The Rings Binge

Hey everyone!

Happy Tuesday! I hope you had a great Monday and an awesome start to the week. If you had to deal with the blizzard that passed through, I hope you’re well, warm, and still have power. It was probably the strangest snowstorm that I’ve ever experienced. Parts of my backyard had less than an inch of snow while my shed on the other side of the yard had a mound of snow in front of it. Not all of the snow was this lopsided in how it fell but there were several other spots around my house that were similar. As I’ve said multiple times, I don’t like the snow, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t find it fun trudging through snow that was up to my waist. Driving in the snow is another matter entirely though. The main roads are serviceable, they’ve been taken care of better in the past when a storm comes through. The highways are better, and the backroads are a nightmare in some areas. It was funny seeing large potholes filled with snow. It would seem mother nature takes better care of the roads than my state does. Driving through piles of snow in a front-wheel drive car, however, turn out to be a nuisance. I’ve only driven all-wheel drive until recently, so this latest storm proved to be a learning experience. It wasn’t fun almost getting stuck in snow and having to learn how to maneuver my vehicle whilst fighting with the snow for control. It was a valuable lesson though. Slow and steady wins the race. On a different note, I’ve been on a Tolkien binge recently and that’s the topic for today!

This little binge of mine has probably started in the silliest way that I could have imagined. The Lego Lord of the Rings game. It’s a cool game, but I haven’t played it. I watched a stream of two of my friends playing it. From what parts that I was able to watch, the game goes through the highlights of the Peter Jackson films with typical Lego humor. For instance, the scene where Boromir falls in battle, he’s shot with an arrow, a broom, and a banana instead of three arrows. I liked how the game uses the dialogue, soundtrack, and sound effects from the films as well. I find it invokes the feeling you get when you watch the films. Now I’m going to have to find a day where I can binge watch the extended trilogy. I remember playing the Lego Star Wars games as a kid and while they were good it’s impressive to see how far they’ve come between then and now. If I remember correctly, they didn’t use dialogue, just gestures and facial expressions. It’s pretty rad but I don’t think I’ll be picking up any Lego games, they’re just not my cup of tea anymore.

Of course, with most of the friend group watching the playthrough of Lego Lord of the Rings there were a few discussions that popped up about the lore and the story. The entire battle between Gandalf and the Balrog, the question of why hobbits are so resilient despite everything about them. That second one got a chuckle out of me. It brings up the question of “why have a bunch of nobodies taking on a mission or job that a bunch of brave, capable heroes should be doing?” Well, for starters, because that would make for a better story. It adds stakes, the reader fears for the wellbeing of the nobodies as opposed to that of the heroes. But to go further, I’d say why not have a mix of both types? They both have roles to play in stories, don’t they? The heroes can do most of the flashy fun stuff and the so-called nobodies can handle most of the dramatic high-stakes stuff. Of course, it really does come down to the writing and how well the story is written.

I need to read the Silmarillion again. I just recently got back into playing The Lord of the Rings Online with a few friends of mine and the character Luthien came up in conversation. I personally really enjoyed the story of Beren and Luthien when I read it. I can only remember some highlights from the story, so I’d like to read it again. The story of Turin Turambar was another story that stuck out to me. The man’s entire life is just being a punching bag for Morgoth. Turin is no virtuous hero, and from what I remember a lot of bad things happen because of him, but you can’t help but pity the man. Some other characters that I feel deserve mentioning are, the first dragon Glaurung. This big fire spitting lizard didn’t have wings and still managed to be a massive threat. Speaking of dragons, Ancalagon the Black was the largest flying dragon. If you’re familiar with the spider Shelob, her mother, Ungoliant is a giant spider that plays a part in the events of the Silmarillion. Ungoliant however is much more than just a spider, as if that isn’t terrifying enough. To top things off she is ravenous and always on the lookout for her next meal. Then of course there is the greatest being and creator of the world of Arda, Eru Iluvatar. Eru Iluvatar is God in this fictional universe. There are other beings known as the Valar who I and probably many others would equate to Greek gods in that they are a pantheon and represent various aspects in life, and yet even they must bow to Eru Illuvatar. I admit, with just my memory, I don't believe I could do the material the justice it deserves. I will say I enjoyed it though.

I think I’ll wrap everything up now. I could go on and on about Tolkien and his work. If you’re familiar with the story and lore of The Lord of the Rings, what’s your favorite elements and lore? Feel free to share in a comment. I think I’m going to start reading The Silmarillion before I go to bed tonight. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Keep a lookout for a new story this Friday. Have a great one, everybody!

Best regards,

Aaron Kirby