Podcasts about wootton major

In 1997, Tolkien’s publishers collected several of his shorter works and published a collection titled ‘Tales from the Perilous Realm’—a BBC radio adaptation soon followed. In this episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker unpack the collection, examining each story in turn. Are they all truly set in perilous realms? How do these realms connect to Middle-earth? And which tale is the best entry point for readers who may be hesitant to venture beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? The episode concludes with a lively discussion on a fitting question: which is the most perilous realm in all of fantasy?(00:05) Tolkien's Tales From Perilous Realm(11:12) Comparing Farmer Giles and Leaf(19:11) Exploring Tolkien's Leaf by Niggle(29:05) Exploring Tolkien's "Smith of Wootton Major"(42:19) Tolkien's Adventures(50:42) Exploring Perilous Realms and Fantasy WorldsFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

 Smith's journeys into faery continue. Your Lamp-post Links: You can purchase the Tolkien Treasury here. You can support the show on Patreon. You can also email us at hello@lamppostlistener.com or leave us a voicemail at (406) 646-6733. LampostListener.com | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Feed     The Lamp-post Listener will return in September...

In the town of Wootton Major, a young boy accidentally devours a fay star that allows him to enter the world of Faery. Your Lamp-post Links: You can purchase the Tolkien Treasury here. You can support the show on Patreon. You can also email us at hello@lamppostlistener.com or leave us a voicemail at (406) 646-6733. LampostListener.com | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Feed

Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon of old episodes. Enjoy this first of two on Smith of Wootton Major! (From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.) But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!

Continuing the Tolkien Reading Day Marathon: Enjoy Smith of Wootton Major, Part 2!   (From the Old Winyards. Yes, these are reruns.) But a new episode on The Horse and His Boy comes your way in one week!

Happy New Year! Kora Burton rejoins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major" (1967).  Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity.  Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man's book.”   Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!   If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.  We'd love to hear from you.

From the Old Winyards: It's Time for the Feast of Good Children (to which not many are invited). ___________________________________ Kora Burton joins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major."   Smith of Wootton Major (1967) is Tolkien's last work of fiction and was begun as part of an Introduction to an edition of George MacDonald's The Golden Key–an edition that was never published.  Tolkien began by writing a kind of parable about a stupid baker making a cake for children that inadvertently had something faerian in it.  But when he found this illustration was taking on a life of its own, he discarded the introduction entirely and worked on the story–which he realized was in part a critique of the things he did not like about George MacDonald, among other Victorians (still, I find it owes a real debt to The Golden Key and Phantastes, as much as it does to anything medieval).  Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity.  Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man's book.” One of my favorite history of English podcasts, just in case you want more philology or historical linguistics: https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/ Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!   If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.  We'd love to hear from you. Next week: We enter Faerie with Smith!

In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam discuss Tolkien's 1967 novella Smith of Wootton Major.Primary sources: Smith of Wootton Major (PDF) | Tales From The Perilous Realm (includes SoWM as well as all of Tolkien's other "minor works") | The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien | On Fairy Stories (PDF)Secondary sources:Kocher - Master of Middle-earth (out of print)Webb - The Lives of the Saints (contains KT's favorite version of the Voyage of St Brendan)Calvino - Invisible Cities Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This recording from May 7, 2024. Signum University Graduate School presents Thesis Theater with Trevor Brierly on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 2pm ET, on the subject of Tolkien's "Vision of Faërie" in "Smith of Wootton Major." Tolkien's story "Smith of Wootton Major", written in 1965, and an accompanying essay written at the same time, provide a rich understanding of Tolkien's "Vision of Faërie" that goes significantly beyond earlier critical works such "On Fairy-stories" and "Mythopoeia". A close reading and analysis approach to "Smith" and the essay indicate that Tolkien saw Faërie as necessary, universal, beneficent and transformative to humanity. In order to fully appreciate what "Smith" has to say about Faërie, it must be understood that "Smith" is neither an allegory nor primarily autobiographical and should be seen as a "fairy-story", a story about a human journeying in the Faërie realm. The essay adds to our understanding of Faërie as it tells a parallel story concerning Faërie intervening in Wootton Major, to restore contact with the enchantment of Faërie that is being lost. "Smith" and the essay together are important for understanding Tolkien's increasingly sophisticated and elevated view of Faërie, which he claimed was "as necessary for the health and complete functioning of the Human as is sunlight for physical life." About the Presenter: N. Trevor Brierly is a software engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. He has a background in literature with an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in English from George Mason University. His research interests include worldbuilding in speculative fiction, Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Le Guin, Shakespeare, and the Renaissance. He has presented working papers on “Lord of the Rings”, “Dune”, “King Lear”, worldbuilding, and other topics. He has published an essay “Worldbuilding Design Patterns in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien” in “Sub-creating Arda” (Walking Tree Publishers, 2019) and is co-editor of “Discovering Dune” from McFarland Books (2022). He lives in Northern Virginia and enjoys books, jazz, tea and cats. About Signum Thesis Theaters Each of our master's students writes a thesis at the end of their degree program, exploring a topic of their choice. The Thesis Theater is their opportunity to present their research to a general audience, and answer questions. All are welcome to attend! Registration is open for the Summer 2024 semester until May 10th! To view our upcoming courses: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-p.... Learn about Signum University's mission, leadership and more: https://signumuniversity.org/about/. Want to enjoy Signum's educational offerings? Start here! https://signumuniversity.org/non-degr....

