WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.319 Hey there, fellow travelers. Right now, I have one major 2 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:05.719 goal for The Tolkien Road to finish my next book. 3 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:07.919 While I'm doing that, I want to invite you to 4 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:10.240 read through The silmar Million with The Tolkien Road this year. 5 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.199 Over the next several months, we'll be revisiting the thirty 6 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:16.199 episode series that Greta and I recorded back in twenty 7 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:20.079 twenty two. And while you're listening, check out silm Guide 8 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:25.960 dot com. That's Silmguide dot com. For guides to individual chapters. 9 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:28.800 You can find a link in the show notes. The 10 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:31.679 first episode is an overview of the Silmarillion in including 11 00:00:31.719 --> 00:00:35.439 its background, structure, and themes. To support our work here, 12 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:40.399 please visit patreon dot com slash Tolkien Road Enjoy. Hey there, 13 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:47.479 fellow travelers. Welcome to The Tolkien Road, Episode two seventy two. Greta, Hey, Hey, Greta, 14 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:49.039 you ready to start a new journey? 15 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.200 Always I'm always up for a new. 16 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:54.600 Journey, always up for a new journey. I like it. 17 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:56.000 Yeah. 18 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:59.280 In this episode, we were returning to the Silmarillion. Over 19 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:01.600 the last seven years, we've learned a ton about Tolkien, 20 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:04.239 Middle Earth, and the art of podcasting, and we're excited 21 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:06.319 to bring that knowledge to bear as we journey through 22 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:11.319 the Selm Million once again. Yes, so, and let's let's 23 00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:14.000 just say we're extra excited that we're going to have 24 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:16.079 so many people along for the journey from the start 25 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:16.439 this time. 26 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:18.200 Yes, yes, yes. 27 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:20.200 We did this so the last time we did the 28 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:26.439 Silm Million, like this was literally our first episode baby podcasters, 29 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:31.120 just baby podcasters. So yeah, so not only have we 30 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:33.840 learned a lot about podcasting since then, not only do 31 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:37.040 we don't have video of any of that stuff back then, 32 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:40.599 so we have all that. Plus we have all you 33 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:43.000 guys along for the journey this time, right, listening in 34 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:50.599 real time. So pretty exciting. Yes, yeah, so I'm just 35 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:53.200 I'm just like, I don't know, I'm gonna start gushing 36 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:56.799 about it if I let myself go on. But let's 37 00:01:56.840 --> 00:01:59.719 just say this is going to be extra fun this time. 38 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:01.560 I think, even more fun than the first time through. 39 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:05.159 I totally agree. I totally agree. So yeah, I think 40 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:09.039 it's gonna be it's gonna be really good. And I 41 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:13.360 feel like, you know, sometimes I feel like rereads again. 42 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:14.400 I'm like, well, there's so many. 43 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:16.759 Great books in the world, Like, why waste your time 44 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.439 reading one they've already read? 45 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:22.599 But there are a few out there, excuse me, that 46 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:24.560 I think are get it. 47 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:27.039 You're getting for climped, I'm getting for climed. 48 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:32.960 Yes, But I think there's definitely several works of literature 49 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:36.639 out there that are definitely worth reading over multiple times, 50 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:39.240 and the Silm Marillion is one of them. And I 51 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:41.800 think it's gonna be I think it's gonna be even 52 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:44.520 better the second time through for me, because the first 53 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.439 time I was just kind of I was really new 54 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:51.560 to most things Tolken. So I'm really excited to approach 55 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:58.759 it with a more informed and knowledgeable brain, and also 56 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:03.719 with just a little bit with our community as well. 57 00:03:03.719 --> 00:03:04.759 I think it's gonna be really good. 58 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:05.520 Boom. 59 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:06.800 Yeah. 60 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:09.000 So in k in case you haven't gotten the message 61 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:14.599 that we're excited word word all right, before we get started, 62 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:16.280 we'd like to give a double up air five to 63 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:20.080 our patrons. Gotta put that coffee down. You're gonna need 64 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:27.680 both hands for this, Okay, three two one O Boom special. 