Exploring Tolkien

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

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Túrin Turambar in Doriath transitions from Thingol’s foster son to a hunted outlaw. Does the fatal insult from Saeros, Túrin’s explosive reaction, and the brutal, naked chase through the woods change his destiny forever? Or is this Morgoth’s curse at work? We also discuss: The litany of imprudent choices as Túrin (and others) ignore the advice of those around them. The stark co

Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Is The Rings of Power Season 3 course-correcting—or just running out the clock? In this episode, we wade through two weeks of Comic-Con news and leaks, catching all the ways Amazon’s show is retooling, rewriting, and ruining Tolkien’s world. From the much-maligned Harfoots’ quiet removal to a new class of “Nazgnagol” proto-wraiths and the baffling “Balrog teaches Sauron” rumor, w