This week, Chris is joined by Eric Geddes, longtime friend of the show, to talk about George MacDonald's bizarre-yet-beautiful fairy story, "The Golden Key."  Feel free to read it first, or listen to it on Librivox: Part 1, Part 2 We talk about the following: George MacDonald's life The "plot" (or lack thereof--hang in there!) of "The Golden Key" Parallels with C.S. Lewis' work (especially The Problem of Pain) Tolkien's reaction and general crotchetiness in old age Other works like "The Golden Key" I probably bring up Miyazaki a bit too much Recommended books and films: Tales Before Tolkien (ed. by Douglas Anderson) Spells of Enchantment (ed. by Jack Zipes) Peter and Wendy, by J.M Barrie The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis Smith of Wootton Major, by J.R.R. Tolkien The Boy and the Heron and Howl's Moving Castle (films) by Hayao Miyazaki The Song of Bernadette movie that Tolkien liked when he seemed to like very little else--starring (among others) a young Vincent Price! If you enjoy The Inklings Variety Hour, please leave us a five-star review on Apple Music or iTunes.  Thanks very much to those who have, including (most recently) Virginicus, who says, "It's amazing how many different things the Inklings can be connected to. Chris follows them all over the map. I like the new Thursday poetry readings best."  Thanks, Virginicus!  Very much obliged! As always, feel free to drop us a line to let us know what you like and what you would like to see more of: inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com We're also on Instagram now @inklingsvarietyhour   Next week: The House by the Stable, by Charles Williams  

Welcome to Episode 174 of The Thinklings Podcast! In this episode, we do our normal things: we drink coffee, we talk about recent events and listener interaction, we get around to Books & Business, and we discuss Hebrews 1:6. For Books & Business, Thinkling Carter discusses a book gifted to him from Thinkling Stearns, The Smith of Wootton Major by Tolkien. Thinkling Little discusses a book on the Aaronic Blessing in the OT by Glodo, and Thinkling Stearns mentions A Gospel Primer by Vincent. The main content and meditation from God's Word come together in this episode as Thinkling Carter returns to his series from Hebrews 1. We had some semi-technical discussion related to the location of the OT quote in verse six, and we also discussed the overall idea of the verse and the author's point. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Key Ideas in Episode 174 - The Cloud & the Crowd Books Coffee Thinklings Inklings Song of Songs for Singles - Tim & Angela Little Smith of Wootton Major - J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord Bless You and Keep You - Michael Glodo A Gospel Primer - Milton Vincent Hebrews 1:6 Books & Business (1-4:55) Listener Feedback (4:55) Books & Business (7:51) The Smith of Wootton Major by J.R.R. Tolkien Book on the Aaronic Blessing in the OT by Michael Glodo A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent Main Content (17:12)

In this episode I am joined by Aaron Irber, host of the I Might Believe in Fairies podcast, to discuss Tolkien's written story, Smith of Wootton Major.Give it a listen and be sure to check out Aaron's show as well!Join the Fellowship at patreon.com/mythicmindSign up for the C.S. Lewis study here: https://andrewsnyder.podia.com/the-philosophy-and-fiction-of-c-s-lewisSign up by the end of 2023 with the promo code FIRSTINTHEWARDROBE to receive 25% off. If you sign up by the end of November, you will also get free access to the Beowulf and Boethius course when it becomes available!

