Athrabeth

With the thinning of the veil comes our annual autumnal offering! Just when you thought you were safe from repulsive repasts, pilfered plates, and things that slither in the night- Hobbitween 6 has arrived! Join Theo Fleetfoot, Ozzie Oiolaire, Finellen Frostbeard, Iadar Listbalarion, Pumpkins Proudfoot, and our fearless Lore Master for another terrifying trip to Middle-earth. Happy Hobbitween!  CitationsThe One Ring role playing game by Free League: https://freeleaguepublishing.com/en/games/the-one-ring/Thank you to our cast:Lore Master: James Kaku Pierson, Bsky @james.athrabeth.comTheo Fleetfoot: Max JiménezOzzie Oiolaire: Zeke Pease, Instagram @ezpease & @greenvillearms Finellen Frostbeard: James Keen, Instagram @james.squatchIadar Listbalarion: Jude Vais, Bsky jude.athrabeth.com Pumpkins Proudfoot: Stef Midlock, Bsky @stef.athrabeth.com & Instagram @thenorthfourTitle music is “Lord of the Devil Rings” by Ponymusic, courtesy of Pond5Soundscapes provided by Tabletop Audio, https://tabletopaudio.comFeatured tracks courtesy of Epidemic Sound:Amber Glow - Waves of TImeBen Elson - Cosmic CountdownBonnie Grace - Only the BraveChristoffer Moe Ditlevsen - TrackerDream Cave - Question MarkFirst Timer - Will You Marry Me (Baby, It’s Christmas)Grevens Tid - Cry of the BansheeHampus Naeselius - OverrideHampus Naeselius - ReplicantsHoward Harper-Barnes - Mysterious ForestJonathan Bondesson - Spanish HeatJules Gaia - Hot PursuitsLennon Hutton - The SlasherLupus Nocte - ManiamasterMattie Maguire - Racing HeartsMax Anson - ConclusionRachel Sandy - Machina SoldierRachel Sandy - Shadow of MortusRobert “Robi” Svard - FormenteraRoy Williams - More of the SameScoobadive - Granny DanceViktor Lundberg - Nordic Mountain ReelAdditional Music and sound effects licensed from soundstripe, https://www.soundstripe.com  Support Zeke and check out The Greenville Arms 1889 Inn! https://www.greenvillearms.comFind us on the web at https://www.athrabethnetwork.com/athrabethJoin the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast NetworkAthrabeth is Produced by James Kaku Pierson

In episode 87, we discuss highlights from our recent trip to Oxonmoot, and present our session from Oxonmoot titled, “Athrabeth Podcast Live: Tolkien’s Try-hard Troublemakers” with special guests Dr. Sara Brown and Dr. Kristine Larsen. Join us as we explore what happens when characters from Tolkien’s legendarium go that extra mile to make everything around them just a little bit worse.   Thank you to Sara and Kristine for joining us for this session, you are brilliant and hilarious and we are huge fans! Thank you to the Tolkien Society for having us, and thanks to their volunteer squad who made the weekend fun and safe! Thank you to our audience who joined us both in Oxford and online, and thank you to our amazing room steward, Kit Hannah!  Listen to the show with accompanying slides on YouTube here! Citations: Thank you to our guests, Dr. Sara Brown and Dr. Kristine Larsen!Sara Brown: sara.brown@signum.org, @aranelparmadil.bsky.socialKristine Larsen: larsen@ccsu.edu Tolkien, J. R. R. Morgoth’s Ring. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 10. HarperCollins, London, 1993. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Children of Húrin. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition.Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. HarperCollins e-books. Apple Books edition.Tolkien, J. R. R. The Nature of Middle-earth. Edited by Carl F. Hostetter, HarperCollins, 2021. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Silmarillion. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition. Tolkien, J. R. R. Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition.Tolkien, J. R. R. War of the Jewels. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 11. HarperCollins, London, 1994. Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, London.

