I’m with the “Please, Sir, can I have some more? 🤲🏻” crowd. Sometimes, the lore is so vast and detailed, ya gotta break it down into chunks that refer to important lore past, present of the subject and future outcomes. Each played their part. Would also love some carefully thought out “What ifs?” regarding what could/would have happened if some of these major turning points had gone differently. Loving this format, guys!
More please! This was a great video, one silver lining of the ROP show was it made me more interested in reading the actual lore of the 2nd Age, it's been a while since I read Silmarillion and now I want to get back into that period.
The rings of power show is why I got audio books for and read (1) The Silmarillion, (2) The Fall of Gondolin, (3) Beren and Luthien, (4) Unfinished Tales (still reading lol), (5) The Children of Hurin (obsessed!), 6) LOTR Fellowship of the Ring, (7) LOTR The 2 Towers, (8) LOTR The Return of the King (I had never read the books, just watch the LOTR movies.) I also got the book for the Hobbit, Tom Bombadil, and Tales from the Perilous Realm to read. I will get the letters book w/ his letters as well. What am I missing? Cuz I’ve seen ppl mention something like “history of middle earth” and don’t know what they’re talking about. But so much for the claim that ROP craps on Tolkien and lore and blah blah blah. It makes you want more. But haters will hate lol
i love your naration and detailing in each video. please do a video on how and why Galadriel is so powerful as if she were a maiar herself. love from south africa
More please! I’d love to see you cover Bilbo getting the one ring. Not a chronology, as even the most basic of us are familiar with these details. But how a Hobbit getting the ring (and Bilbo specifically) changed the fates of Hobbits (and the view of Hobbits) and other peoples around the world.
More please. I’d like you to cover the day that the Valar decided to release Melkor from his imprisonment in the Hall of Mandos , underestimating his malice and his hatred for the Elves which eventually brought about the destruction of the two Trees and the ruin of the Noldor
The Valar were more sympathetic than empathetic. They basically saw their oldest brother in pain and were moved by their own virtue to seek any potential virtue in their fallen sibling. It was very much like a Luke/Vader situation without the actual conversion from evil.
More please! Love your content! How about the Battle of Sudden flame and it’s aftermath with the deaths of many Princes and High King Fingolfin? I always imagined Fingon feeling not ready to step into his father’s steps. Almost a Mufasa and Simba situation. Or the aftermath of the Last Alliance. Sauron defeated but also Gil-Galad and Elendil dead.
I can't wait for the rest of this series! I love how in your videos you give all the importants, and you don't go down unnecessary rabbit trails. Keep up the great work!
Yes indeed, more please. As for days that shook Middle Earth, the dwarves delving too deep and too greedily, but possibly originally lead to that by the profitable trade in mithril to the Jewelsmiths.
The conception of this series came from one incident that I thought we could really expand upon as historic events within middle-earth: The Oath of Feanor and the three kinslayings and war of the jewels. The idea was to use that as a springboard to explore these really important, historic events that really changed the history of Arda. It's great to see this series coming to life! Thanks for watching friend!
More please, and I'd like to see more about the moment the Witch King was killed, what it meant, and what the respective roles of Meriadoc and Eowyn were in his slaying. Thanks for helping me learn more about Tolkien's monumental contribution to the history of literature!
Cool thing about angmar is that even though it was destroyed by elves and men, it was still feared and I think it was because of the quality of the evils that lived there. Wiser, smarter, stronger. And the most important part was the fact that they were men and as far as I know men make great evils such as isildur and the nine
The manner of Sauron's arrival to Numenor took different forms in earlier versions of the story. The Fall of Numenor, Sur (an earlier name for Sauron) came to Numenor in the 'likeness of a great bird' and preached the return of Morgoth. In a later version, the King of Numenor sends ships to Middle-earth after hearing the rise of Sauron and summons him to do homage. The element of the King sending an armed host appears later in The Drowning of Anadune where he smithies weapons of war. This would later be expanded to what closely resembles what is in the Akallabeth. In earlier versions of the story Ar-Pharazon did not set foot on Aman with his army, instead he remained aboard his ship along with his queen Istar (an earlier name of Tar-Miriel) and both perished when the sea swallowed the fleet. This was also the instance in the texts that mentions Tar-Miriel accompanying Ar-Pharazon to Aman, whereas in later writings she remained on the island.
I like this, the numerorians were primed to accept saurons lies due to their own discontent and lack of appreciation of what they had. Sauron may have caused the final push, but they ran most of the marathon to their destruction on their own.
I love this channel so much, you guys do such an awesome job on the lore. For people like me who just hate reading books, this is the best alternative to learn everything about the lore. Thank you guys so much for making my Tolkien fandom go through the roof.
Not gonna lie The black numenorians are my favorite evil soldiers of all. I think the reason for that is because they are men that practiced with dark magic. Which made the worthy of to serve the Iron crown. And also a great threat to the west.
