The Tolkien Professor

The Tolkien Professor (Corey Olsen)

The Tolkien Professor podcast is a series of lectures, discussions, and seminars on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien by Corey Olsen, President of Signum University. All are welcome to enter – even those without any party business!

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663 episodes
Updated June 18

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Episodes663

Newest first

Aug 4, 2014 · 3 hr 7 min
Episode 263: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Bonus Episode: Comic-Con and the Teaser Trailer
Dave and guest listener Karen offer up a first hand view of the Comic-Con experience. Then Corey launches into a two-minute-per-second analysis of the teaser trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Support The Tolkien Professor
Jul 28, 2014 · 1 hr 46 min
Episode 262: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.13: Farewell to Thorin
Corey and Trish put the "fun" into "funeral" in this installment of Riddles in the Dark, while Dave is off running around San Diego Comic-Con. Support The Tolkien Professor
Jul 19, 2014 · 1 hr 40 min
Episode 261: Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory Episode 5
Corey and Trish (standing in for Laura) share great listener observations about the Battle of Dol Guldur (RITD Episodes 3.09 and 3.10) Support The Tolkien Professor
Jul 17, 2014 · 2 hr 23 min
Episode 260: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.12: The Battle of Five Armies, Part 2
Who's gonna die? That's the big question in this episode of Riddles in the Dark, as The Tolkien Professor and fellow co-hosts ponder the imponderables of Peter Jackson's third Hobbit movie. Also, from about minute 18 to about minute 43, there is a general discussion about fantasy genre, specifically comparing Tolkien to George R.R. Martin and similar authors. Support The Tolkien Professor
Jul 6, 2014 · 38 min
Episode 259: Riddles in the Dark Bonus: Pronunciation Guide
In response to a listener query, Corey walks through Tolkien's language pronunciation and how the names in The Hobbit films are supposed to be pronounced. Support The Tolkien Professor
Jul 6, 2014 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 258: Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory Episode 4
Corey and Trish (standing in for Laura) go over all the riddles covering the Siege (RITD Episodes 3.06, 3.07 and 3.08) Support The Tolkien Professor
Jun 30, 2014 · 1 hr 55 min
Episode 257: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.11: The Battle of Five Armies, Part 1
Why will the Elves march to Erebor? Will Bilbo be conscious for the battle? Does Roac constitute one of the armies? These and other pressing questions are considered in this installment of Riddles in the Dark Support The Tolkien Professor
Jun 18, 2014 · 1 hr 44 min
Episode 256: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.10: Dol Guldur Part 2 - The Black Hats
What is Sauron up to? Where are all those Orcs going anyway? And what's going on with the Nazgul? We don't have the answers, but we have LOTS of theories. Support The Tolkien Professor
Jun 1, 2014 · 2 hr 25 min
Episode 255: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.09: Dol Guldur Part 1 - The White Hats
In a Daveless episode, Trish and Corey consider what will be happening at Dol Guldur in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, with excursions into unrelated topics Support The Tolkien Professor
May 22, 2014 · 1 hr 23 min
Episode 254: Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory, Episode III
The third episode of the Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory. The Tolkien Professor addresses your comments and questions on RITD 3.04 and RITD 3.05. Support The Tolkien Professor
May 18, 2014 · 1 hr 57 min
Episode 253: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.08: The Siege,Thief in the Night
Moving right along toward the Battle of (the) Five Armies, Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen and his Riddles in the Dark co-hosts actually talk about....wait for it....THE HOBBIT!!! Support The Tolkien Professor
May 3, 2014 · 2 hr 15 min
Episode 252: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.07: The Siege,Laketown View
Our hosts were very talkative in this episode, starting with a rant about the new name for Hobbit Movie 3, then moving on to considering how the Siege of Erebor might look from the Laketown side of the table. And Corey got to use "abscond" in a sentence, which pleased him no end. Support The Tolkien Professor
Apr 23, 2014 · 2 hr 10 min
Episode 251: Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory, Episode II
The second episode of the Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory. The Tolkien Professor addresses your comments and questions on RITD 3.02 and RITD 3.03. Afterwards, Corey speaks with Professor Robin Reid about her research on Tolkien's influence on modern culture. Support The Tolkien Professor
Apr 21, 2014 · 2 hr 14 min
Episode 250: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.06: The Siege,Erebor View
Corey extols the virtues of Roac, Trish attempts to be a human sound effects machine, and Dave holds it all together as the talk centers on what the Dwarves are up to before the Men and Elves arrive in The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Support The Tolkien Professor
Apr 5, 2014 · 1 hr 56 min
Episode 249: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.05: Smaug's Attack
How epic will the attack of the dragon on Laketown be? Will there be any red shirts among the cast? And what about that oily Master? Inquiring minds examine these and other questions about The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Support The Tolkien Professor
Mar 29, 2014 · 44 min
Episode 248: Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory, Episode 1
The first episode of the Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory. The Tolkien Professor addresses your comments and questions on RITD 3.01 Support The Tolkien Professor
Mar 22, 2014 · 1 hr 57 min
Episode 247: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.04: Meanwhile, Back in Laketown
What's going on in Laketown while the Dwarves are zigging and zagging around Erebor with a dragon in close pursuit? We theorize about this and other matters, and this time there are sound effects! Support The Tolkien Professor
Mar 9, 2014 · 1 hr 33 min
Episode 246: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.03: There and Back Again - The Beginning
Saddle up the battle pigs! The RITD team go from serious to silly and back again as they consider the many ways that Peter Jackson could choose to begin the third Hobbit movie. Support The Tolkien Professor
Feb 22, 2014 · 1 hr 47 min
Episode 245: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.02: Those Elves
Talking Elves in the second episode of the third year of Riddles in the Dark. Support The Tolkien Professor
Feb 16, 2014 · 1 hr 48 min
Episode 244: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.01: Action and Violence
The first riddle episode of the last year of Riddles in the Dark considers how action and violence impact the first two Hobbit movies and how these aspects will show up in The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Support The Tolkien Professor