Jared, Oriana and Ned discuss Oriana's choice of topic: the Noldor. Also termed the Deep-elves and, in early versions of the legendarium, the Gnomes – thankfully changed given unavoidable associations – they were one of the three ethnicities of the Eldar in general, the first Children of Iluvatar. As compared to the serene Vanyar and the many generally lower-key societies of the Teleri, the Noldor were the ones most driven by the desire to create and to learn about the world in general, though these tendencies, exacerbated by Melkor in his Valinorean captivity and the internal family strife of their royal house, resulted in all the many deeds of fame in Middle-earth on the one hand but also their near total destruction and eventual fading away on the other. By the time of The Lord of the Rings, only small societies and remnants were left, casting an influence on the course of events but not directing them. What can we learn from the stories of the women of the Noldor in particular, not just Galadriel but other figures such as Fëanor's mother Míriel and his wife Nerdanel or the Nargothrond princess Finduilas? What throughlines did Tolkien suggest in terms of how the Noldor both seemed the most human of the Elves as well as being driven by the same ambiguous creative impulses that haunted any number of beings in the legendarium? How does the decision to keep them from the center of the many arcs of The Lord of the Rings help shape the book into being the story that it is? And just how much of an obsessive creative type do you have to be to not only devise the writing system for your culture but to insist on sticking to a particular pronunciation because you're still mad about how things ended up with your family?Show Notes.Jared's doodle. Plus a bonus Galadriel-as-Carmen Miranda sketch. (The episode provides context. Sorta.)Negotiations, negotiations. The SAG-AFTRA strike has a lot of it.The new edition of the letters will be out in mid-November.Holly Ordway's book Tolkien's Faith.The Bandcamp Daily story on Jim Kirkwood and his early Tolkien-inspired work.Some details on Starve Acre, the new Morfydd Clark/Mat Smith folk horror film.I mean if you WANT the Tolkien Gateway definition of the Noldor…Recommending the Andy Serkis reading of The Silmarillion once more!Our episode on Galadriel.Turgon via Tolkien Gateway; relatedly, our episode on The Fall of Gondolin.Gildor Inglorion, a truly fascinating character, as is Voronwë.Míriel and Nerdanel – and they have stories that were not fully told…Glorfindel seems like he's about to be a major character in The Lord of the Rings…and then he's not!We discussed the Kinslaying as part of our episode on evil.Ah yes, The Shibboleth of Fëanor. Boy this is nuts. And great at the same time. Then there's the Oath of Fëanor. Maybe review the language first before you sign a contract.Our episodes on “Leaf by Niggle” (as part of Tree and Leaf) and Smith of Wootton Major.Finduilas – again, would be good to learn more about her! See also our episode on The Children of Húrin.And yes The Wheel of Time is really good. Really!Support By-The-Bywater and our network, Megaphonic, on Patreon, and hang out with us in a friendly Discord!

Smith of Wootton Major is one of the most fascinating stories Tolkien ever wrote, which seems to have tremendous depth despite its brevity and simplicity. On a recent reread I noticed that its autobiographical elements were much more pronounced than I previously realized. Prior video on Smith of Wootton Major: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyzNBaaHZqY&pp=ygUjdG9sa2llbiBsb3JlIHNtaXRoIG9mIHdvb3R0b24gbWFqb3I%3D On Fairy Stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnMG5HhKK50&pp=ygUddG9sa2llbiBsb3JlIG9uIGZhaXJ5IHN0b3JpZXM%3D On Fairy Stories 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqYeBmw4ORY&pp=ygUddG9sa2llbiBsb3JlIG9uIGZhaXJ5IHN0b3JpZXM%3D Telcontar Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUPVcdWYNaE&pp=ygUhdG9sa2llbiBsb3JlIGFyYWdvcm4ncyBkZXNjZW5kYW50 Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek Xero Shoes (affiliate link): https://xeroshoes.com/go/TolkienGeek Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/EVKynAj2m9(If link is expired contact me attolkienloremaster@gmail.com and I'll send a fresh invite link). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/joshua6469/support

