Section divider

Tag: Rings of Power

Lots more Middle-earth on the way as new things are previewed and fans assemble on Bilbo & Frodo’s birthday this year.

Tales of the Shire preview & new release date

Weta Workshop & Private Division gave select fans and gamers a playable demo of Tales of the Shire, a console & PC game coming to all platforms – Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Playstation, PC, and mobile via Netflix Games. Developers also announced the release date has been pushed to March 25, 2025. We have a full writeup and video playthroughs in another article.

Game producer Calliope Ryder was at TwitchCon San Diego this weekend for a panel on Tales of the Shire, and posted a “fun facts” thread about shirefolk on X.

It was also revealed that the duck with a dwarven helmet is a featured character, and its name is Ladle (sp?)!

Richard Taylor and the team at Weta Workshop posted a 20-minute behind the scenes video of the game in progress.

War of the Rohirrim gets a poster & Warhammer tie-in

New Line Cinema’s feature anime film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim debuted its theatrical poster for Hobbit Day!

Also announced, Warhammer is bringing Rohirrim into its Middle-earth™ Strategy Battle Game with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim™ – Battle of Edoras starter set. The 56 piece package includes a board map, some Edoras structures, and a ton of miniature painted figures that the Tabletop RPG is known for. Get all the details over at Warhammer website.

Official WB social accounts reawaken

The Hobbit Movie posted a charming little video to celebrate Hobbit Day.

Middle-earth music in concert in Los Angeles

Fans spotted that an orchestra concert of ‘The music of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit’ is coming to Pasadena in March 2025, and tickets are now available at Ticketmaster. (Note this is not the full scores being played with the movie – stay tuned for news of The Return of the King with live orchestra coming to NYC early next year!)

Prime Video celebrates Sauron on Hobbit Day

Also posting on Bilbo’s birthday was official accounts for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, focusing on Sauron. This fan wants to know: is Harfoot Nori’s birthday also September 22?

New Fan Podcast Launches

While a lot of your favorite Tolkien influencers are being featured in official The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power marketing, including our own greendragon, more fans are getting into the TolkienTube game. The newest is Makers of Middle-earth from Anna MarĂ­a, who has previously joined us for SDCC panels and livestreams. Her first interview is with the legendary Jed Brophy!

Fans celebrate together worldwide for Hobbit Day 2024

New Zealand fans visited Hobbiton with Red Carpet Tours.

Los Angeles fans got together for a potluck at Mineral Wells area in Griffith Park

Header photo is from Diane in the TORN Discord, taken under the party tree at Hobbiton! We hope all our fellow fans had a happy, hobbity day of fun and festivity – and are enjoying the riches of this era in the Tolkien fandom.

Posted in: Share: Divide line

Webcrawler is back this week to break down the events of Episode 4 of The Rings of Power. Read and enjoy!

~ Staffer Demosthenes

Recap: The Rings of Power Episode 4

by TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler

Season 2, Episode 4

Titled “Eldest”, a direct reference to Tom Bombadil calling himself Eldest in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. 

“‘Don’t you know my name yet? That’s the only answer. Tell me, who are you, alone, yourself and nameless? But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that’s what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. Book 1, Chapter 7: In The House of Tom Bombadil

There are also other references to “Eldest” in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that may be worth mentioning:

‘Hoo now!’ replied Treebeard. ‘Hoo! Now that would be telling! Not so hasty. And I am doing the asking. You are in my country. What are you, I wonder? I cannot place you. You do not seem to come in the old lists that I learned when I was young. But that was a long, long time ago, and they may have made new lists. Let me see! Let me see! How did it go?

Learn now the lore of Living Creatures! 
First name the four, the free peoples: 
Eldest of all, the elf-children;
Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses; 
Ent the earthborn, old as mountains; 
Man the mortal, master of horses:

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Book 3 Chapter 4: Treebeard

Then Treebeard said farewell to each of them in turn, and he bowed three times slowly and with great reverence to Celeborn and Galad- riel. ‘It is long, long since we met by stock or by stone, A vanimar, vanima ́lion nostari!’ he said. ‘It is sad that we should meet only thus at the ending. For the world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again.’

And Celeborn said: ‘I do not know, Eldest.’ But Galadriel said: ‘Not in Middle-earth, nor until the lands that lie under the wave are lifted up again. Then in the willow-meads of Tasarinan we may meet in the Spring. Farewell!’

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Book 6 Chapter 6: Many Partings

Synopsis

There are four plots we follow in this episode — the RhĂťn storyline gets split.

