The Fellowship comes to Caras Galadhon — the city of Lothlórien — where lights twinkle like stars in trees as tall as skyscrapers. After climbing to a high a and enormous flet they are greeted by Middle-earth’s #1 power couple: Lord Celeborn an

166 – Inspiration in Unlikely (and Likely) Places: An Interview with John Garth

May 10th, 2020 58m 51s

Alan and Shawn are pleased to welcome John Garth back to the podcast to talk about his upcoming book, The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien. It gives us an unprecedented look at the places that inspired Tolkien, from locations close to home in England t

165 - Just a Little Bit of Peril

May 3rd, 2020 1h 41m

The Fellowship are led through Lothlórien blindfolded, and yes, Legolas is still complaining. Deprived of his sight, Frodo’s heightened senses take in the sounds, the smells, and the feel of the world around him; and we bask in the beauty of To

164 - Nobody Expected the Elvish Insinuation

Apr 26th, 2020 1h 40m

Haldir of Lórien greets the Fellowship (the less beardy fellows, at least) as friends and invites them to spend the night in his magic treehouse. Poor Gimli is deemed a spy just for being a Dwarf in an Elvish forest, but nobody tells him. And w

163 - Strange Women Singing in Streams

Apr 19th, 2020 1h 46m

No basis for a system of government, maybe, but it’s a perfectly good reason for an Elf to wax poetic about the good old days (or the bad ones… but it’s not the Dwarves’ fault). After Legolas tells the story of Nimrodel and Amroth, the Fellowsh

162 - 'Tis but a Scratch

Apr 5th, 2020 1h 41m

The Fellowship mourns Gandalf quickly before moving on to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Moria. Gimli makes a quick stop at a legendary Dwarvish tourist attraction, but Aragorn leaves the car running, hoping to make it

161 - Questions After Nightfall 10

Mar 29th, 2020 1h 34m

Pull up a seat near the log-fire as we welcome a few guest listeners to our tenth quarterly unscripted Q&A episode! It’s a small gathering in the common-room tonight, and we take our time answering some deep and nuanced questions about Tolkien’

160 - Tolkien Reading Day Special 2020

Mar 22nd, 2020 2h 9m

Happy Tolkien Reading Day! On March 25 every year — the date of the fall of Barad-dûr — Tolkien lovers worldwide celebrate by reading the Professor’s works. A theme is chosen by The Tolkien Society every year, and for 2020 the theme is: Nature

159 - A Farewell to Wings

Mar 15th, 2020 1h 58m

On a very special episode of the Prancing Pony Podcast, we come to the most divisive question in Tolkien fandom: are Balrogs left-handed? No, wait, it’s the other one about Balrog physiology, and we finally, definitively* answer it here. The an

158 - Troll the Bones

Mar 8th, 2020 1h 46m

Gandalf discovers a damaged book documenting the Dwarves’ doomed attempt to retake Moria. They read with growing horror about the fates of Balin, Ori, and others; but at least they now know where they are and how to get out. Before they can lea

157 - Don't Stop Believin'

Mar 1st, 2020 1h 27m

Following an insensitive remark about the “darksome” halls of Khazad-dûm by Samwise at bedtime, Gimli delivers an impassioned defense of his people’s lifestyle choices — in verse — and Gandalf gives a history lesson about Moria and mithril. Saf

156 - Any Way You Want It (Just Not the Middle Way)

Feb 23rd, 2020 1h 44m

Frodo feels a sense of growing dread — and hears faint footsteps behind them — as the Fellowship marches across the long dark of Moria, navigating the twists and turns with only Gandalf’s memory as their guide. But when they reach a fork in the

155 - Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

Feb 16th, 2020 1h 16m

The Fellowship has found the Hollin Gate! But before they can enter Moria, they need to figure out the password. Merry stumbles upon a clue quickly, but no one notices, and Gandalf proceeds to shout spells at the door while something in the wat

154 - Separate Ways

Feb 9th, 2020 1h 30m

After the warg attack the weather changes again, becoming sunny and clear. That’s terrible news, of course, since now the Fellowship is visible to any unfriendly eyes that may be watching. They must get under the mountains quickly, but first th

153 - When the Lights Go Down

Feb 2nd, 2020 1h 40m

Defeated by Caradhras, the Fellowship regroups and discusses what to do next. Going back — though supported by the second-breakfast faction — is not a viable option. Boromir, who was apparently napping through that part of the Council, continue

152 - Trampled Under Snow

Jan 26th, 2020 1h 17m

The crossing of cruel Caradhras is hindered by snow, wind, and falling stones that seem to be sent by some supernatural force. Who or what is against them is unclear, but it is clear that continuing on is not an option… and going back is not go

151 - Misty Mountain Hop

Jan 19th, 2020 1h 23m

The Fellowship is forced to leave Hollin early when “no sign of life nearby” turns into “giant evil crows filling the sky”. Certain they are being watched, they get moving as soon as possible and make for the Misty Mountains, but Gandalf and Ar

150 - Time to Ramble On

Jan 12th, 2020 1h 28m

On a cold grey winter evening, Frodo sets out on the Quest of Mount Doom with eight companions. Boromir blows his horn to make sure everyone for miles around knows about their “secret” departure, and Gimli debates the value of oaths with Elrond

149 - Good Times Bad Times

Jan 5th, 2020 1h 43m

We resume the narrative with the first part of “The Ring Goes South”, as Frodo and his friends come to terms with the decisions made at the Council of Elrond. But the Ring isn’t going anywhere for a couple of months; and that leaves time for sc

148 - Questions After Nightfall 9

Dec 15th, 2019 1h 21m

Alan and Shawn once again open the doors of the common-room to our listeners for live, unscripted Q&A! We shoot from the hip on questions about “wild men”, Frodo’s mental resilience, and whether Fëanor really is just too melodramatic (spoiler:

147 - Tales from the Perilous Green Room: An Interview with Brian Sibley

Dec 8th, 2019 1h 38m

Alan and Shawn are thrilled to welcome back Brian Sibley for his first full-episode interview! A writer and broadcaster, Brian has been responsible for beloved adaptations of Tolkien’s work such as the BBC radio dramatizations of The Lord of th

146 - Bring It on Home

Nov 24th, 2019 1h 35m

The Council of Elrond draws to a close, and options are finally debated about what to do with the One Ring. But the easy way is obviously the wrong way, the hard way seems impossible; and frankly, you know the committee is running out of ideas

145 - What Is and What Should Never Be

Nov 17th, 2019 1h 37m

Frodo finally learns why Gandalf never came as promised: Saruman the (Until Recently) White has turned to the dark side! The betrayal sinks in as the wizard tells the tale of his imprisonment at Orthanc and his rescue by Gwaihir, swiftest of th

144 - Nobody's Fault but Mine (and Yours, and Isildur's)

Nov 10th, 2019 1h 23m

Gandalf and Elrond come to terms with their own past mistakes while Aragorn reveals the lengths to which he’s gone to repair the faults of Isildur. As the story continues to unfold, the truth becomes clear to all at the Council of Elrond: Frodo

143 - Whole Lotta Lore

Nov 3rd, 2019 1h 36m

The Council of Elrond continues with a brief history of Arnor and Gondor since Isildur’s time, and Boromir begins to learn the meaning of the riddle that brought him to Rivendell. He takes the revelation of Aragorn’s identity surprisingly well;