Finally, we arrive at SMITH OF WOOTTON MAJOR!In this episode, we'll be reviewing the story and having a knock-down, drag-out, deep dive discussion, classic Tolkien Road style!But here's the thing: as you're going to find out, Smith of Wootton Major is one of Tolkien's biggest mysteries. And a lot of other folks have written extensively about WHAT IT MEANS, including Tolkien himself. For that reason, there will be Part 2 coming at a later date. So you'll want to make sure and subscribe NOW so you don't forget, because THEN you'll never find out what this bad boy is all about, according to the REAL EXPERTS.EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS » Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien, John R, Jacob Lockham, John H, Eru27WATCH THE VIDEO » https://youtu.be/xtwrFKrPhtcFOLLOW & SUPPORT THE TOLKIEN ROAD:PATREON » SUPERFANS!TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMLINKS & MATHOMS:take 10% OFF Tolkien Road merch at True Myths Press » https://truemythspress.com/discount/TENOFF (enter code TENOFF at checkout)listen to TOLKIEN'S WORKS for FREE » https://www.audibletrial.com/everonbuy Tolkien's Requiem » https://tolkiensrequiem.com/ buy Tolkien's Overture » https://tolkiensoverture.com/SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PATRONS:John RKaitlyn of Tea with TolkienJacob LockhamJohn HEru27Ms. AnonymousAndrew TRedhawkShannon SBrian OEmilio PZeke FJames AJames LChris LChuck FAsya VIsh of the HammerTeresa CDavid of Pints with JackJonathan DEric BJohanna TMike MRobert HPaul DJuliaWertyMatthew WJoeBagelManChris KJacob SRichard KMatt RGarret PJohn WEugene DChris BDaniel SSeb MShana SupremeAS WELL AS THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR PATRON ANNIVERSARY IN JANUARY OF 2023 JoeBagelManJohn RMike MScott WJason TElina VMelanieTyler W

Jared, Oriana and Ned start the new year with Ned's choice of topic: the short children's works Roverandom and Mr. Bliss. Tolkien has been described as a children's author both with praise and disparagement over time, but a more accurate way to put it is that while he was busy working on his cycle of early Middle-earth stories with its high drama and tragedy in the 1920s and 1930s, he was also a loving father to four young children who often made up many stories and tales for them. The Hobbit itself has strong roots in this activity but whether it's the Father Christmas letters, the original Tom Bombadil stories, the early versions of Farmer Giles of Ham or more besides, it's a large creative part of his work in those decades. After The Hobbit was accepted for publication, Tolkien provided the manuscripts for, among other submissions, the stories Roverandom and Mr. Bliss for consideration, though the success of The Hobbit and the request for a sequel led him down other paths, with the two stories receiving separate posthumous publication instead. Is there ultimately anything more to Mr. Bliss than a series of random happenings that the titular character barely seems to be at the center of a lot of the time? How does Roverandom work in notable contrast to Mr. Bliss, with its deeper emotions as much as it has a sense of playful satire? How well does Tolkien's art for both stories achieve a distinct resonance and beauty? And who wouldn't want to get a newspaper called Ocean Notions, perhaps most applicable these days if you live in a pineapple under the sea?SHOW NOTES.Jared's doodle – a beautiful and striking moment from an equally striking story.Join the Megaphonic Patreon! And yes, The Greatest Story Ever Told…isn't. At least not in that form. As before, support the HarperCollins union.A Silmarillion opera cycle exists! And has for years, who knew – not us! More about it, including a link to a fuller interview, via TheOneRing.net.The Russian Silmarillion musical, whatever it is? There are clips.Yep, pushing ahead with The Rings of Power. We'll see…Roverandom! Mr. Bliss! Very different to be sure.Earlier episodes on Smith of Wootton Major and Tree and Leaf (with “On Fairy-Stories”)The Wind In The Willows remains top flight.“Goblin Feet”…does not.Marcel The Shell With Shoes On was indeed a good movie.We all know The Velveteen Rabbit. Surely.Well we all DEFINITELY know Toy Story. The Man in the Moon is everywhere!News of the World was a thing. (They shut down because they were completely horrible. Of course Rupert Murdoch was involved.)The tales of Baron Munchausen are wonderful things. (Gilliam's movie is remarkable…but read this first.)Tolkien's illustration of Roverandom and the White Dragon, with Scull and Hammond's commentary.Our early episode on magic. Oh man do we love Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea. (The Folio Society editions are remarkable.)Uin the whale. (He's in this reproduction of Tolkien's original 1917 Middle-earth map on the left in the layer of water below the main continents.)Tolkien's illustration “The Garden of the Merking's Palace” is a great riot of color in the best way.Support By-The-Bywater on Patreon and you can hang out with us in a Discord AND hear Ned and Jared talk about Charleton Heston!

