Green Dragon Live

The Nick's go live on Facebook and answer questions collected from our listeners.

The questions and answers in today's episode may contain spoilers and are not limited to the chapters already covered in the read along.

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks discuss Frodo's departure from Bag End, dealing with the Sackville-Bagginses, Gaffer Gamgee (a ninja?), Black Riders, High Elves, and walking through the Shire - which should have been the safest part of the journey.

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

How far is 20 miles around you? If you were Sam, how far would your geographic knowledge take you?

Last time in The Lord of The Rings

Last episode we spoke about Gandalf, and how he chased all over Middle-earth to learn everything he could about the ring Bilbo found in Gollum's cave nearly 80 years ago. With Bilbo gone, and Frodo the new owner of the Ring (and Bag End), danger is growing and coming ever closer to the Shire. Frodo, under the guidance of Gandalf, and with the companionship of his gardener, Sam Gamgee, must get the Ring OUT of the Shire to save his home from danger!

Where are we in the narrative?

Bilbo Baggins, who found a "Magic" Ring nearly 80 years ago, wills the Ring to his heir Frodo. Gandalf the wizard has discovered the true identity of Frodo's ring. The Ring is the One Ring that the Dark Lord Sauron made, to dominate the whole world. Frodo learns that the only way to defeat the Dark Lord is to destroy the Ring, but that can only be done in the fires of Mt. Doom where it was made. Frodo then decides that he must take the Ring away from the Shire to protect his homeland, and also help the free people of Middle-earth to defeat the Dark Lord.

Notes for this episode

Cheese fest is a thing in Wisconsin - there are several held around the state

Gaffer Gamgee - The Ninja - Nick Andrew promises a prize for a fanfic about the Gaffer being or becoming a ninja.

• Frodo plans to leave the Shire at around the time of his Birthday
• Gandalf suggests that he travel to Rivendell, the home of Elrond
• • Gandalf leaves after 2 months in the Shire (around June)
• Frodo sells Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses
• • Hints that he may be running out of money
• Merry helps to find a home in Buckland called Crickhollow
• We see how the Hobbits are when they're not as polite as they might seem
• • Lobelia walking into Bag End and declaring "Ours at last!"
  • Leaving the dishes for Lobelia - tid for tat - little jabs at each other.
• Strange voices and conversations down the hill
• • The adventure begins - trekking across the Shire
  • The fox having his thoughts? What do you make of it?
  • • Nicholas missed the song reference Nick was hinting at.
    • Radagast and the way he talks to animals
    • Crebain and other animal spies and informers
    • The way Frodo teases his friends
  • Songs - show up throughout the story, but less common as hope is not reinforced.
    • Robert Inglis version of Bilbo's Walking Song from the audio book
    • Another version of Bilbo's Walking Song put to music
• The first Black Rider
• • Another song "Upon the hearth..." - 3rd stanza becomes Pippin's song in the movie
• Second Black Rider
• • The High Elves
  • Gildor Inglorion
  • • Worried about the news of Black Riders
    • Unwilling to give advice
    • Sam feels safe enough to fall asleep, but not willing to leave Frodo
    • VERY unwilling to give advice
    • Gandalf is missing - DANGER - RED FLAG!

Notable Difference(s) from Films:

Frodo and Sam leave together -- IMMEDIATELY, with no "alternate residence" misdirect.

Accidentally meet up with Merry and Pippin who are running away with some carrots.

The Black Rider is not in Hobbiton in the movie, instead is somewhere further away.

Locations/Distance Traveled/Distance apart:

The Shire (we don't get very far this episode)

New Characters:

• Peregrin "Pippin" Took
• Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck
• Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger
• Folco Boffin
• Gildor Inglorion et al

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks discuss favorite musical themes from the films, the motions of Gandalf throughout Middle-earth and the hunting of Gollum in Chapter 2 of The Lord of The Rings.

This is part 2 of this discussion - in the first part we discussed the chapter from Frodo's point of view. Click to go back to that discussion.

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

If you had to pick one musical theme from the films as your favorite, which would it be?

Nicholas Jon's pick - The Charge of the Rohirrim - the fully developed and orchestrated version of the Rohirrim theme.

Nick Andrew's pick - The Grey Havens - The final version of the Grey Havens theme

An orchestrated version of Into The West. The melody/vocal line is played on the cello.

Fellowship Reunited - the fully formed and matured Shire theme first heard in Concerning Hobbits.

Last time in The Lord of The Rings

Last episode we spoke about Frodo, and how he experienced the chapter as Gandalf laid an almighty hammer blow of scariness. The Dark Lord Sauron is looking for The Ring, and he now knows about the Shire and the name Baggins.

