We begin our next series with a deep dive into where the Ents and their leader, Treebeard, came from. The arboreal people group are very old by the time of "The Lord of the Rings," and their origins, both in the story and in Tolkien's creative process, are a fascinating bit of Middle-earth trivia.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

In our last episode with Elrond, we walk with the half-Elven lord through the rest of the Third Age. We see him wield an Elven Ring, tussle with the Witch-king of Angmar, join the White Council, help Bilbo, and get really involved in the War of the Ring ...all before he signs off on his 6,000-plus Middle-earth career by heading overseas into the West.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

In our fourth episode with Elrond, we finally take a deep dive into this Elven wunderkind's insane family connections. We trace Elrond's lineage to major power couples like Beren and Lúthien as well as Tuor and Idril ...and his own daughter's marriage to her more-than-60-times-removed cousin, Aragorn. Who's ready for some Hobbit-level family history?Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

In the third part of Elrond's story, we dive into his involvement in the Last Alliance. After playing a critical role in the mostly successful but not really successful destruction of Sauron at the end of the Second Age, Elrond sets aside his work and starts to invest in a family. This starts slow and then reaches nirvana... until an Orc ambush breaks the Elven lord's domestic bliss.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

In the second episode of our series on Elrond, we dive into the hero's Second Age career. From a leader in Lindon to defeat at the hands of Sauron to literally building a new headquarters for himself in the form of Rivendell, it’s during this early phase of his career that Elrond truly establishes himself as a wise, fearless leader of Elves and Men.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

Elrond is a staple of Middle-earth. He makes appearances in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and many of Tolkien's other writings. For all his impact, though, what do we actually know about this half-elven counselor? In this first episode, we start to unravel just who Elrond is ...and things definitely don't start off on the right foot.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

In the second half of our series on Shelob, we delve into the character herself – and it turns out that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The daughter of Ungoliant has many of the same horrifying habits and features as her mother. She also makes a really nifty guardian for her neighbor, Sauron.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

In this episode, we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to spend some holiday fun in Middle-earth. After taking a moment to reflect on The Fellowship of the Ring movie's 20th anniversary (which coincides with the day this episode is released), we dive into all of the festive celebrations that take place throughout Tolkien's writings. From festivals to Christmas letters to holidays dedicated to Hobbits, this episode breaks down all of the ways that the holiday spirit pe...

Shelob is one of the great villains of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Her time in the story is very brief, though. We don't know where she came from or what happens to her after her defeat at the Hobbit hands of Samwise Gamgee. In this episode, we'll begin to dig into the backstory of Shelob by going through the story of her terrifying mother, Ungoliant.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show

In our fourth and final episode on Isildur, we meet a man at his best and his worst. At the peak of his career and the height of power, Isildur takes the Ring ...and follows it to his own doom. But the final days of Isildur aren't quick, nor are they one-dimensional. In fact, they're the best snapshot of how epic yet tragic this Middle-earth hero's legacy really is.Help cover costs and keep the content coming! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thehalflingSupport the show