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In the final episode of season two of Rings and Rituals, Marilyn and Sara revel in having the two finest scenes of the entire series appear in the final episode, and lament what might have been with Adar. They try to untangle a few lore threads and manage to pull in Mediterranean bells, Wagnerian characters, summoning rituals (not the goetia sort!), standing in awe of what may be seen by the eyes of death, sharing packing rituals, and discussing Dutch camera angles. Marilyn grieves with Elrond over lost manuscripts, describes a royal healing ritual from primary world history, and offers a new theory about Tom Bombadil‘s song. Sara is quite clear on her thoughts for season three, they both delight in a flurry of messages from enthusiastic listeners and, looking ahead to season three, pose (in song!) the ancient question: “ How do you solve a problem like a Balrog?
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You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above.
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Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network. Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
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Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Sara and Marilyn manage to find ritual even in the ravaging of Eriador. Sara recites Shakespeare, Marilyn finds the best of lines and the worst of lines (for her), and they give Sun Tzu his proper due by sharing what he actually said. They celebrate Celebrimbor’s freedom from illusion, and grieve the cost he pays to try to undo his dangerous creations. Meanwhile, Sauron just feels sorry for himself. We finally find an insight into why a Maia of the Vala of smithing needs an Elf to do his creation work, as well as a musical explanation for just what That Kiss was all about. We even get to talk turkey with David Lorehound himself as part of a delightfully lengthy feedback segment!
Contact Us
Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above.
http://thelorehounds.com/contact
Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network. Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Marilyn and Sara examine rituals of trials (all–sorts) and home, and the testing of faith. We see parents and children who keep talking past each other, recognize that Pharazôn is walking on a path of seawater as the rituals of power-over fail him, and wonder if Nenya really would work with Morgoth’s crown. And once again, the sea is always right.
Contact Us
Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above.
http://thelorehounds.com/contact
Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network. Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Sara revels in dwarves, even in the midst of their dilemmas, Marilyn treasures the shrine of Nienna, the oldest shrine in Númenor, and both grieve over its desecration, agreeing that Kemen is a broken wart of a human being. They see symbols of seeds everywhere, retch metaphorically over Annatar‘s gaslighting, and wonder whether it is possible that Celebrimbor is the better smith of the two. And they ponder the ways in which Númenorean rituals have changed since the days of Tar Elros – and why are they talking about green countries and swift sunrises anyway?
Contact Us
Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above.
http://thelorehounds.com/contact
Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network. Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Galadriel chafes under Elrond’s command, Isildur confronts a feisty woman and a slimy surprise, the Stranger finds a goat-herder, and Nori and Poppy find — more Harfoots? Sara and Marilyn compare rituals of hospitality —or not — and greeting. They also explore a few cultural dining practices.
Where the Stars Are Strange - S02E02 - Rings & Rituals
In episode two, Sara and Marilyn find rituals of remembrance, reconstitution, repair, and dramatic revelation. They also wish that Elrond would listen to Círdan's humble wisdom.
Join the Conversation on the Lorehounds Community Discord:
https://discord.gg/thelorehounds
Contact Us:
Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above:
http://thelorehounds.com/contact
Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network
Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
In this episode, colors take on political significance, Númenoreans and Pelargir folk show grief in various ways, Annatar finds that some dwarves are harder to deceive in others, and Berek finds Isildur, who in turn finds Estrid. We also learned that even the best – planned coronations may have unexpected interruptions, and enjoy some in-depth feedback about the symbolic and functional meanings of being branded.
Join the Conversation on the Lorehounds Community Discord:
https://discord.gg/thelorehounds
Contact Us:
Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above:
http://thelorehounds.com/contact
Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network
Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Where the Stars Are Strange - S02E02
In episode two, Sara and Marilyn find rituals of remembrance, reconstitution, repair, and dramatic revelation. They also wish that Elrond would listen to Círdan's humble wisdom.
Join the Conversation on the Lorehounds Community Discord:
https://discord.gg/thelorehounds
Contact Us:
Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above:
http://thelorehounds.com/contact
Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network
Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Marilyn and Sara returned for another season of Rings and Rituals! After a quick catch-up, they discuss a failed coronation, a lengthy re-embodiment, wanderings in the desert, and the promises and perils of a new creation with dubious origins.
Contact Us
Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
You can also leave us a voicemail through our website, or record a voice note on your smartphone and send it to the email address above http://thelorehounds.com/contact
Rings & Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network
Find us, our community Discord, and all our affiliates at:
https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Calling all music fans! The Lorehounds network’s first music podcast, Nevermind the Music, is officially launching on September 10 – where two friends and academics filter their appreciation of music through the frameworks of psychology, music theory, and irreverent humor.
Check out Nevermind the Music
https://thelorehounds.com/podcast/nevermind-the-music
Get in touch: [email protected]
Find them on Instagram @nevermusicpod
Links to the Lorehounds’ Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates
linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
Marilyn and Sara spend time with the Noldor, comparing the ritual of the warrior Elves returning home to Valinor with Arthurian imagery, questioning the practice of carving memorials on living trees, and noting contrasts between Elves and Harfoots.
Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].
Links to Network Affiliates and Discord
linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.
From the publisher's feed
Tolkien scholars Marilyn R. Pukkila and Sara Brown explore the rituals woven throughout The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, analyzing what each ceremonial moment reveals about…
Ritual is everywhere in Tolkien's world, from the sword-drawing ceremonies of the Noldor to the migration rites of the Harfoots, but it rarely gets the focused analytical attention it deserves. Marilyn and Sara bring genuine academic grounding to their close readings, drawing on anthropology, religious studies, and decades of Tolkien scholarship to ask the questions that matter: What is the design of this ritual? What is its intent? What does it reveal about the culture performing it?
Whether you are a longtime devotee of Middle-earth lore or coming to The Rings of Power fresh, Rings and Rituals offers a perspective on the series that you will not find anywhere else.
Rings and Rituals is part of the Lorehounds Network.
Find us and all our affiliates at https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

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