RhĂťn

The Stranger

Last time we saw The Stranger, he had conjured up a sandstorm to blow away the Gaudrim riders, inadvertently lifting away Nori and Poppy with his uncontrollable power. We see him searching for the two harfoots, when he comes across and follows a baby goat. The goat leads him to a goat herder tending to a garden while singing and humming to himself. The Stranger asks this herder about the harfoots and the map of the stars; a gust of wind then blows away the map which lands on a tree. The tree has a branch which looks like the staff in the Stranger’s visions; he attempts to snap it off, at which point the tree (a Huorn) awakens, grabbing The Stranger and entombing him inside. 

The Gaudrim Rider, Brânk, is talking to The Dark Wizard, telling him the Stranger and the harfoots have been separated. The Dark Wizard tells Brank to go after the harfoots, and then he stands up and proclaims he will handle The Stranger. Meanwhile, the goat herder pulls the Stranger out of the Houron and reveals himself to be Tom Bombadil. Tom invites the Stranger in, and after a bath and a meal, The Stranger asks questions of Tom. It is revealed that the Dark Wizard is an Istar who had come to Tom in the past, seeking him in mastering a wizard’s staff. Tom reveals that the Stranger is meant to face the Dark Wizard, and Sauron.

Nori & Poppy

The two harfoots awake far from The Stranger in the desert, after being blown away in a sandstorm. They learn the Gaudrim are still searching for them, so Nori and Poppy attempt to escape; after jumping over a small cliff, they run into a Stoor named Merrimac, who reluctantly takes them to the Stoor Village. Nori tells the leader of the Stoors, Gundabel, that The Stranger is an Istar, a wizard; but Gundabel assumes they must mean the Dark Wizard and locks them up. 

Gundabel asks Nori more about the Harfoots, and after Nori mentions Sadoc Burrows, Gundabel takes her to see a cave painting highlighting the stories of the Stoors. One painting shows Rorimas Burrows, an ancestor of Sadoc,  who set out with a caravan of Stoors to search for a new home for them alll. Nori realizes he never found it, and that is why all the Harfoots just became wanderers instead. Brânk comes to the Stoor Village, demanding they turn over the harfoots; when Gundabel refuses, Brânk threatens to return with The Dark Wizard.

Pelargir

Isildur, Arondir and a company of Southlanders are in a forest at night, searching for Theo. Arondir comes across axes, tools, and severed limbs, concluding that it was not Wildmen who attacked this camp and kidnapped Theo. Back in Pelargir, the Southlanders and our heroes discuss where to look for Theo next; Estrid mentions looking up in the north because “that part of the forest is old”. Later, Arondir questions her about a mark on her back, revealing that she is one of the Wildmen who bore the mark of Adar. They use her to find the Wildmen’s camp, and along the way discover a trail of cherry blossom petals.

As Isildur, Estrid and Arondir track Theo, they come across a muddy swamp; Isildur falls into quicksand and Arondir tries to get him out. They both get pulled in, but luckily Estrid is able to coax the mud monster out, allowing Arondir to cut their way out through its belly. This allows Isildur and Arondir to trust Estrid again. Isildur sets Estrid free, but she draws a sword on him and attempts to escape. Suddenly two Ents, Winterbloom and Snaggleroot attack the trio, but Arondir is able to talk to them, and seek forgiveness. The ents free their captives, including Theo, and inform the party that an army of orcs were seen marching west. Arondir makes amends with Theo and takes his leave, to go confront the army and Adar.

Grey Havens/Road To Eregion

A contingency of elven soldiers begin to board ships at the Grey Havens; Galadriel and Elrond discuss the team required for their secret journey to Eregion. They decide to take a small group of 6 elves across the Axa bridge, but when they arrive, they find the bridge destroyed by lightning. Their map-reader, Camnir, recommends taking Tyrn Gorthad to cut across and shorten the journey; but Galadriel’s ring, Nenya, shows her visions of ghostly figures and chains. Elrond however, refuses to heed Galadriel’s advice from her ring, and they attempt through Tyrn Gorthad (Barrow-downs) with the company. Something has brought the bodies in the tombs to life, and the Barrow-wights attack the company, killing the elven warrior Daemor. 

Thanks to Elrond though, they manage to defeat the barrow-wights. While the other elven soldiers mourn and honor Daemor, Elrond and Galadriel have a conversation about the ring, and Sauron. Camnir warns them of drums nearby, and they discover an orc encampment. The orcs notice them and fire arrows, hitting Camnir. While trying to tend to his wound, Galadriels finds that Nenya heals Camnir completely; she gives Elrond the ring and tells him to take the company and leave. She creates a diversion allowing them to do so, and is captured by the orcs. Then, Adar comes forward, greeting her and calling her Altariel. 