65 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:31.080 Thanks to this episode's executive producers, John R. And Kitlin 66 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:34.120 of T with Tolkien, Thank you guys, and a shout 67 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:39.080 out to Andrew T who annualized his pledge awesome. Thank 68 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:39.439 you all. 69 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:40.719 Yes, thank you guys. 70 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.639 Hey, become a patron by visiting Patreon dot com slash 71 00:03:43.639 --> 00:03:46.439 Tolkien Road. Becoming a patron is easy and lands you 72 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:49.039 a bunch of cool perks like episodes early in ad 73 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.919 free uh and then twenty percent off all merchandise purchased 74 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:55.280 through trumanthspress dot com, which you should go check out. 75 00:03:55.879 --> 00:03:58.439 And this is a brand new perk just announce on 76 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:01.719 this episode access to our monthly live stream Q and A. 77 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:03.800 So more on that at the end of this episode. 78 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:06.400 So we've got a plan for our patrons only to 79 00:04:06.439 --> 00:04:09.680 do a live stream Q and A with them, and 80 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:12.479 in order to get access to that live you're gonna 81 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:15.120 have to be a patron, so boom. 82 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:16.360 I like live streams. 83 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:18.120 It was fun. We had a lot of fun during 84 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:18.959 that one last month. 85 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.560 Yeah, for sure, we've done a couple, right. Our last 86 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:24.480 one was before this past one, I think was a 87 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:26.600 while ago. But the feod that we've done I've really 88 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:27.759 really enjoyed for sure. 89 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:30.199 Yeah, and no, forget right now and for the rest 90 00:04:30.199 --> 00:04:32.560 of January. You can now make an annual pledge and 91 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:35.639 get two months free. So two months of Patreon free, 92 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:38.439 So save yourself two months. You're gonna want to become 93 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:40.040 a patron for the rest of your life anyway, so 94 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:42.040 you might as well save two months per year, right 95 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:43.040 as well. 96 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:43.959 Win win. 97 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:47.519 All right, we've done this before, but I wanted to 98 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.480 kind of refresh this. I like this idea since we're 99 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:52.079 going through the film Million from the start. This time, 100 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:55.040 we're going to offer a token quote of the week 101 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:57.279 which is going to have some relevance, you know, for 102 00:04:57.480 --> 00:04:59.319 to kind of kick off each episode, set the tone 103 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:00.000 for each episode. 104 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:00.480 It. 105 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:03.959 Yeah, good. So this week's quote of the week comes 106 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:06.879 from letter one A two written in nineteen fifty six 107 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:10.800 to Anne Barrett of Houghton Mifflin Co. Which I thought 108 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:15.560 was appropriate since since you know, here's my first edition 109 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:18.120 right here of the Selm Million, and it's got Houghton 110 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:19.040 Mifflin right there. 111 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:22.079 Oh that's cool, yep, on the first edition. 112 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:27.839 There we go. See. Yeah, well, the first edition it 113 00:05:27.879 --> 00:05:31.439 was actually you know, this book was actually on my 114 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:35.480 parents' bookshelf since I was a little kid. So I 115 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:39.160 remember just seeing this name jer R. Tolkien and seeing 116 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.079 this book on that bookshelf with the Selm million. This 117 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:44.879 this is the one, right, So seeing it sitting on 118 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.959 that bookshelf and just wondering, like, you know, what is 119 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:51.360 that book? And then when I read The Hobbit, I 120 00:05:51.399 --> 00:05:53.560 was like, what's the Selmer Million? And I just it 121 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:56.279 seemed I can remember it. That name just seeming so 122 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:59.000 bizarre to me, like what is that? Right, and then 123 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:01.480 reading Lord of the Rings, being like, still, what is 124 00:06:01.480 --> 00:06:06.279 this Silm million? So little? What little did I know? Right? 125 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:08.639 Little did I know the destiny that the Selm realion, 126 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:12.199 that that I was on a date, I was on 127 00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:14.519 a crash course with destiny when it came to the 128 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:15.040 Silm Million. 129 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:18.360 So yeah, I'm trying to figure out this cover, I 130 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:18.800 you know. 131 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:22.000 I don't. I don't know, but I think it's there's 132 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:24.639 the cover right there. I think it's I think it's 133 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:27.959 actually supposed to. To me, it looks like it's seen 134 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:29.720 from the Hobbit, right. I think it might be a 135 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:32.079 scene from the Hobbit where they're up in the misty mountains, 136 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:35.839 right and the storm's going on. Yes, but yeah, it's 137 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:37.959 a good question. I don't know for sure. Anyway, let's 138 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:40.319 talk about this quote of the week. All right, let's 139 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:44.319 do that. So here we go. I shall certainly now 140 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:46.519 if I am allowed publish the parts of the great 141 