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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 053 - Second Age Saturday: Madman and Churl

Join The Man of the West as King Meneldur finalizes his decision to hand the Sceptre to his son, and Erendis sees the choice as an attack by her estranged husband. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 318

Week 053 - Fandom Friday: The Middle Page

The Man of the West continues his SDCC focus for the rest of Series 7, welcoming Kelly @themiddlepage from Instagram to talk about her channel, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 202416 minSeason 7Ep. 317

Week 053 - Third Age Thursday: A Mug of Beer Inside This Took

Is not a line in any of the three of Tolkien’s poems we’ll look at today. But if you think The Man of the West can avoid humming this tune, you could be wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 316

Week 053 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Hey Now, You’re an All Star

The Man of the West engages in a little star-gazing as he breaks down the names of the regions of the island of Númenor in this week’s Word-nerd Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20248 minSeason 7Ep. 315

Week 053 - Tolkien Tuesday: I’m Not Accurate

While today’s episode title could reflect The Man of the West on nearly any given day, this time it’s a self-deprecating quote from C.S. Lewis, as we continue our look for the fox that may not be there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 314

Week 052 - Second Age Saturday: Myself as a Tame Hound

Join The Man of the West as Aldarion shares his unfiltered opinion with his father, King Meneldur — just as the king is about to make a major announcement regarding the future of Númenor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 312

Week 052 - Fandom Friday: The Dwarf of the Year Returns

The Man of the West changes up Fandom Fridays for the rest of Series 7, with a focus on Tolkien content creators who were at San Diego ComicCon, getting their take on the upcoming Season 2 of Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Today, Varking Runesong joins us for chat that will inevitably include Dwarves! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 202423 minSeason 7Ep. 311

Week 052 - Third Age Thursday: Tree-Tangled Middle-Lands

Join The Man of the West as the hobbits encounter Noldorin Exiles in the Shire, singing a beautiful Hymn to Elbereth. We also wonder about Gildor’s parentage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 202410 minSeason 7Ep. 310

Week 052 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Snow White is Very Inadequate

Look, I’m just saying what Tolkien says, okay? Sure, he means the translation of Fanuilos, and not the Disney princess, but maybe that’s true as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 309

Week 052 - Tolkien Tuesday: Scant Resemblance

The Man of the West returns to Carpenter’s book on the Inklings, this time to seriously question the notion of Tolkien, Lewis, Williams, and Barfield as ‘The Oxford Christians’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 308

Week 051 - Second Age Saturday: Of What Worth Is Choice?

It’s time to return to our readings in Númenor as King Meneldur thinks through a no-win situation and makes a momentous decision regarding the future, as Aldarion has some contemptuous words for his father. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 10, 202410 minSeason 7Ep. 306

Week 051 - Fandom Friday: It’s Complicated

Join The Man of the West as he welcomes Inklings scholar Sørina Higgins to Fandom Friday to talk about the Oddest Inkling, Charles Williams, and explain some of the shifts in the way Tolkien viewed their friendship after his death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 09, 202420 minSeason 7Ep. 305

Week 051 - Third Age Thursday: Round the Next Corner

We continue our look at poetry and songs in The Lord of the Rings by taking a deep dive into one of Bilbo’s songs, set to a tune “as old as the hills” (yet somehow younger than The Man of the West). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 08, 20248 minSeason 7Ep. 304

Week 051 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Shout, Shout, Let It All Out

Join The Man of the West for a closer look at the name of Gil-galad’s father… or, maybe his father, or maybe not. Where’s Maury Povich when you need him? Also, bonus word-nerdery on the Vanyar’s favorite Valar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 07, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 303

Week 051 - Tolkien Tuesday: Your Laugh In My Heart Echoes

We continue in our time in Humphrey Carpenter’s book, The Inklings, as we look more closely at the conflicted nature of Tolkien’s friendship with Charles Williams, and a poem the Professor wrote about his friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 06, 20249 minSeason 7Ep. 302

Week 051 - Middle-earth Map Monday: The Memory of Many Injuries

Join The Man of the West for another week of Today’s Tolkien Times as he returns to a new Monday segment looking at places in Middle-earth. This time, we visit the place Fredegar Bolger feared as much as Mordor: The Old Forest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 05, 202410 minSeason 7Ep. 301

Week 050 - Second Age Saturday: Manwë Keep You Under the One

The Man of the West returns to the story of Aldarion and Erendis for another set of Second Age Saturdays. In today’s episode, we look over the shoulder of King Meneldur as he reads a very important letter from Gil-galad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 03, 202410 minSeason 7Ep. 300

Week 050 - Fandom Friday: Because It Was About Time

In a TTT first, The Man of the West has a co-host: Sara Brown, the Shield-maiden of Rohan. Join them as they interview the man behind the Welsh translation of The Hobbit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 02, 202423 minSeason 7Ep. 299

Week 050 - Third Age Thursday: My Evening-Rest

Join The Man of the West as he begins a series of readings through the poetry and songs of The Lord of the Rings… by starting with a song from The Hobbit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 01, 20248 minSeason 7Ep. 298

Week 050 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Scion of Kings

It’s time for another return to Word-nerd Wednesday, with today’s episode looking closely at the several names of the last High King of the Eldar. But not at his parentage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 31, 202410 minSeason 7Ep. 297

Week 050 - Tolkien Tuesday: We All Agree So

The Man of the West returns to Humphrey Carpenter’s book, The Inklings, for more on Tolkien and his circle of friends. Today, a closer look at the oddest Inkling, Charles Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 30, 20248 minSeason 7Ep. 296

Week 050 - Map Monday: The Land Was Rich and Kindly

Join The Man of the West as he begins a new series with a new Monday segment: Middle-earth Map Monday! In the first of this new segment, we learn the hobbits got a pretty good deal from Argeleb II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 29, 202411 minSeason 7Ep. 295

Week 049 - Second Age Saturday: Steel Hard to Break

Join The Man of the West as Aldarion all too briefly speaks with the daughter he abandoned years ago and coldly ignores her mother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 13, 202410 minSeason 6Ep. 294

Week 049 - First Age Friday: Master of Wolves

Finrod and his faithful followers accompany Beren north, and come up with one possible way to get by the Master of Wolves himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 12, 202410 minSeason 6Ep. 293

Week 049 - Third Age Thursday: Even as Oromë the Great

It’s time for the last of our Théoden Thursday specials as The Man of the West takes us through the King of Rohan’s finest moments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 11, 202411 minSeason 6Ep. 289

Week 049 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Golden-Haired Champion

Join The Man of the West as he takes a closer look at the names of his favorite Elf from the First Age, including one that might have just been a derisive nickname from the sons of Fëanor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 20248 minSeason 6Ep. 291

Week 049 - Tolkien Tuesday: Our Revered Hobbit-Ancestors

It’s time for another few letters in the Revised and Expanded edition, this time as we accompany Professor Tolkien on a trip to Rotterdam for maggot-soup and pipe-weed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 09, 20248 minSeason 6Ep. 287

Week 049 - Mailbag Monday: With Vigour, Please

Join The Man of the West for the last week of Series 6 of Today’s Tolkien Times as he answers a question — okay, five questions — about the Dúnedain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 09, 202410 minSeason 6Ep. 289
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