HobbitDOSMirkwoodGaolKeyc2Last night Weta Workshop released two more prop replica items from The Hobbit Trilogy. The first is an item I have personally been looking forward to getting since the films were announced. The escape from Thranduil’s halls is one of the best parts of the book and this item plays a pivotal role in that escape. Fans can now own their own replica of The Mirkwood Gaol Key that Bilbo uses to rescue the Dwarves. As we all know the Dwarves were given seven rings of power and one of these rings went to Thoror who was the King of the Longbeards. Thanks to the craftsmen at Weta you can now bring home this ring of power. Collectors can snag The Mirkwood Gaol Key for $29.99 and Thror’s Ring of Power for $174.99

desolation of smaug poster As the live feed of the ‘Desolation of Smaug’ Fan Event ended, those of us who were lucky enough to be in a theater were treated to five extended scenes from the upcoming movie that totalled approximately 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage. And what we saw was truly spellbinding!

The theater-exclusive material began with a full music video for the new closing credits song, ‘I See Fire’. It was quite a good song, but it doesn’t quite capture the magic of, say, ‘May It Be’ or ‘Into the West’, but few songs can. It’s a folk/pop ballad about Thorin’s determination to win back Erebor at any cost. Continue reading “All the spoilery details from the 20 minutes of previously unseen footage screened at The Desolation of Smaug Fan Event”

Glaurung the dragon, one of the chief weapons Morogth used to defeat the Eldar in Beleriand. Artwork: John Howe.
Glaurung the dragon, one of the chief weapons Morogth used to defeat the Eldar in Beleriand. Artwork: John Howe.
In this new TORn library piece, guest writer Dr Timothy Furnish explores dragons and dragon-slaying in the Tolkien-verse. Are there reasons why only Men slay dragons in the world of Arda, and not elves or dwarves? Read on and find out!


Why did Tolkien imagine only men killing dragons?

by Dr Timothy Furnish, PhD.

Dragons were very important to J.R.R. Tolkien, who acknowledged that his very first attempt at fiction-writing, when he was seven, centered around a “great green dragon.”[1]

In his seminal work Beowulf: the Monster and the Critics, Tolkien noted that in myth “there are… many heroes but very few good dragons.”[2] And in On Fairy Stories he confessed that he “desired dragons with a profound desire.”[3] Continue reading “Why did Tolkien imagine only Men killing dragons?”

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.

IMG_6490As you may recall we teamed up with Sideshow Collectibles to give away one of their massive Sauron Premium Format Statues. After many entries its time to finally announce the winner of this contest. The lucky Ringer who will be having one of these 3 foot tall pieces shipped from our friends at Sideshow Collectibles is Ben S. of Gurnee, IL. We want to thank all of you who took the time to enter and be on the watch for the next contest. You can still get Sauron from Sideshow Collectibles and if you’re unsure check out our review of one of the best The Lord of the Rings collectibles you’ll ever find.

legolasWe’ve started to see more products for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. So we wanted to remind folks of a great looking art print from our friend artist Jerry Vanderstelt who created a stunning looking art print of Legolas Greenleaf as we will see him in film two this December. You can get this amazing print from Jerry right now for a steal of a deal at just $78 for a 18×24 print. The other superb print we want to remind you of is Jerry’s Sauron art print. This print captures Sauron as he walks through Mordor viewing his realm and was recently turned into a statue from Sideshow Collectibles. You can also get this print for $78 and then compare it to the statue in our review.

IMG_6489Sideshow Collectibles has created one of the best Middle-earth collectibles you will ever find. As you’ll discover in our full review, this piece is simply amazing.

Now, we’re teaming up with our friends at Sideshow Collectibles to give Ringers around the world a chance to bring Sauron home. Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – Sideshow Collectibles Sauron Premium Format Contest”