Standing beside the tomb of Balin in the Chamber of Records, the Fellowship find themself in the heart of the Mines of Moria, a dread and horror in their hearts as they read the demise of Balin’s company. Suddenly, doom boom boom goes a drum in the darkness, and the Fellowship make a hasty retreat through the flame filled lower levels of Moria. Just as it looks like they have escaped, suddenly a horrible spectre of fire and darkness emerges as the source of the flames themselves, and a stand off is made between Gandalf and the fearsome Balrog, one which neither wins. This weekend, the Hall of Fire Chapter by Chapter discussions reach arguably the most important chapter in the Fellowship of the Ring;
Book II Chapter V: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
For a lot of people, this is their favourite chapter of the Fellowship of the Ring, and for obvious reasons. From start to finish, the chapter manages to always hint at something evil lurking in the shadows, from the book on Balin’s last few moments drawing breath, to the drumming in the dark, to the tapping of feet as the Fellowship hastily retreat, to the climax of the chapter where the ultimate evil in Moria is revealed: The Balrog.
A fearsome beast, much has been made of the ambiguous way its features have been described by Tolkien: a speared pointed tail or an actual whip, a creature of shadow or just one that portrays endless darkness, and even the dreaded discussion…..wings or no wings? Whatever about it’s appearance, even Gandalf seems to be afraid of the creature, and makes the ultimate sacrifice so that the Fellowship may complete their quest. With Gandalf lost, the Fellowship are thrown into despair, their leader gone and their path no longer clear.
This weekend should be a fantastic debate, and we want Tolkien fans of every kind to join our discussions this weekend, as we talk about each and every aspect to this fantastic chapter…even wings!
Upcoming Discussions: Oct 20 & 21: FotR Movie Discussion – The Cast Oct 27 & 28: FotR Chapter Discussion – Lothlórien
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]
Sunday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 08:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]
Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast
Throughout the months of shooting the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, at times Peter Jackson has had to make decisions to tinker with the way the books have been written so that they can be adapted onto the cinema screen, and of course fit within a nine hour timeframe. One of these decisions involved changing a theme that is a strong thread woven through J.R.R’s literature, and bears with it some moral questions. Originally Tolkien wrote in the Silmarillion that orcs were created by the evil and perverse corruption of Elves, but instead when we go to see the Fellowship of the Ring, we will see a story about orc pods, genetically engineered armies of evil. This weekend, the Hall of Fire discusses Orc Breeding – The Interpratations of J.R.R Tolkien and Peter Jackson.
For some people, the way Peter Jackson is approaching the concept of Orc Breeding is a smart one. Time constraints, certification, editing out scenes, all these thing Peter Jackson had to take into account when writing the screenplay, and it seems the sum of these parts has created the story we will see over the next three years. The idea of a genetically created army of evil, hatched in cacoons and pods in the deep dungeons underneath Orthanc does have it’s own moral weight, and is in it’s own way appropriate in the 21st Century, where cloning is such a hotly discussed issue.
But is that an excuse to change another fundamental part of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth creation? What would J.R.R say if he knew his vision of elves corrupted horribly by some dark lord is now reduced to some typically-Hollywood plotline involving some make-up and special effects. Must we suffer another needless, pointless story change which is a pale reflection on the original text? Do the advantages of adding this idea into the plot really outweight the disadvantages?
You might share the first view, you might share the latter, you may have a mild interest in the topic and no opinion, or have more important things to worry about. Whatever category you fall into, we want to see you visit us this weekend, as we host what promises to be another great debate!
Upcoming Discussions: Oct 13 & 14: FotR Chapter Discussion – The Bridge of Khazad-dûm Oct 20 & 21: FotR Movie Discussion – The Cast Oct 27 & 28: FotR Chapter Discussion – Lothlórien
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]
Sunday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 08:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]
Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast
Thirty-ninth heir of Isildur; Ranger of Middle-Earth; King of the reunited realms of Arnor and Gondor. As a child, he was brought into the home of Elrond as the son of Arathorn but both his identity and lineage were kept secret, and he was known as Estel; Hope. Most like Isildur amongst all his heirs he was, and it was at Rivendell that he first saw his future wife, Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond. This weekend, the Hall of Fire discusses one of the greatest men in the history of Middle-Earth, a leader who shaped the future of men and the first king under the Reign of Men in Middle-Earth.
Aragorn son of Arathorn, Estel, Elessar, Strider
Despite only having a section of the Lord of the Ring’s Appendices and a couple of pages in the Silmarillion dedicated to him, the story of Aragorn son of Arathorn could take up pages and pages in detail. An ambiguous and mysterious character throughout most of the books, only in the Return of the King did we see begin to see the true Aragorn, casting his Strider guise off like a coat.