Enjoy an off-season holiday bonus episode!  Merry Christmas!  Season 3 is coming in February, but in the meantime, please feel free to email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com For this bonus episode, Chris is joined by Logan, Kora, and Eric to talk about Christmas and the Inklings. We'll talk a bit about Christmas memories and rituals that involve the Inklings. We'll delve into holiday poetry, fiction, and satire by Williams, Tolkien, and Lewis. And finally, we'll try our hand at creating an Inklings-related Hallmark-style Christmas movie, ending with a trailer put together by none other than Logan Huggins. Works discussed include: "Christmas," by Charles Williams The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis Smith of Wootton Major, by J.R.R. Tolkien  Letters from Father Christmas, by J.R.R. Tolkien “Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus,” by C.S. Lewis Topics discussed include:  Coming to Inklings Variety Hour Season 3 What makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie? Who best embodies the spirit of Christmas in Lord of the Rings? Lewis' reverential rejuvenation of flat secular characters (such as Father Christmas); nature of solemnity Two (reconcilable? irreconcilable?) aspects of Christmas Barbie in the Nutcracker and "Faerie" Yuletide in Middle Earth Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for making me sound a lot less awkward than I would in real life! And for adding the great music! And for maintaining the Youtube Channel!  (Note: At the end of the show, I thank "both Kora and Eric," because Logan had to step off slightly early.) If you want to find a new way to celebrate Christmas as a season rather than a day-long binge, please check out the site Chris does with his wife, Glencora: www.12tide.com And as always, please do not hesitate to email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com with ideas for what you'd like to see in Season 3! Merry Christmas!

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Jared's choice of topic: food in Middle-earth. As Jared says in his introduction, he was reminded of the subject when a semi-viral Tolkien tweet went around again claiming that The Lord of the Rings is in its various parts like the stereotype of recipe blogs: a lengthy and seeming rambling introduction to an eventual meal. But that's not in fact the case, and the wider question of how food – and appetites and hunger in many different forms – is described by Tolkien in Middle-earth as a whole raises some interesting questions in turn. (We didn't even talk about Smith of Wootton Major, come to think of it!) Where did the idea the tweet incorrectly claims come from and why do people apply it to Tolkien when it seems much more apt for the works of other writers? How does evil in general intersect with questions of appetite and destruction, and are there differences in how that is applied both in a literal and metaphorical sense? How does hunger play out in Middle-earth and where, and is it more apparent in some works than others? And what would be your preferred meal to join in on if you were given the chance? Also, we have another rather lengthy news section this time out because a certain series is literally about to premiere mere hours from now…SHOW NOTES.Jared's doodle. Lembas and stew, who wouldn't want that? The By-the-Bywater Kitchen Party! It was great. (Catch Jared on the next Kitchen Party live on Megaphonic's Twitch channel.)One last Rings of Power trailer. And it's cluuuuuunky. (At this point there are endless features and promo pieces out and if we tried to track them all we'd seize up.)TheOneRing.net's report about how Alex Jordan has joined the Warner Bros anime.The Embracer rights news, also from TheOneRing.net. The Marquette University exhibition J. R. R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript's home page. Absolutely go if you can get the chance; here's links to the three associated lectures and other programming that's happening.If you just want to buy the exhibition catalog, here ya go.Milwaukee magazine on the exhibition, plus two local TV news reports on it.Bear McCreary's Rings of Power soundtrack is streaming on all services; unsurprisingly Amazon's includes extra cuts. The J. A. Bayona interview with io9 with the weird ‘elves are political, men are melodramatic' comment. Insider's speculation/semi-behind the scenes piece on Amazon's financial interest and stances in the series.There's endless recipes for things ‘inspired by' Tolkien and Middle-earth online. Tolkien Gateway has a few specific entries on actual food in canon, including lembas of course.Does Redwall have food? Does it ever.Kumis! Ma'amoul! Squid-ink pasta! Try ‘em all.Peter Jackson's Aragorn with the deer moment from Fellowship. (It's at 2:07 in this clip.)There is indeed a lot out there on fairy tale food as temptation – this 2013 thesis is almost titled that!Lembas, Tolkien's Catholicism and the Eucharist – plenty out there as well! Here's an essay/podcast episode on the matter.A good chunk of Jackson's Unexpected Party sequence from the first Hobbit film. (Bilbo's defeated look in his empty pantry is also at 2:07.)No, really, John Carter was a very entertaining film.Support By-The-Bywater on Megaphonic! Thanks!

