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The Lord of the Rings Expert Answers Tolkien Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

The Tolkien Professor, Cory Olsen, uses the power of Twitter to answer the internet’s burning questions about J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, and all the associated lore. Does Sauron use any weapons? Do compasses exist in Middle-Earth? Is there a Tolkien book about the Goblin and Dwarf Great War? Cory answers all these…

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The Tolkien Professor, Cory Olsen, uses the power of Twitter to answer the internet’s burning questions about J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, and all the associated lore. Does Sauron use any weapons? Do compasses exist in Middle-Earth? Is there a Tolkien book about the Goblin and Dwarf Great War? Cory answers all these questions and much more.

Corey Olsen, also known as The Tolkien Professor, is the Founder and President of Signum University, a nonprofit higher education institution dedicated to affordable and accessible online learning with a special focus on promoting the humanities. Through the Mythgard Academy, a Signum institution, Corey offers weekly explorations of The Lord of the Rings and other opportunities to discuss speculative literature and adaptations. Follow Corey on Twitter at

Learn more:
* Signum University:
* Exploring The Lord of the Rings:
* The Tolkien Professor:

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The Lord of the Rings Expert Answers Tolkien Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

554 Comments

  1. Kyle Young

    November 13, 2020 at 10:39 pm

    Thank you for ‘filling the blank’…

    I finally understand the song Annie Lennox made for ‘the return of the king’ – ‘Into the west’ means…

  2. Kiran Hargarter

    November 13, 2020 at 10:40 pm

    This is a genuine question: does tolkien/ the lord of the rings offer such a vast topic that a tolkien professor or a research field around tolkien and his works is a real thing?

    • JamesonWilde

      November 13, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      Yes.

  3. Juan Venegas

    November 13, 2020 at 10:46 pm

    Please more

  4. Dave Rivers

    November 13, 2020 at 10:50 pm

    Soooo. Tolkien had the English (Rohirrim) ride in to save the big country… (Gondor)… I guess that makes nationalist sense. Everybody thinks their country is the most heroic, the best.

  5. Richy-J

    November 13, 2020 at 10:56 pm

    are you tolkien to me 😀

  6. Canitaliano

    November 13, 2020 at 11:11 pm

    This must continue as episodic clips that should include more details about the theme. Fantastically enlightened!

  7. Bernke Guacamoole

    November 13, 2020 at 11:24 pm

    I thought Buckland wasn’t part of the Shire?

  8. Patrick Sullivan

    November 13, 2020 at 11:25 pm

    Wow. Gail Simone sneaking in with a question! You don’t expect a highly respected author like her to do this but it goes to show she loves the books like the rest of us.

  9. David Pirtle

    November 13, 2020 at 11:27 pm

    Can’t get enough of Cory Olsen talking Middle-earth.

  10. Ben T

    November 13, 2020 at 11:37 pm

    god bless this man

  11. Sean Thompson

    November 13, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    Weird, that’s not Stephen Colbert

  12. Tom Amanda

    November 14, 2020 at 12:05 am

    0:18 I do not owe anyone anything now with the help of, *p a i d t o b e h o m e .c o m*

  13. Maekar I Targaryen

    November 14, 2020 at 12:08 am

    Glad to see him back, the first video was awesome!

    • Maekar I Targaryen

      November 14, 2020 at 12:08 am

      Or was that another channel?

  14. Maria Kramer

    November 14, 2020 at 12:17 am

    This is an awesome video. Where can I sign up to answer nerdy questions for money? 😆

  15. Miguel Leon

    November 14, 2020 at 12:31 am

    MOre of this please!

  16. ܤܡܝ ܦܠܕܢܝܘܤ

    November 14, 2020 at 12:43 am

    There were individual Entwife survivors; those who read _The Lord of the Rings_ without skipping anything will be able to tell where at least one was obviously spotted during the time of the story.

  17. Andrew Hilton

    November 14, 2020 at 12:46 am

    More of this please

  18. BaconBro

    November 14, 2020 at 12:47 am

    I’ve read the book series once, and this is so crazy

  19. Mazaya Shah

    November 14, 2020 at 12:53 am

    He’s so nice and welcoming to people who aren’t as knowledgable about Tolkien and his works!

  20. Hair arti

    November 14, 2020 at 12:53 am

    i am new

  21. T N

    November 14, 2020 at 1:04 am

    Great casting, Wired! Such an expert, yet takes the time to contextualize answers but keeps great pace & energy! 👍🏼

  22. Teresa Sheets

    November 14, 2020 at 1:10 am

    Judeo-Christian “mythology”. NOT

  23. DavidAWA

    November 14, 2020 at 1:13 am

    The best twitter answer themed video I’ve seen. And that’s saying a lot.

  24. Bulelani Botman

    November 14, 2020 at 1:20 am

    We need Game of Thrones expert next!

  25. Ariel Shapiro

    November 14, 2020 at 1:25 am

    This is really cool, and all of the knowledge of Tolkien is on point, so instead I’ll point out that Judaism doesn’t have a devil and he should not have said “Judeo-Christian”.

  26. Matthew McCollum

    November 15, 2020 at 9:40 pm

    So if Gandalf changed roles, do we have any information on who, if anyone, took over the role as the Grey Wizard?

    • Sameeh kins

      November 16, 2020 at 12:37 am

      No one took over, since there were no other Istari. Radagast the Brown had his thing to do. Blue Wizards disappeared. And Saruman the White betrayed the squad.

  27. Led Floyd

    November 15, 2020 at 9:45 pm

    As great as the movies are, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of how deep Tolkiens world was

  28. Robert Williams

    November 15, 2020 at 9:50 pm

    Anyone else wanna see Cory in a room with Stephen Colbert? For like, 2 hours? Maybe 3?

  29. F1ipsydez

    November 15, 2020 at 9:54 pm

    Loved this! Great questions

  30. Danny

    November 15, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    What I wanna know is if siren Melchor all the forces of Mordor all the power that suaron and sarumon had and all the other fell creatures were so strong big powerful and scary, why did they lose every time?

    I have been asking this question all over the Internet and I get the lamest answers if anyone can please tell me please tell me.

  31. Michael Rowlands

    November 15, 2020 at 10:08 pm

    He needs to challenge Stephen Colbert to a Tolkien-Off.

  32. M. Ch.

    November 15, 2020 at 10:13 pm

    What’s the job of the Grey Wizard? In a word: an agitator.

  33. Brave Soldi3r

    November 15, 2020 at 10:18 pm

    I think i could be a Lord of the Rings expert, since i knew all these thing already.

  34. John -

    November 15, 2020 at 10:30 pm

    I don’t think he fully explained the Arwen Last boat part. Why must he leave then with the elves if she wants to go to the West?

  35. Jonathan Fye

    November 15, 2020 at 10:37 pm

    Kevin Hearne asked a question??? Cool! He wrote the Iron Druid book series. Worth it to check out if you’ve never read it.

  36. timoteus96

    November 15, 2020 at 10:40 pm

    1:30 Tolkien sure had fun making up the names for kings

  37. Gabriel Geller

    November 15, 2020 at 10:52 pm

    This guy should go on Stephen Colbert….

  38. Mitchell Pate

    November 15, 2020 at 10:56 pm

    Already want another one of these

  39. LambOfLucifer

    November 15, 2020 at 11:03 pm

    My biggest question has always been…Did Gandalf, Saruman and even Sauron remember that they were “Angelic type beings” of Eru and not beings born to middle earth? Did the sheer amount of time they spent in ME make them forget their true nature? It seemed odd that anyone would ever want to follow in Melkor’s footsteps considering God basically saw to it that he was banished to the void. Why would Saruman stray when he should have remembered his God and known his actions could never end well for him. And my second question would be did Gandalf recognize the Balrog as a Maiar Brother? Surely the Maiar knew eachother before any of them entered ME? When they meet below Moria surely he recognized that he was going to be fighting an equal, if not an actual brother?

    • Sameeh kins

      November 16, 2020 at 12:33 am

      > Why would Saruman stray when he should have remembered his God and known his actions could never end well for him

      Greed and Arrogance got to Saruman. Saruman showed signs of jealousy of Gandalf since before the 5 wizards were sent to Middle-Earth. One of the Valar, chose Gandalf first (but Gandalf didn’t want to go because he feared Sauron) and Saruman took insult to this. He wanted to be seen as the most powerful and wisest of the Istari, and it’s for this reason that he eventually sent his own spies to look for the ring in the Anduin river. Ultimately though, it was the Palantir which started the full downfall into evilness and Sauron corrupted Saruman through the Palantir promising him power.