Where are we in the narrative?

Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, Gandalf has traveled many paths to find the secrets of the Ring that Frodo has inherited. He returns to the Shire to find that, so far, all is well. But danger is closer than Frodo ever thought - it is in his pocket. Gandalf tells his story of how he pieced together the puzzle of the One Ring and how it came to Gollum and thus to Bilbo.

Notes for this episode

Episode 6 - Places of Middle-earth - [Prologue 0.6

Gandalf pieces the history of the ring together (more or less chronologically)

• Eregion - the first Elven-rings were made by Celebrimbor

Reference chart for the pronunciation of Elvish words

8. Magic, Maiar, & The Rings of Power - []Prologue 0.8]

• Sauron makes the One Ring
• After many years the Last Alliance faces off with Sauron
• Isildur, Elendil's son cuts the Ring from Sauron and claims the Ring
• The Ring is not destroyed
• The Ring betrayed Isildur in the river Anduin
• The Ring is lost
• Deagol finds the Ring

Deagol finds the ring in the Anduin - Ring saves him from drowning?

• Deagol is promptly killed by Smeagol
• Smeagol is cast out, and eventually finds his way into the roots of the Misty Mountains
• The Ring eventually abandons Smeagol
• Bilbo finds the Ring

The Gollum's Road

• Bilbo and Gollum have their riddle contest
• Bilbo wins on a technicality
• vSmeagol doesn't take too kindly to this
• After a couple of years Smeagol leaves the mountains
• Makes his way through Mirkwood to Dale
• Learns that Bilbo was there, and where he is from
• Back through Mirkwood avoiding the Wood Elves who are tracking him
• Turning aside he presumably went toward Mordor
• He was eventually captured and brutally interrogated
• He told his captors enough that they now know Baggins has it and it is in the Shire
• He escaped or possibly released
• He was hunted by Aragorn and Gandalf
• When found Gandalf spoke with him for many weary days to learn what he knew
• He was left under the guard of the Wood Elves in Mirkwood

5. Peoples of Middle-earth: Orcs, Trolls, & Wraiths - Prologue 0.5

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks find out which hobbit they are most like, and discuss Chapter 2 from Frodo's perspective. Who is more scared, Gandalf who knows better, Frodo who doesn't understand but is holding the Ring, or Sam who doesn't understand and is mostly afraid of Gandalf?

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

Notes for this episode

What Happened Last Time?: Bilbo and Frodo shared a birthday! Frodo came of age for a hobbit (33), and Bilbo turned a whopping eleventy-one years old. During his speech, Bilbo said farewell, slipping on his magic ring and VANISHED! Gandalf followed him back up to Bag End, they had a bit of a tiff over the ring and how Bilbo was acting very strangely. Ultimately, Bilbo let the ring go, leaving it to his nephew Frodo, and set out for a final "adventure". After a short but odd conversation with Gandalf the next morning, Frodo was left alone in Bag End to tie up his uncle's affairs.

Where Are We in the Narrative?: Chapter 2 carries us through the next few years after Bilbo leaves. We go from 3001 to 3018 TA, Frodo is turning 50, and life in the Shire changes almost as little as Frodo does. The Hobbits are noticing that the big folk and foreigners are on the move to places that the Hobbits only suspect (they've never actually been there).

What hobbit are you most like - take the quiz along with the Nicks

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks are ready to go on an adventure, and there's no better way to start than with a party! But after the food, drink, friends, and fireworks, how is it that such a little thing can cause such big problems? And how does this chapter kick off such an expansive story?

This is the first episode of an ongoing read-along podcast series, for The Lord of The Rings. If you are reading along (and we encourage you to do so), especially if this is your first time reading this book: we recommend that you finish reading Chapter 1 of Book 1 in The Fellowship of The Ring.

Send us your questions about this chapter or any other Tolkien/Middle-earth topic. Links below!

NOTE: Nicholas Jon's audio was destroyed by a digital Balrog - and we were forced to use our backup track for his audio.

----

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

----

Notes from this episode:

"Who or what brought you to Middle-earth or The Lord of The Rings?"

Tweet us your answer @greendragonlive

Novel or Novels? - Listen to Episode

Last Time In The Lord of The Rings

Bilbo went on an adventure with the wizard Gandalf and some Dwarves, on the way he found a magical golden ring that helped to make him invisible. Many different things happened throughout that narrative as a result of Bilbo allowing himself to become invisible. Close that story and fast forward 60 years, and Bilbo is very much the same as he was at the end of the Hobbit narrative, and he's itching for another adventure.

Where Are We in the Narrative?