When you first read the Lord of the Rings, which character did you most relate to? Has that changed as you’ve gotten older? This month, we are joined by Dr. Luke Shelton, who leads us down his lesser-trod path, exploring reader response theory and the ways that personal experience and interpretation interact with criticism. Thanks for joining us, Luke, for this fascinating and emotional discussion!Citations: Thank you to our guest host, Dr. Luke Shelton! How to find Luke:Instagram: @lukebsheltonBsky: @lukebshelton.bsky.socialLuke’s website: https://luke-shelton.com/ (Accessed June 27, 2025)Show Notes from Luke:Luke’s work:Luke’s dissertation is free online here: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/81312/The title is “‘Small Hands Do Them Because They Must’: Examining the Reception of The Lord of the Rings among Young Readers”Luke’s most recent publication: “Towards an Ethos of Discussing In-Corporeal Gender in Fantasy Literature: Part I—A 'Feminine' Eldil and a 'Masculine' Vala”: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythpro/vol2024/iss1/7/?utm_source=dc.swosu.edu%2Fmythpro%2Fvol2024%2Fiss1%2F7&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPagesIn prior scholarship, Luke talked about:Dawn Walls-Thumma’s “Attainable Vistas: Historical Bias in Tolkien's Legendarium as a Motive for Transformative Fanworks”: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol3/iss3/3/Robin Reid’s “J.R.R. Tolkien, Culture Warrior: The Alt-Right's Crusade against the Tolkien Society's 2021 Summer Seminar on ‘Tolkien and Diversity’”: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol16/iss2/4/Maria Alberto’s “‘The effort to translate’: Fan Film Culture and the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien”: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol3/iss3/2/Megan Abrahamson’s “J.R.R. Tolkien, Fanfiction, and ‘The Freedom of the Reader’”: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol32/iss1/5/Ernest Mathjis, editor of Watching The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien’s World AudiencesFor gaming, Luke mentioned:Alicia Fox-Lenz and a forthcoming volume she edited which will be about Tolkien and Gaming, title unknown at this time.Tim Bolton: Luke mentioned that he occasionally writes pieces about gaming for Amon Hen (not something that is easy to link to, unfortunately), it looks like he also has a blog which is more consistent: https://greenbookofthewhitedowns.blogspot.com/search?q=gaming+in+middle-earth

In this next installment of The History of Middle-earth, Jude and Stef chat about volume 8: The War of the Ring. Stef talks about Part 2, Chapter 5, “Faramir”, and Jude focuses Part 3, Chapter 9, “The Battle of the Pelennor Fields”. We discuss Tolkien’s writing process, the character development of Faramir, Eowyn, and the Witch King, and the progression of thematic elements of Rohan and Gondor.  Citations:Brown, Sara. (2025, Aug 2). ““Her hair was held a marvel unmatched”: The Significance of Long, Blonde Hair in Tolkien’s Imagination” [Paper presentation], Mythopoeic Society OMS 4 - Online MidSummer Seminar 2025 “More Perilous and Fair: Women and Gender in Mythopoeic Fantasy”, online. https://www.mythsoc.org/oms/oms-04.htmTolkien, J. R. R. The War of the Ring: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Three. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 8. Unwin Hyman, London, 1990.

Continuing on with the Lesser-Trod Histories series, this month, Jude and Stef look at two chapters from Volume 7 of the History of Middle-earth: The Treason of Isengard- Chapter 12: Lothlórien and Chapter 13: Galadriel. We chuckle about some fun tidbits that Tolkien toyed with, and discuss the evolution of the Three Elven Rings and their association with Sauron. You won’t believe who almost took the place of the Balrog in Khazad-dûm! CitationsTolkien, J. R. R. The Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 7. Unwin Hyman, London, 1989. Reddit posts that Stef found helpful: “Sampling The History of LotR: The Treason of Isengard, Pt. 1/2" by Curundil on r/tolkienfanshttps://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/1k2xlkf/sampling_the_history_of_lotr_the_treason_of/ (Accessed June 26, 2025) “Sampling The History of LotR: The Treason of Isengard, Pt. 2/2" by Curundil on r/tolkienfanshttps://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/1lgim3v/sampling_the_history_of_lotr_the_treason_of/ (Accessed June 26, 2025) Tolkien Gateway entry for “The Treason of Isengard”https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Treason_of_Isengard (Accessed June 26, 2025)