Highly recommended reading for yourself FIRST. Parts will feel familiar, but strangely packaged. Hopefully you will feel the enchantment & nostalgia. With this special, truly we enter the twilight. Please enjoy & send to a friend. Thank you for listening!

Kora Burton rejoins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major" (1967).  Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity.  Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man's book.”   Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!   If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.  We'd love to hear from you. Next week: Sophie, Meagan, David, and Sorina join us for Descent Into Hell--possibly Charles Williams' most profound novel.  Feel free to start reading or listening now.

Kora Burton joins Chris to discuss Tolkien's last fairy (or is it faerie?) story, "Smith of Wootton Major."   Smith of Wootton Major (1967) is Tolkien's last work of fiction and was begun as part of an Introduction to an edition of George MacDonald's The Golden Key–an edition that was never published.  Tolkien began by writing a kind of parable about a stupid baker making a cake for children that inadvertently had something faerian in it.  But when he found this illustration was taking on a life of its own, he discarded the introduction entirely and worked on the story–which he realized was in part a critique of the things he did not like about George MacDonald, among other Victorians (still, I find it owes a real debt to The Golden Key and Phantastes, as much as it does to anything medieval).  Smith of Wootton Major is a short story, a parable about the nature of what Tolkien called “fayery” or “Faerie,” an evocative fairy tale in its own right, as well as a melancholy meditation on the loss of artistic capacity.  Though told simply enough for children to understand its plot, Tolkien called it “an old man's book.” One of my favorite history of English podcasts, just in case you want more philology or historical linguistics: https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/ Thanks as always to Logan Huggins for producing this episode!   If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.  We'd love to hear from you. Next week: We enter Faerie with Smith!

Is there more to Tolkien than The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? You betcha. This week, Colin and Rhys are joined by Dr. Jason Lepojärvi to discuss Tolkien's intellect and imagination, and to preview Jason's upcoming course on the subject next term at Davenant Hall (register by March 25th!)NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently Reading N/ATexts Discussed"On Fairy-Stories" byJ.R.R TolkienLeaf By Niggle by J.R.R TolkienSmith of Wootton Major by J.R.R TolkienThe Hobbit by J.R.R TolkienTolkien in OxfordSpotlightDiscovering J.R.R Tolkien: Intellect and Imagination (Spring Term Davenant Hall Course - regsiter by March 25th!)

Welcome to our FIRST episode of Dream Baby Dream! We talk a little bit about ourselves, introduce your ears to the struggling actors that are Taylah and Amy. Then we sit down and chat to comedian and overall incredible human, Darren Gilshenan.Our artist of the week is 4 piece Gold Coast band Wootton Major. Find them on instagram @woottonmajor