Overall Thoughts on Episode 4

At first I felt that this was largely a set-up episode, similar to season 1, episode 5, “Partings”; This episode moves characters into position for their story arcs in the latter half of the season. Arondir is headed towards Eregion, The orc army is already there, Galadriel has been captured, the Stranger knows his purpose, and Elrond now has Nenya, etc. A lot happened in this episode, but none of it seems tied to the main plot, that of the rings being made in Eregion, or of Sauron’s machination. But I noticed there is a theme throughout this episode. 

There is Tom Bombadil, “Eldest”, who talks about being there “before the river and the trees”, of knowing “the dark under the stars when it was fearless”; The Ents who talk about knowing peace as “When the only sound here was light upon the moss.  Both of these invoke the memory of an ancient past, for Tom, long before evil or darkness touched the world, and for the Ents, before Melkor irreparably marred Arda. 

“For even if we under Eru have the power to return to Middle-earth and cast out Morgoth from the Kingdom of Arda, we cannot destroy all the evil that he has sown, nor seek out all his servants—unless we ravaged the whole of the Kingdom and made an end of all life therein; and that we may not do.”

Mandos, from The History of Middle-earth: The Peoples of Middle-earth

On the other side you have the barrow-wights poem, which is used in the soundtrack by Bear McCreary, with the following last four lines:

In the black wind the stars shall die,
and still on gold here let them lie,
till the dark lord lifts his hand
over dead sea and withered land

This is looking forward, forward to a future where darkness has taken over the lands. It stands in stark contrast to the world as described by Tom in his memories, or the Ents in theirs. 

There is also Galadriel and Elrond’s conversation, about the rings and Sauron. Throughout the season we’ve seen them have this discussion, twice in Episode 1, once in Episode 2, and now reprised in Episode 4. In their conversations lie the thematic link; Galadriel fears the future shown to her by Nenya, as envisioned by the barrow-wights poem, where darkness wins and reigns over Middle-earth. And so she would use the rings to preserve Middle-earth, maybe not as Tom Bombadil or the Ents remember it, but as the Elves remember Middle-earth.

As such, when later in the episode, Galadriel defiantly tells the orcs surrounding her, “These are Elven lands!”, one can read it to mean not just the area surrounding Eregion, but a claim by the elves upon all of Middle-earth. The Elves are the “Eldest” of the Children of Illuvatar (and immortal), and as such have a relationship with Middle-earth unlike the dwarves or men. 

Yet, there is one who is obviously missing from this episode, whose actions are driving the plot; It is Sauron’s vision for Middle-earth’s future that puts the Ents, the Elves and even Tom, all of Middle-earth at risk for being without peace. 

Rating: I would give this episode an 8/10. Overall a good episode that does the work to setup the plot for the second-half of the season; characters like Arondir and Galadriel are moved into the parts of the stories they need to be in. There are some disappointments; for one, the barrow-wights fight sequence did not really live up to the hype; it was a very short action sequence, not very special or significant fight choreography, and it also ended kind of abruptly. On the other hand, Galadriel’s solo fight against the orcs at the end of the episode was well-cut, well-paced, with great choreography and angles, and a surprise ending sure to leave everyone anticipating the next episode.

In terms of other plots, Pelargir has shaped up to have interesting moments, although it’s hard to say where it goes from here now that Arondir is headed to Eregion. There’s an opportunity for a compelling exploration of Isildur’s motivations for sticking around the region that one day becomes Gondor; we’ll see if the show can maintain the audience’s interest in that plot. The plotline with Estrid and her supposed betrothed being alive is also intriguing; Could these be the Men of the Mountain whom Isildur will one day take an oath of fealty from?

Lastly, Tom Bombadil somehow managed to fit into the story and feel right; much of that success belongs to Rory Kinnear, who brings a light touch that hints at the more playful and jolly Tom we know from the books, while still grounding him in the show so as to not be too distracting. Nori discovering more depth to the backstory of the Harfoots seems to be setting up a plotline we all expected; but we’ll see where this idea of the “SĂťzat” goes by the end of this season. 

About the author: Webcrawler is a full-time data analyst and a part-time Tolkien aficionado and moderator on TheOneRing.net’s Discord Server. When he’s not working or in the discord, Webcrawler is horsing around on Twitter

Posted in: Share: Divide line

Greetings from Atlanta, fellow Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, wizards and elves, Rohirrim and Beornings, Men and Women of the West, NazgĂşl and Uruks, and other glorious embodiments of the diverse denizens of Middle-earth! And Proudfoots! (‘Proudfeet!’) It’s Labor Day Weekend, which means Smaug is stirring in the form of the singular Con forged by fans for fans (why, just like TheOneRing!): it’s Dragon Con time!

Now in its 37th year, and much like the world of fantasy in general, Dragon Con has always leaned heavily into its Tolkienian roots, with Middle-earth inspired programming, cosplay, partying, and a global Fellowship serving to inspire many of the 70,000 or so fans who converge on downtown Atlanta every year.  And the 2024 version will be no different!  Here’s a quick rundown all the Tolkien goodness that will be happening this year, indeed when there seems to be an explosion of so much we can celebrate!