Join Jude and Stef and our special guest Knewbettadobetta for our first-ever live show, “Athrabeth Podcast Live: The Unsung Underachievers of Tolkien’s Legendarium” from Westmoot 2025! We put three of Arda’s wettest noodle’s on blast! Thank you Westmoot for having us, and thank you Knewbetta for joining us! Citations:  Thank you to our special guest, Knewbettadobetta! Knewbetta’s Linktreehttps://linktr.ee/Knewbettadobetta Knewbetta’s plugs:Voices of Arda- linktr.ee/voicesofarda  Kali- linktr.ee/KaliCosplayBelmont- linktr.ee/be1mont   Kaia- linktr.ee/kaiakay  Andie- “Tolkien with Friends” podcast, linktr.ee/tolkienwithfriends   David the Ñoldo- linktr.ee/davidthengoldo  TJ Nee- “Tolkien on Tap” podcast, linktr.ee/the_neej   Thank you to Westmoot and the Tolkien Society for having us! http://westmoot.org/https://www.tolkiensociety.org/   General citations for all three presentations:Tolkien, J. R. R. The Silmarillion. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition.  (Accessed 5/8/2025)Tolkien, J. R. R. Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition. (Accessed 5/8/2025) Stef’s Aladarion citations:Brown, Sara. "The Tale of 'Aldarion and Erendis': Not Just a Medieval Love Story," Journal of Tolkien Research Vol. 18: Iss. 1, Article 6. (2023) https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol18/iss1/6 (Accessed 4/30/2025). Hoiem, Elizabeth Massa. "World Creation as Colonization: British Imperialism in "Aldarion and Erendis". Tolkien Studies 2 (2005): 75-92. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tks.2005.0020. (Accessed 5/5/2025). This is the amazing article that Stef mentioned at the start of her presentation that puts Aladarion in a new light: Queripel, Rory M. "The Mariner (and his wife): Queering Aldarion's (A)sexuality." Journal of Tolkien Research Vol. 18: Iss. 2, Article 12 (2023). https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol18/iss2/12 (Accessed 5/5/2025). 

How did Tolkien start writing his epic tale, “The Lord of the Rings”? Join Jude and Stef as they discuss the humble beginnings of the book that became the Fellowship of the Ring in this month’s episode about volume six of the History of Middle-earth, The Return of the Shadow. We chat specifically about the Foreword by Christopher Tolkien, and dig deep into the first chapter, The Long-Expected Party! CitationsTolkien, J. R. R. The Return of the Shadow: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part One. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 6. Unwin Hyman, London, 1988.

