Chronological Middle-earth Reading List

If you've ever wanted to read Tolkien's Middle-earth writings in chronological order, you might want to check out the Chronological Middle-earth Reading List. It's available in Word or pdf format.

Helm's Deep by Jim Henson?

It's not Fraggle Rock. It's not even The Dark Crystal. Silver Snail comics, a Toronto comic book store, has created a window display of the battle of Helm's Deep using Jim Henson's muppets. Penguins as orcs...my daughter would not be pleased.

What if Tolkien Wrote Stairway to Heaven?

I was purging some computer files the other day when I ran across these song lyrics I wrote a few years ago after Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring had just been released. It was something I did just for fun to show to my eighth grade students when we were studying The Hobbit. I forgot about until I found it the other day. I thought some of you might find it amusing. The song is about Aragorn and his role in the Fellowship and Middle-earth. It's meant to be sung to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven," so you might want to listen to that song before you read these lyrics. Or, you can listen to this midi file (from Diamond-back.com) and sing along! On second thought, maybe you should just listen to "Stairway to Heaven" and call it good. Anyway, here it is, with my apologies to Led Zeppelin: He's Guiding a Hobbit to Mordor There's a ranger who knows All that glitters ain't gold And he's guiding a hobbit To Mordor When he gets there he knows If the Black Gate is closed With a sword he do what he came for. Ooh, ooh, and he's guiding a hobbit To Mordor. There's a sign on Khazad-dum But he wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes runes have two meanings. In a tree by the falls, there's an elf lass who sings; Sometimes all of her hopes are misgiven. Ooh, it makes him wander. Ooh, it makes him wander. There's a feeling she gets When she looks to the west And her spirit is crying for leaving. In her thoughts she has seen Rings of smoke through the trees And the ranger is fighting the goblins. Ooh, it makes him wander. Ooh, it really makes him wander. And it's whispered that soon Rohan riders will swoon For the worm tongue will lead them to treason. And the new day won't dawn For those who fight long, But the forests will echo with entmoot. If there's a traitor in the comp'ny Don't be alarmed now, It's just a vision by the elf queen. Yes, there are two paths you can go by But after Moria You must determine which road you're on. And it makes you wander. Your head is humming and it won't go In case you don't know. The ring is calling you to take it. Dear ranger can you hear the wind blow And did you know Your stairway lies through the paths of dead? And as you wind on down the road The Shadow taller than your soul There walks a hobbit we all know Who shines white light where cobwebs grow And always bears that band of gold. And if you listen very hard The reign will come to you at last Wherefore Arwen and Elessar Will tie the knot and be made whole.

Frodo and Sam Sing in Lord of the Rings Musical

I love this song from the new Lord of the Rings musical now playing on Drury Lane in London:

New Secrets of Lord of the Rings Podcast on SQPN

A new podcast reveals the secrets behind J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. As many of you know, about two weeks ago Tolkien's new book The Children of Hurin was released and has been topping best seller lists since then. In fact, according to Ireland Online, over 90,000 copies are already in print worldwide and Houghton Mifflin has doubled its printing from 250,000 to 550,000. To coincide with the release of the book and the new online multiplayer game Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, the Star Quest Production Network (SQPN) has created a new podcast called Secrets of Lord of the Rings, hosted by the podcasting priest Fr. Roderick Vonhogen. And since it's an SQPN podcast, you know it's going to be extremely high quality in both production and content. If you're not familiar with SQPN, you should most definitely check them out. Remember, you don't need an iPod or mp3 player to listen to podcasts. You can listen to them right on your computer. And when it comes to great podcasts there's SQPN, and then there's everyone else. Fr. Roderick founded SQPN with its flagship podcasts the Catholic Insider and the Daily Breakfast, but the network has since exploded in both popularity and number of podcasts offered. Here are its current offerings, with a few of my comments: SQPN TV - Video Podcasts That Catholic Show - an incredible new internet TV show hosted by Jennifer Willits to help you explore the Catholic faith in a "fresh, fun way." Healthy Catholic - "...the unique Catholic view on the relation between physical and spiritual health" Catholic Minute - watch Fr. Roderick play the new Wii, among other things Beyond the Movies Audio Podcasts - Community: Catholic Insider - terrific soundseeing tours of Rome, the Netherlands, and other interesting places The Daily Breakfast - My favorite show Rosary Army - Greg and Jennifer have a mission to spread the praying of the rosary, and they can teach you now to "make them, pray them and give them away" Catholic in a Small Town - A Catholic couple talk about faith and their life Hands and Feet Show - a great show about Catholic youth Catholic Family Podcast Audio Podcasts - Books, Movies and Music Secrets of Harry Potter - one of SQPN's most popular shows Secrets of Star Wars Secrets of Pirates of the Caribbean Secrets of Lord of the Rings Secrets of Narnia The Da Vinci Cast Catholic Rockers Audio Podcasts - Prayer: Verbum Domini - daily mass readings read for you Praystation Portable - This podcast is incredible! Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily prayer of the church. Don't miss it! The PrayerCast - designed to be listened to while spending time in front of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Praise Cast - another of my favorites; I think is the most beautiful of the SQPN podcasts Audio Podcasts - Catholic Faith Catholic Under the Hood - Fr. Seraphim Beshoner from Steubenville TechnoPriest - Fr. Bill Kessler Saint Cast - Dr. Paul Camerata does an awesome show about the saints, with occasional soundseeing tours; not to be missed! Into the Deep - Spiritual combat

Music to Listen to While You Read, Part III - Lord of the Rings

As promised in part II, here are some CDs I like to listen to while I read The Lord of the Rings: The Tolkien Ensemble has done a beautiful job setting all of the songs in The Lord of the Rings to music. Their work is collected in four CDs: An Evening in Rivendell, A Night in Rivendell, At Dawn in Rivendell and Leaving Rivendell. The sound is more classical than I expected, but it really grew on me. Another album I listen to is Broceliande's Starlit Jewel. This is another interpretation of songs from Lord of the Rings, but with a more ethereal sound. The CD also includes songs from The Hobbit. Finally, there is Johan de Meij's Symphony No. 1, also known as The Lord of the Rings Symphony. Composed and recorded long before the movies, this symphony is a series of movements inspired by the books and titled Gandalf, Lothlorien, Gollum, Journey in the Dark, and The Hobbits.

Review of Children of Hurin

Elizabeth Hand at Powell's Books reviews Tolkien's The Children of Hurin: If anyone still labors under the delusion that J.R.R. Tolkien was a writer of twee fantasies for children, this novel should set them straight. A bleak, darkly beautiful tale played out against the background of the First Age of Tolkien's Middle Earth, The Children of Húrin possesses the mythic resonance and grim sense of inexorable fate found in Greek tragedy. See the rest here.

Who is Hurin, Anyway, and How Many Children Did He Have?

Want Tolkien's new book, Children of Hurin, but not sure who Hurin is? Visit The Encyclopedia of Arda, a reference guide to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. It's a fantastic resource, a real must-see for all Tolkien devotees. By the way, you'll discover several different entries for Hurin, but this one is the one you want. (He had three children.)

New Tolkien Release: The Children of Hurin

From Amazon.com: The first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien in three decades -- since the publication of The Silmarillion in 1977 -- The Children of Hurin reunites fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, Eagles and Orcs. Presented for the first time as a complete, standalone story, this stirring narrative will appeal to casual fans and expert readers alike, returning them to the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien. The Children of Hurin, begun in 1918, was one of three 'Great Tales' J.R.R. Tolkien worked on throughout his life, though he never realized his ambition to see it published. Though familiar to many fans from extracts and references within other Tolkien books, it has long been assumed that the story would forever remain an unfinished tale. Now reconstructed by Christopher Tolkien, painstakingly editing together the complete work from his father's many drafts, this book is the culmination of a tireless thirty-year endeavor by him to bring J.R.R.Tolkien's vast body of unpublished work to a wide audience. Just in case you hadn't heard...