Shows / Today's Tolkien Times
Today's Tolkien Times
Get your Tolkien every day by subscribing to Today’s Tolkien Times! Alan Sisto, host of the award-winning Prancing Pony Podcast and Rings of Power Wrap-up, hosts a new short-format daily podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you get your podcasts! Listeners get answers on Mailbag Mondays; discover more about the Professor on Tolkien Tuesdays; indulge your inner philologist on Word-nerd Wednesdays; learn more about the familiar stories of Middle-earth on Third…
Episodes
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 077 - Word-nerd Wednesday: It Would Explain Much
We spend another Word-nerd Wednesday looking at names from the Tale of Túrin Turambar; today, including four Elves and three swords! Learn more about your ad…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 077 - Túrin Turambar Tuesday: Guard Him and Guide Him
We return to the story of Túrin Turambar as perpetually-underrated Beleg Cúthalion does everything within his power to help the troubled young man. Learn more…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 077 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Swelled Like a Green Sea
Join The Man of the West as he begins week 77 of Today’s Tolkien Times with another Middle-earth Map Monday, joining the Three Hunters as they pursue the Orcs…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 076 - Silmarillion Saturday: Stirred as by a Cold Wind
Join The Man of the West for the continuing story Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, as we witness the fall of Arnor and the waning of Gondor. Learn more…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 076 - Fandom Friday: History, Real or Feigned
Join The Man of the West in welcoming Be1mont_lotr to Fandom Friday; he’s another in the growing chorus of the Voices of Arda, a history buff, and…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 076 - Third Age Thursday: Dark is the Path
Galadriel has messages for the Three Hunters, even if Gandalf nearly forgets to deliver one of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 076 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Say That Again?
Join The Man of the West as he brings to light more of the words from our Tuesday readings in the story of Túrin: today, a look at the family of Húrin. Learn…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 076 - Túrin Turambar Tuesday: Marked With Sorrow
The tragic tale of Túrin Turambar properly begins today, as we encounter the aftermath of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad through the eyes of Morwen Eledhwen. Learn…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 076 - Middle-earth Map Monday: The Rush and Thunder
Join The Man of the West as he begins another week with a look at the last of the places the Company visited along the Great River. Learn more about your ad…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 075 - Silmarillion Saturday: Not Wholly Destroyed
Join The Man of the West for more reading from Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age as, today, he learns that sometimes, a victory is only temporary. Learn…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 075 - Fandom Friday: Celebreabird
Today’s Tolkien Times returns to Fandom Fridays, as The Man of the West welcomes Celebreabird to talk about her Tolkien substack and her welcoming work on…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 075 - Third Age Thursday: With Doom We Come
No, not The Man of the West and any of his PPP co-hosts; it’s time for Treebeard and the Ents to sing and march their way to Isengard to deal with someone who…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 075 - Word-nerd Wednesday: A Vigorous Heart
Time to explore a few of the names we encountered in yesterday’s Túrin Tuesday, including the names of the brothers Húrin and Huor, and The Man of the West’s…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 075 - Túrin Turambar Tuesday: Seventy Times He Uttered That Cry
Is it The Man of the West crying about another old joke? No, it’s Húrin, killing yet another member of the troll-guard of Gothmog. Learn more about your ad…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 075 - Middle-earth Map Monday: No Foot of Man Or Beast
Join The Man of the West as he begins Series 10 of Today’s Tolkien Times with a visit to the lake of Nen Hithoel and the three peaks that helped shape it…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 074 - Silmarillion Saturday: Brooded in the Dark
Join The Man of the West for some unexpected advice about ‘brooding’ as we conclude the Second Age in Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age in The…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 074 - First-Age Friday: Sudden Swift Surprise
After 32 First Age Fridays, we reach the end of Tolkien’s Lay of Leithian. Beren Erchamion, folks: give him a hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 074 - Third Age Thursday: Lighthearted, Quick-worded, and Soon Over
Once again, while this could describe The Man of the West and the TTT episodes, it’s actually Treebeard’s thoughts about the Elvish song of the Ent and…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 074 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Quenya for “Listen to Her”
Join The Man of the West for the last of his 8-week series on the names of the Valar and Maiar, as we discover the stories behind the names of Arien, Tirion…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 074 - Tolkien Tuesday: Her Last and Fattest Years