Movie Guests: The Hobbits Are Coming to Dragon Con!

It’s a long-expected celebration as we welcome three excellent and admirable hobbits back to our annual party! Billy Boyd and Elijah Wood have been here before, with 2023 serving as a Frodo first for the con. It’s great to have him back, along with an inaugural visit by Dominic Monaghan. We’ll enjoy reminiscences and revelry, past shenanigans and current updates from gentlemen who still bow to no one! Find them at various times across the weekend.

Alas they’re not bringing Orli with them to Atlanta…

Media Project Updates and an Event: So Much Happening!

International South, Hyatt, 7pm Thursday 29th – watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Prime Video was so courteous to schedule the opening of Season Two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on the same day that Dragon Con kicks off! They were especially gracious to allow us to host a Release Day Watch Party in a large ballroom space in one of the host hotels where we’ll get to all three of the first episodes on a big screen with 400 or so of our closest friends. There will be swag!

L401-403, Marriott, 11.30am Monday 2nd – The Rings of Power panel

TheOneRing.net will also be hosting a panel on Monday offering an opportunity for reactions and speculations from a crackerjack panel, including our good friend Willie Jenkins aka KnewBettaDoBetta.

L601-602, Marriott, 1pm Friday 30th – The War of the Rohirrim panel

Just as exciting is the upcoming December release of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, the anime collaboration between the same team that brought us both the LotR and Hobbit movies, along with director Kenji Kamiyama. We’ll have a dedicated panel to discuss the recently released trailers, and special recorded interview with producer Jason DeMarco as he digs into some details with staffer greendragon. (Also look for swag…!)

Centennial One, Hyatt, 11.30am Saturday 31st – Middle-earth Updates with TORn

We’ll even do some speculating about the recently announced next movie release coming in 2026, the PJ-produced, Serkis-directed The Hunt for Gollum. That will happen as part of a general update from TheOneRing.net staffers at Dragon Con, along with some good friends, covering a vast smorgasbord of things we have to look forward to in the Tolkienverse.

Some Scholarly Conversations: Academics Can Party?

Tolkien fans are noteworthy for also loving to dive deeply into Tolkien lore, characters, themes, and discussions as part of their experience. We’ll be scratching that itch on a number of fronts:

L401-403, Marriott, 1pm Saturday 31st – Here at the end of All Things: Tolkien’s Apocalyptic Visions

Our good friend, professor, and author, Constance Wagner, was asked recently about contributing to an upcoming publication discussing apocalyptic themes in fantasy literature. The inquirer wasn’t sure there really was much in Tolkien’s legendarium that dealt with that kind of thing. After Constance calmed down, she recruited a couple of us to join her in road-testing just how apocalyptic Tolkien can be, and across all the Ages of Middle-earth starting with the Music of the Ainur. And what better place to do that than among Dragon Con friends! We may have to hand out cookies to lighten the mood a bit, though.

L401-403, Marriott, 11.30am Sunday 1st – On Fairy Stories

Tolkien’s On Fairy Stories serves as a fundamental apologetic for the importance, depth, and suitedness of these stories in their application to the human condition. Plus they’re good reads. We’re looking forward to engaging with other fans on these foundational ideas.

L401-403, Marriott, 4pm Sunday 1st – The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien

With the publication of the massive three-volume edition of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien mere weeks away, we take an hour to focus on what we can expect from this monumental effort from scholars Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. And we’ll probably do a bit of group confession of how many of us skipped the poems during our first LotR reading or two. We may even listen to Tolkien himself reciting some of his verses.

Parades, Partying, Dancing and Singing: Always Trust an Elf! Or a Hobbit!

Grand Ballroom, Courtland Grand, 8.30pm Friday 30th – An Evening at Bree

Dragon Con (unlike many of those “CC” alternatives around the country), is especially knows for its literal 24-hour partying spirit, both informal and officially sponsored. One of those latter parties, indeed one of the longest standing parties across Dragon Con’s history, is our annual Evening at Bree. Always happening on the first full-day of the Con, this Friday evening festival combines live bands (since back in those the Emerald Rose glory days! – this year we’ll have Landloch’d, Beth Patterson, and the Brobdingnagian Bards playing), dancing that’ll bring joy to the most curmudgeonly hobbit, a costume contest showcasing jaw-dropping cosplay talent, and a mini-concert from Bree’s own Elf Choir who gather to rehearse and present iconic fantasy tunes all on the same day. It’s a great way to kick off the Con in a celebratory mood.

