By-The-Bywater: A Podcast about All Things J.R.R. Tolkien

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Oriana’s choice of topic: Éowyn. As likely the most prominent character in The Lord of the Rings who’s a woman—and certainly the most prominent human woman, hands down—Éowyn and her journey in the story always has a central position in any discussion of the book, someone who grapples with any number of personal disasters and wider societal expectations to end up playing a key role in the book’s epic arc. At the same time, her final choices after that shattering confrontation with the Lord of the Nazgûl have led to questioning about whether she should be seen as a feminist icon, something that Tolkien’s own personal views on women further indelibly complicate. Were Tolkien’s own stated views on what he thought about women and society conditional, potentially subject to change possibly even depending on his perception of his audience? Is Éowyn a total outlier in her society and world or is what she does something potentially more broadly understood and accepted? Are the choices she makes towards the end of the book a return to an expected role for her in a patriarchal world, or are they reflective of her gaining a deeper understanding of herself and what her own desires and needs are no matter what others might think? And what do we all think about that moment when her hair and Faramir’s flow together in the wind as they stand on Minas Tirith’s walls awaiting the moment of doom? (We love it, of course.) Show Notes. Jared’s doodle, inspired by Scythian art and fashions. Now that’s how to win an election! J. A. Bayona says a half-way point in filming has been reached. (Half-way of what specifically, thought?) New Zealand-based film and TV production continues to be on a major roll. Ismael Cruz Córdova, a talented and sharp fellow, we’d say. Éowyn’s Tolkien Gateway entry. That moment in Peter Jackson’s The Return of the King? You know it. Tolkien’s Letter 43 to his son Michael says a lot about his viewpoints on the genders in 1941. Quite a lot. Our episode on magic, where (conceptual) space was discussed. We’re not steeped enough in the scholarship to say what would be good discussions about Éowyn and feminism—but there sure are a lot of Google results. The Rankin-Bass-via-Topcraft Éowyn is striking, no lie. Here’s their version of the confrontation scene. We didn’t mention it but there’s been recent work on the question of women’s roles in Viking societies that could be applicable. The Jackson extended Two Towers scene with the stew. (Still thinking that looks like shrimp.) The art may be rough in this portrayal but that atop the walls moment with the hair and the hands? It’s lovely. Twin Peaks: The Return is very David Lynch. Freddie Sykes aka the guy with the glove, that’s a subject of discussion. Our Erendis and Andreth-related episodes. The Valkyrie are not unknown, to put it mildly. Neither are Boudica and Morgan le Fay. A depiction of Éowyn in front of Meduseld in armor as in the book. The Jackson version of a similar moment is different but no less vivid. Alan Lee’s depiction of Éowyn and Aragorn and the cup of parting. “Courage, Merry.” When Jackson and his team got the interpreting of the material right, they got it perfectly. If you are enjoying the show, consider supporting By-The-Bywater and our network. Thanks!

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Ned’s choice of topic: Boromir, Faramir and Denethor. Uniquely in The Lord of the Rings, the fractured family dynamic between the Steward of Gondor and his two heirs is also one of politics on a grand scale, with all three reacting to the growing threat to the land they rule or are heirs to as well as trusting to a slim hope of salvation. But, of course, how each of them views that slim hope and what has to be done to see it come true is its own issue that divides them further. What does it mean when it’s said that the blood of Numenor runs true in Faramir and Denethor but not Boromir? Is Faramir himself maybe too much of a ‘good boy,’ a paladin in all but name, given the circumstances he and his land find themselves in? Do the three members of the family hearken back to the kind of feelings and sentiments that Tolkien may have seen as a young officer in World War I, on the same side but not in total alignment? Is Boromir and his dilemma served better as a character in Peter Jackson’s adaptation more than in the original text itself? And are Denethor’s final acts of despair, seen by Tolkien as one of the worst things someone can do to others and oneself, possibly a misunderstanding of what depression can be? Show Notes. Jared’s Doodle really captures the subject perfectly. They’re fully filming again in New Zealand. Isn’t it wonderful when a society actually has a plan and sticks to it? Morfydd Clark continues to give good interview quotes. Nudes, nudes, nudes. We won’t link all the pieces in response, they are too many and mostly boring. Denethor via Tolkien Gateway, and more about Boromir and Faramir there too of course. Jingoism — it’s not a good look. Our imperialism episode, where we talked some about Gondor as a society/polity. If you are enjoying the show, and if you can, please consider supporting the show (via our network, Megaphonic). Thanks!