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Ned's choice of topic: Tree and Leaf. Published in 1964 in the UK and the following year in the US, Tree and Leaf was Tolkien's first major post-Lord of the Rings publication but was itself a republishing of two earlier non-Middle-earth pieces: “On Fairy-Stories,” an essay on the subject revised from a 1939 lecture and 1947 anthology, and “Leaf by Niggle,” a short, explicitly religious story for a Catholic publication in 1945. Anthologized and separately published since, they're at once totally separate but sometimes strangely complementary pieces that serve to illuminate Tolkien's interests beyond Middle-earth itself, while at the same time often casting reflections back on it or suggesting how dominant his legendarium was to his creative life and beyond. What makes “On Fairy-Stories” key as a way to consider Tolkien's overall creative aesthetic, even as it contains some of his most dense, allusive prose? How does his framing of fairy-stories as not simply being for children itself lead to other interesting conclusions about not only children but other cultures? What makes “Leaf By Niggle” the closest Tolkien ever got to C.S. Lewis's fictional approach, but where also does it differ? And how telling is it that once again Tolkien features an idealized friendship – perhaps more – between men in his fiction?SHOW NOTES.Jared's doodle. (Kinda makes Ned think of the cover of Led Zeppelin IV but not really.)Andy Serkis's readings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are quite good indeed.The Daily Mail photo story – those are some lovely shots and the story's cool too.The Tolkien Society photo announcement…and the fallout. Rosamund Pike has her way with a pineapple.Absolutely check out Costa Botes's behind the scenes documentaries about Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. Here's Botes's own memories about it. As for the films, as noted they're on the original Blu-ray set and elsewhere but then again it's weird where they might all turn up.Tree and Leaf, the most current version of same. As noted, the two original pieces are also now available separately with more material: On Fairy-Stories and Leaf By Niggle. Andrew Lang's impact on the general field of fairy tales and more remains pretty big. (The Andrew Lang Memorial Lectures continue to the present day.)Max Müller's had his own general scholarly impact too.Our Smith of Wootton Major episode. The ancient Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers.We didn't mention it in our discussion but Tolkien's referencing of the sophistication of supposedly ‘primitive' people has a resonance with the character of Ghân-buri-Ghân – check out our episode on him.If you want more on Carl Jung and how Joseph Campbell built off him, read on.The Juniper Tree, as told by the Grimms.M. R. James – so great. A Thin Ghost presents all the stories plus info on the many adaptations over time, including Mark Gatiss's recent adaptations for the BBC.R. L. Stine – also so great. The Snowman is there for the reading.Hayao Miyazaki – great great GREAT again. A recent NYT profile, and yes watch Ponyo. And everything else.The Dublin Review, the publication where “Leaf By Niggle” first appeared.So you're wondering about Purgatory in a Catholic context… CCD aka Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.Phantom Thread! Great film. Very not-Tolkien.The Great Divorce, That Hideous Strength, Till We Have Faces, there's plenty of C. S. Lewis out there.Niggle and Parish, a fraught friendship but with more to it there. Here's our episode on friendship.Support By-The-Bywater and Megaphonic FM on Patreon.

Tolkien wrote many stories, not all of them about Middle-earth, and this is my ranking of all of them. For reviews of some of these check out the following links: Roverandom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8hJR1Kj5qY Farmer Giles of Ham: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O32CpI0rOgg Leaf by Niggle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OdiCz3JwHA Smith of Wootton Major: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyzNBaaHZqY Beren and Luthien (note, the book is more about the textual history than just a straight story): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTGPOdzjSFg The Children of Hurin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKWzsP_3tcY You can now find me on Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 And on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f You can support my channel by visiting my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek.

We all know Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, and many of us are familiar with the Silmarillion and perhaps the fact that he was a philologist by profession. But did you know he wrote several other pieces of fiction? This video explores one of them, "Smith of Wootton Major," which lies somewhere near the epicenter of Tolkien's work in the sense that it incorporates some of his personal views on "Faerie story".

Tolkien's short story, Smith of Wootton Major.

Tolkien's short story, Smith of Wootton Major.

