West of Valinor

A discussion of the chapter "Barrels Out of Bond" from The Hobbit.  A look at how Tolkien's second chapter about elves goes in a more medieval direction than the Victorian elves of Chapter 3, and jus…

An examination of "Flies and Spiders" from The Hobbit.  The historical and archetypal uses of forests, and the evolution of spiders from the role of creators to the role of villains.  The progression…

An examination of "Queer Lodgings" from The Hobbit.  A look at Gandalf's playbook from the other side, and the historic power - but not malice - of bears.  A look at how The Hobbit begins to intentio…

Looking at Chapter 6 of The Hobbit, "Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire," we meet wolves (or wargs) and eagles.  So we look at the uses of wolves and eagles throughout myth and folklore, and we …

The chapter where everything changes (between 1937 and 1951, that is).  Gollum!  and the Ring!  Riddles and all of their history, and a look at the competing theologies of Comfort and Destruction.
All…

A look at Giants and at Goblins as Bilbo and Company head up into and then under the mountains.  A look at the song of the goblins and at the prophetic nature of dreams.

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Exploring chapter 3 of The Hobbit, including the mythic history of elves both within Tolkien's world and without, and how elves were used in Canterbury Tales, and how they came to be associated with …

In this episode we look at Chapter 2 of The Hobbit, "Roast Mutton."  We talk about they mythic history of trolls and how the many incarnations they have had through the millennia.  We talk about the …

In this episode we look at Chapter 1 of The Hobbit.  Even though Hobbits are a race entirely of Tolkien's own creation, we look at some of the mythic and historical forbearers of hobbits, and of how …

An Introduction!  West of Valinor's Inaugural Episode introduces fans of Middle Earth to just exactly how The Hobbit was written (and when.  and why.)  It goes through where Tolkien got some of his e…