We made it to the History of Middle-earth volume 5, “The Lost Road and Other Writings” in our Lesser-trod Histories series! This month we’re chatting about the Etymologies, a list of stems and their derivatives upon which Tolkien’s Elvish languages are built. Join us to learn about the Professor’s interest in the process of language evolution throughout history!  Citations:Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lost Road and Other Writings. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 5. Unwin Hyman, London, 1987.Tolkien, J. R. R. Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part One. Ed. Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne, in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 45, November 2003 Wizard Way KrisLinktree: https://linktr.ee/WizardWayKrisWebsite: https://elf-boi.com/“‘What Light Do You Dream Under?’- An Elvish Metaphor for LGBTQIA2S+”: https://elf-boi.com/blogs/elvish-freebies/what-light-do-you-dream-under-an-elvish-metaphor-for-lgbtqia2s (Accessed March 30, 2025) Elvish language linguistic journals:Parma Eldalamberon: http://www.eldalamberon.com/ (Accessed March 30, 2025)Vinyar Tengwar: https://www.elvish.org/VT/ (Accessed March 30, 2025)Elvish language linguistic websites:Ardalambion: Of the Tongues of Arda, the invented world of J.R.R. Tolkien: https://ardalambion.net/ (Accessed March 30, 2025)Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon: https://eldamo.org/ (Accessed March 30, 2025)Parf Edhellen: https://www.elfdict.com/ (Accessed March 30, 2025) Book mentioned by Jude:Salo, David. A Gateway to Sindarin: A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. University of Utah Press, 2004.  Upcoming eventsApril 22, 2025: The Carrock Northern California Smail second meeting is on Zoom on April 22, 2025 (Earth Day) from 8:00–9:00 PM Pacific time. Find us on Bluesky: thecarrocksmial.bsky.social or Instagram: thecarrocksmial Link for our Google Sign-up form: https://tinyurl.com/TheCarrockSignUpFormJoin the Carrock Discord server: https://discord.gg/8DxzAhvPVnMay 9-11, 2025: Tolkien Society: Westmoot 2025Join Jude and Stef in Kansas City, Missouri, at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/westmoot-2025/ (Accessed March 4, 2025)July 5-6, 2025: Tolkien Society: Seminar 2025 – ‘Arda’s Entangled Bodies and Environments’Run by Will Sherwood, Clare Moore and Journee Cottonhttps://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/seminar-2025/ (Accessed March 4, 2025)August 2-3, 2025: The Mythopoeic Society- Online MidSummer Seminar 2025: “More Perilous and Fair: Women and Gender in Mythopoeic Fantasy”: https://www.mythsoc.org/oms/oms-04.htm (Accessed Feb 23, 2025)September 4-7, 2025: Tolkien Society: OxonmootJoin Jude and Stef at St. Anne’s College, Oxford and online! https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2025/ (Accessed March 4, 2025)

We’re back to our Lesser-trod Histories series! This month, we are looking at the History of Middle-earth Volume 4, The Shaping of Middle-earth. Jude and Stef chat about the Dagor Dagorath (a.k.a. the Last Battle, or the Second Prophecy of Mandos) from its earliest stages in the Sketch of the Mythology through to the most recent version in The War of the Jewels. We discuss why a questionable Man is involved in slaying Arda’s baddest baddie, and we discuss whether this story should have been included in the published Silmarillion. CitationsHistories Volume 4Tolkien, J. R. R. The Shaping of Middle-earth. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 4. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1986. Histories Volume 10Tolkien, J. R. R. Morgoth’s Ring. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 10. HarperCollins, London, 1993. Histories Volume 11Tolkien, J. R. R. War of the Jewels. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 11. HarperCollins, London, 1994. Histories Volume 12Tolkien, J. R. R. The Peoples of Middle-earth. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 12. HarperCollins, London, 1996. The Silmarillion:Tolkien, J. R. R. The Silmarillion. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition.  (March 4, 2025)Tolkien And The Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earthGarth, John. Tolkien And The Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth. First Mariner Books edition 2005. eISBN 978-0-544-26372-7. V2.0519. (Accessed February 15, 2025)Upcoming eventsMarch 25, 2025: The Carrock Northern California Smail inaugural meeting is on Zoom on March 25 (Tolkien Reading Day) from 8:00–9:00 PM Pacific time. Find us on Bluesky: thecarrocksmial.bsky.social or Instagram: thecarrocksmial Link for our Google Sign-up form: https://tinyurl.com/TheCarrockSignUpFormJoin the Carrock Discord server: https://discord.gg/8DxzAhvPVnMay 9-11, 2025: Tolkien Society: Westmoot 2025Join Jude and Stef in Kansas City, Missouri, at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/westmoot-2025/ (Accessed March 4, 2025)July 5-6, 2025: Tolkien Society: Seminar 2025 – ‘Arda’s Entangled Bodies and Environments’Run by Will Sherwood, Clare Moore and Journee Cottonhttps://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/seminar-2025/ (Accessed March 4, 2025)August 2-3, 2025: The Mythopoeic Society- Online MidSummer Seminar 2025: “More Perilous and Fair: Women and Gender in Mythopoeic Fantasy”: https://www.mythsoc.org/oms/oms-04.htm (Accessed Feb 23, 2025)September 4-7, 2025: Tolkien Society: OxonmootJoin Jude and Stef at St. Anne’s College, Oxford and online! https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2025/ (Accessed March 4, 2025)