      > And my second question would be did Gandalf recognize the Balrog as a Maiar Brother?

      Gandalf knew what he was fighting up against when faced with the Balrog, but at that point I doubt he saw him as Maiar brother since he was completely corrupted. It’s not the same as like a family brother who hates you because deep down you know there is still a bond between the two of you. In this case their mind and body completely gets corrupted into a completely different being. Sauron is also a Maiar, but he’s been corrupted by Melkor so much that there is no way back.

      Also, just because they are all Maiar, doesn’t mean they are actually brothers. There are actually brothers and sisters within the Maiar and Valar but this is restricted to 2 or 3 (brothers and sister groups). So it does happen. But it doesnt necessarily mean that ALL maiar are brothers. They are just of the same origin.

  40. Don Paredes

    November 15, 2020 at 11:17 pm

    So where do humans go after death, as opposed to elves?

    • Katherine Tamariz Howard

      November 16, 2020 at 12:49 am

      The elves are tied to Arda, which is why they don’t know what’s going to happen to them when the world is remade after the final battle when Melkor is defeated once and for all (he’s just been exiled to the Void for now.) Humans are not tied to Arda. They leave it when they die but no one is clear where they go or what happens to them after they leave.

  41. Andrew Meronek

    November 15, 2020 at 11:22 pm

    Gandalf, being grey, also seemed to be something of a spy, gathering intel that Saruman wouldn’t be privy to given Saruman’s more public role.

  42. Jxlxx X

    November 15, 2020 at 11:27 pm

    why is this not Stephen Colbert?

  43. Benjamin Forman

    November 15, 2020 at 11:32 pm

    Wow, this just made me want to read The Silmarillion again, after 40 or so years.

  44. Jesse Nixon

    November 16, 2020 at 12:00 am

    More please

  45. Antonio Tyler

    November 16, 2020 at 12:10 am

    This isn’t Stephen Colbert….

  46. Morgon Goss

    November 16, 2020 at 12:12 am

    I believe Bilbo notes in The Hobbit that Saruman’s robes aren’t actually white, but a shifting rainbow of multiple colors.

  47. Suen Zhong

    November 16, 2020 at 12:13 am

    I could watch this guy answer Tolkien Questions all day.

  48. gyurk

    November 16, 2020 at 1:01 am

    I want to be friends with him

  49. Daniel Jesús Valencia Sánchez

    November 16, 2020 at 1:07 am

    Did the Gray job stay vacant then?

  50. Violeta Sanseverino

    November 16, 2020 at 1:07 am

    i could watch these all day

  51. Granuaile1

    November 16, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    When I first read the Lord of the Rings as a young teenager, Valinor immediately equated in my mind with the ‘otherworlds’ that are mentioned in many Celtic legends e.g. the place to where the Tuatha Dé Danaan went following their peace talks with the incoming Celts in Ireland and where they eventually became referred to as the ‘Sídhe’ who sometimes interfere with the lives of ordinary mortals e.g. at Samhain (Halloween) or via the Banshee (Bean Sídhe – Woman of the Sídhe) or Tír na nÓg (Land of Youth) where Oisín, the son of Fionn MacCumhaill went with his girlfriend Niamh Cinn Óir (Niamh of the Golden Hair). It is said that these ‘otherworlds’ can sometimes be accessed at certain times of the year. They are sort of like parallel dimensions and are sometimes accessed by either entering ancient burial mounds or by travelling across the ‘western sea’. So we Celts immediately understood the Valinor reference!

  52. Der Beefträger

    November 16, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    more more more more

  53. Kieran Bajpai

    November 16, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    How great was this? I wanna follow this guy

  54. Facundo Ortiz

    November 16, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    subtitles in spanish please

  55. Caleb Shaw

    November 16, 2020 at 2:39 pm

    We DEMAND a part 2. Right fellas?

  56. Kieran B

    November 16, 2020 at 2:42 pm

    what book did he read?

  57. icyking2412

    November 16, 2020 at 3:13 pm

    Stephen colbert is THE expert on everything Tolkien sooo

  58. Albin Lundholm

    November 16, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    Sauron using his hands as a weapon explains the stupid looking scene in Fellowship where he just reaches down and gets his finger cut off

  59. Rick Girthquake

    November 16, 2020 at 3:22 pm

    NERDS!!!

  60. C Robinson

    November 16, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    More!

  61. Edior Mrvn

    November 16, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    People have on idea how orgasmic it is for a Tolkien fan to get asked Tolkien-based questions by others.

  62. Kai Schoneweis

    November 16, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    I AM KING SON OF KING! GRANDSON OF KING, GREAT GRANDSON OF KING. FEAR ME!

  63. Jonathan Gratus

    November 16, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    Thanks For the video. I have a question.
    Why couldn’t Smaug see Bilbo when he was wearing the ring?
    Should he could see the shadow side.

  64. norfy

    November 16, 2020 at 4:24 pm

    Great video. Clear answers that just don’t throw out Tolkien terminology like we’re all supposed to know it

  65. scareolena

    November 16, 2020 at 4:39 pm

    I need more of this!!!

  66. Guardians of Arthedain

    November 16, 2020 at 5:40 pm

    If the brown wizards job is to be the friend of animals and beasts then why does Tolkien say that only gandalf completed his task set to him by the valar?

    • Sameeh kins

      November 16, 2020 at 7:22 pm

      His job wasn’t to be friend of animals and beasts, that was just his affinity. His goal was the same as the other istari to encourage the resistance (Elves and Men) against the evil of Sauron. But later Radagast became too obsessed with tending to animals that he abandoned the Elves and men.

  67. Lebronothy Jameson

    November 16, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    16 minutes is Not long enough to answer all of our questions! This dude is awesome

  68. Alyssa M

    November 16, 2020 at 9:09 pm

    So fascinating- more please, more!!!!

  69. Hugh Man

    November 16, 2020 at 9:37 pm

    Yes. School the casuals my man.
    Alternatively I don’t get why people can’t just read his many published works and experience Tolkiens wonderful creation in all its richness. The answers are all there, and great editorial works by Christopher Tolkien too. It’s a lot for sure but all in all just the Lord of the rings and silmarillion aren’t that much to read

  70. Benjamin Gorman

    November 16, 2020 at 9:40 pm

    My imagination was really captured when I was.a kid by the description of the war between the orcs and dwarves in Appendix A – it’s a super short description, but the whole thing is super metal. Peter Jackson covered it in flashback form in The Hobbit, but I always thought it deserved treatment as a stand-alone movie or tv series.

  71. Jake Linder

    November 16, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    Get this video to Stephen Colbert!

  72. Jan Doleček

    November 16, 2020 at 11:42 pm

    I was pleasantly surprised at some of the questions. It shows great appreciation of and interest in the mythology of Tolkien.

  73. Elusive Moon

    November 17, 2020 at 12:14 am

    Calling Eru “God” is kind of a dangerous path but I guess it’s done ’cause it’s easier to explain things to most.

  74. SCS Dream Meme Team

    November 17, 2020 at 1:12 am

    I’m waiting for a mispronunciation…..

  75. SCS Dream Meme Team

    November 17, 2020 at 1:14 am

    Elves aren’t mortal btw in the sense humans are

  76. Dio DS

    November 17, 2020 at 10:24 pm

    ah super nerd

    rad

  77. David

    November 17, 2020 at 10:29 pm

    So when they say, ” Hail Theoden, King!” Is really, “Hail King, King!”

  78. Jack Reiher

    November 17, 2020 at 10:46 pm

    You can tell he was answering for a long time because his voice is so sore at the end! Props to you, Cory

  79. Agustin Cabral

    November 17, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    The fastest 16 minutes of my life

  80. John50 Beach

    November 17, 2020 at 11:20 pm

    This is a made up job

  81. Craig Christian

    November 17, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    The “last ship” wasn’t the last ship to cross to Valinor, that would be the one Legolas built taking Gimli with him.

  82. Kevin Companie

    November 17, 2020 at 11:30 pm

    To the dude that asked “wHaT iS sAuRoN?!” 🤦🏽‍♂️

    Honestly if you’re asking questions like that then you’re obviously not interested enough to educate yourself and have no business on this forum.

