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Today's Tolkien Times

The Prancing Pony Podcasttolkientimes.com
Get your Tolkien every day by subscribing to Today’s Tolkien Times! Alan Sisto, host of the award-winning Prancing Pony Podcast and Rings of Power Wrap-up, hosts a new short-format daily podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you get your podcasts! Listeners get answers on Mailbag Mondays; discover more about the Professor on Tolkien Tuesdays; indulge your inner philologist on Word-nerd Wednesdays; learn more about the familiar stories of Middle-earth on Third Age Thursdays; hear from Tolkien fans around the world on Fandom Fridays; and dive deep into Middle-earth history on Silmarillion Saturdays! And on Sundays? That’s what The Prancing Pony Podcast is for! So subscribe to Today’s Tolkien Times and follow us on all our social media channels!
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Episodes

Week 088 - Silmarillion Saturday: The Secret Fire Imperishable, Or Something

It’s discussion and analysis time as The Man of the West looks back over the last six weeks in the Ainulindalë, answers a couple of questions, and recaps some of the bigger themes. Also, goodbye to Series 11 of the TTT and we’ll see you in a few weeks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 19, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 528

Week 088 - First Age Friday: The Hidden Remain Hid

Join The Man of the West as Voronwë gets a few surprises from Tuor, and learns that his Spring Break has been cancelled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 18, 202510 minSeason 9Ep. 527

Week 088 - Third Age Thursday: Tidings Beyond Hope

The Eagles bring a message from the High King of Arda himself as the children of the West sing and rejoice after the ending of Sauron’s realm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 17, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 524

Week 088 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Unendurable Fate

Join The Man of the West for one more Word-nerd Wednesday walking through the names and words in our story of Túrin — with a bonus pair of names from our readings on Tuor! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 16, 20258 minSeason 9Ep. 525

Week 088 - Túrin Turambar Tuesday: No Lord or Loyalty

The story of Túrin Turambar reaches its tragic end as Túrin learns of what happened and implores Gurthang to do its job quickly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 15, 202513 minSeason 9Ep. 524

Week 088 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Fear Flowed From It

Join The Man of the West as he continues his way past the Hold of Dunharrow down the Dimholt Road to the Door of the Dead on another Middle-earth Map Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 14, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 523

Week 087 - Silmarillion Saturday: Not All in Vain

The Ainulindalë reaches its dramatic conclusion as Melkor gets jealous of the Valars’ new threads and throws a cosmic temper tantrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 12, 20257 minSeason 11Ep. 522

Week 087 - First Age Friday: A Long Surf Glimmering

Join The Man of the West as we continue our readings in the story of Tuor, wrapping up our chat with the mighty Ulmo before eventually meeting a new friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 11, 202512 minSeason 11Ep. 521

Week 087 - Third Age Thursday: Praise Them With Great Praise!

We near the end of our nearly year-long run through the poems and songs in The Lord of the Rings with a discussion of a song that Tolkien says “brought tears to my eyes to write”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 202512 minSeason 11Ep. 520

Week 087 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Before Ever a Ship Came

Join The Man of the West as he continues his journey deep into the valley of Harrowdale, this time climbing a steep road and visiting the ancient Dunharrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 07, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 517

Week 086 - First Age Friday: Whatsoever Doom They Bear

And it’s quite a doom, Tuor, take my word for it. Join The Man of the West as Tuor rolls natural 20s for his loot check, resulting in some special gear. Ulmo stops by to ask why he was so late. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 04, 202513 minSeason 11Ep. 515

Week 086 - Third Age Thursday: Nor Bid the Stars Farewell

We take a closer look at the moving song that Sam finds himself singing unbidden in the terrible Tower of Cirith Ungol, all alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 03, 20259 minSeason 11Ep. 514

Week 086 - Túrin Turambar Tuesday: A Shadow Fell Upon Her Mind

We continue our readthrough of the story of Túrin as he finally settles down and gets married — to the last person he ever should wed. Tragedy grows silently as Túrin seeks to find and kill Glaurung. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 01, 202510 minSeason 11Ep. 512

Week 086 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Frowning Precipices

Join The Man of the West, who tries to keep his precipices from frowning, for this week’s Middle-earth Map Monday as we head to the valley of Harrowdale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 30, 202510 minSeason 11Ep. 511

Week 085 - Silmarillion Saturday: Let These Things Be!

Ilúvatar has some words for the Ainur — or, specifically, one very important word. We also get a tangible example of SPBMI in this week’s Silmarillion Saturday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 28, 20259 minSeason 11Ep. 507

Week 085 - First Age Friday: Deathless But Doomed

Join The Man of the West for another reading in the story of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin, as Tuor spends months in the wilderness before swans lead him to the halls of Vinyamar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 27, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 509

Week 085 - Third Age Thursday: But a Doggrel

The herb-master in the Houses of Healing delivers a “rhyme of old days”, and Legolas sings of the beauty of Lebennin in this week’s exploration of poems and songs in The Lord of the Rings . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 26, 202510 minSeason 11Ep. 506

Week 085 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Lookout Hill

Join The Man of the West for a closer look at a few names from our readings about Túrin, and a surprise appearance by a phrase from our readings about Tuor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 25, 20259 minSeason 11Ep. 507

Week 085 - Túrin Turambar Tuesday: Nor Her Own Name

Todays’ meeting of Glaurung and Níenor will lead to tragedy tomorrow, as we continue the story of Túrin Turambar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 24, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 506

Week 084 - Silmarillion Saturday: Strange and Free

While the episode title fairly describes this podcast (and, in a way, its host), it’s actually what the Valar saw in the Children of Ilúvatar as we continue our reading of the Ainulindalë from The Silmarillion . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 21, 20259 minSeason 11Ep. 504

Week 084 - First Age Friday: A Great Yearning

Tuor finds his way to the shores of the Great Sea and is struck with a deep Sea-longing in today’s continued reading in Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin in Unfinished Tales . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 503

Week 084 - Third Age Thursday: To the Day’s Rising

Join The Man of the West as he walks through some of the most powerful alliterative verses in The Lord of the Rings , including Rohirric ‘epitaph poems’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 19, 202510 minSeason 11Ep. 502

Week 084 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Intelligent Man

Today’s episode title is clearly not referring to The Man of the West, but you’ll have to listen to find out who it is talking about. Join in as we look at the names of Brandir, Handir, Ephel Brandir, Amon Obel, Haleth and yet another of Túrin’s names. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 18, 20258 minSeason 11Ep. 500

Week 084 - Túrin Turambar Tuesday: In Peace Unshadowed

If only Túrin were right about that. Join The Man of the West as we continue reading the story of Túrin who finally takes the overly-optimistic name of Turambar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 17, 202511 minSeason 11Ep. 500

Week 084 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Rush and Chatter

No, The Man of the West isn’t in a hurry and he’s no more talkative than usual. Today’s Middle-earth Map Monday continues our visit in Rohan as we stop by the Fords of Isen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 16, 20259 minSeason 11Ep. 499
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