Elf Choir performing at Evening at Bree in a previous year – photo courtesy of Geek Behind the Lens
Grand Ballroom, Courtland Grand, 5.30pm Friday 30th – Sing with the Elf Choir

That Elf Choir, in addition to their larger contingent who perform at Bree, also has a dedicated group of master singers, garbed in elven cloaks and sporting ethereal lanterns, who make their way through the Dragon Con masses on their long and melodic journey into the West. Fortunately, the Grey Havens are proving elusive, and they’ll be back again this year.

Grand East, Hilton, 7pm Sunday 1st – Hobbit Drinking Songs

One of the most riotously reeling renditions of Shire shenanigans happens with the Brobdingnagian Bards’ annual concert (and excuse to dance spontaneously): Hobbit Drinking Songs. They’ve been at it long enough that many in the audience join in, at least on the choruses. And they have CDs!

Grand East, Hilton, 10pm Sunday 1st – High Fantasy Goblin Ball

One of the last parties we’ll be joining this weekend is one where staffer deej will be taking the lead: The High Fantasy Goblin Ball! We always like to pick a theme for these dance parties, usually picking a favorite decade where deej focuses her musical stylings. We’re back to the 80s this year, and using a Goblinesque orientation in whatever forms our attendees might choose. The mashup cosplay has gotten pretty hilarious in years past. The Eye of Sauron in shutter shades, anyone?

Home for this Tolkien-inspired programming, and for many of us Tolkien-addicted people, is one of Dragon Con’s 35 or so dedicated fan groups, or “tracks”: The High Fantasy Track. Home base is right in the center of all the action, on the lobby level of the Marriott Marquis (L401-403). Should you be attending Dragon Con this year, come by and say hi to fellow fans there!

Grab some merch – celebrate 25 years of TORn!

You should also, of course, visit staffers greendragon and deej at TheOneRing.net’s fan table in the Atlanta downtown Hyatt, down on the Exhibit Hall level just across from the Art Show (our usual spot). There you can get some fabulous merch – shirts, buttons, and more! Show your political allegiance by voting Gollum/Smeagol 2024; or show your love for TORn with our 25th anniversary shirt and mug.

We’re looking forward to seeing friends old and new! Now forgive us as we go finish up that last flourish on our cosplay!

Posted in: Share: Divide line

This week, TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler returns with a new article delving into a concept that Tolkien developed called Ósanwe (a Quenya word meaning “interchange of thought”), and how the showrunnners have used it for various story purposes in Season 1 of The Rings of Power.

Examining The Rings of Power through Tolkien’s Concept of Ósanwe

by TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler

Much has been said about what the showrunners of The Rings of Power have access to in regard to the source material. For those who think the showrunners are not allowed anything beyond the appendices, or are not digging deep into the text, let me introduce the concept of “Ósanwe” as outlined by Tolkien in an essay titled “Ósanwe-kenta”, or “Enquiry into the Communication of Thought”, and show how it applies to many of Halbrand’s (aka Sauron’s) actions in S1 of The Rings of Power.

Hall of Lore has a great thread that covers the concept in detail from the text.

A superior mind (like Sauron) could communicate a desired vision direct into another person’s mind, who would then see it as something external. There are limitations to the solidity of the vision if the recipient is a mind of less power (which probably means men).

Hall of Lore: here and here

But for our purposes we’ll simplify it to apply it to what we are seeing in The Rings of Power. The most basic concept is that all minds are equal and open.

All minds (sĂĄma, pl. sĂĄmar) are equal in status, though they differ in capacity in strength. A mind by its nature perceives another mind directly. But it cannot perceive more than the existence of another mind (as something other than itself, though of the same order) except by the will of both parties.

Ósanwe-kenta, Enquiry into the Communication of Thought

Another important idea is that conversation is necessary to gain access to the mind. The use of language can only be done in person. To gain access to someone’s mind, you first must meet them and start speaking in person. And that’s what we see Halbrand/Sauron do in S1.

For, as the Ósanwe-kenta essay states, “the will to converse in lambe [Quenya meaning “tongue, language”] is a will to communicate thought and lays the minds open”.

Knowledge may be gained or imparted by what the text calls a Guest (someone seeking to communicate), even when the Host (the person receiving the communication) is not seeking or intending to impart or learn information.

The act of G will be effective, if H is simply ‘open’ (láta; látie ‘openness’). This distinction, he says, is of the greatest importance.

Ósanwe-kenta, Enquiry into the Communication of Thought

[Editor’s note: to avoid confusion, the “he” in the above means the elven scholar/historian, Pengolodh. The entire essay is a commentary on Pengolodh’s thoughts about how Ósanwe function. If you’re interested in learning more, it’s easiest to find this essay in The Nature of Middle-earth.]

