Athrabeth – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us this month for a deep dive on Tolkien’s bodacious baddie, the one and only Sauron. Tolkien scholar and Sauron expert, Cameron Bourquein, leads us down her lesser-trod path exploring Sauron’s evolving nature, the meanings of his name, and his changing role in the legendarium throughout its development. 

 

Citations: 

Thank you to our guest host, Cameron Bourquein! 

How to find Cameron’s work:

Website: https://cameronbourquein.com/

Blog: https://theroadtoardahealed.substack.com/

Website: https://sauronproject.com/

Twitter: @CameronBorgQeen

Bluesky: cameronbourquein.bsky.social

Blog post with Cameron’s Sauron citations:

https://theroadtoardahealed.substack.com/p/a-sauron-bibliography

 

Works referenced in this episode: 

Letter 66 (To Christopher Tolkien, May 6, 1944)

From Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, London. 

Letter 131 (To Milton Waldman, undated- probably written in late 1951)

From Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, London.

 

Dr. Richard Eliot Blackwelder

As cited in Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion, London: HarperCollins, 2014, page xii.

Link: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-a-readers-companion-wayne-g-hammondchristina-scull?variant=32611676192846

 

A. R. Bossert

“Surely You Don’t Disbelieve”: Tolkien and Pius X: Anti-modernism in Middle-earth

Mythlore Vol. 25, No. 1, 2006

Link: https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1289&context=mythlore

 

Cameron Bourquein and Nick Polk

Reading, Rending, and Queering the Web of Story: With the Lenses of "Con-creation" and Process [Conference Presentation]

Presented at MythSoc OMS on Feb 10th, 2024 

Link: https://substack.com/home/post/p-153238639

 

Stafford Caldecott

The Power of the Ring: The Spiritual Vision Behind the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2013

Link: https://crossroadpublishing.com/product/the-power-of-the-ring/

 

John Garth

Ilu's Music: The Creation of Tolkien's Creation Myth

From Sub-creating Arda: World-building in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works, its Precursors, and Legacies, Dimitra Fimi and Thomas Honegger (editors), Cormarë Series No. 40

Walking Tree Publishers, 2019

Link: http://www.walking-tree.org/books/sub-creating_arda.php#h

 

Gwenyth Hood

Sauron as Gorgon and Basilisk

Marshall University, 1987

Link: https://mds.marshall.edu/english_faculty/30/

 

Jonathan S. McIntosh

The Flame Imperishable: Tolkien, St. Thomas, and the Metaphysics of Faërie

Angelico Press, 2017

Link: https://angelicopress.com/products/the-flame-imperishable

 

Brian Roseberry

Tolkien: A Cultural Phenomenon

Palgrave Macmillan, 2003

Link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230599987

 

Elizabeth A. Whittingham

The Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earth

McFarland & Company, 2007

Link: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-evolution-of-tolkiens-mythology/

 

The work of Mercury Natis, Tolkien Scholar

Link: https://lushthemagicdragon.carrd.co/

 

The work of Robin A. Reid, Tolkien Scholar

Link: https://tolkienists.org/robin-anne-reid/

In this very special AthraChat, Jude and Stef sit down to discuss the new film, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, directed by Kenji Kamiyama. We ruminate on giant turkey legs, things that go crunch in the water, and general punching. Beware of spoilers! 

Citations:

Smith, Chris. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Visual Companion. William Morrow. ISBN: 9780063422223

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim-visual-companion-chris-smith?variant=42417601511458

Find us on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/

Join the conversation on the Athrabeth discord!

Athrabeth is a production of the Athrabeth Podcast Network.

Athrabeth is produced by James Kaku Pierson

Join Jude and Stef for a fun, informal AthraChat about Amazon’s The Lords of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 4. Beware of spoilers and a tree or mud that may swallow you.

Citations: 

Francesco Nepitello on Twitter: @FNepitello

The One Ring by Free League Publishing: https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/the-one-ring/  (Accessed August 27, 2024)

War of the Ring strategy game by Ares Games: 

https://www.aresgames.eu/games/war-of-the-ring-line

 (Accessed August 27, 2024)

Find Athrabeth on the web at https://podcast.athrabeth.com/

Join the Athrabeth discord: https://discord.gg/DH2WJP452a

Jude and Stef discuss the first episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - season two! Beware spoilers for episode 1 of season 2, as well as spicy opinions about Elrond, elven set-design, and which version of Sauron is sexiest!

Citations: 

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lays of Beleriand. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 3, George Allen and Unwin, London, 1985. Kindle edition, eISBN: 978-0-358-61268-1, Version 07182023KO v1.0421 (Accessed July 12, 2024)

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. HarperCollins e-books. Apple Books edition. (Accessed July 12, 2024)

Tolkien Gateway entry for “The Lays of Beleriand”

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Lays_of_Beleriand (Accessed July 12, 2024)

Tolkien Society - Oxonmoot 51: Thursday, August 29 - Sunday, September 1.

Website: 

https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2024/

Citations: 

Garth, John. Tolkien And The Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth. First Mariner Books edition 2005. eISBN 978-0-544-26372-7. V2.0519. (Accessed June 30, 2024)

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales, Part II. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 2. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1984. (Accessed June 30, 2024)

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Silmarillion. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple Books edition. (Accessed June 30, 2024)

Tolkien Gateway entry for Eärendil 

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/E%C3%A4rendil (Accessed June 29, 2024)

Tolkien Gateway entry for The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Book_of_Lost_Tales:_Part_Two (Accessed June 29, 2024)

Tolkien Gateway entry for The Tale of Eärendel

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Tale_of_E%C3%A4rendel (Accessed June 29, 2024)

Join the Athrabeth Discord!

https://discord.gg/x5UVB7M3

Summer learning opportunities:

Saturday July 6: Tolkien Society Summer Seminar - Tolkien’s Romantic Resonances

https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/the-tolkien-society-hybrid-seminar-2024-tolkiens-romantic-resonances/ (Accessed June 29, 2024)

Sunday August 4: From the Politics and Prose bookstore - “Tolkien's “The Athrabeth” and “Myths Transformed” Presented by Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger. 

https://www.politics-prose.com/class/online-class-tolkiens-athrabeth-and-myths-transformed-2485 (Accessed June 29, 2024)

Thank you to friend-of-the-show Clare Moore for alerting us to this class! Clare can be found on Twitter @claremoore94

Thursday August 29- Sunday Sept. 1: Tolkien Society - Oxonmoot 51

https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2024/ (Accessed June 29, 2024) 

Citations

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales, Part I. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 1. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1983.

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales, Part II. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 2. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1984. 

Takahashi, Dean. A new generation of J.R.R. Tolkien games is coming | Lee Guinchard exclusive interview. Venture Beat website.  https://venturebeat.com/games/a-new-generation-of-j-r-r-tolkien-games-is-coming-lee-guinchard-exclusive-interview/ (Accessed June 4, 2024)

New York Tolkien Conference 2024

https://nyctolkienconference.wordpress.com (Accessed June 4, 2024)

Tolkien Society- Oxonmoot 2024

https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2024/

 (Accessed June 4, 2024)

Citations: 

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Book of Lost Tales, Part I. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 1. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1983.

Tolkien Gateway entry for “The Music of the Ainur” 

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Music_of_the_Ainur

 (Accessed April 27, 2024)