The Prancing Pony Podcast

15/11/2024

The Lord of the Rings night at Serpentine Cider that Alan is participating in is this Sunday, November 17, but is sold out! If you managed to get a ticket, we look forward to seeing you there.

13/11/2024

The Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference is coming up soon! Follow the link below for details on the fantastic list of speakers as well as how to register and join in on the celebration.

The Tolkien Society is pleased to announce it will be hosting the online Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November 2024. This November marks 100 years since the birth of Christopher…

10/11/2024

The waning of Gondor had already begun in Atanatar's day; let's hope Don brings better luck for the PPP. Join us as Gondor reaches the summit of its power in the first of two episodes on the Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion in Appendix A. Lazy kings and racist Gondorians lead to a civil war, Eldacar is shot through the heart and Castamir's to blame, and the greatest evil is yet to come. We talk about poetry, war crimes, and all things Goth(ic). Also, we wonder what drives a king to marry a nefarious, solitary and loveless cat-lady. https://chrt.fm/track/4EB79A/tracking.swap.fm/track/6bpBPtHL977KJxLX2zPs/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS6742777722.mp3

08/11/2024

On November 17th, Alan will joining in a Lord of the Rings night at Serpentine Cider in San Diego! There will be a book signing, trivia (hosted by Alan), a screening of The Fellowship of the Ring and more!

Follow the link for additional details.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lord-of-the-rings-night-tickets-1044602974617?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

03/11/2024

Arvedui offers the Lossoth jewels they don't want; Alan and Don offer bad puns you don't want. Join us as evil comes to Arnor as we continue our time in Appendix A, this time on Arnor and the Heirs of Isildur. Rhudaur goes bad, the Barrow-downs get new residents, and Arvedui finds he's not even halfway there. We speculate on the reason for Arnor's breakup, challenge listeners to draw a map with a crayon while blindfolded, and brook no dissent about our praise for Círdan. Also, Don gets Rhudaur in the podcast split.

https://chrt.fm/track/4EB79A/tracking.swap.fm/track/6bpBPtHL977KJxLX2zPs/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS2135774834.mp3

02/11/2024

It is hard to believe, but it has been one year since the release of the audiobook of "Why We Love Middle-earth"! To celebrate, you can get a copy of the audiobook for 70% off at the link below. Act fast because the promotion ends tomorrow!

Learn about the man who wrote The Lord of the Rings in this Middle-earth treasury. Full of answers to common questions about Middle-earth and the fandom, this book about Tolkien celebrates Why We Love Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings omnibus for all. Who wrote The Lord of the Rings? What details....

27/10/2024

Tolkien gives us 3400 years of Númenórean history in just a few pages; Alan and Don make those few pages *feel* like a 3400-year long episode. Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts guy as we walk through the line of Kings and Queens of Númenor in our second episode on Appendix A I (i) on Númenor. We wonder what would have happened if Silmariën had become the first Ruling Queen, talk about agnatic primogeniture again, and watch as Kings of Númenor come up with 'very bad ideas'™. Also, Sara joins Alan to chat with the translator of the Welsh edition of The Hobbit, Tar-Atanamir says 'hold my beer', and Alan gives some very depressing advice about mortality. https://chrt.fm/track/4EB79A/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS5717573797.mp3

20/10/2024

Shall I describe it to you, or would you like Alan and Don to find you a map? Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts guy as Tolkien introduces us to his island paradise in the what-it-says-on-the-tin chapter, A Description of the Island of Númenor, from Unfinished Tales! We have fun with Quenya pronunciations, decide that it’s best not to build the Meneltarma Visitor Center after all, and speculate that Eldalondë the Green smelled like a smoothie shop. Also, we stumble upon a great name for a rock band, make a joke about the… larch, and wisely choose not to laugh at dancing bears.
https://chrt.fm/track/4EB79A/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS5430533739.mp3

19/10/2024

The Man of the West recently joined up with The Nerd of the Rings, James Tauber, The Tolkien Professor, and others shooting retrospective episodes of Rings and Realms, fan tracks for several episodes of The PPP presents: The Rings of Power Wrap-up Show S2 and more! He had a great time with StudioLabNH, too!

13/10/2024

Tolkien regrets the 'truncated and compressed form' of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, while Alan and Don regret the truncated and compressed form of this episode! Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts guy as Tolkien gives us the fastest version of The Silmarillion ever in our first episode on the Annals of the Kings and Rulers. We beat the Fëanor piñata, visit the Hotel Thangorodrim and watch the Edain follow the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning to reach their new land. Also starring: grim grinning door handles and the avoided for that cometh anyway. https://chrt.fm/track/4EB79A/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS1862339626.mp3

08/10/2024

It is hard to believe, but it has been one year since the release of the audiobook of "Why We Love Middle-earth"! To celebrate, between now and November 3rd. you can get a copy of the audiobook for 70% off at the link below.

Learn about the man who wrote The Lord of the Rings in this Middle-earth treasury. Full of answers to common questions about Middle-earth and the fandom, this book about Tolkien celebrates Why We Love Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings omnibus for all. Who wrote The Lord of the Rings? What details....

06/10/2024

Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy as we answer listener questions in our 28th Questions After Nightfall! From the negative buoyancy of hobbits to how long the wait is for a new Elf body, from Elves in HDR to Silmarien and the laws of agnatic primogeniture (which still confuses Don), our listeners pose challenging and unexpected questions. Alan blows Don's mind yet again, while Don reveals his Middle-earth power rankings. https://chrt.fm/track/4EB79A/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS6308936394.mp3

01/10/2024

The speaker list for the Christopher Tolkien Centennial Conference was announced yesterday and it's truly an incredible lineup of speakers.

Follow the link in Tolkien Society's post for the full list and more info on how to join in on the celebration.

We hope to see you there!

We are excited to announce our speaker list and open registration for the Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference. Find out more and join us online for this special event.

https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/christopher-tolkien-centenary-conference/

29/09/2024

Sam answers all of Elanor's questions, as Alan tries to dodge most of Don's questions. Join The Man of the West and the Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy, as we look at what was almost Tolkien's post-credit bonus scene. Samwise gets writer's block, Elanor longs for the old days, and Rose remembers a moment of unexplained joy. We discuss whether Merry was Sam's ghost-writer, agree that one must stop somewhere, and look for our letter from the King. Also, Don leans into the mediocrity.

https://chrt.fm/track/4EB79A/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS5304125833.mp3

22/09/2024

Well, we're back. Join The Man of the West and Don Marshall, the Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy, as we begin Season 9 of The Prancing Pony Podcast with a deep dive into the first version of the Epilogue to The Lord of the Rings. We chat about elanor the flower and Elanor the young hobbit-lass, wonder when a prophecy isn't a prophecy, and get a few answers about Legolas, Gimli, and the rest. Also, we discover Ents are Alan's kinda people.

15/09/2024

'The Silmarillion' was published on this day in 1977!

We would love to hear your favorite quotes or moments from the book in the comments as we commemorate its publication.

02/09/2024

Today, September 2nd, marks 51 years since the death of J.R.R. Tolkien.

As we reflect on his life today, we are so grateful for his works which have brought Middle-earth into our lives, and through which this amazing community has come together.

Thank you, Professor!