It's a BONUS Episode for Tolkien Reading Day 2020! What!? In this episode, Vasilios talks a little bit about what March 25th means to him, discusses nature as a doorway to Faery, and then reads a bit from his favorite Tolkien short story,"Smith of Wootton Major." Happy Tolkien Reading Day, everyone! If you'd like to hear a bit more Vasilios, tune in to this YouTube Channel at 3:45PM PST, where he will be joining the Tolkien Guide's all-day Tolkien Reading Day festivities:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdXtDHE6rKI. Please like, comment, subscribe, review, rate, share, and ENJOY! Soundcloud: @tolkientakeaway Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tolk…ay/id1170320003 Facebook: facebook.com/tolkientakeaway Twitter: twitter.com/tolkientakeaway E-Mail: tolkientakeaway@gmail.com

Vasilios takes a few minutes to talk about the Tolkien news in his life, and then dives into one of his favorite short stories in the world, Tolkien's "Smith of Wootton Major," exploring three reasons why he just loves this tale so gosh-darn much. In the Hobbit Hole, Vasilios points to a certain tendency of the protagonist, and how this tendency can enrich our lives. Smith of Wootton Major: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Perilous-Realm-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0007280599/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1NLWBQVZARAZK&keywords=smith+of+wootton+major&qid=1567885173&s=gateway&sprefix=smith+of+woo%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-3 Find This Podcast: Soundcloud: @tolkientakeaway Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tolk…ay/id1170320003 Facebook: facebook.com/tolkientakeaway Twitter: twitter.com/tolkientakeaway E-Mail: tolkientakeaway@gmail.com

“You don't cheat death. You whimper in fear of it.”   This week we’re joined by our good friend and former guest, Vasilios Asimakos, to talk Batman Beyond Season3, Episode 5: Out of the Past Featuring: Bruce faces a Demon from his past Plus: F**k The Hobbit   Batman Beyond available on DC Universe: https://www.dcuniverse.com/videos/batman-beyond/69/season-3   0:00 Intro / News 32:16 Out of the Past 1:22:00 Bat Plugs 1:41:56 Outro   Bat Plugs Smith of Wootton Major by JRR Tolkien on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/0007202474/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_bzJMCbB0PZ4PN Us in Theaters https://www.fandango.com/us-2019-215721/movie-overview Won’t You Be My Neighbor? On HBO https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/wont-you-be-my-neighbor College Humor’s Drop Out Online https://www.dropout.tv   Intro Music by Ardeshir Adhami Intro SFX by Grant Evans via Soundbible.com   Check out Vasilios’ podcast, Tolkien Takeaway, on iTunes: https://itun.es/i6747Hm Facebook & Twitter: @TolkienTakeaway   Subscribe and review on iTunes! http://bit.ly/TimmTalk   Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/timmtalkpod IG: https://www.instagram.com/timmtalkpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timmtalkpod/ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/timmtalkspotify YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/timmtalkyoutube   Follow Cameron on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameron.dexter and https://www.instagram.com/camdexter_adventures   Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordopher/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lordopher   Check out Chris’ new podcast, Gay it Forward, where he learns to be a better gay, on iTunes http://bit.ly/GIFPod, YouTube http://bit.ly/GIFPodYT, Facebook http://bit.ly/GIFPodFB, Twitter http://bit.ly/GIFPodTW, and Instagram http://bit.ly/GIFPodIG

Combined into one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien's five acclaimed modern classic 'fairie' tales in the vein of The Hobbit, read by Derek Jacobi.The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked because of their short lengths, they are joined here in one volume which reaffirms Tolkien's place as a master storyteller for listeners young and old.'Roverandom' is a toy dog who, enchanted by a sand sorcerer, gets to explore the world and encounter strange and fabulous creatures.'Farmer Giles of Ham' is fat and unheroic, but - having unwittingly managed to scare off a short-sighted giant - is called upon to do battle when a dragon comes to town.'The Adventures of Tom Bombadil' tells in verse of Tom's many adventures with hobbits, princesses, dwarves and trolls.'Leaf by Niggle' recounts the strange adventures of the painter Niggle, who sets out to paint the perfect tree.'Smith of Wootton Major' journeys to the Land of Faery thanks to the magical ingredients of the Great Cake of the Feast of Good Children.Taken together, this rich collection of work from the author of The Children of Húrin will provide the listener with a fascinating journey into lands as wild and strange as Middle-earth.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Smith of Wootton Major, Pages 35-39 Recorded 04/01/11.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Smith of Wootton Major, Pages 9-34 Recorded 3/30/11.

"Smith of Wootton Major," Part 2. Recorded 2/3/10.

"Smith of Wootton Major," Part 1. Recorded 2/1/10.