Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our poetry feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. So come and join us by the hearth, and enjoy!
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.
Andreth’s Lament
by Caroline Flynn
The trees are bare, the wind is chill But I remember the spring upon Dorthonion’s hill. My hair is grey, my eyes grow dim Yet they brighten when I recall him.
But between us a wide gulf spanned Unbridgeable by any earthly hand. I looked upon his flame, bright as the midnight star – A light I could only behold from afar.
For he was a child of the earth’s morn: I, mortal man’s daughter born. He, an Elda, for whom the ages flow by, I, of the Edain, doomed to age and die.
Yet our hands touched in the night, And I felt his flame, sharp and bright That burned in his eyes, touched his golden hair And touched the heart of a maid, young and fair.
Joy for a short time, then long sorrow And the dawn of our love had no morrow. Did I alone love in those blissful days? For in the end, you turned away.
On a grey morning you set forth Answering the war-horns of the North. Was it mist upon your face, or tears, As you left me behind to fading years?
Youth’s years may indeed have been few, But all I would have given to stand beside you! Did you spurn the love I thought we had before? I never asked, I saw you never more.
But in the regret, I found a friend, As your brother sought the hurt to mend. And he said that your love had been great, And only unwillingly did you separate our fates.
But as we sat and by the fire spoke, My hurt was healed, hope awoke. I understood that you were not free, But that you loved me as I loved thee.
In fire you fell, named the Sharp-flame. But my memories shall no longer be regret and blame. O irony! That I, the fading mortal Shall outlive thy years immortal.
Farewell, my beloved! If beyond death’s rift – Death, in hope Iluvatar’s gift – Await me, remember me, beyond the night Where shines the Everlasting Light.
~~ * ~~
Behold the Orc!
By Jennifer Russell
Behold the Orc, for such are we, Spawned by fell necromancy From steaming stinking depths we crawl A curse on our heads and siblings all, When we emerge from pits of hell We blindly follow, swarm pell-mell By Elven folk and men reviled No more no less an evil child With blackest thoughts and what ere’ defiled Scorned and hated Yet we were created.. Is it not said that from the Elves, We were but moulded from themselves? Those perfect beings so fair so wise From them, in twisted aspect, guise? Are we but YOU in fell disguise? Ah think before you scorn and sneer It is not us the Orc’s you fear.. Against your so called light you need… Our darkness and our foulest deed!
~~*~~
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.
Christmas came a bit early for Tolkien fandom as we learned about Fathom Entertainment bringing the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy back to theaters in early 2026. Yup – the real-deal Extended Editions that stole whole weekends from us for the last 25 years. (No complaints here!) The LOTR Theaters 2026 event gives us another chance to go there and back again!
Tickets are on sale now, and honestly, it feels like the perfect excuse to get back into a theater, turn off the rest of the world, and remember what it was like to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with fans who cheer when Gandalf arrives at dawn and cry when Sam says he can’t carry it for you, but he can carry you.
This isn’t just about seeing the films again; it’s about feeling the Fellowship again. And, honestly, after the last few years, that feels long overdue.
So here’s our ultimate TORn guide to what makes these screenings special and why you absolutely should not miss them.
1. It’s the 25th Anniversary – Crazy!
Twenty five years ago, The Fellowship of the Ring strolled into theaters with tons of hype and basically rearranged our emotional connection to film for an entire generation. A quarter century later (holy crud are we really that old now?!), we’re getting a chance to celebrate the moment that changed fantasy filmmaking forever.
If you saw it in 2001, maybe you get to relive that excitement and nostalgia. If you weren’t old enough or somehow missed it, this is your moment to join the rest of us and say: I finally saw it on the big screen!
2. D-BOX Motion Seats – You Will Literally Feel Middle-earth
If you haven’t tried D-BOX before… oh boy. We think some of these screenings will have this available…
Imagine this:
The Mines of Moria quake underneath you
The Balrog roar vibrates through your seat
The cavalry charge at Helm’s Deep moves your entire body
Troll hits actually jolt your chair
It’s ridiculous and fun and honestly the closest we’ll get to signing waivers saying Yes, please physically toss me around during the Battle of Pelennor Fields.”
If you want immersion, D-BOX is the deluxe tier. It is not for the faint of heart though – so fair warning!
So… Netflix just bought Warner Bros. (Pending regulatory approval…) We all knew WB was up for sale, but Netflix coming out on top was a bit of a plot twist. [Press Release]
Like us, Ringers across the world are asking what this means for Middle-earth on film. Do the rights change? Does this affect ‘Hunt for Gollum?’ Will we be watching the Extended Editions on Netflix next week? We decided to put a little list together to help walk through the big questions fans are already asking and what we actually know.
