The Prancing Pony Podcast

The Wainriders strike Gondor, leaving them without a king for a time, while Don’s old jokes leave Alan to cry a thousand rivers. Join The Man of the West and the Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy as the arrival of the Wainriders triggers a series of Unfortunate Events. Eärnil saves the day for Gondor, but not for Arthedain, Malbeth has some important words, and Glorfindel could afford to be more specific. We observe that if you knock Gondor down then it gets up again, note a little passive-aggressive “per my last email” tone from the Council of Gondor, and make our own Rings of Power prophecy. Also, is Don even old enough to go to a pub?

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The waning of Gondor had already begun in Atanatar’s day; let’s hope Don brings better luck for the PPP. Join us as Gondor reaches the summit of its power in the first of two episodes on the Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion in Appendix A. Lazy kings and racist Gondorians lead to a civil war, Eldacar is shot through the heart and Castamir’s to blame, and the greatest evil is yet to come. We talk about poetry, war crimes, and all things Goth(ic). Also, we wonder what drives a king to marry a nefarious, solitary and loveless cat-lady.

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Arvedui offers the Lossoth jewels they don’t want; Alan and Don offer bad puns you don’t want. Join us as evil comes to Arnor as we continue our time in Appendix A, this time on Arnor and the Heirs of Isildur. Rhudaur goes bad, the Barrow-downs get new residents, and Arvedui finds he’s not even halfway there. We speculate on the reason for Arnor’s breakup, challenge listeners to draw a map with a crayon while blindfolded, and brook no dissent about our praise for Círdan. Also, Don gets Rhudaur in the podcast split.

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Tolkien gives us 3400 years of Númenórean history in just a few pages; Alan and Don make those few pages *feel* like a 3400-year long episode. Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts guy as we walk through the line of Kings and Queens of Númenor in our second episode on Appendix A I (i) on Númenor. We wonder what would have happened if Silmariën had become the first Ruling Queen, talk about agnatic primogeniture again, and watch as Kings of Númenor come up with ‘very bad ideas’™. Also, Sara joins Alan to chat with the translator of the Welsh edition of The Hobbit, Tar-Atanamir says ‘hold my beer’, and Alan gives some very depressing advice about mortality.

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Shall I describe it to you, or would you like Alan and Don to find you a map? Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts guy as Tolkien introduces us to his island paradise in the what-it-says-on-the-tin chapter, A Description of the Island of Númenor, from Unfinished Tales! We have fun with Quenya pronunciations, decide that it’s best not to build the Meneltarma Visitor Center after all, and speculate that Eldalondë the Green smelled like a smoothie shop. Also, we stumble upon a great name for a rock band, make a joke about the… larch, and wisely choose not to laugh at dancing bears.

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Tolkien regrets the ‘truncated and compressed form’ of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, while Alan and Don regret the truncated and compressed form of this episode! Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts guy as Tolkien gives us the fastest version of The Silmarillion ever in our first episode on the Annals of the Kings and Rulers. We beat the Fëanor piñata, visit the Hotel Thangorodrim and watch the Edain follow the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning to reach their new land. Also starring: grim grinning door handles and the avoided-for-that-cometh-anyway.

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Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy as we answer listener questions in our 28th Questions After Nightfall episode! From the negative buoyancy of hobbits to how long the wait is for a new Elf body, from Elves in HDR to Silmariën and the laws of agnatic primogeniture (which still confuse Don), our listeners pose challenging and unexpected questions. Alan blows Don’s mind yet again, while Don reveals his Middle-earth power rankings.

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Sam answers all of Elanor’s questions, as Alan tries to dodge most of Don’s questions. Join The Man of the West and the Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy, as we look at what was almost Tolkien’s post-credit bonus scene. Samwise gets writer’s block, Elanor longs for the old days, and Rose remembers a moment of unexplained joy. We discuss whether Merry was Sam’s ghost-writer, agree that one must stop somewhere, and look for our letter from the King. Also, Don leans into the mediocrity.

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Well, we’re back. Join The Man of the West and Don Marshall, the Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy, as we begin Season 9 of The Prancing Pony Podcast with a deep dive into the first version of the Epilogue to The Lord of the Rings. We chat about elanor the flower and Elanor the young hobbit-lass, wonder when a prophecy isn’t a prophecy, and get a few answers about Legolas, Gimli, and the rest. Also, we discover Ents are Alan's kinda people.

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