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Jared’s choice of topic: the Ents. Like many elements of The Lord of the Rings, Treebeard appeared suddenly in the course of Tolkien actually writing it, and he himself wondered more about the unusual creation he had introduced to his already long-standing legendarium and how it fit within the whole. But whatever the impulse, Treebeard and his people, seemingly the last defenders of a vanished world of trees and forests, became one of the most beloved in the entirety of the book, though also one of the most curious and, as the story clearly shows, even alien. What were some of the impulses and feelings that went into Tolkien’s creation of the Ents, and how much of them were based on a particular perception or assumption of natural history rather than reality? How do the Ents regard the others in the world they share, and what are their priorities? How does the specifically gendered world of the Ents and the Entwives function as we know it, and how does it either reconfirm or perhaps upend perceived stereotypes on that front? What impulses of the Ents’ demonstrated capacity for almost terrifying violence in defense of their world suggest for ours, whether it be the dark spectre of ecofascism or the feeling of righteous rage against a broken socioeconomic system’s environmental fallout? And will Jared’s attempt to destroy us right at the start with a truly terrible pun succeed? Show Notes. Jared’s Doodle, a lovely and mysterious portrait. Gennifer Hutchison being clear she has nothing to share about the Amazon TV series. Maybe Kaya Scodelario is on that TV series now, maybe not, who knows… I mean who could blame Hugo Weaving at this point. Look if you really want to follow news of this Gollum video game, fine by us. A useful Ent summary via Tolkien Gateway. And don’t forget the Huorns. Beyond Bree is still around, and long may they thrive! The recent Tides of History episode by Patrick Wyman mentioning how the ancient primeval forests of Europe aren’t THAT ancient, comparatively. The article Jared read on a related subject: “The Lost Forest Gardens of Europe” There are approximately eight million artistic depictions of Treebeard out there. But do any of them truly work? We leave that up to you. The Entish language is its own mystery. (Hawaiian is not, and is very much worthy of its own separate study if you’re interested.) Treebeard’s speaking voice being modeled on C.S. Lewis is another part of Lewis and Tolkien’s lengthy, complex relationship. The fate of the Entwives, as well as the specific gender split in the species’s goals and drives, is at once forcefully clear and sadly mysterious. Here’s a piece reflecting on it all some more, including such details as the curious sighting of a ‘walking’ tree in the Shire. (Per Oriana’s comparison, here’s the episode we did on Aldarion and Erendis.) Quickbeam, a favorite of ours. Pity he didn’t make the film specifically. So how do plants break down rocks and things anyway? There are answers of course. You’re more than welcome to read about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. But not while listening to us, surely. We did indeed have a few thoughts about Galadriel last year. Frankly the Treegarth of Orthanc seems like it would be a lovely place to visit. Don’t be an ecofascist, it’s not a good look. Quiet is disappearing, but there are attempts otherwise. There are indeed Ent-draught recipes. Like this one. Or you could try the CBD cocktail. (And here was our episode on magic.) If you’re enjoying the show, and you’re able to, please consider supporting us (and our network). Thanks!

Jared, Oriana and Ned discuss Oriana’s choice of topic: imperialism. As a literal citizen of the British Empire at birth in a colonial holding of what would eventually become South Africa, Tolkien’s life was directly shaped by both the seeming omnipresence of empire and its simultaneous retreat and reshaping over the course of his life. But while his creative work shows many strains of considering what an empire is and how imperialism could be seen in it, his own personal unease with empire shows in views that are complicated in many ways. What does his legendarium show as examples of empire, and are they uniform in nature? How does Tolkien conceive of a political polity like Gondor in terms of both its history and functioning as an heir to empire? What are the exact contrasts between human empires and inhuman ones such as Sauron’s, and how does Tolkien use fantasy to heighten the contrasts? What forms of empire exist through the history of Middle-earth, from linguistic to political to economic? And in a time in the real world when statues have been falling, why did Gondor love that monument in Umbar of Númenor’s simultaneous greatest triumph and spark of its absolute destruction? Show Notes. Jared’s doodle. “Sailing, sailing, over the ocean main…” Take Your Pick! Check out our collective appearance on an episode last month where we did the ultimate Lord of the Rings fancast.  TheOneRing.net’s Twitter summary of the Amazon series news from SDCC. Also, enjoy an article featuring one of the cast members that says literally nothing about what’s going on. Beyoncé’s Black is King is very much on Disney+—speaking of empires.  