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:50.519 history that was written first and reject it. But the 142 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:52.800 to me very surprising success of The Lord of the 143 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:56.279 Rings will probably cause that rejection to be reconsidered, though 144 00:06:56.279 --> 00:06:58.120 I do not think it could have the appeal of 145 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:01.839 the Lord of the Rings. No Hobbits. So we see 146 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.240 here the Tolkien himself recognize one of the chief problems 147 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.399 that The Selm Million would face when it came to 148 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:10.439 the general public, which is no Hobbits. So let's just 149 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:12.439 say that from the very start, for those of you 150 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.319 who are new to The Selm Million, you're not going 151 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:15.879 to find any Hobbits in the Lord of the Ring 152 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:19.480 and the Selm Million. Now, you will find them within 153 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:23.959 the confines of this book, but not in the Selm 154 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.639 Million itself, the Selm Million proper as you will, as 155 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:30.079 we will come to refer to it. We'll explain why 156 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:34.600 that's true here in just a few moments. Okay, So 157 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:37.240 you want to read The Selm Million if you have 158 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:40.800 any interest in Middle Earth. It's only natural, especially for 159 00:07:40.839 --> 00:07:42.920 those who have completed The Lord of the Rings No 160 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:45.920 small Feet in and of itself. It's the most logical 161 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:48.199 next step. Right, You've read the hobbit. If you haven't 162 00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:49.319 read The Lord of the Rings, need to read Lord 163 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.519 of the Rings. If you've read both, then need to 164 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:55.439 read the selm Million. Right, that's the next logical step. However, 165 00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:58.279 if you're expecting a story like The Lord of the Rings, 166 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.439 you've probably already figured out that the Silmarrillion ain't it. 167 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:05.319 In fact, you won't even encounter a familiar species until 168 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:08.279 several chapters in, and when you do, it will likely 169 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:10.920 be several more chapters until you finally get a grasp 170 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:12.399 on what's actually happening. 171 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:15.839 Is this a sales pitch because if it is failing? 172 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:18.879 Okay, well it's I mean, no, it's a it's a 173 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:24.000 sobering I know. It's not a sales I know. It's 174 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:27.160 a sales pitch for listening to this podcast, right and 175 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:28.800 getting yourself beefed up because it's. 176 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:30.319 Challenging, right, it is very challenging. 177 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:33.200 Yeah, here's our promise to you. Here's comes a sales pitch. 178 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:35.320 If you'll stick with us on this journey over the 179 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:37.240 next several months, it will all start to make sense, 180 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:39.399 and eventually you will see how it all connects to 181 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:41.480 the Lord of the Rings as well as the hobbit 182 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:47.159 and makes the experience of reading them both remarkably richer. Right, So, uh, Greta, 183 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:50.200 I mean, would you would you concur with that, like, 184 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:52.200 you know, having gone through the podcast the first time 185 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:55.519 around yourself as a having and you never read the 186 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.159 selm Marillion at that point, right right? Yeah? Yeah, So 187 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:02.480 did you come to did you come to appreciate and 188 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:04.519 understand the silm Million through that journey? Would you say, 189 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:06.840 through the journey of the podcast? 190 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.120 Yeah, oh yeah, absolutely absolutely. 191 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:12.440 How many people we heard from over the last seven 192 00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:16.120 years about you know, being being able to finally kind 193 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:18.120 of make it through the selm Arillion and really understand 194 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:21.039 the silm Million after listening to our first go through. 195 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:23.679 Yeah, a lot a lot of you. Because it's not. 196 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:26.440 It's not an easy read. It's really not. It's not 197 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:30.919 a you know, definitely not a beach read. And I 198 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:35.320 would argue it's also not really a curl it by 199 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:37.480 the fire and drinking a glass of wine read either, 200 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:39.039 Like you kind of got to be on your game 201 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:40.600 when you're reading this sul Marillion. 202 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:42.240 Although I want to take issue with something you said, 203 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:44.440 I think I think Olmo would say it is a 204 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:48.879 bee tread that's actually so true. Say there's a bee tread. Yeah, 205 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:52.240 as well as those who were inspired to build large 206 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:55.039 kingdoms because of being close to the water and hearing 207 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:59.759 the the mystical sounds of Almo. Yeah yeah, all right. 