This week, the enchantments of the Mirkwood in Chapter Eight of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. How do we understand the conflict, physical and magical, between the elves and the spiders? Why does Bilbo feel more accomplished and confident in this chapter? Is this really a turning point in the adventure?

You can see the video version of this podcast here, and the slides are available for download by clicking here.

Show Notes:

• Shire Reckoning Production Schedule
• J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Humphrey Carpenter)
• The History of the Hobbit (John D. Rateliff)
• The Atlas of Middle-earth (Karen Wyn Fonstad)
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Shire Reckoning is a Next Word production. For bonus episodes and to support the show, visit Patreon.com/NextWord.

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Music by Corvus from Pixabay.