  83. Vikinger

    November 17, 2020 at 11:41 pm

    The video any Tolkien fan has been waiting for 🤩

  84. Jay B

    November 18, 2020 at 12:01 am

    Not the deepest question, but I’ve always wondered, do Tolkien or his characters ever refer to the race of Men as “humans”, or always “Men” or “Mortals”.

  85. Lezrleia

    November 18, 2020 at 12:08 am

    This is mostly conjecture

  86. XBentOnPainX

    November 18, 2020 at 12:10 am

    I could listen to this guy talk LOTR for hours. Freaking love this stuff.

  87. diasboy5

    November 18, 2020 at 12:16 am

    More!

  88. Esben Olsen

    November 18, 2020 at 12:28 am

    Hey! He has my last name

  89. Nicholas Rivera

    November 18, 2020 at 12:32 am

    THE BEACONS ARE LIT!

  90. Max Wilson

    November 18, 2020 at 12:32 am

    Corey Olsen vs Stephen Colbert aaaaaaaand go!

  91. Rene Elisardo

    November 18, 2020 at 12:33 am

    This guy doesn’t look like Stephen colbert

  92. Doctor_Gibbo

    November 18, 2020 at 12:37 am

    Do Arwen, Elrond etc really count as elves in the first place? Their whole family is the result of various unions between elves and men (and one maiar). They are half elven. They have the best of both races. But they seem to consider themselves elves and think of the race of men as inferior even though they are every bit men as they are elves.

  93. ChumpChange 10

    November 18, 2020 at 12:44 am

    When it comes to the colors/jobs of the wizards, if you combine brown, blue and white I would assume it would look like a dark greyish. Is it possible that Gandalf’s color of grey was to represent why he was asked to make the voyage to middle earth rather volunteering like the other 4 wizards? Maybe he had the qualities representation of all the skills/powers of the wizards in one. Jack of all trades, master of none.

  94. MrLordbubasith

    November 18, 2020 at 12:45 am

    I would love to see him debate Colbert🤟🏻🤟🏻.

  95. Zachary Niznik

    November 18, 2020 at 12:50 am

    Now I thought I knew alot about Tolkien and the lore. Apparently not. Need more of this.

  96. dfailsthemost

    November 18, 2020 at 12:51 am

    Really? No “wtf are orcs?”

  97. Percival Fletcher

    November 18, 2020 at 1:01 am

    The Rohirrim in 2020: “we was kangz”

  98. Levi Mitchell

    November 18, 2020 at 1:03 am

    That’s not Stephen Colbert

  99. MoRockHound

    November 18, 2020 at 1:16 am

    One question I was hoping to see and didn’t was “Will Morgoth eventually return?”
    The prophecy of Mandos claims that one day upon the end of the world he would break the doors to the abusst and return to the ruination of Arda, and be killed in Dagor Dagorath.

  100. MoRockHound

    November 18, 2020 at 1:16 am

    One question I was hoping to see and didn’t was “Will Morgoth eventually return?”
    The prophecy of Mandos claims that one day upon the end of the world he would break the doors to the abyss and return to the ruination of Arda, and be killed in Dagor Dagorath.

  101. Joe Tez

    November 18, 2020 at 11:47 pm

    This guy’s like the first priest of the tolkienism religion.

  102. José Paulo Schein

    November 18, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    Why his voice changed in 16:02 for no reason? Did somebody else notice that?

  103. Dylan Stewart

    November 18, 2020 at 11:55 pm

    7 million subscribers and this video only gets 300k views in 5 day? Pathetic.

  104. joakhyn

    November 19, 2020 at 12:00 am

    I would love to see a video of this professor with Stephen Colbert!! PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPE!!!!!

  105. jamal robinson

    November 19, 2020 at 12:01 am

    Thought this would be interesting I was wrong

  106. Znapaznarf

    November 19, 2020 at 12:12 am

    This man isn’t Stephen Colbert so take everything he says with a grain of salt.

  107. cogober

    November 19, 2020 at 12:16 am

    Why not Stephen Colbert?

  108. Night's King

    November 19, 2020 at 12:17 am

    Satan/Lucifer/Michael marred the Earth same as Melkor did.

  109. Night's King

    November 19, 2020 at 12:19 am

    How could Sauron think he can take on Valinor when Melkor failed.

  110. JaredAfroCampbell

    November 19, 2020 at 12:26 am

    Tolkien’s theology of Melkor’s effects are the SAME as Christianity, not different 🙂 just an observation.

  111. KatanBlack

    November 19, 2020 at 12:33 am

    As in the words of Thor:

    I like this one,……..ANOTHER!!

  112. doctor jungla

    November 19, 2020 at 12:34 am

    Who is this guy. So nice 🙂

  113. big boss bob ross

    November 19, 2020 at 12:38 am

    I hate that more people care about “lore” than they do meaning and subtext in most franchises.

  114. James TheLaughingWitch

    November 19, 2020 at 12:40 am

    I thought I was coming here for Stephen Colbert

  115. Kirama Gaming

    November 19, 2020 at 12:47 am

    Why suddenly i got recommended to tolkien related videos

  116. Hogan Stroud

    November 19, 2020 at 12:48 am

    So basically I learned that Mr. Olsen has the coolest job and I don’t

  117. Light of Heaven

    November 19, 2020 at 12:54 am

    So many questions to ask. So little time

  118. Emporer Tivurnis

    November 19, 2020 at 12:58 am

    A surprise to be sure, but a welcome.

  119. Parn Monkuma

    November 19, 2020 at 1:09 am

    Need mooooooreeeee

  120. eviljbrian

    November 19, 2020 at 1:16 am

    Another thing about the boats to the West that’s little known:
    Legolas stayed longer in Middle Earth, but when it was time for him to leave, Gimli went along with him as a friend, as is the only known dwarf to travel to the Undying Lands.
    Samwise, after his wife dies, also is permitted passage to the Undying Lands.

  121. Panda Monium

    November 19, 2020 at 1:21 am

    Please, more of this guy.

  122. romangeneral23

    November 19, 2020 at 1:23 am

    I love this.
    The toxicity of Tolkien fans on Twitter makes Sauron look like the hero of the story…

  123. dunnobutwayne

    November 19, 2020 at 1:23 am

    great video but man background….

  124. Andrew Bui

    November 19, 2020 at 1:26 am

    What about the blue wizards?

  125. Jeremiah Coleman

    November 19, 2020 at 1:27 am

    This was great

  126. Daggerfall40

    November 19, 2020 at 9:20 pm

    One episode is not enough. We want more!

  127. Dustin Atkinson

    November 19, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    Also Arwen didnt summon the ragging white waters that swept away the Wraiths but in fact it was her father Elrond who summoned the waters.

  128. The Prime Minister of Australia

    November 19, 2020 at 9:25 pm

    > inane question which contains a reference to the Silmarillion so viewers know how much better I am than they
    > Haha, GREAT question!

  129. Hurricane Joe

    November 19, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    Bring this man back. Seriously.

  130. Tyberius

    November 19, 2020 at 10:00 pm

    Before he lost his Body due to the drowning of Numinor, Sauron was a master shapshifter

  131. Carlos Godoy

    November 19, 2020 at 10:14 pm

    Super observation about the *color-roles* of wizards and how Gandalf took over Saruman’s job to lead against Sauron. Gandalf literally changes.

  132. Jack Knives

    November 19, 2020 at 10:26 pm

    Holy crap Gail Simone! She’s one of my favorite comic book writers!

  133. Thor- Rune

    November 19, 2020 at 10:30 pm

    Oh MAN that was enjoyable!!!

  134. Allan Martin

    November 19, 2020 at 10:31 pm

    They needed this guy to on the filming sets at all times to tell them to stop screwing up the story.

  135. KapoDiKapo

    November 19, 2020 at 10:44 pm

    Gandalf the Grey was a diplomat then, no?

  136. Vetle Brekke

    November 19, 2020 at 10:52 pm

    You look like the guy who voices archer

  137. LUV. jpg Music

    November 19, 2020 at 10:53 pm

    Dude i stopped following the lore of LOTR after i started bloodborne way back when. I need more of this!

  138. evillink1

    November 19, 2020 at 10:53 pm

    Behold, the king of the nerds!

  139. evillink1

    November 19, 2020 at 10:56 pm

    Are there female orcs? And if there are, where are they, and do they reproduce. Are orcs the most populous races in Middle-Earth?

