Were back looking at the first half of Chapter 10, “A Warm Welcome.” In this episode, we discuss the arrival of Bilbo and the dwarves at Laketown (check out Tolkien’s drawing [https://www.theonering.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/laketown-jrr-tolkien.jpg]), how this chapter leans on Tolkien’s world building—from Laketown’s real-life archaeological inspiration to the unexplained trade relations between elves and men, and how Thorin is now looking to Bilbo to lead.

We also look at:

 * The release of The Hunt for Gollum
 * Try to figure out what the elves and men were actually trading–and what are the elves actually giving them men in return for the wine and apples

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * What did we lose in The Hobbit films when Peter Jackson [https://www.theonering.com/peter-jackson-interview/] changed the barrels sequence.
 * What could possibly be a good way to end The Hunt for Gollum film?

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

137. Do the elves have ANYTHING valuable to trade? – The Hobbit #24

In this very special episode, we reveal the exact barrel music sung in Thranduil’s halls as the dwarves were tossed into the river!  😉 Then, we get into the details of barrel physics, the river, and why there might be “raft-elves”.

Make sure to become a member [https://theonering.com/members] to listen to the full versions of the barrel song!

We also look at:

 * Is Thranduil a direct stand-in for Thingol?
 * Lots of elves live in caves…
 * Tolkien’s beautiful watercolor paintings inspired by this chapter.
 * The parallels between the Dwarves song and the Barrel song.
 * Why being saved by giant eagles is more believable than surviving a barrel rapid-ride from The Hobbit films.

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * Peter Jackson’s slapstick barrels out of bond scene in The Hobbit film.
 * Why suspense matters–and Tolkien’s was wonderful in The Hobbit.
 * Do we have any confidence in someone building a Lord of the Rings attraction?
 * Lord of the Rings online portrays Thranduil’s halls wonderfully.
 * 3 full versions of the elves barrel song!

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

136. The Lowest IQ Elves of Middle-earth? – The Hobbit #23

Bilbo fully embraces his role as hero and finds a way to save the dwarves — but not before we find out how the Elvenking distrusts the dwarves while comparing himself to the great wealthy kings of old.

This week we also look at:

 * The announcement of a new Lord of the Rings land/attraction in a new Universal park.
 * The significance of the elves residence in caves.
 * Why is the elf king so petty?
 * The strength of Dorwinion wine.
 * How effective are these magic doors really?

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * AI Tolkien reading his “Noel” poem.
 * What would be a right and proper Lord of the Rings ride?
 * Do we have any confidence in someone building a Lord of the Rings attraction?

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

135. The Greedy and Petty Elves of Mirkwood – The Hobbit #22

Bilbo is the only one left to save the dwarves–and to his own surprise, he’s up to the task!

This week we also look at:

 * Bilbo’s moment of transformation into the hero of the story.
 * The size of these spiders.
 * Tolkien’s use of spiders throughout the history of Middle-earth
 * How Tolkien had planned for Ungoliant to die (it wasn’t by her own mouth!)
 * What do Attercop, Tomnoddy, and Lob actually mean?
 * How we can tell Tolkien love the history of the elves… but his heart is still with the Hobbits.

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * How we recreated Tolkien’s voice in last week’s episode.
 * The difficulties in creating it with the right pronunciations.
 * What Michael thought about the quality of it.
 * Ethically… should we even do it?

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

134. When Bilbo Became the Hero – The Hobbit #21

JRR Tolkien’s voice was, well, unique.  He was notably hard to understand (his students regularly complained that his classes were difficult because they simply couldn’t understand him), and even the Inklings (his friends and reading group that included CS Lewis and Charles Williams) preferred it when Christopher Tolkien read excerpts from Lord of the Rings to the group in the 1940s!

We do have few of his voice recordings of him reading his own work (mostly from The Hobbit). We’ve always wondered, though, what would it sound like if he read from his other works… like The Silmarillion [https://www.theonering.com/the-silmarillion/]?  So, we spent some time to try and put together an approximation of his voice (using different technologies), including some of his idiosyncratic pauses and speech patterns.

Here, then, is an approximation of Tolkien’s voice reading Ainulindalë from The Silmarillion! (pardon any mispronunciations–that part is tough to get right!)

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

🔗 Episode Links
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

133. Ainulindalë – A Reading in JRR Tolkien’s Voice

In this first half of chapter 8 of the hobbit–Flies and Spiders–Jonathan and Michael discuss the evil enchantment of Mirkwood, and if the elves might have a small part in it.

