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The Prancing Pony Podcast
Get your Tolkien every day by subscribing to Today’s Tolkien Times! Alan Sisto, host of the award-winning Prancing Pony Podcast and Rings of Power Wrap-up, hosts a new short-format daily podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you get your podcasts!
Listeners get answers on Mailbag Mondays; discover more about the Professor on Tolkien Tuesdays; indulge your inner philologist on Word-nerd Wednesdays; learn more about the familiar stories of Middle-earth on Third Age Thursdays; hear from Tolkien fans around the world on Fandom Fridays; and dive deep into Middle-earth history on Silmarillion Saturdays!
And on Sundays? That’s what The Prancing Pony Podcast is for! So subscribe to Today’s Tolkien Times and follow us on all our social media channels!
Week 022 - Silmarillion Saturday: I Think You Know What That Word Means
Melkor hides, fakes friendship, almost persuades Fëanor, goes too far, but manages to understand thralldom better than Fëanor. Also, Tulkas is thinking, “I told you this would happen.”
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07:5211/11/2023
Week 022 - Fandom Friday: A Love of Letters — Phil Walch from Tolkien Collector’s Guide
The Man of the West talks about the new Letters volume — and a massive Guide to even more Letters — with Phil Walch from Tolkien Collector’s Guide. The Man of the West may still be counting the number of Tolkien Tuesdays he’ll get from the new volume!
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27:1310/11/2023
Week 022 - Third Age Thursday: Brooding On His Wrongs
Join Gandalf — and the Man of the West — as he relates his own take on “the incident with the dragon” in The Quest of Erebor. From Gandalf’s grand strategy to how seriously Dwarves take their duty, we also get a teaser about our old friend, Bilbo.
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08:0709/11/2023
Week 022 - Word-nerd Wednesday: (Some of) The Many Names of Gandalf
It’s a wizardy Wednesday as The Man of the West begins his exploration of several — but not all — of the names of everyone’s favorite Middle-earth wizard. No, it’s not that blue guy.
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08:4108/11/2023
Week 022 - Tolkien Tuesday: An Assault on Finnish
The Man of the West combines the best of Carpenter and Garth to talk about Tolkien in 1912: from his wet and windy cavalry camp, to his discovery of a wine-cellar that intoxicated him… and led directly to the Quenya language.Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John himself. I'm proud to support John's work and would ask you to please consider doing the same at http://bit.ly/48Rhbf1.
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07:5307/11/2023
Week 022 - Mailbag Monday: No, YOU Be the Mortal One
The Man of the West opens up the mailbag this week with a speculative question: what happens to the kingship of Gondor if Aragorn dies at the Black Gate? Well, I don’t know about the kingship of Gondor, but Arwen is not going to be happy about this.
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10:0306/11/2023
Week 021 - Silmarillion Saturday: Master of Thralls
Okay, so it’s a great name for a metal album, but it’s also a theme in today’s Silmarillion Saturday, as Fëanor threatens his younger brother, and gets a 12-year time out for it. Then again, if you’re an Elf, what’s 12 years, really?
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10:3304/11/2023
Week 021 - Fandom Friday: Silmaremily: At the Crossroads of Faramir and… Taylor Swift?
In what is likely to be the only mention of Taylor Swift on Today’s Tolkien Times, The Man of the West welcomes Silmaremily to Fandom Friday for a wide-ranging talk that (finally) includes some thoughts on Amazon’s The Rings of Power.
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24:3303/11/2023
Week 021 - Third Age Thursday: No Queen in Gondor
Gandalf explains just how important those “off screen” battles were at the end of the Third Age, as The Man of the West finally concludes his reading in the Appendices on Durin’s Folk, wrapping up with a beautiful example of friendship featuring Legolas and Gimli.
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10:2502/11/2023
Week 021 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Surprise - the Hobbits Named Something After a Drink
Today’s Word-nerd Wednesday takes a look at the name of the river separating the Shire from those weird folk in Buckland: the Brandywine. Is it a pun? Is it a corrupted pronunciation? Is it Dutch? Yes, the answer is yes.
