“The Shadows Where the Mewlips [really] dwell” – Mapping the road to Mordor?

I’m chuffed by the eager response asking me to post the paper I presented at this year’s Oxonmoot. Well, here it is in full (with a few additional notes) for your enjoyment, if such be its fate.

The Two Towers: is Grishnákh the orc in Fangorn Forest?

Even I doubted what I saw, for many years.

If you’ve seen The Two Towers (film), remember the orc with the evil voice who taunts and threatens Merry and Pippin? His name is Grishnákh. Remember when he comes close to knifing the hobbits before a Rohan spear drives itself through his chest?

The entire novel of ‘The Hobbit’ in just 76 verses

Following my last post on discovering the first “fragmented” poem I ever wrote about The Hobbit, some of you kindly requested I put my appalling poetry skills back into use and complete the poem I had started.

That is exactly what I have done.

Explained: Dragon-talk and Dragon-sickness

I thought it would be a good idea to spend just a few minutes understanding the concept of “dragon-talk” and “dragon-sickness”. I have always found that many people confuse the two as being one and the same. Moreover, with the advent of the film trilogy, this distinction between them seems to have disappeared completely.

So, whilst I claim to be no Tolkien expert, here’s my take on the issue.

A New Tolkien Discovery?

What’s all this buzz about a recording Tolkien made which has resurfaced all of a sudden?

(… and just in time for the new book launch, here)

Is it just me … or are you like me? Speak Out!

I’ve been writing on this blog for a while now, blabbing and rambling about everything Tolkien and anything that comes close in connection.

But now I’m wondering whether you’re like me … Is anyone else (dare I use the word) “obsessive” about Tolkien?

Do you find yourself (on a daily basis) thinking of particular quotes, pieces of dialogue from the films, a visual image of Middle-earth, singing a snippet of a song … ?

Character Profile: Beorn

– The Bear-Man …

What a fantastic character Beorn is … truly amazing. Definitely a one-of a kind creature in Middle-earth.

In Tolkien’s legendarium, skin-changers (or shape-shifters) are hard to come by and Beorn is definitely an individual whom you’d gladly take on your side.

Character Profile: The Master of Lake-town

– The greedy ruler …

Like many of the non-principal characters in The Hobbit, the Master of Lake-town is not explored in much detail – nonetheless, he emphasizes a very important concept in the novel – greed.

The Master of Lake-town is quite simply … the Master of Lake-town (the clue is in the name). An individual who is both a good speaker and an excellent merchant. He rules over the inhabitants of Esgaroth and has a good “business relationship” with Thranduil – transporting goods in barrels along the Forest River between the two habitations.

Character Profile: Bard the Bowman

–The race of Men’s own version of Legolas …

Now that The Desolation of Smaug has been released, I can continue discussing the new characters that have become part of the Hobbit story-line – comparing and contrasting them between novel and film.

Your Quick Guide To Dragons in Middle-earth (and how to tackle one)

Introduction

Following the sudden increase of interest in anything related to these creatures, I thought it would be good to provide you with the essential ingredients that make up a dragon within Tolkien’s own fantasy world.

This “Guide” is meant to present a clear description of what constitutes a dragon in Middle-earth, whilst at the same time providing a “how-to” list on avoiding being burnt to a crisp by one of these creatures – given by Tolkien himself …