This month we are joined by Tolkien professor and scholar, Dr. Sara Brown! Join us for Sara’s lesser-trod path, Feminist criticism of Tolkien’s work! In context of the four waves of feminism, Sara gives us an overview of the past and present of feminist criticism of Tolkien’s work, as well as some thoughts on the future. Thanks for joining us, Sara! CitationsThank you to our guest host, Dr. Sara Brown! How to find Sara:Bluesky: @aranelparmadil.bksy.socialSara’s publications can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/DrSaraBrown (Accessed Feb 3, 2025)Sara on Signum University’s website: https://signumuniversity.org/people/sara-brown/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)Sara’s entry on Tolkienists.org: https://tolkienists.org/sara-brown/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)Sara’s upcoming projects in 2025:-Look out for the upcoming Oxford Handbook of Tolkien- Sara is contributing a chapter on feminist criticism of Tolkien.-Look out for an upcoming book about queer readings of Tolkien for which Sara has written a chapter about Shelob as a queer mother.-With Dr. Kristine Larsen, Sara is editing a collection about Tolkien and psychology for The Journal of Tolkien Research.-Sara is the keynote speaker for Signum University’s Mythmoot XII- June 19-22, 2025.-Sara is giving a paper at Leeds International Medieval Congress called, 'No One Listens to Melian: When Women Speak and Men Ignore Them in Middle-earth'- 7-10 July 2025.-Sara will be at the Tolkien Society’s gathering Oxonmoot, September 4-7, 2025.From Sara’s outline: (in alphabetical order)-Cami D. Agan: "Lúthien Tinúviel and Bodily Desire in the Lay of Leithian" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Sara Brown: “‘Éowyn it was, and Dernhelm also’: Reading the ‘Wild Shieldmaiden’ Through a Queer Lens.” from The Journal of Tolkien Research, Volume 18, Issue 2, 2018https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol18/iss2/4/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-Edith Crowe: “Power in Arda: Sources, Uses, and Misuses” from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Leslie Donovan: "The Valkyrie Reflex in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Galadriel, Shelob, Éowyn, and Arwen" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Melissa McCrory Hatcher: "Finding Woman's Role in The Lord of the Rings." from Mythlore 97/98, Volume 25, Issue 3/4, 2007-Lisa Hopkins: “Female Authority Figures in the Works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams” from Mythlore, Volume 21, Number 2, 1996-Kristine Larsen: "The Power of Pity and Tears: The Evolution of Nienna in the Legendarium" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Edwin Muir: Review of “The Return of the King” in The Observer on Nov. 27, 1955-Doris T. Myers: “Brave New World: The Status of Women According to Tolkien, Lewis, and. Williams.” Cimarron Review. 17 (1971): 13-19.-Brenda Partridge: “No Sex Please–We’re Hobbits: The Construction of Female Sexuality in The Lord of the Rings” from J.R.R. Tolkien: This Far Land, ed. Robert Giddings, New Jersey: Barnes & Noble Press, 1983-Melanie Rawls: “The Feminine Principle in Tolkien” from Mythlore, Volume 10, Number 4, 1984-Robin Reid: "The History of Scholarship on Female Characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium: A Feminist Bibliographic Essay" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Catherine Stimpson: “J.R.R. Tolkien” Published by Columbia University Press, 1969-J.R.R. Tolkien’s letters - 33a; 38a; 39; 42a; 43; 44; 50; 53; 78; 142; 179a; 250; 267; 331; 332; 340.Other sources mentioned beyond Sara’s outline:-Amy Amendt-Raduege  “Revising Lobelia” from book “Tolkien and Alterity” (pp.77-93) edited by Christopher Vaccaro and Yvette Kisor, 2017-The work of Cameron Borquien: https://cameronbourquein.com/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-The work of Clare Moore: https://tolkienists.org/clare-moore/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-The work of Mercury Natis: https://lushthemagicdragon.carrd.co/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming anthology: ‘Great Heart and Strength:’ New Essays on Women and Gender in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Cami D. Agan and Clare Moore.