Does Netflix now own Lord of the Rings?
Nope. That is unless they are buying Embracer… (Which they aren’t)
The core adaptation, merchandising, and related rights are with Embracer’s Middle‑earth Enterprises. WB has been the licensee making the films. Netflix is just buying the parent company that owns the studio which holds that license. Yes, that’s a big deal, but it doesn’t magically move the Tolkien IP to Netflix.
Think of it like Netflix now owns the workshop where Middle-earth movies get built, but not the blueprints.
Does this affect the movies Warner Bros/New Line already made?
Yes – but not in a scary way. The Peter Jackson trilogies, the Hobbit films, and the War of the Rohirrim anime all stay with the studio. Since Netflix is buying the studio, that whole library goes with it. So yes, Netflix now owns those. (Again, once the deal is complete)
Once contracts with other streaming services expire, Netflix will probably want LOTR on their own platform. It’s the Arkenstone, and Netflix likes shiny things.
Have you ever caught yourself muttering “confound it!” when unexpected guests appear at the door and you suddenly have to host them? Or perhaps a pesky relation is coming over for a meal and you know you need to impress them. Either way, join Kili in this new episode of Happy Hobbit to learn how to make a fancy hobbit dish sure to impress! Recipe below.
Fancy Hobbit Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
500 ml (2 cups) cream heavy cream / whipping cream
1 vanilla bean or use 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used extract)
100 g (½ cup) caster sugar
6 egg yolks
6 tbsp caster sugar for sugar topping
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F.
If using, split the vanilla bean in half and add to a small saucepan with the cream.
Set the pan over medium heat.
Once the cream starts to steam and bubble around the edges, remove from the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light in color.
Add a ladle of the hot cream and whisk into the egg yolk mixture, or slowly trickle it in as I do in the video.
Stream in the hot cream whilst whisking continuously until everything is combined.
Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug (this makes it easier to pour the custard into the ramekins).
Set your ramekins in a deep baking dish and then fill each with the custard. I use 150-200ml (5-6oz) ramekins.
Carefully pour boiling hot water into the baking dish until the water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
To bake the custard, place the roasting dish in a preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle.
Remove from the oven and then allow to cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Transfer to the fridge and allow to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Once you’re ready to serve, sprinkle a tablespoon of caster sugar on top of each pot of custard and then, using a kitchen blowtorch, or dragon, caramelize the sugar.
This can also be done under the oven’s broiler/grill but there’s always the risk of the custard softening too much or the sugar burning
Allow the sugar to harden for a minute or two and then serve immediately.
Source: Simply Delicious Food
Happy Hobbit has brought Middle-earth to its viewers’ daily lives since joining TheOneRing.net in 2012! Learn hobbity recipes, crafts, and more by watching new episodes and/or perusing the 12+ years worth of videos on their YouTube channel. 🌻 Be sure you are subscribed to Happy Hobbit on YouTube and check back here at TheOneRing.net so that you don’t miss out!
Get even more slow-living hobbit content by following Happy Hobbit on Instagram,Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok! If watching the show has left you with an appetite for more, know that Kili (Kellie) has a podcast where Tolkien is often mentioned called Forests, Folklore & Fantasy.
Composer and sound engineer Jordan Rannells (who you might recall from his acclaimed The Lord of the Rings ambient audio soundscape project) has just released a new, immersive work designed to synchronise with Andy Serkis’s unabridged audiobook reading of The Silmarillion.
The project, called The Soundscape of Eä, follows The Silmarillion’s full journey from the Music of the Ainur and the formation of the world, through the wars of Beleriand, and more.
Rannels says that the new soundscape is timed to exactly match Serkis’s audiobook reading, and combines foley audio, original music, ambient nature recordings, and carefully timed sound effects, all engineered in Dolby Atmos to deliver a 3D immersive audio journey through J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
“This is not just a bit of added music: it changes how we can experience these stories,” he says. “We get to hear the song of the Ainur. The hissing and darkness of Ungoliant, and the might of Ancalagon in the War of Wrath.”
Get 25% off any of Jordan Rannell’s soundscapes with TORn
Until January 6, TORn readers can get 25% off not only The Soundscape of Eä, but any of Rannell’s soundscapes over on his website. Just use the special code TORN25 at checkout.
You can also listen to a few samples from The Soundscape of Eä in the Youtube clip below:
The release of The Soundscape of Eä also means listeners are now able to sync an immersive audioscape to Harper Collins’ audiobooks of the three key works of Tolkien’s legendarium: The Silmarillion, The Hobbit (An Unexpected Soundscape), and The Lord of the Rings (A Long-Expected Soundscape). Handily, if this appeals to you, Rannells has bundled them all together in The Legendarium Collection.