The 2000s Battlestar Galactica wasn’t perfect, maybe leaned a little too much into recentish American history in general for beats and imagery, but absolutely aimed for a still too rare depiction of a refugee society where instead of ‘good triumphs over evil’ everything slowly but surely falls apart over time. Episode 7 on Ghân-buri-Ghân, with some discussion of empire’s impact and colonialism. Merriam-Webster on imperialism. There you go. The British Empire’s afterechoes continue to reverberate. David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water” speech. Totalitarianism—it’s not imperialism but you can see where one can be a subset of the other. Esperanto. The speakers are out there. Episode 4 on Aldarion and Erendis, plus the initial origins of the Númenorean empire. Umbar! We did misremember the details in our chat, but the monument there of Sauron’s submission to Ar-Pharazôn was first put up not by the remnant of evil Númenoreans but by Gondor itself. Making the monument’s existence even more complicated! Faramir’s full thoughts on Minas Tirith and empire: “‘For myself,’ said Faramir, ‘I would see the White Tree in flower again in the courts of the kings, and the Silver Crown return, and Minas Tirith in peace: Minas Anor again as of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen among other queens: not a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves. War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Númenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom. Not feared, save as men may fear the dignity of a man, old and wise.‘“ Imrahil and Dol Amroth—we’d still would love to know more about all that. The Byzantine Empire had military themes. Quite a few of them. The Athenian Empire aka the Delian League. The British Raj, also the reason why the British Empire can be called that in the first place. (As Oriana mentions later, she’s currently reading The Anarchy, a book about the East India Company and the ultimate origins of the Raj.) The Kin-strife is another one of those things that we know a little about, but clearly there was a lot more there. If you're enjoying the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon. (Thanks!)

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Ned’s choice of topic: the Lord of the Rings stage musical. Growing out of a failed German attempt to stage a version of The Hobbit in 1997 and eventually turning into a high level and high budget production that ran in Toronto in 2006 and London in 2007, the musical attracted both a lot of attention and a lot of talent, from future Tony winners to regular standbys on the London stage and beyond, not to mention a remarkable combination of composer A.R. Rahman and the Finnish avant garde folk group Värttinä on the music itself. And yet, in the end, it was a flop in both of its incarnations, not making back the considerable investment made into it, and it’s essentially disappeared now. What can we make about what the production was like from the scattered bits of evidence that’s available online or in print? What elements about it succeed and which other ones needed much more work? Is it worth reclaiming in the end or is it something that was simply an attempt that didn’t work? And above all else, why in the world are the songs almost entirely unmemorable? Show Notes. Jared’s doodle, putting the ‘leg’ in Legolas. Take Your Pick! Do please join us for the ultimate Tolkien fancast episode on July 18th, or catch up with the webcast later if needed. (And hey, subscribe to Megaphonic’s YouTube channel while you’re at it?) By all means listen in for the Tolkien content in Episode 72 of It’s Just a Show, but explore the whole series! It’s marvellous, as is the show it loves and talks about in detail. The news about The Nature of Middle-earth is absolutely major. Do check out Vinyar Tengwar! It’s a wonderful publication. HarperCollins’s announcement about Andy Serkis’s new audiobook of The Hobbit. Variety’s news story confirming that Amazon’s series as well as other productions are good to go again in New Zealand. The Daily Mail’s interview with Morfydd Clark. The new casting announcement for extras for the Amazon series. Peter Jackson’s fond memories of Ian Holm. (Brian Sibley had some good thoughts too.) The archived website of the stage musical. Gary Russell’s official ‘companion’ book to the musical can be found via tons of second-hand sellers and remains the key source of information for the history of the entire production. A B-roll of scenes from the Toronto production. The New York Times’s review of the Toronto production...wasn’t thrilled. The National Geographic documentary about the London staging of the musical. An official ‘behind the scenes’ video from the London production. The New York Times once more, on the run up to the London staging. A (London) Times piece also on the run up. Scenes from the London production. The 2007 episode of the UK podcast Musical Talk about the London production, literally recorded in the audience between acts and after it ended. (A great on-the-spot listen!) The Guardian wasn’t taken by it. (The same reviewer had given the Toronto one a chance.) TheOneRing.net provided a very helpful breakdown about what was changed or altered from the book in the London staging, along with a couple of comparative notes to the Toronto one. News from when the London production wrapped up. (And a fan tribute -- there are fans of this musical, no lie!) The London cast recording is streaming in various locations (like this one). Do yourself a huge favor and check out A. R. Rahman’s work. Similarly, Värttinä will never steer you wrong. (As Jared recommends, give an ear to their 2000 album Ilmatar sometime.) Laura Michelle Kelly, to give her full name, continues to thrive on the stage in both the UK and the US after her stint spinning through the air and singing as Galadriel (though like all of us is currently waiting everything out). Jason Robert Brown would have been great for this. But alas. Rob Howell has gone from strength to strength since this production, picking up two Tonys for design among other honors. Hamilton! You’ve heard of it, we’re willing to bet. Michael Thierrault’s thoughts on playing Gollum onstage in both productions is worth a watch. Support By-The-Bywater on Patreon and help us make the show, if you can.