Year 3001 of the third age - The Shire - Bilbo is turning eleventy-one (111) and Frodo, his adopted heir, and nephew, is turning 33 and coming of age. Bilbo and Frodo are planning an extravagant joint birthday party to celebrate, and everyone is invited.

----

3001 is the same as Shire Reckoning 1401.

Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?

This story is told from the perspective of a "Third Person (Omniscient)" narrator, in short, this means that the narrator is separate from or watching the action, and also happens to be able to know all of the actions, thoughts, or feelings of anyone in the world in any place or time.

Read More about Tolkien's choice of narration here:

Hobbit Culture - Listen to Episode 2

Read more about J.R.R. Tolkien's writing style here:

Family Stories and the Re-hashing of the same stories over and over again

- Think of the Hobbits as a big family, telling these stories is a way of keeping their identity, culture, and public opinions intact, and in check. Read more about why we might tell family stories here:

Read about Tolkien's use of poetry in The Lord of The Rings

The Nicks think this is an interesting video: Sir Ian McKellen, on acting - [VIDEO]

New Characters from this episode (dates in Shire Reckoning)

• Bilbo - Loner - Rich - Peculiar - Long-lived - Eccentric! - Feels stretched - 1290 - first adventure at age 50 - returned to the Shire in 1340
• Frodo - young - coming of age - generally liked by all, especially the younger cousins - 1368
• Gandalf - old - fiery - wearing blueish-grey - uses [Dwarvish] Runes/Elvish - hidden power & purpose "Fires - Smokes - Lights" - worried about the Ring
• Merry Brandybuck - Frodo's friend - helps with the distribution of presents - young - not yet of age - 1382 (Pippin 1390)
• Sackville-Bagginses - Family of Bilbo's - want Bag End - foiled by the inheritance Frodo is given

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nick's meet up on location for a special episode of follow up and trivia. And we bring guests along with us. We exchange Mathom in celebration of beginning The Lord of The Rings narrative. This episode was recorded live in The Duke of Devon, Sheboygan, WI and you will be able to hear the din of the restaurant throughout the episode. We want to give an Uruk-sized thank you to The Duke of Devon for allowing us to sit and record even as the dinner hour was rolling in.

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

Notes for this episode

Nicholas clarifies his pronunciation of Iluvatar

Fran Walsh and the scream of the Nazgul [video]

Did we conflate Tuckborough and Brandy Hall?

Who would win? Ringwraith or Wizarding World Dementors?

Nicholas' mathom from Nick

Nick's mathom from Nicholas - Animated LoTR

Nick's early Christmas present from Nicholas - Comprehensive Music of LoTR by Doug Adams

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

Nick and Nicholas recorded their very first episode, which is conveniently referred to as Episode Zero.

This test episode takes us on a journey that will be very rare in the arc of this podcast. We re-cast the Lord of The Rings movie trilogy with the cast and characters of the Harry Potter film series.

If you are just now learning who I (Nicholas Jon) am, I recently created a Facebook group for people who wanted to re-read Harry Potter. This "Re-Read Harry Potter" group was fairly popular, and now I am turning my sights on another literary love, Lord of The Rings. Along with my long-time friend Nick Andrew, we want to dive into Middle-earth and explore it from all the angles. In order to tie the two series together (and to be fodder for a test episode) we chose to do this re-cast/mashup of the two fandoms. This is your "heads-up" because - we had so much fun choosing our cast, that we want to give you the chance to make your own!

Use the link below to download a PDF of the chart we used to make our episode, and fill it in. Then share it with us as a picture or attachment on Facebook, Twitter, or by e-mail: [email protected]. We really want to see your picks and see what choices you made in your version of the story.

Notes

Blank PDF for you to re-cast the movies yourself The Nicks Picks PDF

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks talk about Tolkien's feelings regarding allegory, and our own thoughts about the story. And a little bit about how The Nicks met and bonded over Tolkien.

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

Notes for this episode

J.R.R. and Christopher Tolkien on allegory [YouTube]

Teaser Poster Frodo palm up with Ring

Eucatastrophe - neologism coined by Tolkien from Greek ευ- "good" and καταστροφή "destruction"

Rauros Etymology - Onomatopoetic - Tolkien sketched out that it might mean "Roaring Spray, " but it is also noted to be "Rush-rain" or "Roar Rain"

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks discuss the topics that are most elusive in Middle-earth. Where does the magic come from? Who are the Maiar? And something about a Ring...

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

Notes

Quick hierarchy of the celestial beings

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks take a moment to the stand back and prepare for the beginning of the The Lord of The Rings. Looking at Middle-earth in a snapshot view, and discussing the state of the world as we enter into the story.

Maps

Map of Middle-earth

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

Links

greendragonlive.com

Twitter

Facebook

Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.