  140. Mick Wehrman

    November 19, 2020 at 11:21 pm

    The grey wizards job is selling fireworks obviously.

  141. Tesa Silva

    November 19, 2020 at 11:24 pm

    That was fun. Frodo lives!

  142. s8v0t2

    November 19, 2020 at 11:25 pm

    at 10:16 , Arwen is a special case and the only elf that had a real urgency to leave when Elrond left. Elrond had human and elf blood and was given a choice between being elf or human…he chose elf; however, that choice came at a cost: his children. He was told that his children would immediately lose immortality when he left middle earth, so they had to come with him. We know Arwen chose to stay.

    Arwen could have been saved if Elrond weren’t so quick to leave middle earth. The moment Elrond sailed, Arwen became mortal. But he didn’t need to sail when he did. If Elrond waited until Aragorn died, Arwen would have likely sailed with him then. Guess who waited until Aragorn died to sail? Legolas. There is no reason Elrond couldn’t have stayed as long as Legolas.

    IMO, Elrond sailed so soon to punish Arwen. He wanted her to die. Elrond was given the choice of a human or an elvish destiny. He chose elf…and probably secretly scoffed at anyone who would choose otherwise, like his daughter and brother. This is why Elrond and other impure or outright non-elves should not be granted permission to go to Valinor. They will taint the place and their taint will create a new evil. IMO, Elrond is the new baddie if the series were to continue. The secrets of his heart and the foolishness and weakness of his human blood will cause him to rebel like Melkor and Sauron.

  143. thgreatandini

    November 19, 2020 at 11:34 pm

    “Dwarves” is better than “dwarfs” because the latter can be mistaken for the verb form of the word (ie “Ancalagon the Black’s size dwarfs all other dragons”)

  144. digital wayfarer

    November 19, 2020 at 11:34 pm

    This was wonderful!

  145. Prototype

    November 19, 2020 at 11:50 pm

    His twitch streams are awesome! Field trips to various locations in LOTRO have been a joy to follow along with.

  146. Koruss Klown

    November 20, 2020 at 12:11 am

    Where was this 6yrs ago? 😤

  147. steve s

    November 20, 2020 at 12:22 am

    Should’ve just asked Stephen Colbert.. that man is a Tolkien file cabinet 🤣

  148. Víctor García Lili

    November 20, 2020 at 12:37 am

    Now that you put it like that, it would make a lot of sense the role of gandalf as a behind the scenes diplomat, stablishing good relationships and showing good graces between different peoples, that would mean that his role as the gray could be a reference to the “Éminence grise” or the gray eminence, which is an outstanding advisor, diplomat and person of influence to others decisions!

  149. Brad Miller

    November 20, 2020 at 12:53 am

    Why did we end up with Scientology and not a Tolkien-based religion?
    Also, I’d be Bradagast the Green. 👍

  150. Jack Uzell

    November 20, 2020 at 1:16 am

    Should do a podcast and get all the actors on or even other LOTR fans

  151. garrondumont

    November 20, 2020 at 7:52 pm

    14:33 So Melkor is to blame for the 2nd law of thermodynamics XD

  152. Manuel Sanchez

    November 20, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    The Gail Simone is the Birds of Prey Gail Simone?

  153. Manuel Sanchez

    November 20, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    This guy needs a YT channel. He actually knows and he’s not a Wikipedia YT like most of Tolkien YT creators.

  154. Crystal Gamer

    November 20, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    “WDYM YOU “SUSPECT” THAT THEYRE DEAD?!”

  155. Anutep Purmont

    November 20, 2020 at 8:53 pm

    Stephan Colbert has definitely seen this

  156. shaunthegoat

    November 20, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    So…how you get to undying lands is first stare to the right and straight on till morning

  157. I_'_I

    November 20, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    When he said “that is pretty metal” , he got me.

  158. johnreidsteenkamp

    November 20, 2020 at 9:16 pm

    This guy needs to go on Colbert and have a trivia competition.

  159. Kylo Meek

    November 20, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    The perfect job does not exi…….

  160. ForgeProgrammer

    November 20, 2020 at 9:23 pm

    What are you Tolkien about 😆

  161. daniel k. noguera

    November 20, 2020 at 9:34 pm

    second part ASAP please.

  162. Stefan Eriksson

    November 20, 2020 at 9:52 pm

    I personally have two theories about Tolkien’s works nobody else seems to share: 1. Trolls are supposedly related to Ents the way Orcs are to Men and Elves. Unfortunately I suspect Trolls is what… happened to the Entwives. 2. I think Tom Bombadil and his wife is as much a reflection of Tolkien and his wife was as Beren and Luthien, but in another way. Basically inserting himself and their mother in the stories he told his children, and made it into the LOTR.

  163. La vaca que ri

    November 20, 2020 at 10:05 pm

    If the colors of the wizards aren’t directly related to their power, then why does saruman shows off being multicolored in the books?

    I’ve read it many years ago, so not sure if I remember it correctly, though.

  164. xpgx1

    November 20, 2020 at 10:14 pm

    Very much enjoyed this piece – please more of this gentleman =) Wayyyyyyy too short.

  165. Richard Small

    November 20, 2020 at 10:21 pm

    Would love to see him trash the Mordor games. So many things they got wrong.

    Also would like to see him answer whether anything written by Christopher Tolkien is considered canon. I’ve met fans on both sides.

  166. Lt. Aldo Raine

    November 20, 2020 at 10:39 pm

    This is such a badass video!!!

  167. DudeManBroGuy

    November 20, 2020 at 10:52 pm

    That person that asked the Arwen question said they read the books, but words their question in a way that makes it semi like they haven’t read the books.

  168. Alexander G

    November 20, 2020 at 11:23 pm

    This is fantastic. Seriously, if you guys would do a longer version, I’d happily pay to watch it.

  169. Alibey Bal

    November 20, 2020 at 11:37 pm

    Lotr expert? I can’t think of a more worthless existence…

  170. Zachary Brinson

    November 20, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    I mean if you haven’t read silmarillion and you’re asking questions, you’re kind of missing the point

  171. Per Sørlie

    November 20, 2020 at 11:55 pm

    Yes, roles. BUT… I clearly remember Gandalf said that Saruman being the chief of their order. So being white also related to rank.

    Early in The Fellowship of the Ring, the wizard Gandalf describes Saruman as “the chief of my order”

    • Cubing LAB

      November 21, 2020 at 1:20 am

      I guess part of the white’s roles was being head of the order, doesnt mean the colours are all ranks

  172. SurvivalVinceTincts

    November 21, 2020 at 12:06 am

    A grandmaster nerd…in my screen.
    I’m happy <3

  173. François Ménard

    November 21, 2020 at 12:41 am

    Please, please, please… someone, get this guy in the same room as Steven Colbert and a camera. That would make the most interesting Tolkien video of all time!

  174. Alicia B.

    November 21, 2020 at 12:59 am

    MORE OF THIS PLEASE !!

  175. Nathan Mallonee

    November 21, 2020 at 1:18 am

    He looks like if Stanley Tucci and H. Jon Benjamin had a baby

  176. DPM

    November 21, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    No matter how expert you think you are, you will always get a red shirt guy.

  177. James Rowland

    November 21, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    Wow cool! more of this please.

  178. Kirstine From Manila

    November 21, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    I would love for him to go against Stephen Colbert in a LOTR pop quiz. It’ll be funny to watch two nerds argue with each other after a tricky question.

  179. Tom Ventresco

    November 21, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    I agree with the “more of this” comments. I think the gray wizard’s role is the maintenance of balance. Gandalf’s manipulations seems to strengthen the light because the dark has become too powerful. I would call him neutral-good, but the dark beings existed in the world. As long as they stayed in their place, there were no problems. The dark beings shroud their plans and before long, unbalance. So unbalanced and dire was the situation that the gray wizard needs to become the white wizard. Or I could be making this up as I go. Cool video.

  180. Juanfra Valero

    November 21, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    Technically, Buckland was not part of the shire.

  181. Mike28625

    November 21, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    I always thought that the mystery of the ent wives was hidden in the song the ents sing about them. The men wanted the wild and the wives wanted ordered agriculture/stewardship. And i feel like the willows near the barrow downs are suspiciously lively. It makes sense to me that the ent wives are the old forest and hedge that guard the shire.

