We’re into the semi-final match-ups in our 2014 Middle-earth March Madness contest. As part of it, I thought it apt to examine each of our four finalists in turn, starting with our questing Dwarf, Thorin Oakenshield.
In this piece, published a while back over on the site of our friends Heirs of Durin, DarkJackal asserts that Thorin unjustly gets a bad rap from readers of The Hobbit for events following the death of Smaug, and that there’s more to his motivations than meet the eye.
Don’t forget to click the link at the bottom to continue to the full essay.
In Defense of Thorin Oakenshield
A Journey from Hero to Villain, and Back Again
by DarkJackal
Thorin is often criticized for the choices he makes after the death of Smaug, and the average reader is rarely sympathetic with his refusal to share the treasure with the people of Lake-town. But when I read the story, I find it hard not to side with him. This essay is an attempt to justify my reaction. [Note: This is based on my reactions to the original Hobbit story only, without factoring in the material from the Appendices, Unfinished Tales, or the film.]
Continue reading “In defense of Thorin Oakenshield”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
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Click below to watch Orlando Bloom as Legolas show off his knife skills in exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from Desolation of Smaug.
At the end he says to Jackson: “We should have shot it, right?”
The clip is taken from the DVD/Blu-ray release of the theatrical edition of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which is set to debut on April 7. Continue reading “Watch Orlando Bloom rehearse a Lake-town fight scene in Bard’s house”
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Witness the return of Sauron’s army to Mordor, the attack on the Black Gate and the origins behind Talion’s quest for vengeance in the Official Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer – Banished from Death.
Continue reading “Pre-order Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor”
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Welcome to this weeks episodes of the Oakentoons 🙂
Don’t forget to check out the Oakenstills and Oakencrossovers while you’re there and to say hi to Peckish Owl.
As always, just click the images to go to Peckish Owls site to see the full size images (you’ll also need to click on the longer ones once you’re on her site to see them in full size).
Continue reading “Oakentoon #46 – Words of Welcome, Oakentoon #47 – Things That Were, Oakentoon #48 – The Future”
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The Final Four are set! And in a stunning turn of events, Middle-earth has gone ‘Hot!’ In an unexpected twist of fate, the final four combatants are arguably the most swoon-worthy group of Middle-earth combatants ever.
First up, we have Thranduil facing off against Aragorn. Some staff are already dubbing this match-up as ‘Team Sparkle’ (Thranduil) vs. ‘Team Stubble’ (Aragorn).
And with Legolas dispatching Gandalf in the Elite Eight, we now have a Hobbit (film) showdown of epic proportions – Legolas vs. Thorin Oakenshield.
Will this be the first year we have an all Elven final? Can Aragorn finally put Team Sparkle out of the competition? Will the Richard Armitage Army dispatch Legolas? All is up in the air as the final four voting has begun!
Voting will last until 10pm ET on April 5th in this round. So let the Middle-earth March Madness continue! Happy Voting!
Continue reading “Vote in the Middle-earth March Madness Final Four! Some like it ‘Hot!’”
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This piece by Simon J. Cook does happen to mirror some of my own thoughts on the place and benefit of any re-imagining of Tolkien’s vision of Middle-earth within the world.
Still, as much as Tolkien’s letter to Waldman (Letter #131) opens Middle-earth to new perspectives, and vivid reinterpretations, I believe it’s equally important to acknowledge the flipside: missives sent to Allen & Unwin (Letter #188) and Forest J Ackerman (Letter #210) show Tolkien also cared deeply about what others did with his works.
I think it’s a balancing act that will never be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.
Continue reading “In praise of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
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