Rings and Rituals

Sara and Marilyn respond to the many notes, observations, queries, and compliments (yes, we did leave those in!) from listeners which hadn’t yet been addressed. Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to rings...

Marilyn is joined by John from the Lorehounds Podcast to analyze the music of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power . They discuss the powerful motifs of Bear McCreary, the influence of Howard Shore over the Middle-earth universe on screen, and the various ancient music traditions the show uses...

Sara and Marilyn discuss the recent teaser for season two and the announcement that a certain actor won’t be returning for it, compare the Harfoot and Númenorean conceptions of death, celebrate the powers of libraries and archives, and ponder the nature of a certain gift–giver. And a special deligh...

Marilyn and Sara note that Poppy has a new song, Galadriel has some new introspection (and a big reveal about her past), Elrond introduces a new concept: “save it for the other side“, and Theo has a new crush. They also request listener feedback before July 9 for the series’ final episode of Feedba...

Sara and Marilyn put a few pins in some key conversations and ask: Do Elves chant on their way to battles? How different are Orcs from Humans? And which kingdoms were, according to Galadriel, saved by humility? Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use...

Marilyn and Sara discuss Númenorean military rituals and speculate on their expandable “just add water” horses which pack the holds of their ships so nicely. They also do a deep dive into Tolkien’s conceptions of magic (magia and goetia) in honor of the Hissy Sisters, who are quite difficult to def...

Sara and Marilyn marvel over the voice of Disa, which can make even stone weep, the ritual culture of Orcs (who usually make others weep for rather different reasons), and the ways that contrasting oaths may reveal what is sacred to a person or a culture. And they have even more feedback!

Marilyn and Sara ponder the absolutes in cultural affirmations, the transformations of symbol systems as cultures change, and the astonishing appearance of ritual behavior in Orcs. Marilyn points out the ritual which inspired this entire podcast project, and Sara (unwisely?) encourages her to wax e...

Sara and Marilyn reflect on the competitive and cooperative natures of the Dwarves, the communal and conforming behaviors of the Harfoots (with one notable exception), and the illuminating observations of Celebrimbor in Episode 2 of “Rings and Rituals”. Even Amazon Ads got into the spirit of the Ri...

Marilyn and Sara spend time with the Noldor, comparing the ritual of the warrior Elves returning home to Valinor with Arthurian imagery, questioning the practice of carving memorials on living trees, and noting contrasts between Elves and Harfoots. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our ...