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Jared’s choice of topic: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Tolkien’s posthumously published translation of said poem. Written around 1400 by a still anonymous author in the West Midlands region of England, Sir Gawain has long been one of the most notable works of late medieval English literature, and Tolkien both worked on a scholarly edition of the poem with his colleague E.V. Gordon first published in 1925 as well as developing the translation which he finished in the early 1950s, and which has since become his most well-known work on the text. What possible influence on Tolkien’s own work can be found in the poem—or is there any real influence as such at all? What could be the significance of the seemingly contrasting elements of fairy story, chivalry and blunt, almost documentary-like detailing of hunting procedures? What was Tolkien aiming for with his own particular translation and how does it differ from others? And maybe above all else: how DO you pronounce Gawain’s name, much less spell it? Show Notes. Jared’s doodle for the episode. I mean, you might as well go for it. Black Lives Matter and there it is. Anyway yes, Samuel R. Delany! Octavia E. Butler! N. K. Jemisin! Marlon James! Zetta Elliott! Many many many more besides. Why deny yourself great writing? As for, shall we say, militarized police forces in non-Shire settings, there’s plenty of reading out there. The ramping up of filming in New Zealand is happening, not without various questions and concerns, but we’ll see where it goes. Print-to-order hardback History of Middle-earth books? Go nuts. There is a LOT of scholarship out there on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and we’re not going to pretend to be able to give a proper survey of it. If you’d like to see the original untranslated text, though, here you go, and if you want more on spelling and (maybe) pronunciation, a starting point is here. Here’s Luke Shelton’s post about how the name Tulkas, one of the Valar, may be derived from the Sir Gawain poem. Courtly love? Oh there’s a lot out there about that too. A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman is indeed a cracking read. Patrick Wyman’s Tides of History is a very enjoyable podcast for sure. Some of the specific episodes covering the period of English history the Gawain poet lived in have apparently passed out from being available for whatever reason, but these episodes in particular make for informative listening and for scholarly recommendations. The Green Chapel is very clearly a neolithic site, as evidenced by the Newgrange site in Ireland. There is indeed an official audiobook version of Tolkien’s translation, read by medievalist and Monty Python cast member Terry Jones. Alternate translations noted by Jared: Bernard O’Donoghue’s and Simon Armitage’s. E.R. Eddison was indeed a skilled writer. But, as they say, a caution. Tolkien’s assessment of him, positive and negative, can be found quoted at the end of this short piece. The Matter of Britain is ultimately rather French. Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur is an interesting experiment, if incomplete. The Gawain Poet’s identity is still up for debate. The history of hunting in England is rather extensive. Leave it to the Daily Telegraph to review a book about it back in 2007. (Thankfully not everyone is fond of the sport’s modern incarnation.) Homoeroticism in Sir Gawain? You don’t say! Turns out there are three film versions of Sir Gawain—the first, from 1973, was remade into 1984’s Sword of the Valiant by the same director one decade later, but yeah, Miles O’Keeffe and Sean Connery and company don’t exactly stick the landing. In the meantime, we await A24 and Dev Patel. Some Order of the Garter info if you need it. Support By-The-Bywater on Patreon and help us create the show. (There are other causes worth supporting as well.)

