Exploring Tolkien

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! With The Rings of Power returning, we built the ultimate interactive database tracking every single lore change from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original texts–and the results for characters like Míriel and Galadriel are completely undeniable. We then dive back into The Children of Húrin to explore the tragic history of Mîm the Dwarf, why the Petty-dwarves were hated by everyone, and how Mî

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! As season 3 of the Rings of Power approaches just a few weeks. I hope you enjoy this retrospective look at season one that we first published on April Fool’s day… where Michael and I decided to look back at our favorite scenes, favorite characters, and favorite quotes from our favorite television show! Join us as we rediscover all those times this show took our breath away with

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! In this episode (a replay of an episode from 2024) we discuss that renowned Tolkien scholars Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond published a new book with NEW content by Tolkien–The Collected Poems of JRR Tolkien. I take a look at their announcement, highlighting some of the details they mentioned. I also take a bit of time to discuss therevised and expanded version of Tolkien’s l

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! This week, we look at the second half of The Children of Húrin Chapter 6 and discuss the manifestation of Morgoth’s curse. We discuss Morgoth’s shadow… this “mist” that operates curiously like the One Ring, weaponizing Túrin’s pride against him right when he has the chance to accept grace and redemption. We also look at: Why Beleg is the only messenger to keep searching for Túri

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Túrin Turambar has officially abandoned the protection of Doriath, choosing instead to live as an outlaw among murderers and cutthroats. In our breakdown of the first part of Chapter 6 of The Children of Húrin, we explore Túrin’s tragic descent into darkness, his absolute refusal to live under anyone else’s law, and how a deadly “accident” turns him into the captain of the Wolf-M

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! In this episode, we explore an incredibly rare event in Tolkien’s legendarium: a formal Elven trial. We examine King Thingol’s judgment of Túrin after the death of Saeros, uncovering how law, evidence, and mercy operate in Doriath. We also look at: How Mablung’s testimony and Nellas’s surprise appearance shifted the king’s verdict. The evolution of Thingol’s character since his