208 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:04.480 So you know, for me, I wanted to read the 209 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:08.399 silm Merillion from the moment I finished Lord of the Rings. 210 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:11.600 And I can remember picking this very book right here, 211 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.919 this copy right here, taking it off of my parents' 212 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:18.279 bookshelf after reading Lord of the Rings. This is probably 213 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:23.159 back in two thousand and one, and starting out and 214 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:25.879 just being like getting into idol Ndola and just being like, 215 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:29.679 first of all, what is the I knew Lindale and 216 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:35.159 what is going on? This is all about some music? 217 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:39.840 Like there's nothing here that is relatable to me from 218 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:42.440 a Lord of the Rings or Hobbit perspective, right, I 219 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:44.559 don't recognize. I even was like, okay, maybe I'll look 220 00:10:44.600 --> 00:10:45.919 at the map and maybe this will help me get 221 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:47.759 get it all figured out here. And I open up 222 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.679 the map and it's just like, that's not Middle Earth. 223 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:53.840 I don't know what this Belrian place is, but this 224 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:56.799 that's not Middle Earth, you know, I don't know what's 225 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:59.960 going on here? So it's all you know, You're like, 226 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:01.679 oh great, I want to read the you know, this 227 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:06.039 prequel to Lord of the Rings, and you very quickly 228 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:09.039 find out that this is this is not like watching 229 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:13.679 the prequels for Star Wars, right, where you know you 230 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:16.919 immediately meet a younger version of Obi Wan Kenobi. Right, 231 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:23.480 there's literally nobody who you even recognize, no place names 232 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:26.159 that you tend to recognize for a long time. There 233 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:29.559 are a couple of very minor exceptions in Valaquinta, the 234 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:33.639 second section of the book, but even there, it's brief. 235 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:36.600 It's just brief, right, It's very brief. Uh, and you 236 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:38.879 don't actually, you know, see some of those characters come 237 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:43.639 back until much later. Okay, So this is a challenge, right, 238 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:45.879 it's a challenge. I know it. I've been there, Greta's 239 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:48.559 been there, and together we're gonna make it through and 240 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:50.240 we're really gonna enjoy reading this and you guys are 241 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:52.200 gonna love it. Right, there's so much good stuff in 242 00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:55.759 the summarion. So it's a challenge, but it's so worth it, 243 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:57.879 and you get bragging rights, yeah you will. 244 00:11:58.360 --> 00:11:59.879 I mean, I can't tell you how many people have 245 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:01.799 you know, mentioned that I read the Silmar Allion too, 246 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:02.440 and they're like. 247 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:07.480 Whoa, yeah, yeah, for sure, And here's the thing. You 248 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:11.360 want to read it now, because within by this time 249 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:14.519 next year, this thing called Latron Prime is going to 250 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:16.639 have happened. Right, That's how we refer to it here 251 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:19.039 on the Tolkien Road Lord of the Rings on Prime. 252 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:22.639 It's going to have happened, and everyone is going to 253 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:24.960 think they know all this stuff about the early history 254 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.039 of Middle Earth, and you're gonna be like, well, actually, 255 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:30.559 it happened this way because you've read the Silmar Allion already. Right. 256 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:34.679 So for those of you who are here for the 257 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:37.240 very noble and virtuous reason that you want to beef 258 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:39.840 up on all of this before Latron Prime hits, right, 259 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:41.720 you want to understand the background of that show before 260 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:45.039 it hits the screen. Welcome, right, this will be a 261 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:48.559 very worthwhile endeavor as we journey towards September two, twenty 262 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:51.360 twenty two. So and for those of you who will 263 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:53.840 be journeying through the Silm Million again, we're glad you're back, right, 264 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:56.279 absolutely glad you're back. Or if this I mean this 265 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:58.799 may be the first time listening to the podcast, but 266 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:01.279 you're reading it again. Right. You know, there's some of 267 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:03.240 you who may have read it dozens of times. We 268 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:06.080 have plenty of listeners who have done that, right, you know, 269 00:13:06.120 --> 00:13:07.960 this is you know they they told us like they 270 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:10.159 listened to our podcast even though they'd read the Selm 271 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:13.279 million many times, and they really enjoy just kind of 272 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:17.399 having our perspective and the discussion. Right. And that's one 273 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.440 thing that we're all about on this show, right is 274 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:22.879 we want discussion, we want conversation. Most of our episodes 275 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:25.240 are going to be us talking to the microphone having 276 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:27.960 a conversation about these things together. But we love the correspondence. 