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05:4801/11/2023
Week 021 - Tolkien Tuesday: Certain Among the Gods
Happy Halloween to all the TTT followers — but there’s nothing spooky about today’s Tolkien Tuesday, unless Tolkien “revisiting old haunts” counts. Today, we take a short break from John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War to revisit Carpenter’s biography to learn about Tolkien’s own Mrs. Doubtfire moment.Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John himself. I'm proud to support John's work and would ask you to please consider doing the same at http://bit.ly/48Rhbf1.
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08:5431/10/2023
Week 021 - Mailbag Monday: Past Their Expiration Date
The Man of the West starts off week 21 of Today’s Tolkien Times with a question about everyone’s favorite equestrian group: the Black Riders. Specifically, what happens to them after the One Ring is destroyed?
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11:1830/10/2023
Week 020 - Silmarillion Saturday: A Greedy Love
Our adventures in “Fëanor, No!” continue as Melkor continues to sow Discord in Valinor. Also, secret weapon stashes and awkward family dinners.
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08:4728/10/2023
Week 020 - Fandom Friday: Real Elvish - a Chat with Fiona Jallings
The Man of the West welcomes your friendly neighborhood linguist, the creator of RealElvish.net and the author of books to help you learn Neo-Sindarin, Fiona Jallings!
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16:5727/10/2023
Week 020 - Third Age Thursday: A Chance Meeting
The Man of the West’s readings through the Appendix on Durin’s Folk continues as Thorin ascends the throne and just happens to run into Gandalf while on a business trip in Bree.
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07:5726/10/2023
Week 020 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Orcs, Uruks, and Balrogs - Oh My!
The Man of the West dives deep into the Etymologies to explain how the words for just about every nasty creature in Middle-earth are actually connected! Also, fleshy mud pods: you’re welcome.
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08:5425/10/2023
Week 020 - Tolkien Tuesday: A Nerd’s Nerd
It’s time to go back to school and study your Latin. And Greek. And Nevbosh. And Gothic. And… well, any other language you can get your teenage boy’s hands on. The Man of the West opens up Tolkien and the Great War and A Secret Vice to learn more about the Professor.Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John himself. I'm proud to support John's work and would ask you to please consider doing the same at http://bit.ly/48Rhbf1.
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08:1724/10/2023
Week 020 - Mailbag Monday: To Me, All Are One
The Man of the West opens up this new week of the TTT by actually finishing an answer he began last week. A close look at Christopher Tolkien’s words reveals that bowing to necessity was a grief to the Professor.
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09:0123/10/2023
Week 019 - Silmarillion Saturday: Fast Bound to These Things
You thought the Fëanor piñata would catch a break with the end of the last chapter, wouldn’t you? Well, The Man of the West returns to read about the Silmarils themselves, and the beginning of the end of peace in Valinor.
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09:0021/10/2023
Week 019 - Fandom Friday: How Much Can One Man Do? A Chat with James Tauber
Join The Man of the West as he welcomes the talented — and busy — James Tauber to chat about his 12-month course on The History of Middle-earth, his continuing efforts on the Digital Tolkien Project, and a lot more.
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22:2120/10/2023
Week 019 - Third Age Thursday: To the Anvil!
The Dwarves may have had their victory, but the cost was high — and Dáin has bad news about the current squatter in Khazad-dûm. The Man of the West continues his reading and discussion through Appendix A on Durin’s Folk.
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09:4919/10/2023
Week 019 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Because It’s a Cantrip
Why wouldn’t we weave words about wizards on Wednesday? Join The Man of the West — who is now officially out of W tiles in Scrabble — as he dives into the ‘problematic’ word “wizard” and discovers that Gandalf doesn’t actually have to rest before casting Magic Missile again.
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06:3618/10/2023
Week 019 - Tolkien Tuesday: Didn’t We All Read Chaucer By Age 10?
The Man of the West returns to Tolkien and the Great War to learn more about Tolkien’s incredible gift and passion for languages. Maybe if someone had given me an Etymological Dictionary when I was… no, that wouldn’t have changed a thing.Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John himself. I'm proud to support John's work and would ask you to please consider doing the same at http://bit.ly/48Rhbf1.