  182. Scoot Amazing

    November 21, 2020 at 8:23 pm

    This guy is amazing and I wanted to see more. I just found his channel Signum University, it needs more attention then what it gets.

  183. Hydromaestro

    November 21, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    lord of the rings expert lol

  184. johnny lakeshore beats

    November 21, 2020 at 8:44 pm

    This guy has to be Seth Rogen’s older brother

  185. Kyle S

    November 21, 2020 at 8:51 pm

    I’ve seen all of the LoR and Hobbit movies multiple times but I’ve never read the books. I thought I was ready for this video but it makes me fell like I am taking a Quantum Physics course with a 3rd grade education.

  186. laxmitty21

    November 21, 2020 at 9:08 pm

    Why does he sound like Hank Green?

  187. Cutest Cat

    November 21, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    2:30 “He is not a mortal creature, either elf or human.”

    The elves are not mortals either…

    • frnknstn

      November 21, 2020 at 11:21 pm

      Being “mortal” and being “a mortal” are two different things. Elves can still be killed, so they are mortal.

    • Cutest Cat

      November 21, 2020 at 11:48 pm

      @frnknstn They can be slain in combat, but they are immortal, as well as not being mortals, per se, in Tolkien’s own nomenclature. The examples are countless, e.g. mortals were not permitted to set foot in the Undying Lands. That included men, hobbits and dwarves. But specifically not the elves, who are not mortals.

      So no.

  188. Cutest Cat

    November 21, 2020 at 9:16 pm

    Did this “Tolkien professor” even read the Silmarillion and UT? No the wizards don’t have roles like “you’re the birds & bees guy”. Radagast tends to the animals not because that’s the “brown wizard job” but because his master is the Vala Yavanna, the nature goddess basically. The fact that he spent all his time cooped up with animals was considered somewhat of a failing of his task — the task which ALL THE WIZARDS HAD IN COMMON which was to advise and guide those people of Middle-Earth who wanted to oppose Sauron WITHOUT FORCING ANYBODY TO DO SO.

  189. diddyknux

    November 21, 2020 at 9:52 pm

    Needs a part two. This was really fun.

  190. Christian Lessing

    November 21, 2020 at 9:56 pm

    When can we see a part 2?

  191. rotenhoko

    November 21, 2020 at 10:48 pm

    I had to do a double take when I saw the thumbnail, because I legit thought he was Stanley Tucci (without glasses). Oops.

  192. Joe Kerr

    November 21, 2020 at 10:50 pm

    We need a Corey Olsen vs Stephen Colbert: Tolken Off

  193. NAte Maxson

    November 21, 2020 at 10:58 pm

    I think the better question about the Entwives is why would freakin tree people need gender at all??

  194. Grawrness

    November 21, 2020 at 11:07 pm

    I like to think the entwives are still alive but they don’t want to talk to ent men because they would have so much to say that they would never finish talking so they just opt to not speak to them and since tolkien is a man he acts like he doesn’t know. If tolkien was a girl she might know where they are

  195. sebastep

    November 21, 2020 at 11:22 pm

    More! MORE!

  196. sebastep

    November 21, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    Does he have a youtube channel? If not make one ASAP! PLEASE!

    Edit: nevermind, found the podcast
    Perfect

  197. rafalpanwojny

    November 21, 2020 at 11:46 pm

    why would arwen become mortal just by living in gondor? why can’t she live forever in a human city

  198. Thyy Dragonhart

    November 21, 2020 at 11:59 pm

    Thank you for the Tolkien knowledge. I learned a lot.

  199. Keep Perspective

    November 22, 2020 at 12:03 am

    Please make this a series 🤓

  200. Meik Wu

    November 22, 2020 at 1:02 am

    This is great… I’m not a huge LOTR nerd but this was really interesting how vast the lore is…

  201. R Nickerson

    November 22, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    If all you’ve done is watched the movies and you still have questions, then just read the book.
    Some of these would have gotten instant answers on Google too.

  202. R Nickerson

    November 22, 2020 at 4:30 pm

    3:43
    Why would they assume Blue is below Brown anyway? The Blue Wizards were the first to come to Middle-earth, and Saruman dunks on Radagast’s ineptitude a lot.

  203. R Nickerson

    November 22, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    6:40
    This one answers his own first question… why does it look so nice on the Ring? Because he used Tengwar.

  204. R Nickerson

    November 22, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    The Entwives totally died. Their land was decimated. They either died in the attack of the Brown Lands, or they fled and died out that way.
    No one’s ever seen them since. Even Tolkien says he assumes they died.

  205. R Nickerson

    November 22, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    Why would Arwen want to hop on Frodo’s boat like a few years after marrying Aragorn?
    And why would Arwen build a boat? Círdan built the boats.

    • Lightice1

      November 22, 2020 at 9:01 pm

      Círdan doesn’t have a monopoly on elven ships. The LotR Appendices tells that Legolas built his own ship when he left Middle-Earth after Aragorn died. There also used to be another elven harbor in Ithilien many centuries ago which elves also used to sail to the West. It was abandoned after the shipbuilders themselves packed up and left on one of their own ships.

  206. Bacomancer

    November 22, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    I really thought this would SUCK.. quite the opposite.
    I guess I am one one those annoying Tolkien fans.. o.O shocked.

  207. Виталий

    November 22, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    Tolkien Professor?
    WTF is this even a thing? West, wake the f up.

  208. Zachary Weissenberger

    November 22, 2020 at 5:07 pm

    How do I take this guys class?

  209. raul pacheco

    November 22, 2020 at 5:38 pm

    Lies!!! The Entwives survived and are living somewehere in the Shire, and none will convince me otherwise

  210. Mert E

    November 22, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    What about Tom Bombadil??

  211. Robert Robert

    November 22, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    since they describe the ‘east’ and the ‘west’ and ‘northern area’ and ‘south this or that’…one wouild assume they know directions and poles. With the numenoreans great sailors and the vast areas they controlled, not too mention the thousands of years of elves knowing where they were going, one could assume compass, star tracking, etc were all a given.
    but…its just a story. Does it really matter?

    • Lightice1

      November 22, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      The Vikings and the Polynesians, among other seafaring peoples, knew these concepts and how to navigate in the open sea with no knowledge of the compass. No technology is given or obvious until it propagates wide enough. I could imagine someone like Fëanor inventing a compass and then just forgetting about it because he didn’t need one at the moment, or preferring to hide the knowledge in case it become useful some day.

    • Robert Robert

      November 22, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      @Lightice1 except that the stars and the lands had changed a few times, thus making star charts confusing, hypothetically. Yet again though, throughout the entire set of books they used north south east and west as points of direction..and elves that lived 1000s of years, dwarves underground, magic, etc..
      It would make sense that they had some form of direction/compass… although again, just a story…and some advanced areas might use it, some less advanced would not.
      inour daily life, i never use a compass either..but they exist..
      Its just a story.
      But I can also see the logic that with magic, the need for industry/invention would be lessened as magic would make the difference in war and stuff.
      But..that being said, they were highly into industry of swords and armor, jewelry and machinations too (gears and such).
      it would seem a simple thing to find a stone that moved to the currents of the magnetic poles, if they existed..

      IF I ever right a epic story I will include compasses and things like that just to settle it!!! lol

  212. Davis FourOhFour

    November 22, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    You’ve fixed the sound!!!! It was maddening on Twitch, the fade in, fade out.

  213. DorEnErnil

    November 22, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Sauron basically had the Numenoreans chanting “MAKE NUMENOR GREAT AGAIN!!!”

  214. JoJo is not an anime

    November 22, 2020 at 6:57 pm

    No wonder tolkien sucks compare to warhammer they focus on lame elves instead of cool dwarfs.

  215. CasualGamer

    November 22, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    Imagine being so educated in things that doesnt exist.

  216. O_ Danilo

    November 22, 2020 at 7:29 pm

    The nerv of not answering the infamous EAGLES QUESTION!

  217. Jack Lotz

    November 22, 2020 at 10:45 pm

    Sauron said “catch these hands” and I like that

  218. sanddry

    November 22, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    I don’t even know too much about Tolkien’s worlds so just seeing someone with such a huge amount of knowledge explaining everything is awesome! Would love to see more

  219. The Eleventh Doctor

    November 22, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    Ok but what happened to Radagast?