277 00:13:27.960 --> 00:13:29.960 And that's partly why we're doing this livestream Q and 278 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.679 A once a month now is we want to open 279 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:36.039 it up for those, you know, for those who are 280 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:39.919 patrons to really join in the conversation with us right live. 281 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:43.240 So yeah, and we're going to structure it those conversations 282 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:44.679 that way where we're going to kind of look back 283 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.600 at the previous month's episodes and we're gonna that's gonna 284 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:50.039 be the focus right now. Not to say we won't 285 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:52.039 maybe bring up some other interesting letters, but that's going 286 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.200 to be the focus for us. Awesome, all right, So 287 00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:59.320 let's talk about some background of the Selm Million. So 288 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:02.559 the Selm Million was published in nineteen seventy seven, four 289 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.320 years after Tolkien's death and over two decades after The 290 00:14:05.320 --> 00:14:09.440 Lord of the Rings and four decades after The Hobbit. However, 291 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:13.120 its genesis predates both works, going all the way back 292 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:16.480 to World War One and perhaps even before that. Right, 293 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:19.399 what we have with the Silm Million is not so 294 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.879 much one cohesive epic as it is a loosely connected 295 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:26.120 collection of stories taking place within the same secondary world, 296 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:30.039 the world that we know as Middle Earth. Though Tolkien 297 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:32.559 had hoped to publish The Selm Million during his lifetime, 298 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:36.000 he was not able to see it to completion, and 299 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:39.159 after his death in nineteen seventy three, his son Christopher 300 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:41.639 worked to complete The Selm Million. And what we hold 301 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:43.799 in our hands as the selm Merillion is the result 302 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:48.559 of that editorial process. All right, So let's break that 303 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:51.200 down a little bit, kind of rehash, just rehashed that briefly, 304 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:54.000 all right. The Silm Million published after Tolkien's death in 305 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:57.360 nineteen seventy seven, but it is actually the earliest of 306 00:14:57.399 --> 00:15:00.960 all the Middle Earth works, right, It's the earliest. It's 307 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.799 the beginnings of it actually go back to twenty years 308 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:09.840 before the publication of The Hobbit, right, and predate the 309 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:13.399 publication of Lord of the Rings by close to four decades. Right. 310 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:16.799 So the Silmarillion is really this collection of stories that 311 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:23.919 book ends Tolkien's creative life, right, it's the early stories, 312 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:27.639 but it is the stories. What we see here is 313 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:29.519 the stories he came up with. Is he was working 314 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:32.720 out the background mythology for this thing called Middle Earth, right, 315 00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:35.360 And you know when you read Lord of the Rings, 316 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:37.360 when you read The Hobbit, and it feels like there's 317 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:40.399 like this incredible background, there's this incredible history to it 318 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:44.559 all that goes way back. That's why, right, he had 319 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:46.639 because there was like he had worked out all of 320 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:50.080 these legends, the details of all of these legends, you know, 321 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.320 as he was creating before he created the stories, as 322 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:56.120 he was creating The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, 323 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:58.240 and he continued to work them out afterwards. Right. He 324 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:00.080 did hope to have it published in his lifetime. It 325 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:04.080 just never happened. And so Christopher, who is one of 326 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:08.639 his children, Christopher Tolkien, published The silm Marillion in nineteen 327 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:11.399 seventy seven. He had to do this very heavy duty 328 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:15.799 work of going through his father's papers and really compiling them. 329 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.559 And he knew the stories pretty well already, right he was, 330 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:20.559 you know, he and his father had talked about these stories. 331 00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:23.080 He had grown up with these stories. But he was 332 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:25.759 able to take them with the help of a writer 333 00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:29.679 named Guy Gabriel Kay and a young writer at that time. 334 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:31.840 He was still a fantasy writer in his own right. 