During my rewatch of Season 1 of The Rings of Power, I noticed that Galadriel is at first unwilling to talk to Halbrand. He tells her, “you needn’t keep your distance”. As the previous tweet implies, speech is needed for Ăłsanwe to “link”. He’s trying to get her to open her mind.

It’s only when Halbrand tells her that “It was Orcs” that attacked his homeland, that she opens to communicating back with him, seeking information. That is all he needed to start “worming” his way into her mind. She wanted something, and here only he could give it to her.

Habrand: it was orcs.
Galadriel: your home. Where was it?

The Rings of Power. S1, E1: Adrift.

In the Ósanwe-kenta essay, Pengolodh outlines how by making himself seem useful, helpful, even friendly, Melkor could trick others into trusting him; Halbrand does the same with Galadriel here; she has been searching for proof of the return of the enemy, and he has just proved himself useful and being able to get that proof.

[Morgoth] would come by stealth to a mind open and unwary, hoping to learn some part of its thought before it closed… he was above all benevolent; he was rich and could give any gift that they desired to his friends; he had a special love for the one he addressed; but he must be trusted [emphasis mine].

In this way he won entry into many minds, removing their unwill [emphasis mine], and unlocking the door by the only key, though his key was counterfeit.

Ósanwe-kenta, Enquiry into the Communication of Thought

Halbrand hints at doing this: “Identify what your opponent most fears. Give them a means of mastering it. So that you can master them”. Halbrand’s gift to Galadriel is “knowledge”. By offering this gift, he gains Galadriel’s trust, and thus enter her mind.

He does this with MĂ­riel and PharazĂ´n as well; When he appeals to MĂ­riel to let them stay a few days, and when he offers to give PharazĂ´n intel on where Galadriel is going (Palantir’s Tower). Being willing to listen to him was enough to allow Halbrand into their minds; acceptance of advice creates a small enough amount of trust for Halbrand to create an opening.

Halbrand: Guards! My friends.
[crowd silences]
Halbrand:  It seems to me that our leaving presents some complications. Perhaps it’d be better if we stayed…
MĂ­riel: Stayed?
Halbrand: Long enough, good Queen, to give you and your advisors adequate time to weigh our request.

The Rings of Power. S1, E3: Adar

Halbrand: I wouldn’t advise that.
Pharazôn: I can’t very well let her leave.
Halbrand: You could. If you knew exactly where she was going.

The Rings of Power. S1, E4: The Great Wave

And this explains why Celebrimbor became ensnared in Episode 8 of S1. Here, Halbrand puts his powers of manipulation on full display: flattery, humility, advice and gratitude. “Call it a gift” he says of the knowledge he shared, giving him access to Celebrimbor’s mind. The hands touching represent the Ăłsanwe connection being made.

Halbrand: Might there not be some alloy to amplify the qualities of your ore.
Celebrimbor: Well, that is… an intriguing suggestion.
Halbrand: Call it… a gift.

The Rings of Power: S1, E8: Alloyed

Later in this same episode, we get evidence of this mind infiltration: an image of Celebrimbor with a shadow of “chains” over him, while he speaks of using the mithril to craft a crown for Gil-Galad to wear to heal the elves.

Compare the dialogue and you see the Celebrimbor speaks the exact words that Adar spoke to Galadriel, yet he was not there in The Southlands to have heard it. He also says the words “over flesh” which Adar had told Galadriel about back in Episode 6: UdĂťn, when explaining to her why he killed Sauron. Galadriel most certainly did not tell Celebrimbor; so it must have been Halbrand. And yet, when asked, Celebrimbor “believes” those were his own words.

Lastly, when the spell is broken, and Galadriel realises Halbrand is not who she thought, she realises how much he planted ideas in her mind; wanting to get an army, and convincing MĂ­riel to sail to Middle-earth. We are presented it as always having been her idea, but it’s not true.

Galadriel: There is no King of the South lands. The line was broken. The last man to bear your crest died over a thousand years ago. He had no heir.
Halbrand: I told you I found it on a dead man.
Galadriel: No. No, on the raft, you saved me…
Halbrand: On the raft, you saved me.
Galadriel: You convinced MĂ­riel to save the Men of Middle-earth.
Halbrand: You convinced her. I wanted to remain in NĂşmenor.
Galadriel: You fought beside me.
Halbrand: Against your enemy. And mine.

The Rings of Power. S1, E8: Alloyed

As shown by Beyond Darkness here, Halbrand was one who initially planted the idea within Galadriel that she needed an army. And he continually reinforced it throughout the Season 1, subtly pushing her towards this goal that she thought was hers at first.

And so, we can see that Sauron has been using Ósanwe to influence Galadriel and others throughout Season 1 whenever he needed; and then Celebrimbor when he got to Eregion. And, based on some of the trailers, we can see that in Season 2 he will continue to do this with Celebrimbor, until the reverie is broken for him as well, and Celebrimbor, along with the other elves, will realise that they have been deceived.