  220. Aydın Bolat

    November 22, 2020 at 11:14 pm

    i dont understand why you thought arda has magnetic poles after it became spherical. tolkien didnt told anything about a rotating iron core. and there was no compass either. its not created as a normal planet, nothing is rotating, and there is no sun also. i guess there wont be a magnetic pole. well there was at least one volcano, so perhaps there are some similarities interior wise with earth. but we dont know anything about plate tectonics. mountains are created by valar. i think we cannot say there was definitely magnetic poles.

    • Sameeh kins

      November 23, 2020 at 12:27 am

      > tolkien didnt told anything about a rotating iron core. and there was no compass either. its not created as a normal planet, nothing is rotating, and there is no sun also.

      Except Tolkien said that Arda is our Earth in a time so early that the stories were forgotten. He actually said Arda is Earth and that modern day is something like the 5th or 6th age.

      Also Arda doeshave a Sun and a Moon. When they are created by the Valar they’re actually called “Sun” and “Moon” in the books too.

  221. jonathan spittlehouse

    November 23, 2020 at 12:21 am

    Really??? 8 think your taking the book/movie way to seriously 😀😀😀😀

    • Sameeh kins

      November 23, 2020 at 12:28 am

      You ever hear of “world building”?

  222. Maximilian Nitzsche

    November 23, 2020 at 12:28 am

    So Mike Trout isn’t only one of the GOATs in baseball huh

  223. Zachary G. Breland

    November 23, 2020 at 12:36 am

    Stephen Colbert has entered the chat…

  224. Dalton King

    November 23, 2020 at 12:37 am

    It may or may not surprise you to know that lucifer does the same, but the damage is inflicted on our will as humans rather than the planet.

  225. Morozow Vlad

    November 23, 2020 at 1:24 am

    Tolkien professor? A herald of Mandos!

  226. J. V.

    November 24, 2020 at 3:29 am

    I need this. I will watch this for hours. And then watch it again.

  227. lord mysterio

    November 24, 2020 at 4:57 am

    This ended too soon.

  228. s99bf0c8

    November 24, 2020 at 5:45 am

    NERD!

  229. Andrew F

    November 24, 2020 at 6:02 am

    I could listen to more of this al day long. Encore

  230. Scott Fillinger

    November 24, 2020 at 9:00 am

    I’m glad he explained Sauron and the wizard colors. It sounds like a dumb question because they’re the main characters, but even after all these years, I never really understood what exactly they were. Thx man.

  231. James 3113

    November 24, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    Several names of Third Age characters – such as Denethor, Ecthelion – were already names of First Age characters. This would not be widely known until the Silmarillion was published in 1977.

  232. Juan Alaniz

    November 24, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    MOOOOOREEEEE

  233. Esivo

    November 24, 2020 at 2:07 pm

    Not everyone can sail to the West. There is no straight path, and even when the elves do they are granted entrance by the Valar. Also Arwen was given the choice of immortality or mortality as Elrond and Elros were because they were half-elven.

  234. Faira Rizkiano

    November 24, 2020 at 2:19 pm

    okay so tolkien professor. sounds like college major i want to go into. tolkien department u r on my wishlist

  235. OGnella

    November 24, 2020 at 2:29 pm

    I didn’t know I needed this. I did tho

  236. Monty Uchiha

    November 24, 2020 at 3:32 pm

    I love this guy

  237. Jon Woods

    November 24, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    The first question was like HUH? Corey was like “bruh I got you.”

  238. buzz5400

    November 24, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    This guy is great, get him a part 2

  239. HeavenlyFloodofRegen

    November 24, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    Best wired video ever

  240. SemtexJack

    November 24, 2020 at 5:09 pm

    These questions were posted by people who had only watched the movies, hardly an expert because you’ve read the Silmarillion, lmfao.

  241. Barak Gage

    November 24, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    More please….

  242. Christian Francia

    November 24, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    Am I the only one waiting for a Colbert question?

  243. Angel Chavez

    November 24, 2020 at 6:25 pm

    He is living my dream

  244. Gael White

    November 24, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    Could have chosen a better thumbnail. This one has a huge grammatical mistake in it.
    “Is their…”
    really??!?
    Basic English! It’s “ Is there…”

  245. The10Liam

    November 24, 2020 at 9:13 pm

    More please?

  246. Bryson Reins

    November 24, 2020 at 9:36 pm

    Elves aren’t mortal either

    • Sameeh kins

      November 24, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      They kinda are. Even if they get killed in war, they get reincarnated into a new body with all the same memories and mind and spirit as before.

    • Bryson Reins

      November 24, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      @Sameeh kins Well, theyre immune to disease, don’t seem to age (although they do), and can survive mortal wounds that would kill a man.

      But your point seems to make a case for their immortality. While their bodies can die, their spirit remains within Arda and can be reembodied after a time.

      That sounds like immortality to me-even despite their ability to ‘die’.

      They can resume their fea in their own bodies if available.

      This is what Tolkien has to say:

      “Now the Eldar are immortal within Arda according to their right nature.”

      Consider the Istari, their bodies can ‘die’. But we don’t dispute that they are immortal.

      Why don’t the Eldar get the same deference?

      After all, what would you call Glorfindel if not immortal?

  247. MrCM904

    November 24, 2020 at 9:38 pm

    Are there any examples in history of a malign influence being unable to compete with their foes militarily? They must integrate with and subvert societies to bring about their destruction.

  248. JohnnyTheSnow

    November 24, 2020 at 10:12 pm

    May Valar bless you Wired. Please bring this brilliant man back for a longer video

  249. Bubble Head

    November 24, 2020 at 11:33 pm

    This guy needs help really does need help just like nearly all of Americans

  250. Electrize

    November 25, 2020 at 1:19 am

    I would love to see him battle Stephen Colbert

  251. Darth Obscurity

    November 25, 2020 at 1:52 pm

    Grey wizard is totally some kind of living mcguffin. Gandalf, as the ‘grey’, was at the center of almost every event, that we are privy to anyway, that moves the events involving the ring forward.

  252. Jopeymess Music

    November 25, 2020 at 1:54 pm

    I love hearing other fans talking about LOTR. Particularly super fans.

  253. Smoking Gun

    November 25, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    That is one big nerd.

  254. R

    November 25, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    If the road west closed off how did Legolas and gimli take it after the death of aragorn?

  255. mick cv

    November 25, 2020 at 4:49 pm

    This is so nerdy it makes me smile, you should get on colbert

  256. Woodshadow

    November 25, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    … this is deep

  257. chillin

    November 25, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    Lord of the rings is my last hope, they took Star Wars, they took all the hero moves, they took all the cartoons, am I just going crazy or are they destroying my way of life

    • Paul WT

      November 25, 2020 at 11:43 pm

      They’re making a woke LOTR show on Amazon or whatever. Just be grateful PJ’s trilogy got made when it did and not 10-15-20 years later. It’s already amazing looking back that there is not a single bit of forced absurd diversity casting in the thing, and virtually no leftism.

  258. brollona

    November 25, 2020 at 6:36 pm

    Lord of the rings expert!?! Tolkien professor!?! There are studies about this? Jesus.

    • Paul WT

      November 25, 2020 at 11:41 pm

      Literature is one of the least absurd things currently being taught in American colleges.

  259. Andreas A.

    November 25, 2020 at 6:48 pm

    Hes the nerd, who does have all other nerds under him!

  260. Teg The Egg

    November 25, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    I could listen to this man talk all day, you can tell he has a deep understanding because of how he Is able to talk about it without seeming pretentious.

  261. barryoffeastenders

    November 25, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    Get this guy a full series!

  262. patatedouce bb

    November 25, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    This can’t be a five part series can it? I’d listen to this all day.

  263. Rodrigo Capel

    November 25, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    “The Lord of the Rings Expert” Sad af

    • Paul WT

      November 25, 2020 at 11:35 pm

      How is it sad? He’s literally got a professorship teaching a particular writer. A writer he loves. That’s a dream living. I bet however you are forced to get money is a lot sadder to you than this is to him.

    • Rodrigo Capel

      November 25, 2020 at 11:53 pm

      @Paul WT Do you REALLY need to take it seriously? Come on bro.
      Just a joke.

    • Paul WT

      November 26, 2020 at 12:39 am

      @Rodrigo Capel You weren’t making a joke. Pour poison into the world and sometimes the world will pour it right back. A lesson learned.