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Oriana’s choice of topic: Tolkien adaptations! Reworking stories in one form or medium of art into another is pretty much part of human history in general and Tolkien’s creations, even in the modern world of copyright and licensing, are no different. Everyone knows about the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies, sure, but there’s been plenty of other adaptations done and there will be more to come—and the questions of how and why (and more) continue to be relevant. We’ll talk more about specific artworks and productions in the future but this is a general introduction to a big part of how Tolkien’s work is understood by a wider public in recent decades. What are some of our favorite adaptations in any medium? What adaptations of Tolkien’s work would we like to see happen, if money wasn’t an object? What are the key elements of any adaptation that have to be included in order to stay true to Tolkien’s core themes and approaches? And could it simply be the case that we’ve reached a point where there’s too much adapting of Tolkien—or too much attention to it—than is needed when so many newer creative voices are coming to the fore? Show Notes. Jared’s doodle for the episode. Who says the Valar have to look like humans? New Zealand’s change of state of emergency to Level 3 is a great sign for sure, but the road is long. The Tom Shippey rumors...remain just that. Timothy and Samuel West’s version of Beren and Luthien is out (and here’s their Fall of Gondolin). I mean...the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy is KINDA well-known. The Rankin-Bass Hobbit really does deserve more attention. Here’s a great essay about it from a couple of years ago. The theater Ned saw the Jackson films at was the Big Newport. And it is big. That specific FoxTrot strip Ned mentioned (forty-hour film rather than twenty, but you get the idea).The entire series of strips is here. David Lynch’s Dune is a fascinating, weird film. Good...not really. But fascinating and weird. Fans were arguing about the ‘character assassination’ of Faramir in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings pretty much straight out of the gate. And yes those words were used. Ursula K. Le Guin’s merciless vivisection of the thoroughly terrible live-action adaptation of A Wizard of Earthsea is just another reminder about why she was one of America’s greatest authors. And yes, the Studio Ghibli version isn’t great shakes, dragon design aside. Third time’s the charm with A24? Dorothy Dunnett forever. P. C. Hodgell’s God Stalk and Dark of the Moon were mindblowers for a teenage Ned. N. K. Jemisin, total hero. And yes The Fifth Season is supposedly still in the works for TNT. The name Ned was trying to say and stumbling over is Nnedi Okorafor, and he should know better. As of last year, Who Fears Death is still being adapted for HBO. The David Wenzel-illustrated graphic novel of The Hobbit is really, truly wonderful. (And it did come back into print in 2001, not 2012!) Oddly enough the cover art there doesn’t really equate to what’s inside. Various interviews with Wenzel are around; here’s a solid short one from a few years ago. Jared does indeed have good reason for boosting comic/graphic art in general. Subscribe! Saul Zaentz’s Tolkien Enterprises is now Middle-earth Enterprises. And they’re not letting THAT go any time soon. Here’s that Tom Shippey interview from last year. The viral tweet about having to compete with Tolkien and other ‘dead guys’ on fantasy bookshelves. Cassandra Khaw’s official site. Various editions of the BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings have been released—here’s a breakdown of a more recent version. Ned’s Quietus piece on Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings and other Tolkien adaptations of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Support By-The-Bywater on Patreon, if you'd like. That would be nice.

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Ned’s choice of topic: Dennis L. McKiernan’s Silver Call Duology! Originally conceived in the late seventies and then published in the eighties, it is clearly meant to be a sequel to The Lord of the Rings in practically every aspect but name. Or rather, names, a lot of which are infelicitous at best, to Ned’s amusement and Jared and Oriana’s loud annoyance, in this, our longest episode so far. (Also, frankly, our sweariest—not constantly, but those with younger household members should take a little care!) Is this the most (excessively) detailed, formally published fanwork ever in terms of Tolkien? Why in the world is there an elf character named Shannon? Did McKiernan have any real sense about how poetry works, much less invented languages? (And what’s with his apostrophes?) How does McKiernan’s work slot in among the other post-Tolkien fantasies of its time and place? Exactly how many analogs to the Orcs are there, and why are they then named so many different ways—without vowels? Is there in fact an actually intriguing part to anything in the story? And above all else, exactly why is the character of Cotton so incredibly annoying? Show Notes. Jared’s doodle for the episode. That really is the best part of the whole story. The Amazon series shutdown, as originally reported by the NZ Herald. That...odd...tweet from the Amazon Lord of the Rings Twitter account. TheOneRing.net’s report on the death of Andrew Jack and tributes from various castmembers from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. Oriana’s old Vox piece on languages and filming. BluBlockers! Don’t say you don’t remember. Dennis L. McKiernan’s site. Based on a Twitter post from a few months ago, we fully appreciate his views on current world leaders, shall we say. Post-Tolkien fantasy is indeed a thing and a term. (And there’s much more discussion out there.) Support By-The-Water on Patreon, and/or tell your friends about the show! Thanks.