Tolkien’s in-depth explanation of hobbit birthdays continues, and transitions into a discussion of family structure and one morbidly funny story involving…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 074 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Silent Wardens
Join The Man of the West as he begins the last week of Series 9 with another Middle-earth Map Monday, traveling down the Anduin. Also, Aragorn admires the…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 073 - Silmarillion Saturday: The Yearning of Exile
Join The Man of the West as we read a summary of the early years of the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, and their ‘many treasures and great heirlooms of virtue…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 073 - First-Age Friday: Ecstasy Enchanted
We promised it would get better after last week’s visions of Morgoth’s dark heart; but Beren and Lúthien are still, essentially, in hell — so keep your…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 073 - Third Age Thursday: More Than My Desire
Join The Man of the West for a closer look at Treebeard’s wanderings through the lands of Beleriand in the First Age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 073 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Place of Starlight
The Man of the West moves on from the names of the Valar and begins an in-depth look at the names of some of the Maiar, including the handmaid of Varda and the…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 073 - Tolkien Tuesday: Horrified the Shire-folk
What in Middle-earth could do such a thing to the doughty hobbits? You’ll have to listen to The Man of the West as he continues looking at Tolkien’s Letter…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 073 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Burned and Uprooted
Join The Man of the West for another week of Today’s Tolkien Times, starting with a ride down the Anduin as we look at the Brown Lands and the Undeeps along…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 072 - Silmarillion Saturday: The Voices of Death
Join The Man of the West for another reading in Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age as we see the fates of the Seven and the Nine, and get a recap of what…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 072 - First-Age Friday: A Pretty Toy For Idle Hour
Also quite clearly not The Man of the West, but join him as he walks through a genuinely hellish moment for Lúthien as she endures the lustful stares of…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 072 - Third Age Thursday: The Lore of Living Creatures
Aragorn longs for Gondor and a crown buried for a thousand years; Merry and Pippin long to be included in a list of people who don’t get squished by Ents…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 072 - Word-nerd Wednesday: An Actual Perfect 10
Join The Man of the West as we look at more names of the Valier, running down quite the list today including Nienna, Estë, Vairë, Vána, and Nessa. Learn more…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 072 - Tolkien Tuesday: Considerable Social Importance
You don’t need me to tell you that today’s title has nothing to do with The Man of the West. Rather, it’s about hobbit birthdays in a letter Tolkien wrote to…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 072 - Middle-earth Map Monday: And the Land Was Silent
Join The Man of the West for the third and final episode on the land of Lórien as we learn all about its time under the leadership of not-King Celeborn and…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 071 - Silmarillion Saturday: Is It Not Then Our Task
Join The Man of the West as the Noldor of Eregion hearken to the persuasive words of the Lord of Gifts, much to their dismay. Learn more about your ad choices…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 071 - First-Age Friday: Thy Name, Thou Shrieking Waif, Thy Name!
“I’ll take ‘Pickup Lines That Result in Failure’ for $500, Alex.” Join The Man of the West for suggestions on what not to say when talking to… well, anyone…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 071 - Third Age Thursday: His Cloven Shield, His Broken Sword
Join The Man of the West as Aragorn and Legolas sing a lament for Boromir, while Gimli watches on quietly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 071 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Lady of the West and Mother Earth
We continue looking at names of the Valar in this series’ Word-nerd Wednesdays, today diving into the names of two of the Queens of the Valar, or the Valier…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 071 - Tolkien Tuesday: Juicy Details
Join The Man of the West as we look at Tolkien’s response to a letter asking him for ‘facts’ about himself, and discover that while he doesn’t like giving…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 071 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Long Years of Peace and Obscurity
No, that doesn’t describe the tenure of The Man of the West at The Prancing Pony Podcast — although it certainly could. Join Alan as he continues his look at…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 070 - Silmarillion Saturday: Back Into Evil
Repent? Sure! Oh, on second thought. Join The Man of the West as Sauron waffles in our first reading in Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age (or OtRoPatTA…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 070 - First-Age Friday: Immortal Flowers
Sometimes, having a strong perfume isn’t such a good idea. Join The Man of the West as he accompanies Beren and Lúthien to the very gates of Angband — and a…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 070 - Third Age Thursday: More Quenya!
