives us an unprecedented look at the places that inspired Tolkien, from locations close to home in England to cultural traditions around the world. Listen in as Garth explains the origins of the book and his approach to the topic, shares surprising connections between the legendarium and the real world, and even debunks a few myths. We close with a look back at ...
May 10, 2020•1 hr 4 min
