Exploring Tolkien

Exploring Tolkien


132. Evil or Elves or Both… Terror in Mirkwood : The Hobbit #20

March 04, 2025

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:



  • 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:



  • 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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