Jokien with Tolkien

Articles

Elrond Beginning to Regret Not Pushing Isildur Into Cracks of Doom When He Had the Chance

2 days ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

RIVENDELL—After a heated council meeting that lasted long past midday, Half-elven Lord of Rivendell Elrond was overheard lamenting to fellow Elves that he regretted not solving the issue of Sauron’s magical Ring three thousand years ago at the end of the Second Age of Middle-earth. “It would have been so simple,” he allegedly mused. “I urged Isildur to do the right thing and destroy the Ring. ‘Cast it into the fire!’ I yelled. Can’t be much more direct than that, right?
đ 'The High Hallow' Review, LOTR/LEGO Book Nook, and more! - Tolkien Treasures #024

1 week ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

Hello all! Mae govannen! In todayâs newsletter Iâve got both a review of a recent release on Tolkienâs liturgical imagination and a roundup of recent Tolkien Treasures, or Tolkien-related content that Iâm currently enjoying and want to share with you all. Let's get right to it!The debate whether The Lord of the Rings is a Christian story has a long history, with passionate and eloquent arguments on both sides.
The Hands of the King, The Hands of a Healer

2 weeks ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

The hands of the king are the hands of a healer. The first time I played Dungeons & Dragons, I created a character who‚ÄĒat least initially‚ÄĒmay or may not have borne a striking resemblance to a certain Strider (including ‚Äúin a pale stern face a pair of keen grey eyes‚ÄĚ).
Laughs of the Rings #41

3 weeks ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

It’s been a long time since I did a recap of recent posts of mine from across the various internet realms, so I thought that in today’s newsletter I’d spotlight a handful of them! Today’s selection are from my Bluesky and Substack Notes feed, but I am also cross-posting some of these on Threads (it’s just a lot less convenient to share Threads content in a Substack post).
đŻ The Redemption of Boromir

1 month ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

A common criticism (or occasionally praise) of Tolkien I have encountered repeatedly on the internet is that The Lord of the Rings is a story of capital-G Good versus capital-E Evil, with none of the "morally grey" ambiguity that characterizes much of modern fantasy. But such a criticism (or celebration) of Tolkien reveals a basic lack of familiarity with or understanding of Tolkien.
⭐ May the Fourth: Episode II

1 month ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

Happy May the 4th! May the Fourth be with you!Since today is a day where fans celebrate everything and anything Star Wars related, I thought I’d join in on the fun and have some fun imagining Middle-earth meeting that Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Who Will Go With Frodo?

1 month ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

ELROND: The One Ring must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this. FRODO: I will take the Ring! Though I do not know the way. ALL: *silence*FRODO: If only someone who'd been to Mount Doom before could guide me... ELROND: .... FRODO: Oooookay. Perhaps someone who has fought a Balrog before then? GLORFINDEL: I’m sorry but facing a Balrog and dying once is plenty for me.
New Life, In Defiance of Death

1 month ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

There‚Äôs a scene from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies that Peter Jackson left on the cutting room floor1 that I mulled over for weeks after I first saw it. Gandalf, Bilbo, and Bard are in a small pocket of calm in the midst of a battle. Gandalf tells Bard to send bowmen to a specific position and Bard replies that there are no more bowmen to send. The battle seems lost.
đ Middle-earth March Madness 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP

2 months ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

Characters from all across Middle-earth have faced off in the first few rounds of Middle-earth March Madness. And what was once a group of 32 contestants narrowed to the Company of 16, then to the Fellowship of the 8, and most recently to the Four of Power!In the Four of Power, Ăowyn took on Helm Hammerhand and Galadriel from Rings of Power went toe-to-toe with LĂșthien: who won each matchup and advances to the finals?
čÜĘčĆÇ OVERTIME for one Middle-earth March Madness Four of Power MatchupčÜĘ

2 months ago | jrrjokien.com | JRR Jokien

Hello all,IÔÇÖll be sending the final round of Middle-earth March Madness out to you all tomorrow, but we had one matchup from the previous round thatÔÇÖs literally too close to call! So that particular matchup is going into overtime. When the original poll closed, Rings of Power Galadriel and L├║thien each received 50% of the vote.