But the War of the Ring is just a chapter in the book of Elessar Elfstone, his past and future a tale in itself. An heir of Isildur, the son of a slain father, the bearer of the forged sword of Narsil and the love of Arwen Undómiel. A man who walked the lands of Middle-Earth for years under the guise of Strider the Ranger, and a man who would become the first King of Middle-Earth.
This weekend, we expect a great discussion on the back of last week’s higest ever-attended Hall of Fire. Tolkien scholar or day-old fan, we want you to join us at one of our three discussions and find out just what it is that’s so great about the Hall of Fire!
Recommended Reading: Aragorn Character Page > The Lord of the Rings > The Silmarillion >
Upcoming Discussions: Oct 6 & 7: FotR Movie Discussion – Orc Breeding Oct 13 & 14: FotR Chapter Discussion – The Bridge of Khazad-dûm Oct 20 & 21: FotR Movie Discussion – The Cast Oct 27 & 28: FotR Chapter Discussion – Lothlórien
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]
Sunday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 08:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]
Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast
Words cannot describe the beauty of the Fellowship of the Ring Trailer II that was shown this Monday. If there were any doubts about Peter Jackson’s adaption of the films, at least we know visually he has gotten it right. But what do you think? Did Monday’s new trailer have you welling up inside? Did it fill you with a sense of pride as a Tolkien fan? Or was it the complete opposite, and do you think it’s all gone horribly, horribly wrong? This weekend, we’re going to be talking about the Fellowship of the Ring : Trailer II.
This weekend’s discussion will be much more than just people’s likes or hate, we’ll also be discussing the scenes we saw in the trailer themselves, how they are connected to the books, how true they are to the novels and what we can deduce from the scenes themselves. Can a scene be improved on in the films by making additions on what it is based on in the book?
What about the score? What about the increasingly farmilir music that seems to have been tinkered with and given some more depth. Do you like it? And what about those quotes? “Come and claim him” and the passionate and heart-felt “You…shall…not…pass!”. I don’t know about you guys, but that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end! And that’s what we want this weekend….your opinions, because that’s what counts. So drop by this weekend on one of our three different discussion times and join another hugely-popular Trailer discussion. They’ve been a hit in the past, and this time should be no different!
Unable to defeat the harsh and violent conditions of Caradhras, the Fellowship are forced to take another path which leads into a once proud place now consumed by evil. An eventful part of the movies, an important twist in the faith of the Fellowship and an incredible adventure, this weekend the Hall of Fire staff invite you to join us as we discuss the chapter that leads up to arguably the most important chapter in Book Two of Fellowship of the Ring:
Book II, Chapter IV: A Journey In The Dark
Wargs chasing them, the Fellowship find themselves in a race against the time as they are forced to find an alternative route to the unforging of the One Ring. With Legolas and Gimli bickering, and Sam fearful for the well-being of Bill the Pony, Gandalf attempts to quell the mixture of emotions experienced by the Nine Walkers as they walk into a place that even Gandalf the Istari fears.
But even entering the Mines itself prove difficult. A riddle in Elven-tongue of old manages to confound the Fellowship, who have to contend with a many-armed Watcher attempting to thwarth their quest. Once they finally gain access to the Mines themselves, they find that perhaps the darkness surrounding them can be an enemy itself.
This weekend, we have three discussions for you to share your thoughts on this chapter that explores the relationships of the Fellowship members in trying times if anything else. And this weekend sees the new time for Australian ringers, as our Hall of Fire chats move back three hours to 5pm AEST!
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]
Sunday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 8:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]
Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast
On September 11th, 2001 a tragedy occured that both shocked and appalled the world. At 8:58 am ET, the world stood still as an American Airlines airplane crashed into one of the famous World Trade Center towers. Originally believed to be an accident, only minutes later did the horrible truth become evident. Four planes hijacked, four crashed, thousands killed. A nation not only in chaos, but in confusion as a worst-case scenario became a scenario no longer. TheOneRing.net realise that this week reality, as horrible as it may seem, takes precendence over all else, and thus have postponed this week’s Hall of Fire discussion.
Instead, we offer a forum for people to talk about possibly the key event of the 21st Century. This weekend, the Hall of Fire staff invite you to discuss this amazing and tragic story with not just Tolkien fans, but real people with real emotions who have seen the same images as each one of us. This weekend is not about Hobbits, or Orcs, or things of fiction. This weekend is about real people, thousands of people who died pointlessly, and it is for that reason that we cannot forget what happened in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on Tuesday September 11th, 2001.
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]
Sunday Chat: 8:00 pm (20:00) AET [also 11:00 am (11:00) BST and 6:00 am (06:00) ET]
Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast
Upcoming Discussions: Sep 22 & 23: FotR Chapter Discussion – A Journey in the Dark Sep 29 & 30: LotR Character Discussion – Aragorn