About the author: Webcrawler is a full-time data analyst and a part-time Tolkien aficionado and moderator on TheOneRing.net’s Discord Server. When he’s not working or in the discord, Webcrawler is horsing around on Twitter.

Posted in: Share: Divide line

A new trailer has dropped this morning, for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2. Darkness will rise indeed! This trailer very much focuses on the dark power of Sauron, and of the war and destruction he brings to Middle-earth. At 2.14, it is a full minute shorter than the previous trailer; but it still packs a punch.

Take a look:

Continue reading “The Rings of Power S2 new trailer is DARK”
Posted in: Share: Divide line

It’s already been a week since San Diego Comic-Con , which was an expected crammed full with good things for Tolkien fans. Here’s a look back on all the Middle-earth related happenings from SDCC 2024.

Panels

Hall H

On Friday morning Prime Video took over Hall H. Fans who made it through the long wait in line were treated to an opening montage of clips from Prime Video shows – which included little snippets of Season 2 of The Rings of Power which had not yet been seen elsewhere. The 10am slot was an hour of irreverent fun from the cast of The Boys; this was followed by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hour.

TORn friends in line for Hall H!

Bear McCreary, drummers and male voices got this off to a great start, with compelling music from Season 2. Immediately after that, a clip played – which, interestingly, was our first time hearing the name Annatar spoken on screen. (He isn’t named as such in the current trailer – which was shown later during the hour.)

Host Yvette Nicole Brown was joined on stage by many cast members. Present were:

  • Showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne
  • Cyntha Addai-Robinson (MĂ­riel)
  • Robert Aramayo (Elrond)
  • Maxim Baldry (Isildur)
  • Morfydd Clark (Galadriel)
  • Ismael Cruz CĂłrdova (Arondir)
  • Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor)
  • Trystan Gravelle (Pharazon)
  • Ema Horvath (Eärien)
  • Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo)
  • Sophia Nomvete (Disa)
  • Lloyd Owen (Elendil)
  • Megan Richards (Poppy)
  • Charlie Vickers (Sauron)
  • Benjamin Walker (Gil-galad)
  • Daniel Weyman (The Stranger)
  • And joining them a little later – Sam Hazeldine (who takes over the role of Adar, from Joseph Mawle) and Robert Strange (the orc Glug).
Host Yvette Nicole Brown with Charlie Vickers, Morfydd Clark, and Benjamin Walker

The showrunners talked about how Season 2 is ‘Charlie vs Charlie’ – the collaboration which becomes confrontation between Sauron and Celebrimbor. Morfydd Clark said she thought Galadriel had perhaps learned, in Season 1, ‘Don’t trust handsome men!’ Robert Aramayo remarked on Elrond’s complicated relationship with Galadriel – that he feels she has made mistakes, but ultimately believes her to be a force for good.

We were treated to some fabulous behind the scenes footage, showing the forging of the rings. Lloyd Owen spoke of the battle for the soul of NĂşmenor which we would see starting in Season 2 – and of Elendil’s own battle between his love for his country and his love for his daughter.

It was confirmed that the spider seen in the trailer is none other than Shelob. Megan Richards hinted at a possible romance for the Harfoot Poppy, and Sophia Nomvete shared that we would get more powerful singing from her, as Disa resonates the stone in Khazad-dĂťm.

Audience questions

In answers to the questions posed to the ensemble from the floor, showrunner McKay said yes, there is ‘room for Glorfindel’ in The Rings of Power – and possibly even Ungoliant? Ismael Cruz CĂłrdova said, when asked if there was a chance that Arondir could be Theo’s real father, that though the Elf is not Theo’s Dad, he does step into a fatherhood role in this season.

In another clip shown, we saw artist John Howe sketching all of the rings of power. To end an amazing hour, Ben Walker confirmed that Gil-galad sings in the show; and then he stepped up and gave us an example of his wonderful Elvish singing.

Friday evening’s panel

Room 25 ABC was packed out for TheOneRing.net’s panel, where we were joined by some very special guests. TORn staffers on the panel were Justin Sewell and Clifford Scott Broadway (familiar to followers from TORn Tuesday); Josh Long and Jim Wert (‘Collecting the Precious’); and moderator Kirsten Cairns (aka greendragon). Guest Matt Graf (Nerd of the Rings) joined them.

From L to R: John Mayo, Josh, Jim, Matt Graf, Lee Guinchard, Cliff, Justin, Jason DeMarco, Joseph Chou, Kirsten

The panel began by welcoming to the stage producers from The War of the Rohirrim, Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou. They set up exclusive footage, kindly provided by Warner Bros. for us to show at the panel. Gaia Wise (who voices HĂŠra in the film) had a video greeting for TORn, and this was followed by a lovely message from producer Philippa Boyens. And then we got our first glimpse of the movie. (Sorry we can’t share you with it here – but the buzz in the room was epic!)