    • Rodrigo Capel

      November 26, 2020 at 12:54 am

      @Paul WT wise words my man. Wow. You just changed my life. What a joke haha

  264. Jim S

    November 25, 2020 at 9:00 pm

    It is not linguistically sound to say that it “is not linguistically sound” that two words that end with the same consonant do not have the same form of plural.
    Linguistically sound is what usage dictates more or less.
    Tolkien simply created an analogic plural. Analogy is a common “mechanism” of language to create homogeny sort of speak sometimes even in spite of what etymology dictates.
    However it is not some sort universal rule that MUST be applied.

  265. ja krispy

    November 25, 2020 at 9:58 pm

    So why didn’t they just fly the Eagles over the mountain in the first place and drop the ring in?

    • Sameeh kins

      November 25, 2020 at 10:58 pm

      Seriously? That’s been answered many times now

    • Paul WT

      November 25, 2020 at 11:34 pm

      @Sameeh kins Yes. The biggest problem is that there are so many reasons it’s hard to pick which one would have been Tolkien’s primary objection, had he addressed it.

  266. Massivecarcrash

    November 25, 2020 at 10:24 pm

    Tolkien seemed like he took great pleasure in acting like he was a professor in Middleearthology, not the creator of it.

  267. Robert Aegidius

    November 25, 2020 at 10:28 pm

    I trust Wired with Tolkien about as much as I trust Casey Anthony babysitting my kids, Adolf Hitler protecting the local synagogue, or Joseph Biden protecting America.

    • Paul WT

      November 25, 2020 at 11:33 pm

      They are merely the medium, the professor is a known and trusted quantity.

  268. Devilbrine

    November 25, 2020 at 10:38 pm

    Oh my god… THE GAMES WERE SO WRO NG

    • Sameeh kins

      November 25, 2020 at 10:57 pm

      They’re basically fan fiction

  269. TalonsII

    November 25, 2020 at 11:00 pm

    Am I the only person bothered by the editor choosing to use a tweet with the wrong “there” as the thumbnail?

  270. Mocityspirit

    November 25, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    How is this not called Tolkien Points?

  271. Gin C

    November 25, 2020 at 11:22 pm

    You should add Corey Olsen’s name to the title (spelled correctly, of course). People search for him specifically at times. 😉

  272. firkinjackanapes

    November 25, 2020 at 11:44 pm

    This dude makes fictional theology sound so interesting haha. I read the Silmarillion a few years back and tried explaining it to all my friends who were immediately bored and left 😂😂😂

  273. Spaceman X

    November 26, 2020 at 12:22 am

    So if the writer says “I can’t figure that one out” in regards to entwives. That just means he wasn’t as creative as everyone thought. He should have just said they got captured and killed off screen.

  274. Scott

    November 26, 2020 at 12:27 am

    Personally I don’t judge wizards by their colour, stop being racist

  275. Str8manballtouch

    November 26, 2020 at 1:15 am

    there*

  276. Ponyman Desperado

    November 26, 2020 at 2:31 am

    Yes, all the kings of the Mark names meant ‘king’, throughout the whole line, except Eorl the Young, the first king, meaning roughly ‘earl’ or ‘nobleman’. I remember reading that in Professor Tom Shippey’s “JRR Tolkien: Author of the Century”. That book is an absolutely fascinating read if you’re even slightly a fan of LOTR. I appreciated Tolkien even more after I read that. Shippey certainly knows a thing or two about Tolkien; he took over his Chair at Oxford.

  277. Ponyman Desperado

    November 26, 2020 at 2:36 am

    That’s not to say that this gentleman isn’t an expert on Tolkien, he certainly is!

  278. bladethorn

    November 26, 2020 at 2:37 am

    Oh my goodness! I definitely didn’t expect Kevin Hearne, one of my favorite authors, to have his question pop up here XDD I had to do a double take XDD

  279. Duracell

    November 26, 2020 at 3:15 am

    i have never actually experienced anything Tolkien related but I love someone being so passionate about something they love so I stayed and watched this video.

  280. Nhurgle

    November 26, 2020 at 4:04 am

    I thought human ended up in the Halls of Mandos but did not stay ? In that sense, Arwen would “technically”, go into the West where she could, for a very brief amount of times, be allowed a second farewell to her family before going into the fate of humanity.

    • Sameeh kins

      November 26, 2020 at 10:48 am

      When spirits wait in the Halls of Mandos, they can’t interact with living beings.

  281. evelyn valdez

    November 26, 2020 at 4:53 am

    Love this.

  282. HarryFlamePlays

    November 26, 2020 at 6:36 am

    He left out that Sam later went to Valinor as he had the Ring for a small period time as well as Legolas who of course brought Gimli with him

  283. Vinicius Moreira

    November 26, 2020 at 7:48 am

    This dude knows a lot. I learned/understood heaps. Good stuff!!

  284. Beatdit

    November 26, 2020 at 8:44 am

    We need 5 more parts of this
    Meh
    Scratch that

    We need 5 seasons of this as a Netflix series

  285. dodekaedius

    November 26, 2020 at 9:14 am

    The dude asking in the thumbnail should better start with a dictionary before asking for something else.

  286. nicolas rebequi

    November 26, 2020 at 10:53 am

    Enjoy this video while the Amazon trainwreck is not out yet

  287. Daz

    November 26, 2020 at 10:56 am

    Anyone who wants more of this, check out “The History of Middle Earth” on youtube. Very passionate people you could listen to for hours.

  288. K. T.K.

    November 26, 2020 at 11:05 am

    Great video. The quick shifts between zooming in and out was a bit annoying though.

  289. Agent Neely

    November 26, 2020 at 11:15 am

    “Christian mythology” instant dislike

  290. Lawrence Gillies

    November 26, 2020 at 11:19 am

    Off the top of my head theory about the Entwives: Orcs were made in mockery of Elves, Trolls said to have been made in mockery of Ents – could the Entwives have been used for this purpose?

    • Sameeh kins

      November 26, 2020 at 11:40 am

      Seems odd, to just go for the Entwives and not the ents though

    • Lawrence Gillies

      November 26, 2020 at 11:48 am

      @Sameeh kins might explain why they can’t be found, but yeah, just an off the top of my head idea…

  291. E.J. Grafton

    November 26, 2020 at 1:24 pm

    WHAT ABOUT THE EAGLES??? SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THE EAGLES

  292. Irish in Finland

    November 26, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    Loved this video, need more! I made a video about Tolkien’s love of Finnish mythology and how he incorporated it into his works

  293. geronimo8159

    November 26, 2020 at 2:23 pm

    Saruman, you had *one* job…

  294. trouble until the robins come

    November 26, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    man he rly was kind enough to answer the most asinine questions…
    next time don’t even think about entertaining the insipid masses.

  295. Not a Scratch

    November 26, 2020 at 8:59 pm

    If you’re such an expert why aren’t you wearing a cloak.

  296. Seriaz Sound

    November 26, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    The only question i have is: How much do you hate the Hobbit movies?

  297. Reality

    November 26, 2020 at 10:47 pm

    As a British person, tuckborough is not pronounced burow, but bar-rar

  298. Food Guy

    November 26, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    He might be a LOTR expert, but does he know that Vigo Mortensen broke his toe in that one scene?

  299. Anand Samra

    November 26, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    I think it’s important to mention that Frodo, and Bilbo, and eventually Sam are allowed into the West if I recall correctly. This is because they were once ring bearers who’s time with the ring was deemed worthy to let them into the West. I can’t remember exactly but I think it’s something along those lines

  300. Christopher Bruscato

    November 26, 2020 at 11:25 pm

    Stephen Colbert needs to have him on. Those two in the same room would be epic.

  301. Beowulf Cadmus

    November 27, 2020 at 2:51 am

    Part 2. Now.

  302. Nicholas Alvarado

    November 27, 2020 at 2:54 am

    I like how seriously Tolkien took his mythology and history of middle earth he’s like entwives idk bro your guess is good as mine

    • Nicholas Alvarado

      November 27, 2020 at 2:56 am

      Also the dwarf plural being dwarves just sounds so much better

  303. Nicholas Alvarado

    November 27, 2020 at 3:00 am

    I mean really melkor marring arda is similar to the devil leading Adam and Eve to eat the fruit

  304. lemonlickinlarry

    November 27, 2020 at 3:24 am

    Kevin Hearne wrote The Iron Druid Chronicles! I love that series, he’s great, and I got stoked to see him on this lol

  305. Mohamed Mohammed

    November 27, 2020 at 3:39 am

    Keep his face back

  306. jackson porter

    November 27, 2020 at 4:09 am

    Tolkien has a more established universe than the Bible

  307. Arctic Ozzy

    November 27, 2020 at 4:17 am

    I need more of you in my life.