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07:3617/10/2023
Week 019 - Mailbag Monday: Let Me Explain. No, There Is Too Much.
Start your week off with The Man of the West as he starts to tackle a simple question with some complicated answers and quickly realizes he’s bitten off more than he can chew in one week.
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09:0416/10/2023
Week 018 - Silmarillion Saturday: Rather Than to Master Them
That piñata bears a striking resemblance to a famous Noldorin Elf, does it not? Well, not for much longer, I’d imagine. The Man of the West concludes his reading in Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor.
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10:1814/10/2023
Week 018 - Fandom Friday: More Tolkien With Friends with Andie
The Man of the West welcomes Andie, one of the co-hosts of the podcast Tolkien With Friends. We learn how and why she started the show, and just how passionate she is about making the Tolkien community a welcoming place for all.
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21:4813/10/2023
Week 018 - Third Age Thursday: Another Beggar At My Doors
The Man of the West continues his readings about Durin’s Folk from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings; Thrór makes a bad decision, Nár begs him to reconsider, Náin challenges a bully, and Dáin finishes the job.
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11:2212/10/2023
Week 018 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Tolkien Enjoys a Little Homebrew
Is it a Silmaril? Or is it only a model? Join The Man of the West as he takes a closer look at eorcnanstan, better known as The Arkenstone, in this week’s Word-nerd Wednesday!
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08:2811/10/2023
Week 018 - Tolkien Tuesday: It Is Rougher Further On
More time with the TCBS as we learn about the poet G.B. Smith, the artist Rob Gilson and the results of that rugby match with the school’s First XV. Folks, please visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship - you can also get Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, read by John himself. Finally, I'm proud to support John's work and would ask you to please consider doing the same at http://bit.ly/48Rhbf1.
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08:5510/10/2023
Week 018 - Mailbag Monday: A Casual Reference to the Necromancer
Join The Man of the West as he answers a patron’s question about the Dwarven Rings, and explores the deep and mysterious story (hint: it’s neither) behind Tolkien’s decision to choose rings as his artifacts of power in Middle-earth.
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11:4809/10/2023
Week 017 - Silmarillion Saturday: Few Ever Changed His Courses By Counsel, None By Force
The Man of the West breaks out the Fëanor piñata as he begins reading from Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor. A long digression on second marriages, with advice from nearly all of the Valar.
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13:0507/10/2023
Week 017 - Fandom Friday: Shawn Marchese, The Lord of the Mark
The Man of the West hopes you’ll forgive him for having a favorite guest so far: his old friend, former co-host, and co-author of Why We Love Middle-earth joins the TTT on a very special Fandom Friday.
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17:0706/10/2023
Week 017 - Third Age Thursday: The Ancestor of All the Kings of the Longbeards
Time to break out your Dwarven ale and toast Durin the Deathless as The Man of the West dives into the LotR Appendices and starts to read about Durin’s Folk.
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09:2405/10/2023
Week 017 - Word-nerd Wednesday: The First Elvish Word in the OED (hint: it’s not mellon)
It’s time for The Man of the West to polish up those philological skills as he delves greedily and deeply into Word-nerd Wednesday this week. Bonus segment on all the shiny things!
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08:4004/10/2023
Week 017 - Tolkien Tuesday: The Great Twin Brethren
The Man of the West starts a new story with this series’ Tolkien Tuesdays, as he opens up John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War to learn about the ‘immortal four’ of the TCBS over the next several weeks.Folks, please visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship - you can also get Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, read by John himself. Finally, I'm proud to support John's work and would as you to please consider doing the same at http://bit.ly/48Rhbf1.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
09:4703/10/2023
Week 017 - Mailbag Monday: Tulkas, Eönwë, and Túrin Walk Into a Bar…
Okay, not a bar. A battle. The battle. The Battle of All Battles, actually. The Man of the West opens up Series 3 of Today’s Tolkien Times by answering a question about the Dagor Dagorath and dives deep into early versions of The Silmarillion for answers.