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Jared’s choice of topic: fanwork! Whether fiction, artwork, music or more, fanwork as we understand it in modern decades has strong partial roots in Tolkien’s explosion of American popularity in the 1960s, and beyond any official adaptations or variants is a vast universe of creativity, successful or perhaps less so. What are the lines between general artistic interpretation and ‘fanwork’ as such, especially in the history of Western culture in particular? How is the stereotype of fanwork being grounded in slash scenarios and headcanon shaped by wider perceptions? Could Tolkien’s own creative work with languages and stories be fanwork in its own right? And what is it with all those metal bands who really really really love taking their names from The Lord of the Rings? Oh and by the way, filksongs! We talked about them briefly too...but you can only hear that discussion if you subscribe to the Patreon! Show Notes. Jared’s doodle for the month. Renée Vink’s “‘Jewish’ Dwarves: Tolkien and Anti-Semitic Stereotyping,” as referenced by Luke Shelton. Patricia Thang’s Bookriot piece “9 of the Best Lord of the Rings Podcasts.” So, You Want to Read Tolkien. Stuff.co.nz’s February 26th piece “Massive production underway for Lord of the Rings in Auckland.” TheOneRing.net’s February spy report on the Amazon production as well as their news summary of the accident stuntwoman Elissa Cadwell suffered on set. The original sneak preview trailer in spring 2000 from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings production. And indeed, Bezos himself was apparently in New Zealand. Deadline’s report on Maxim Baldry joining the cast. Star Trek fans, Kirk and Spock and all that? The history is there. Heavy Mithril! Curative and transformational fandom. A favorite artistic/literary fanwork effort: Gustave Dore’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Beyond Bree, still going strong! The fan film Ned was talking about is Born of Hope, and it is indeed about Arathorn, Aragorn’s father. The revelations about Marion Zimmer Bradley make for blunt reading; triggers noted. A Tolkien Treasury is around if you look. The Numero comp, which has songs like Stonehenge’s “King of the Golden Hall,” is Warfaring Strangers: Darkscorch Canticles. Got metal and prog bands who love Tolkien if you want ‘em. Cirith Ungol! Amon Amarth! And yes Marillion... Iron Crown Enterprises is still around! But as the link shows, the game license isn’t… Jared’s concluding fan artist recommendations: Aud Koch, Morgan Rogers and Caleb Hosalla. And again, support By-The-Bywater on Patreon and you can hear our bonus bit about filksongs!

Jared, Oriana and Ned discuss Oriana’s choice of topic: the Dwarves! Tolkien drew on Norse mythology and related traditions when he introduced the Dwarves almost from the beginning of his Middle-earth writing, and the many Dwarves in The Hobbit all have names drawn from such mythology as well. They’re one of the most distinct peoples Tolkien created, influencing endless portrayals since then, yet much like their own history in Middle-earth, there’s a lot we don’t really know about them except very particular instances. Do what degree, if any at all, did Tolkien, unconsciously or not, draw on stereotypes of Jewish people when writing about his Dwarves? How does Gimli act as a contrast to the Dwarves as portrayed in earlier Middle-earth works, and was that a specific decision on Tolkien’s part? And maybe most importantly, can there be such a thing as a hot dwarf? We also spend some in-depth time on two big news stories: the death of Christopher Tolkien and Amazon’s announcement of the ensemble cast for their TV adaptation. Show Notes. Jared’s doodle for the episode. That ‘UK police don’t realize they have the One Ring’ story. The Tolkien Society’s announcement of Christopher Tolkien’s death. John Garth’s obituary of Christopher Tolkien from The Guardian. A translation of Christopher Tolkien’s interview with Le Monde. Amazon’s announcement of their Tolkien adaptation cast via Twitter. The Television Critics Association. It’s a thing! The National Museum of Denmark has a page up about Dwarves in Tolkien and their origins in Norse mythology. Suffice to say that the question of Tolkien’s Dwarves and anti-Semitic tropes has indeed come up a few times. Here’s one instance from last decade. ”Dwarves are Not Heroes”: Antisemitism and the Dwarves in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Writing by Rebecca Brackman. Uncut Gems was pretty good, it should be said. As for the Goblins in J. K. Rowling’s work, there’s definitely been talk about it. The letter from Tolkien to a Nazi-overseen publisher in response to a question about his ancestry is quite well-known indeed. We don’t recommend a read of Bret Stephens’s column in question. Suffice to say it didn’t go over well. Support By-The-Bywater on Patreon and come talk Tolkien with us in a private Slack!