This week we also look at:

 * Exactly when Tolkien settled on the final names for Gandalf, Thorin, and Beorn.
 * Tolkien’s first foray into prosaic terror.
 * The meaning of the deer–and the white hart’s significance.
 * Bombur’s slumber–elven or evil?
 * The Dwarves STILL blame bilbo.
 * Tolkien’s use of modern analogies–only in the Hobbit and not LOTR.
 * How the elves still differ in The Hobbit vs LOTR — they have some real magic here.

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * Where would Beorn have learned his skin changing ability? Can that have an origin in Tolkien’s mythology?  (our answer: yes!)

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

132. Evil or Elves or Both… Terror in Mirkwood : The Hobbit #20

With talking animals, animals serving food and dancing bears, this may just be the oddest chapter in all of Middle-earth! It kinda feels like it just doesn’t fit. We explore why the animals walk and talk, and how Tolkien had no problem with dancing bears, even adding them later to even more mythology of Middle-earth!

This week we look at:

 * CS Lewis’s Advice that shaped The Lord of the Rings
 * Gandalf and Beorn’s Dark Humour
 * Is Beorn a Vegetarian
 * Beorn’s Big Bear Rave
 * The history of Dancing Bears of Númenor
 * The Meaning of the Dwarves “wind” song
 * Dr. Doolittle and JRR Tolkien

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * How to retcon (retroactively connect) Beorn into Middle-earth
 * What would a Beorn TV show look like (and why it SHOULD be made!)

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

131. The Weirdest Chapter in Middle-earth (with dancing bears!?) : The Hobbit #19

Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves are dropped off on the Carrock, and find themselves in the company of a man (so-to-speak) who rather doesn’t like dwarves–but who loves a good story!

This week we look at:

 * The reported decline of viewership in The Rings of Power
 * What inspired Tolkien to create Beorn?
 * Why did Beorn stay his anger at all the unexpected guests.
 * How does Beowulf and Tolkien’s intimate knowledge of that tale come into play here?

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * Fan comments on the eagles.
 * Why did Tolkien and Lewis write their best works as part of the Inklings?

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

The Hill – Hobbiton Across the Water – Pen and Ink – JRR Tolkien [https://www.theonering.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/The-Hill-Hobbiton-Across-the-Water.-Original-Drawing.jpg]
The Hill – Hobbiton Across the Water – Color – JRR Tolkien [https://www.theonering.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/The-Hill-Hobbiton-Across-the-Water.jpg]
Beorn’s Hall – JRR Tolkien [https://www.theonering.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Beorns-Hall-JRR-Tolkien.jpg]

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

130. Where did Beorn Originate (and what was Tolkien’s inspiration)? : The Hobbit #18

Stuck in trees with fire at their heels, the company find themselves surround by intelligent wolves and taunting orcs… but the eagles notice the commotion and decide to save Gandalf and his friends.

This week we look at:

 * Why did Tolkien decide to use wolves in this story?
 * The orcs’ taunting and incredibly detailed, frightening song.
 * Why the eagles decided to save Gandalf.
 * Why Tolkien liked the eagles and used them here.

In our extended episode (available for our members [https://theonering.com/members]) we talk about:

 * Are the eagles in Middle-earth really deus ex machina?
 * Did Tolkien rely on the eagles too much?

BECOME A MEMBER! [https://www.theonering.com/members]
Get access [https://theonering.com/members] to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. You can also join for on Patreon [https://theonering.com/patreon]!

Thumbnail Image : “Bilbo and the Eagles” by Ted Nasmith [https://www.tednasmith.com/tolkien/bilbo-and-the-eagles/]

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Annotated Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Lf4dgk]
Join our Discord Community (for free) [https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr]
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast [https://www.theonering.com/member]
Become a Patreon Member [https://theonering.com/patreon]
Subscribe on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/window-on-the-west/id1625960455]
Subscribe on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/053v5PsgtE8TmMiXXAyThG]

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/45ydZUd]
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook) [https://amzn.to/3x0kbHh]
https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-twThe Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book) [https://amzn.to/49ZkSiA]
The Silmarillion [https://amzn.to/3a7wE0k]
The Children of Hurin [https://amzn.to/3c8R0Ic]
The Atlas of Middle-earth [https://amzn.to/3lzsIIf]
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat [https://shop.theonering.com/listing/make-tolkien-great-again-tw]

129. Tolkien Loved Eagles (too much?) : The Hobbit #17

Life took an unexpected turn this week with the fires in Southern California this week.

A Song of Ice and Fire

Join Jonathan Watson, Michael Grumbine, and Dan Coats as we read through The SIlmarillion, talk about The Rings of Power, and explore all the ages of Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

Jonathan Watson

Shows