Tar Míriel looking down to Elendil: “And who would THIS be?”👸🏽 “This is Elendil, you cousin, heir of Elros with a claim to the throne, my Queen”👀 “Don’t you recall that Thanksgiving a couple of years ago? He came along with Uncle Amandil, your father’s old friend”
What-if video idea for you to do: What if Gandalf never fell at the Bridge of Khazad-dum and continued with the fellowship to Lothlorien and on forward?
More please. Thanks for the video. I have a question. How is it that the sinking of the continent of Numenor, the further removal of the continent of Aman from the world, and the making of the remaining world into a sphere not cataclysmic enough to mark the end of the second age. While the defeat of Sauron was a historic event, it doesn’t seem as world defining as the downfall of Numenor and the changing of the shape of the world.
Númenor was supposed to be a discussion about death vs life vs human nature vs immortality. The Fall of the Island is a reference to the fall of Man (a second fall) that exists in the Legendarium, and in the myths of humanity. This fight against death reminds me of Roy and the Replicants' fight in Blade Runner: Would you kill and destroy to find God and ask for more time to live?
I think a good question to follow up on this video is; Did Sauron expect a different outcome with the Númenórean attack on the Valar, or was his plan just always the destruction of Númenor?
He totally knew the chances Numenor had in the attack. Moreover, it’s my guess that Sauron claims a personal victory for any outcome where his enemies fight each other.
Fun fact: According to Tolkien, Dunedain of the royal family did not have facial hair. This was due to having Elvish blood. "The Nature of Middle Earth."
Did not know that. Interesting I like that Aragorn had facial hair. Kind of made him fit in as that “regular” ranger. Guy named Strider has to have a beard lol
This will play a part in another of this series, with the first marriage of elf and edain, and all of the implications that would have for the future. It's a question, always, when writing: where to draw focus and what must be included and what is (less) necessary to the story at present. But we've not forgotten Tar-Miriel!
Númenor fighting Sauron (in his peak) is a fight doomed to failure. He is a divine person! And he was a "Trojan Horse" of Númenor. "His armada that took haven at Umbar was so great, and the Númenóreans at their height so terrible and resplendent, that Sauron's servants deserted him. So Sauron had recourse to guile. He submitted, and was carried off to Númenor as a prisonerhostage. But he was of course a 'divine' person (in the terms of this mythology; a lesser member of the race of Valar) and thus far too powerful to be controlled in this way. He steadily got Arpharazôn's mind under his own control, and in the event corrupted many of the Númenóreans" "Ar-Pharazôn, as is told in the 'Downfall' or Akallabêth, conquered a terrified Sauron's subjects, not Sauron. Sauron's personal 'surrender' was voluntary and cunning*: he got free transport to Numenor! He naturally had the One Ring, and so very soon dominated the minds and wills of most of the Númenóreans."
Bloody hell is Eru a genocidal maniac, the Akallabêth puts me in mind of the scene in Good Omens when Crowley is talking about the flood and Noah, “Not kids! You can’t kill kids!?”
73 He whose boldness appears in his daring (to do wrong, in defiance of the laws) is put to death; he whose boldness appears in his not daring (to do so) lives on. Of these two cases the one appears to be advantageous, and the other to be injurious. But When Heaven's anger smites a man, Who the cause shall truly scan? On this account the sage feels a difficulty (as to what to do in the former case). It is the way of Heaven not to strive, and yet it skilfully overcomes; not to speak, and yet it is skilful in (obtaining a reply; does not call, and yet men come to it of themselves. Its demonstrations are quiet, and yet its plans are skilful and effective. The meshes of the net of Heaven are large; far apart, but letting nothing escape.
27 The skilful traveller leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps; the skilful speaker says nothing that can be found fault with or blamed; the skilful reckoner uses no tallies; the skilful closer needs no bolts or bars, while to open what he has shut will be impossible; the skilful binder uses no strings or knots, while to unloose what he has bound will be impossible. In the same way the sage is always skilful at saving men, and so he does not cast away any man; he is always skilful at saving things, and so he does not cast away anything. This is called 'Hiding the light of his procedure.' Therefore the man of skill is a master (to be looked up to) by him who has not the skill; and he who has not the skill is the helper of (the reputation of) him who has the skill. If the one did not honour his master, and the other did not rejoice in his helper, an (observer), though intelligent, might greatly err about them. This is called 'The utmost degree of mystery.'
8 The highest excellence is like (that of) water. The excellence of water appears in its benefiting all things, and in its occupying, without striving (to the contrary), the low place which all men dislike. Hence (its way) is near to (that of) the Tao. The excellence of a residence is in (the suitability of) the place; that of the mind is in abysmal stillness; that of associations is in their being with the virtuous; that of government is in its securing good order; that of (the conduct of) affairs is in its ability; and that of (the initiation of) any movement is in its timeliness. And when (one with the highest excellence) does not wrangle (about his low position), no one finds fault with him.
Tolkien's gods are as cruel as his catholic god. The treat humans like second class and wonder why they start to ask rational questions. To be doomed to diseases and death and uglyness while looking at the immortal beautiful free from disease Elves without getting jealous? I love Middle Earth, but I start to despise Tolkien more and more. His morals are so .... Catholic.