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09:5602/10/2023
Week 016 - Silmarillion Saturday: No Men Allowed - Ossiriand’s Tough HOA
Join The Man of the West as he closes out Series 2 of the TTT with a reading from Of the Coming of Men Into the West. Amlach has some words. Or is it Amlach?
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10:1016/09/2023
Week 016 - Fandom Friday: Dave Brons
The Man of the West welcomes composer and guitarist Dave Brons to the TTT to talk about his prog-rock masterpiece, Return to Arda. Also, questionable decisions regarding VO talent.
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16:0515/09/2023
Week 016 - Third Age Thursday: Falling Asleep Again
The hobbits are Homeward Bound, as Gandalf abandons them to chat with an old friend. The Man of the West unpacks what Frodo means by “falling asleep again”.
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10:1214/09/2023
Week 016 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Counties and Quarters Just Don’t Cut It
The Man of the West brings back some right goodliness of speechraft in this week’s Word-nerd Wednesday as he explores the Shire and its farthings — Boo, Norman Conquest!
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07:2013/09/2023
Week 016 - Tolkien Tuesday: This One is, Unfortunately, a Pedantic Don
The Man of the West is not a don, but may or may not be pedantic. But one pedantic don had thoughts about the formidable task of translating The Lord of the Rings. Also, a new book is published!
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09:2112/09/2023
Week 016 - Mailbag Monday: The Man of the West: Third Cycle of Life?
Join Alan as he revels in being younger than Círdan, at least. The week begins with a look at the oldest of the Elves still in Middle-earth, and another look at elvish facial hair.
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08:0811/09/2023
Week 015 - Silmarillion Saturday: Outta My Way, I’m Harpin’ Here
The Man of the West wraps up Week 15 by joining famous stalker Finrod Felagund as he watches a group of strangers until they fall asleep. Also, a hint at the darkness in Men’s past.
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09:3209/09/2023
Week 015 - Fandom Friday: Jess of the Shire, aka Part Time Hobbit
Join the Man of the West as he welcomes fellow Tolkien YouTuber Jess of the Shire to week 15’s Fandom Friday. You may know her better as Part Time Hobbit; and if you don’t know her, stop and fix that!
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15:5608/09/2023
Week 015 - Third Age Thursday: Wine Out of a Golden Cup
The Man of the West continues his visit to Bree as Gandalf and the hobbits catch up with Barliman Butterbur. Also: Barliman’s shocked face.
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09:3807/09/2023
Week 015 - Word-nerd Wednesday: There is a King Again, Little Masters
Join The Man of the West as he looks at the etymology of the words ‘king’ and ‘master’ for week 15’s Word-nerd Wednesday. Also, Barliman keeps on using that word: does it mean what he thinks it means?
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06:5006/09/2023
Week 015 - Tolkien Tuesday: What You Really Require is The Silmarillion
On today’s Tolkien Tuesday, the Man of the West discovers that Professor Tolkien gave the same advice — only before the book was, you know, published. Also, Sam Gamgee gets a wonderful gift!
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10:0705/09/2023
Week 015 - Mailbag Monday: Well and Truly Hallowed
The Man of the West begins week 15 by answering a speculative mailbag question about Beren’s greedy little hands. Also, a brief glance at Morgoth and Ungoliant’s ill-advised first date.
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10:0704/09/2023
Week 014 - Silmarillion Saturday: Take a Share In Its Hurts
The Man of the West wraps up this week’s TTT with a powerful reading of The Faithful Stone, a story about a Drúg who pours some of his strength into his craftsmanship. This time, no one dies.
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09:5502/09/2023
Week 014 - Fandom Friday: Shaun Gunner, Chair of the Tolkien Society
Long-time friend of the podcast, and member of the Fellowship of the Co-hosts, Shaun “Don’t Call Me Shawn” Gunner joins The Man of the West to talk about his role in the Society, the 50th Oxonmoot and the state of the Tolkien fandom.
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20:1501/09/2023