De Marco and Chou were generous in their answering of questions, explaining why HĂŠra seemed the ideal choice of character to tie together the various threads of the story; why anime is an ideal format for telling a tale from Middle-earth; and how they decided to hire many British stage actors for the voice work, as they feel anime needs the ‘bigger’ acting style used on stage. They also talked about how it was a true collaboration amongst all the artists involved, but how Kenji Kamiyama and Peter Jackson have quite different styles – and ultimately, it is Kamiyama’s vision we will see on screen.

DeMarco and Chou then left the stage, and the audience were treated to some exclusive new images from the upcoming game Tales of the Shire. We were then honoured to welcome, from Middle-earth Enterprises, VP of Creative and Product Development John Mayo, and none other than the President, Lee Guinchard. Middle-earth Enterprises own the licensing rights – originally sold by Tolkien himself – to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This means they are involved in all the gaming and film adaptations, as well as the licensed merchandise out there. (TheOneRing.net is licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises.)

Not surprisingly, Guinchard wasn’t giving anything away when we asked him about the upcoming film The Hunt for Gollum; but he did say he was excited for the project. He was keen to emphasize how Middle-earth Enterprises take seriously their custody of Tolkien’s creation, and that they approach each license with exacting standards, and with love for the Professor’s realm. He even hinted that he perhaps sometimes lurks in TORn’s message boards or Discord chat!

We could have talked for much longer, both to the producers from Warner Bros. and the gents from Middle-earth Enterprises. But alas, time ran out. We’re so grateful to all the guests who appeared on our panel, and who provided content. Special thanks to WB for providing some of the first official The War of the Rohirrim ‘swag’ for folks who were in the audience.

I am No Man: the Creative Women of Middle-earth

This panel took place on Saturday afternoon, in room 5AB – and rather than telling you about it, how about you watch it yourself? Moderator TORn staffer Kellie Rice was joined by women leaders from Weta Workshop, EA games, Wizards of the Coast, and Middle-earth Enterprises; hear what they had to say in this video of the panel:

Party

TheOneRing.net were honoured to co-host, with Prime Video, The Rings of Power Middle-earth Moot! Venue 808 was beautifully decorated, with photo opportunities and with stunning costumes on show. All of the rings of power (apart from the ONE ring) were on display to be ooh’d and aah’d over by party goers; and some lucky fans had an opportunity to meet the cast, and have a poster autographed.

Beautiful cosplay was worn by some attendees, and a good time was had by all. Enjoy some photographs (thanks for Ellen Monocroussos for taking some of these):

TheOneRing.net Booth

We were delighted to be joined at our booth this year by Nerd of the Rings Matt Graf, and Jordan Rannells, creator of A Long Expected Soundscape. Fans were excited to meet Matt, and his shirts and caps sold out. The Long Expected Soundscape was perhaps unexpected for many fans – but folks loved having the opportunity to experience the atmospheric audio world created by Rannells. No less a person than Bear McCreary himself was wowed by what he heard! (Find out more about Rannells’ amazing work, here.)

Composers Bear McCreary and Jordan Rannells at TORn’s booth

Staffer Kellie Rice, aka Happy Hobbit, was also at the booth – and her shirts, along with TORn’s ‘Gollum/Smeagol ’24’ election shirt, all sold out as well.

The maestro of Middle-earth, Jed Brophy, thrilled fans throughout the convention, with amazing tales of hijinks and heroics on set (for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit movies, AND The Rings of Power!) We were also joined by many other special guests over the course of the weekend; Knewbettadobetta worked with Matt to host a brilliant trivia session, and fans were delighted to chat with Tea with Tolkien and The Tolkien Professor.

And that was a wrap for SDCC 2024! Next stop, DragonCon; if you’re hoping to snag one of our sold out ‘Gollum/Smeagol ’24’ shirts, that will be your opportunity! We look forward to seeing our fellow fans there. Meanwhile, big thanks to all who partied, chatted, and celebrated the Middle-earth fandom with us in San Diego.

Don’t forget, you can always hang out with your fellow fans at TheOneRing Discord – see you there!

Posted in: Share: Divide line
theonering.net

This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings and the name and mark ONE RING is used under license from Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC an Embracer Group company, which hold the title thereto. We in no way claim rights in the artwork displayed herein. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, merchandise and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and our limited use of these materials is done by permission or is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Act.

theonering.net

Original content and photography are copyright © 1999-2024 TheOneRing.net.
Website design and development by Garry Aylott.