In this first half of chapter 8 of the hobbit–Flies and Spiders–Jonathan and Michael discuss the evil enchantment of Mirkwood, and if the elves might have a small part in it.

This week we also look at:

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• Exactly when Tolkien settled on the final names for Gandalf, Thorin, and Beorn.
  
• Tolkien’s first foray into prosaic terror.
  
• The meaning of the deer–and the white hart’s significance.
  
• Bombur’s slumber–elven or evil?
  
• The Dwarves STILL blame bilbo.
  
• Tolkien’s use of modern analogies–only in the Hobbit and not LOTR.
  
• How the elves still differ in The Hobbit vs LOTR — they have some real magic here.
  

In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about:

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• Where would Beorn have learned his skin changing ability? Can that have an origin in Tolkien’s mythology?  (our answer: yes!)
  

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