Join us this month for a deep dive on Tolkien’s bodacious baddie, the one and only Sauron. Tolkien scholar and Sauron expert, Cameron Bourquein, leads us down her lesser-trod path exploring Sauron’s evolving nature, the meanings of his name, and his changing role in the legendarium throughout its development.  Citations: Thank you to our guest host, Cameron Bourquein! How to find Cameron’s work:Website: https://cameronbourquein.com/Blog: https://theroadtoardahealed.substack.com/Website: https://sauronproject.com/Twitter: @CameronBorgQeenBluesky: cameronbourquein.bsky.socialBlog post with Cameron’s Sauron citations:https://theroadtoardahealed.substack.com/p/a-sauron-bibliography Works referenced in this episode: Letter 66 (To Christopher Tolkien, May 6, 1944)From Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, London. Letter 131 (To Milton Waldman, undated- probably written in late 1951)From Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, London. Dr. Richard Eliot BlackwelderAs cited in Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion, London: HarperCollins, 2014, page xii.Link: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-a-readers-companion-wayne-g-hammondchristina-scull?variant=32611676192846 A. R. Bossert“Surely You Don’t Disbelieve”: Tolkien and Pius X: Anti-modernism in Middle-earthMythlore Vol. 25, No. 1, 2006Link: https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1289&context=mythlore Cameron Bourquein and Nick PolkReading, Rending, and Queering the Web of Story: With the Lenses of "Con-creation" and Process [Conference Presentation]Presented at MythSoc OMS on Feb 10th, 2024 Link: https://substack.com/home/post/p-153238639 Stafford CaldecottThe Power of the Ring: The Spiritual Vision Behind the Lord of the Rings and The HobbitThe Crossroad Publishing Company, 2013Link: https://crossroadpublishing.com/product/the-power-of-the-ring/ John GarthIlu's Music: The Creation of Tolkien's Creation MythFrom Sub-creating Arda: World-building in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works, its Precursors, and Legacies, Dimitra Fimi and Thomas Honegger (editors), Cormarë Series No. 40Walking Tree Publishers, 2019Link: http://www.walking-tree.org/books/sub-creating_arda.php#h Gwenyth HoodSauron as Gorgon and BasiliskMarshall University, 1987Link: https://mds.marshall.edu/english_faculty/30/ Jonathan S. McIntoshThe Flame Imperishable: Tolkien, St. Thomas, and the Metaphysics of FaërieAngelico Press, 2017Link: https://angelicopress.com/products/the-flame-imperishable Brian RoseberryTolkien: A Cultural PhenomenonPalgrave Macmillan, 2003Link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230599987 Elizabeth A. WhittinghamThe Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earthMcFarland & Company, 2007Link: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-evolution-of-tolkiens-mythology/ The work of Mercury Natis, Tolkien ScholarLink: https://lushthemagicdragon.carrd.co/ The work of Robin A. Reid, Tolkien ScholarLink: https://tolkienists.org/robin-anne-reid/

In this very special AthraChat, Jude and Stef sit down to discuss the new film, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, directed by Kenji Kamiyama. We ruminate on giant turkey legs, things that go crunch in the water, and general punching. Beware of spoilers! Citations:Smith, Chris. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Visual Companion. William Morrow. ISBN: 9780063422223https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim-visual-companion-chris-smith?variant=42417601511458Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/Join the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.Athrabeth is produced by James Kaku Pierson

