This Saturday, Hall of Fire resumes reading through Fellowship of the Ring as Aragorn assumes command of the Company.
The Ranger leads them away from the Khazad-dum toward the Elvish refuge of Lothlórien.
‘There lie the woods of Lothlórien!’ said Legolas. `That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in the autumn their leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden, and golden is the roof, and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey.’
FoTR Book II Chapter VI: Lothlórien
Stopping briefly to tend to Frodo’s injury, Aragorn is amazed to find Bilbo’s coat of mithril, which saved Frodo from his spear wound in Moria. (more…)
Standing beside the tomb of Balin, the Fellowship read in mounting horror of the demise of the son of Fundin’s attempt to retake Moria. The final page of the record, hastily scrawled, is terrifying in its vagueness.
“We cannot get out . . . drums in the deep . . . They are coming.”
This weekend, Hall of Fire resumes its Fellowship of the Ring read-through and we’ll delve into one of the most dramatic chapters of Book Two.
FoTR Book II Chapter V: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm(more…)
Unable to climb through the violent billzard on Caradhras, the members of the Fellowship are forced to seek an alternative path. The can’t go over the Misty Mountains. They can’t go around. They reluctantly decide that they must go under. They must enter Moria.
This weekend — Saturday June 9 — the Hall of Fire resumes as we take A Journey in the Dark.
‘Then we must go on, if there is a way,’ said Frodo with a sigh. Sam sank back into gloom.
‘There is a way that we may attempt,’ said Gandalf. ‘I thought from the beginning, when first I considered this journey, that we should try it. But it is not a pleasant way…’
Last weekend, Hall of Fire hosted a chat about the Ringwraiths — Sauron’s most-trusted, and most-feared servants.
Doing some reading beforehand, I stumbled upon this excellent little summary of the Nazgûl over on Screerant. It did seem a bit odd in my head to refer to them as “ghosts” (see fact 15), but I guess that’s in essence what they’ve become. I’ve reproduced their intro, but you can read the full list over on the Screenrant site. (more…)
This weekend, we’re resuming our Fellowship of the Ring read-through in Hall of Fire as the Fellowship sets out from Rivendell on the long journey to Mordor.
“Now the tale of Nine is filled. In seven days the company must depart.”
Book Two, Chapter Three: The Ring Goes South(more…)
You may recall that, in The Hobbit, Thorin issues a very specific set of instructions as he despatches Bilbo to investigate the camp of the three trolls.
“You must go on and find out all about that light, and what it is for, and if all is perfectly safe and canny,” said Thorin to the hobbit. “Now scuttle off, and come back quick, if all is well. If not, come back if you can! It you can’t, hoot twice like a barn-owl and once like a screech-owl, and we will do what we can.”
Off Bilbo had to go, before he could explain that he could not hoot even once like any kind of owl any more than fly like a bat.
Middle-earth abounds in characters both creepy and gruesome; Gollum, Shelob, trolls and orcs. Arguably, none inspire the shivers quite like a Nazgûl.
Nine Rings he gave to Mortal Men, proud and great, and so ensnared them. Long ago they fell under the dominion of the One, and they became Ringwraiths, shadows under his great Shadow, his most terrible servants.
This is great. Writer-comedian Stephan Krosecz (who I’ve been a fan of since his very amusing Abridgement ofthe first season of the Attack on Titan anime) observed that Boromir’s walk into Mordor monologue from Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring could make a great premise for a heist film.
So he went away and did it. Check it out, it’s very clever — love the music. (more…)
It seems that, with those Tolkien biopics gradually approaching, more and more people are taking an interest in the biographical details of Tolkien’s life.
If that’s your thing, you might enjoy this pretty solid overview from Simon Whistler. (I didn’t know about the tarantula incident, for example, a minor controversy that you can get more background on over on Tolkien Gateway.)
Awaking from a sickly sleep, Frodo finds finally himself in Rivendell — a place of relative safety. Much to his delight and relief, Gandalf is there too.
“What happened at the Ford?” said Frodo. “It all seemed so dim somehow; and it still does.”
“Yes, it would. You were beginning to fade,” answered Gandalf. “The wound was overcoming you at last. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid. But you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit!”
FoTR: Book Two, Chapter One — Many Meetings(more…)
This Saturday, Hall of Fire resumes reading through Fellowship of the Ring as Aragorn assumes command of the Company. 
Last weekend, Hall of Fire hosted a chat about the Ringwraiths — Sauron’s most-trusted, and most-feared servants. 
You may recall that, in The Hobbit, Thorin issues a very specific set of instructions as he despatches Bilbo to investigate the camp of the three trolls.
Until I read this article the other week over on 
“One does not simply walk into Mordor.”