Tolkien Week 2017: Day 2

Day 2 of Tolkien Week and I thought I’d share with you a couple of photos I’ve taken of some collectibles and my observations on their interesting facial expressions.

Smaug – King Under the Mountain | WETA Collectible

A brief look at the detailed majesty of Smaug – King Under the Mountain from WETA’s collectibles range.

Fun Post: Scatha the Worm (Smaug’s brother?)

Image by Jeff Murray (JeffMurray.com)

Between Tolkien’s three major Middle-earth works, there is a small number of references to dragons, but even less so have been attributed with particular names or involved in specific events.

Scatha the Worm is one of those rare named dragons about whom we know almost nothing, but this presents an excellent opportunity to analyse and speculate briefly.

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.

What $800 may buy you in Middle-earth products

Given the recent outcry at the $800 price tag for the Middle-earth Limited Collector’s Edition, and inspired by TheOneRing.net’s recent Facebook post, I thought it would be fun to see what $800 may buy you in Middle-earth products.

Bear in mind that this is just a very selective list and may include other items that have been overseen. Prices are also based on approximations.

So, imagine you have $800 in your hand, or next to you and you’re ready to splurge on Middle-earth. Instead of choosing the Limited Collector’s Edition, you decide to purchase one of the following bundles …

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.

Wind on the Withered Heath

Whence come the dragons …

Within Tolkien’s works there are only two instances in which the Withered Heath is mentioned, and both come from The Hobbit.

The first (and only) time we get to know about this place is from a comment made by Thorin during the ‘Unexpected Party’.

“And I know where Mirkwood is, and the Withered Heath where the great dragons bred.”

The Hobbit, ‘An Unexpected Party’

Whilst my curious reader-appetite has been satisfied, I’ve always wanted to know more about this particular location in Middle-earth.

The Battle of The Five Armies Extended Edition Review!

An Extended Cut that fixes many issues but remains slightly inconsistent

Here it is folks! The long-awaited review of the extended edition of The Battle of the Five Armies is here.

Don’t expect a long discussion for now; just a quick look at each extended scene.

A few mild spoilers follow, in case you haven’t yet seen it.

Dragonslayer for a day … Archery!

Tangado haid! Leithio i philinn!

The sun descended towards the West. It’s piercing rays of light protruded through the swaying trees on my left. I winced as it shone in my eyes.

Sweat formed on my forehead. The heat was stifling. Before me lay the red creature, swaying mockingly in the refreshing breeze. The tension in my arms was beginning to take its toll. My left hand gripped the black bow firmly, while I drew back the last arrow from my set. The feathers touched my right cheek. My eyes were set on the target …

So I Just Saw ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy … Backwards

Where endings begin and beginnings end . . .

As something more akin to a Doctor Who episode, I’ve watched the entire The Hobbit trilogy in reverse.

What started out as a desire to re-watch The Battle of the Five Armies, ended up transforming itself into a spontaneous impulse to follow-up with a viewing of The Desolation of Smaug, followed by An Unexpected Journey.

It’s not the way these films were designed to be seen (nor any other trilogy, for that matter). Nonetheless, the results were surprising.