Stef and Jude are joined by Tolkien collecting expert and moderator of the Tolkien Collector’s Guide, Andrew “Trotter” Ferguson. Andrew tells us about his experience collecting and sharing the Professor’s material culture. As it is the holiday season, we finish our discussion with the Father Christmas Letters. Thank you for joining us, Andrew!  Citations: Thank you to our special guest, Andrew “Trotter” Ferguson!Andrew’s Bsky: @trotter.tolkienguide.comTolkien Collector’s Guide website: https://www.tolkienguide.com/Tolkien Collector’s Guide Calendar: https://www.tolkienguide.com/calendar/Guide to Tolkien Letters: https://www.tolkienguide.com/guide/letters/Tolkien Collector’s Guide YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@tolkienguide?si=_30xJ-HNmvRKXokqYou Tube Videos featuring Andrew’s collection: Part 1: https://youtu.be/8LMYXyxMK9I?si=pYb3hHxxdmLvKcGHPart 2: https://youtu.be/6ir_GzMZv5k?si=-0IvfM30qkgQDXYiAndrew’s Prancing Pony Podcast appearance:Episode 231 “Spirits in the Material World” December 5, 2021: https://theprancingponypodcast.com/2021/12/05/231-spirits-in-the-material-world/Other announcements-Tolkien Society Hybrid Seminar 2024 – Tolkien as HeritageIn partnership with with Tolkinovo društvo Srbije (the Tolkien Society of Serbia) and Centar za Muzeologiju I Heritologiju (the Centre for Museology and Heritology, the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade)December 7-8, 2024Information at: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-hybrid-seminar-2024-tolkien-as-heritage/Tolkien Society: Westmoot 2025May 9-11 in Kansas City, Missouri, at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/westmoot-2025/*Early bird Discount: Register before December 7, 2024 and use the discount code AZOG to receive a $30 discount on your registration fee!Find us on the web at https://www.athrabethnetwork.com/athrabethJoin the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast NetworkAthrabeth is Produced by James Kaku Pierson

Join us this month for a special interview with Shaun Gunner, Chair of the Tolkien Society. We discuss Shaun’s time with the Society, the upcoming Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference, and a brand new event for 2025. Citations:Thank you to our special guest, Shaun Gunner! Twitter: @ShaunGunnerWebsites: shaungunner.comTolkien Society-https://www.tolkiensociety.org@TolkienSocietyChristopher Tolkien Centenary ConferenceOnline only, November 23-24, 2024Information and registration at: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/christopher-tolkien-centenary-conference/Tolkien Society Hybrid Seminar 2024 – Tolkien as HeritageIn partnership with with Tolkinovo društvo Srbije (the Tolkien Society of Serbia) and Centar za Muzeologiju I Heritologiju (the Centre for Museology and Heritology, the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade)December 7-8, 2024Information at: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-hybrid-seminar-2024-tolkien-as-heritage/Find us on the web at https://www.athrabethnetwork.com/athrabethJoin the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast NetworkAthrabeth is Produced by James Kaku Pierson