335 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:33.919 He was able to take those stories and kind of 336 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:37.679 edit them into what we have in the Selm Mirillion. Okay, 337 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:42.200 so that's some background, published in nineteen seventy seven, after 338 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:45.200 Tolkien died in nineteen seventy three. That's what we have 339 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:47.200 with this book, the Selm Marillion. How we got it? 340 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:51.440 All right? Any questions on that, Gretor No, I'm good, 341 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:54.279 all right, thanks. So let's talk about the contents now. 342 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:56.879 It's important to note that we are going to be 343 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:59.360 working from the second edition of The Selm Merillion, which 344 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:01.759 is the most recent. So this is the first edition 345 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:04.960 right here, all right, that I have right here, the 346 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:09.400 one originally published in nineteen seventy seven. However, there is 347 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:11.200 a second edition, and that is the one that you 348 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:14.519 probably have unless you've been lucky enough to come across 349 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:20.000 a first edition copy. The second edition, however, has some 350 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:24.200 you know, some minor some changes to it, nothing too 351 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:28.000 major in terms of the content. But there is one 352 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:30.759 very important thing that's added into the second edition, and 353 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:32.680 that is the Waldman Letter. More on that in just 354 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:37.440 a bit. All right, So you're looking at the table 355 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:39.920 of contents, Greta, let's maybe open it up on the 356 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.079 table right here, if we can make some room here, 357 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:49.839 watch out for that microphone. All right, So our table 358 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:51.119 of contents, and. 359 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:52.880 This is also available in paperback. 360 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.240 Is it is available in paperback? Yeah, the one I have, 361 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:57.880 the one we're using right here. I'm using a hardcover 362 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:01.440 because I have it, and it's really nice and it's 363 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.559 easier to lay out like this on a table, right 364 00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:04.920 it doesn't want to close back up. 365 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:06.640 And not easier to read laying in bed. 366 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.799 Not easier to read laying in bed, although there are 367 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:12.319 some great so the art there. This is an illustrated version, 368 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:15.640 not like a graphic novel, but it has illustrations in it, 369 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:20.880 and the illustrations are done by noted Tolkien artist Ted Naysmith. 370 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.279 So very you know, this is a good copy to 371 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:26.200 get if you want yourself a nice hardcover edition of 372 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:28.759 the film million. I will link to it in the 373 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:33.079 show notes. So all right, there's a lot in this 374 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:37.039 table of contents. Okay, really two pages worth, two good 375 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:41.799 pages worth that we're looking at. Now. I want you 376 00:18:41.880 --> 00:18:44.400 all to think about the table of contents in terms 377 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:47.519 of kind of three groups. All right, we have the 378 00:18:47.559 --> 00:18:52.319 introductory material that includes these forwards right, so forward, and 379 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:55.160 then the preface to the second edition, and then this 380 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:57.759 from a letter by J. R. R. Tolkien. All right, 381 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:01.400 So that's the introductory material in this edition right here, 382 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:04.480 because it has illustrations. There's also a list of illustrations 383 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:06.200 in it. That's not going to be in the ones 384 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:10.079 if it doesn't have illustrations, obviously the next section. So 385 00:19:10.119 --> 00:19:12.839 that's so we have. First section would be the introductory material. 386 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:16.640 The second section would be the stories, and so that's 387 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:18.480 going to be everything, starting where it says I know 388 00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:20.960 Linda lay right, and that's how you say that word. 389 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:22.440 That's how you hear me say it, although there are 390 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:24.440 people who would say it differently, but I say, I 391 00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:26.960 know de lay and then you go all the way through, 392 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:30.000 and let's jump down all the way to of the 393 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:32.039 rings of power and the third Age, all right, So 394 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:35.799 that is kind of the main chunk of the main 395 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:39.119 narrative chunk, right, of the story the content all right, 396 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:43.240 of the Selm million I know, lind delay all the 397 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:45.039 way through of the Rings of Power in the third Age. 398 00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:48.440 So we'll just call that the stories, all right, And 399 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:50.200 so that's gonna be the main focus over the next 400 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:52.519 several months of this podcast, right, We're going to go 401 00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:55.720