The Great Eagles

The Great Eagles a lighthearted discussion about why the eagles didn’t help destroy the ring Welcome to the first episode of The Fifth Age Podcast: Tolkien Stories! In this episode, we talk about the great eagles. We address the idea that the eagles could help destroy the ring, like they do in the How It Should Have Ended video. Why do they help all these times throughout history, but fail to help their buddy Gandalf with his jewelry problem? We discuss the Council of Elrond several times. Dan has trouble letting go of the fact that the great eagles can talk. Erica makes vague allusions to the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales stories where the eagles get their talons all up in people’s business. Why can’t Legolas just surf an eagle into Mordor while Frodo sinks the ring into Mount Doom?  We give a shoutout to Marc Singer’s abs in Beastmaster. In the end we decide that the destruction of the ring is a special forces mission not an airdrop, and most importantly that the Eagles don't actually do things for people, they come in after it's already done.   Episode Timeline: 00:52 The eagles and Elrond are neighbors. 01:03 Why are the eagles in the Misty Mountains? 02:15 Just big talkin’ eagles - some sources say they are spirits or maia, but it’s pretty vague. 02:45 Vala and Maia 03:06 Giant talking eagles 04:12 They are pretty Deus Ex Machina when they show up, aren’t they? 05:47 Correction: The Misty Mountains are not “pretty far west” for the eagles. We meant east because Beleriand reasons. 05:50 Ages - there are 3 ages of Middle-Earth The first age ended with the fall of Morgoth. The second age ended with the defeat of Sauron in the last alliance. The third age ended with the destruction of the ring and Sauron’s fall. 06:25 Link to How It Should Have Ended video: https://youtu.be/1yqVD0swvWU 08:13 How do eagles get involved with Saruman, Radagast, and Gandalf? 11:09 Council of Elrond 14:27 Eagles versus nasssty orcses 15:04 How were eagles involved in The Hobbit? 16:15 Gandalf and his eagle buddies! 19:25 C’mon Gandalf, you know it’s a bad idea to fly into Mordor Do you know why? 19:40 IT’S OBVIOUS! (this is where we finally answer the question) 21:00 Legolas!? 22:17 The black breath 23:07 Couldn’t have they distracted Sauron? 23:57 That neat little moth! 26:33 What else did the eagles do? Beren and Luthien and Maedhros (or as we like to call him, Elfy McElfypants) 29:02 You stand out to Sauron when you come zooming in at big flamin’ eye level! 31:00 Frodo and Sam are a special forces unit. 33:25 A few more things the eagles did 34:24 Beastmaster: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0083630/?ref=m_nv_sr_ 35:00 Erica is so done with Dan not being able to accept eagles talking. 35:24 Send us memes about the great eagles. 36:14 Divine intervention 37:19 Success!   References: All music is by the amazing Doctor Turtle! Feel free to show him some love over on Bandcamp. Mark Singer’s abs How It Should Have Ended video All LOTR movie references will be to the extended editions because Erica can’t ...