To celebrate the ghastliest time of the year, the Weenie gang is back in this very special bonus episode of creepy chimeras and monstrous mills. Join us for Hobbitween 5, and Happy Hobbitween to one and all! CitationsThe One Ring role playing game by Free League: https://freeleaguepublishing.com/en/games/the-one-ring/Cast:Lore Master: James Kaku Pierson, @jpiersonTheo Fleetfoot: Max JiménezOzzie Oiolaire: Zeke Pease, @ezpease,  @greenvillearms Iadar Listbalarion: Jude Vais, @eremiticjudePumpkins Proudfoot: Stef Midlock, @thenorthfourTitle music is “Lord of the Devil Rings” by Ponymusic, courtesy of Pond5Soundscapes provided by Tabletop Audio, https://tabletopaudio.comFeatured tracks courtesy of Epidemic Sound:Adriel Fair - All the WondersAiyo - Locked InAnna Dager, Hanna Ekström - HesitancyBasixx - Shangri-LaBinkley - Pork Chop SpecialBonnie Grace - The Fairy DanceDASHI - HiyajiruDream Cave - Epic VoyageDream Cave - The InvestigatorEden Avery - Great Eagle’s LairEdgar Hopp - A Million UpheavalsEdgar Hopp - Phoenix RisingFormantX - Urban ChaseGlenwood Quartet - Dvořák: String Quartet no. 12 in F major, "American" Op. 96, B. 179 I. Allegro ma non troppoHampus Naeselius - DeactivatorHampus Naeselius - Iron DomeHampus Naeselius - Team SixHara Noda - Look LookHunter Quinn - Chickasaw OutbackJohannes Bornlöf - Air on the G StringLennon Hutton - Who’s at the Window?Ludvig Moulin - Forgotten CastleMagnus Ludvigsson - CoincidencesPhello - Happy FeetRuiqi Zhao - Ancient SpellsRuiqi Zhao - Behind YouAdditional Music and sound effects licensed from soundstripe, https://www.soundstripe.com  Support Zeke and check out The Greenville Arms 1889 Inn! https://www.greenvillearms.comFind us on the web at https://www.athrabethnetwork.com/athrabethJoin the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast NetworkAthrabeth is Produced by James Kaku Pierson 

We are bummed that Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is over. Join us for one last AthraChat for episode 8, “Shadow and Flame.” Beware of spoilers and sexy Sauron. Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/Join the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.Athrabeth is Produced by James Kaku Pierson

In episode 75, Jude and Stef take you on a textual safari to explore the... let's be honest… very weird magic of Sauron. Jude connects the Ósanwe-kenta to how Sauron gets the title of Necromancer, and we have a SPIRITed (hah, see what we did there) discussion of explicit descriptions of his magic in The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion. Come for the werewolves and stay for the vampires!Citations:Ósanwe-kenta:J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Five. Myths Transformed", "X" Ósanwe-kenta:J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part Two. Body, Mind and Spirit: IX. Ósanwe-kenta", pp. 205-216 Laws and Customs Among the Eldar:J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, “Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, “The Second Phase: Laws and Customs Among the Eldar" Notes on motives in the Silmarillion:J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Five. Myths Transformed:, “VII” “Notes on motives in the Silmarillion (i)”.  Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, London. Apple Books Edition. Ebook Edition © 2012 ISBN: 9780007381234. Version 2019-03-07. Letter 131, letter 163, letter 257. (Accessed Sept 28, 2024) Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. HarperCollins e-books. Apple Books edition. (Accessed Sept 28, 2024) Tolkien, J. R. R. The Silmarillion. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition.  (Accessed Sept 28, 2024) Tolkien Gateway entry for “Sauron”https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Sauron (Accessed Sept 28, 2024) Tolkien Society event “Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference”November 23-24, 2024https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/christopher-tolkien-centenary-conference/ (Accessed Oct 1, 2024) Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/ Join the conversation on the Athrabeth discord! Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network

This isn’t fine…. We just dropped a new AthraChat in which Jude and Stef discuss just how Celebrimboned everyone is in Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 7, “Doomed to Die.” Beware of spoilers and aerial horse acrobatics. Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/Join the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.

Take the plunge with us in our new AthraChat episode as we discuss Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 6, “Where Is He?” We’re taking a deep dive and making a splash! Water you waiting for? Beware of spoilers in the Abyss!Citations Tolkien Gateway entry for “Secret Fire” https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Secret_Fire (Accessed Sept 21, 2024)Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/Join the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.

Citations Lea’s Tiktok account- silmarilleannehttps://www.tiktok.com/@silmarilleanne?lang=enFind us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/Join the Athrabeth discord: https://discord.gg/4rZynfWv3fAthrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.