The Man of the West is in his happy place, reading the longest piece of Quenya text in The Lord of the Rings as we look at Galadriel’s Lament. Learn more about…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 070 - Word-nerd Wednesday: Tulk Smash
Join The Man of the West for a look at the captain of the Valar football team, Tulkas Astaldo. And because we don’t get to ignore him, Melkor also makes an…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 070 - Tolkien Tuesday: Sufferers Please Note
The Professor laments the process of getting work done at the house, and dispenses great medical advice to his cousin, and to us as well, on this week’s…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 070 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Greatly At Variance
Join The Man of the West as he tries to untangle the knots Tolkien gave us in The History of Galadriel and Celeborn as he begins his look at Lothlórien on…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 069 - Silmarillion Saturday: All Roads Are Now Bent
It’s a busy time for cartographers after the Downfall of Númenor, as we read about the aftermath of Atalantë in the last reading of the Akallabêth. Learn more…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 069 - First-Age Friday: Fight With Thine Own Hand and Sword
Join The Man of the West for a First Age Flashback in The Lay of Leithian as Fingolfin squares off against the mighty Morgoth, who would prefer to not to risk…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 069 - Third Age Thursday: Sad and Sweet Was the Sound
We continue our journey through the songs and poems in The Lord of the Rings as we listen to Galadriel’s Song and her bittersweet memories of Eldamar, as she…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 069 - Word-nerd Wednesday: My Brother’s Office is So Much Nicer
Join The Man of the West in his continued effort to uncover more about the names of the Valar: in today’s episode, we chat with the Masters of Spirits: Námo…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 069 - Tolkien Tuesday: The Laughter of Ilúvatar
Tolkien presents two important stories from The Silmarillion 20 years before the book is published, as he explains in Letter 212 the tale of Míriel and of the…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 069 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Too Numerous and Valiant
Join The Man of the West as he ends his three-week look at the Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm! From Galadriel’s far-sightedness and the innocence of the Dwarves…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 068 - Silmarillion Saturday: The Sky Reeled, and the Hills Slid
Númenor pays the ultimate price for its pride and rebellion as Ar-Pharazôn suddenly discovers he’d rather not have immortality after all in this week’s…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 068 - First-Age Friday: In Love Must In Thy Dying Share
The bestest good boy ever has some hard words for Beren before providing the best cosplay advice ever in another episode on The Lay of Leithian on this week’s…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 068 - Third Age Thursday: An Old Man in a Battered Hat
Once again, no this isn’t a title describing The Man of the West: he doesn’t really wear hats. But Gandalf did, and Frodo missed him — so he sang a lament that…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 068 - Word-nerd Wednesday: The World-Artificer and The Forester
Join The Man of the West for another Word-nerd Wednesday: this week’s contestants on ‘Who’s Got the Coolest Name?’ are the Valar of Smithing and of Hunting…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 068 - Tolkien Tuesday: Of Equal Lineage
It’s time to remind those Elves that they’re no better than us as The Man of the West looks at Letter 212 where Tolkien “adds a few lines” about the…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 068 - Middle-earth Map Monday: Given Without Love
Join The Man of the West as he starts Week 68 of Today’s Tolkien Times with another Middle-earth Map Monday in Moria as we look at more of the names of the…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 067 - Silmarillion Saturday: Repent For a Season
Join The Man of the West as we spend just a few more weeks in the Akallabêth, watching the train wreck of Númenor. Ar-Pharazôn ignores the signs and tries to…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 067 - First-Age Friday: Yet Were Its Making Good
Beren bids farewell to everything and prepares to meet his fate alone — but Lúthien has other ideas. Join The Man of the West for another series in The Lay of…
- Today's Tolkien Times
Week 067 - Third Age Thursday: As Light As Leaf of Linden-Tree
Legolas sings a sad song about Nimrodel as The Man of the West continues his walk through the poems and songs in The Lord of the Rings in Series 9’s Third Age…