  308. Caleb Moore

    November 27, 2020 at 4:38 am

    If you edit this right it would sound like a crack head describing the religion he just started.

  309. Mrudul G

    November 27, 2020 at 5:44 am

    This is the first time i’ve heard the names of the two blue wizards.

  310. Liam M

    November 27, 2020 at 5:51 am

    Tolkien was a genius, the level of detail in the Middle Earth books is amazing. I’d love to learn how it came together and how long it took to write LOTR and everything.

  311. Orochi Samurai YGO

    November 27, 2020 at 10:08 am

    We need more of this. Throughly enjoyed it.

  312. TheIgnobleSavage

    November 27, 2020 at 10:43 am

    The more I learn about the lotr world the more I fall deeper in love with it. I need to read the second and third and maybe some of the simarilion

  313. Varun

    November 27, 2020 at 10:50 am

    Stephen Colbert should have an hour long interview with this guy

  314. Andreas Ghazal

    November 27, 2020 at 10:51 am

    wasnt the last boat to the west the one legolas and gimli took?

  315. nedsoccer11

    November 27, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    Moreeeeee of this…

  316. Batnano

    November 27, 2020 at 4:30 pm

    “lord of the rings expert”

  317. Phileas Liebmann

    November 27, 2020 at 4:48 pm

    0:00 It should be noted that before the death of his body, Sauron was explicitly a shapeshifter. So he would transform into a werewolf or a vampire to fight or even just to get around. He didn’t really have need of any weapon when he could literally be the most dangerous weapon on the battlefield.

  318. Jed Reston

    November 27, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    Who would win versus this guy and stephen colbert?

  319. Russell Thorburn

    November 27, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    3:46 Eru Ilúvatar: “Saruman had just one job …….”.

  320. Libby Allen

    November 27, 2020 at 7:12 pm

    I want a whole series on this guy talking Lord Of The Rings.

  321. Goon the boob gun

    November 27, 2020 at 9:21 pm

    This was a whole bunch a “I don’t know”

  322. Qualified Cornstarch

    November 27, 2020 at 9:32 pm

    This is so cool!

  323. Blackout 257

    November 27, 2020 at 10:37 pm

    Omg i loveeee this😄

  324. InstaGaming

    November 27, 2020 at 10:39 pm

    But wait if gandalf was a maia then who decided he would become the white when he died? There were more grey wizards

    • Sameeh kins

      November 27, 2020 at 11:55 pm

      The Valar decided.

  325. sausikins456

    November 27, 2020 at 11:23 pm

    Can this be an hour long instead?

  326. Bjarku

    November 28, 2020 at 1:56 am

    Tolkien got married in my local church and based The Shire on the area where I live and Mordor on the Birmingham area (known as ‘the black country’ because of the effects of industrialisation on the Birmingham area) just a few miles away. I believe there is a real village called Michel Delving or Micheldelver around here too.

  327. Vinnaye

    November 28, 2020 at 3:41 am

    why didnt they just fly the eagles to mordor?

  328. LONlG

    November 28, 2020 at 4:22 am

    Is the term “knock on wood” a derogatory statement to Ents? Or is it slang for casual intercourse? If an Ent yells in the forest, and no one else is around, does it make noise?

  329. Arg Etect

    November 28, 2020 at 10:45 am

    10:36 wouldn’t “sailing to the west” imply that cartography is a thing in this world, and therefore so must compasses?

    Edit : after a few more minutes I begin to see that this West is not the same West I assumed we were discussing.

  330. Đorđe Žutić

    November 28, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    Idk why – I feel like this is an actual history
    Thank you very much DD

  331. novawolfx23

    November 28, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    r/lotrmemes in a nut shell

  332. Quirrel

    November 28, 2020 at 3:10 pm

    This guy is red pilling people about LOTR.

  333. GaaradancepartyX

    November 28, 2020 at 4:41 pm

    So when Arwen gives up her immortality does she literally cease being an elf? Are her sons halt elf or human, if they are half elf do any go into the west later in their life?

  334. Wooksley

    November 28, 2020 at 5:44 pm

    Wait a minute, is Arda supposed to have magnetic field just because it’s round? Not all planets have magnetic fields as far as I know. Or did he explicitly note that Arda got a magnetic field when it became round?

  335. Dan Z

    November 28, 2020 at 6:20 pm

    M O R E

  336. Daniel Butler

    November 28, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    That’s why Cìrdan have to Gandalf his Ring, which had the power to inspire courage in others

  337. Joshua Iascau

    November 28, 2020 at 8:03 pm

    Very nice. I like very much

  338. Chiron37

    November 28, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    Wow an American saying “Sauron” right 😳

  339. Victor Abraham

    November 28, 2020 at 9:05 pm

    More please!!

  340. GodmyX

    November 28, 2020 at 9:17 pm

    I want to become a Tolkien scholar when I grow up!
    … wait, I already grew up 🙁

  341. Eowynx wenham

    November 28, 2020 at 10:49 pm

    You never mentioned that Samwise Gamgee was eventually allowed to take a ship 🙂

  342. Ed S

    November 28, 2020 at 11:17 pm

    White as in the head of the White Council?

  343. Grubbs Tavern

    November 29, 2020 at 12:35 am

    Sam knows where the ent wives are. Up on the north downs. They were moving several yards a stride if it was an inch!

  344. bnj

    November 29, 2020 at 1:02 am

    Did someone really ask why Arwen couldn’t take another boat later? This was an elaborate joke being played on me, right?

  345. Rocco Coyote

    November 29, 2020 at 1:13 am

    Now that is how you impress the ladies. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to use those facts to get laid.

  346. Bill Baxter

    November 29, 2020 at 1:30 am

    Fantastic! Thank you!

  347. David Garig

    November 29, 2020 at 3:11 am

    His notion about the ranks of the wizards was wrong. If you read the appendices in the return of the king there’s several times where it’s wizard mentioned that Gandalf ranked below Saruman, this was against the wishes of prominent beings on both sides of the sea (Galadrial was mentioned specifically) and how the colors of their robes denoted that.

  348. Wizzo Brodien

    November 29, 2020 at 11:32 am

    Why did Peter Jackson portray Sauron with a helmet featuring two eyeholes, when he famously has only *one* big ‘ol eye? (Sauron, I mean, not Jackson.)

  349. Wizzo Brodien

    November 29, 2020 at 11:41 am

    As for the Entwives: what about the creature like a walking tree Sam describes having seen to Ted Sandyman in (as I recall) “The Green Dragon” inn in Bywater ? I’ve always taken that as foreshadowing of the narrative of the missing Entwives.

  350. adam hynes

    November 29, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    I’m not sure if I would love to watch the movies with this guy or hate it 🤔, solely because I imagine that there would be alot of explanation going on while I am trying to enjoy the movie

  351. Jim Hebert

    November 29, 2020 at 12:47 pm

    IMHO the Entwives were morphed into the Hobbits by Tom Bombadil, he knows the song for them. Consider when and where the Hobbits appeared and the Entwives disappeared, Treebeard is as old as the mountains but had never heard of a Hobbit before suggesting that they are a new race. Both the Entwives and the Hobbits love things that grow, planting gardens.

  352. yanamar

    November 29, 2020 at 1:00 pm

    Is it that clear in the books that Arwen will be subject to Men’s fate of mortality ? I think I remember that she kinda lingers after her husband’s death, she has nowhere to go, nowhere to find peace, but I got the impression she still seems immortal. I don’t remember precisely what happens to her, she kinda falls asleep IIRC, maybe enters a state of semi death. I dunno, please correct me if I’m wrong.
    Anyway, the fate of Men after death is unknown, they go somewhere, we don’t know where, but maybe they pass through the halls of Mendos like Elves, that is a possibility.

  353. Frederico Augusto

    November 29, 2020 at 2:36 pm

    At 3:01, “he is not a mortal being, either human or elf”, implies that elves are mortal, which they kind of are not!

  354. Robert Stewart

    November 29, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    Finally, someone who talks about Tolkien’s world without saying Morrrrrrdorrrrrr and Arrrrrrda.

  355. Eric McMahon

    November 29, 2020 at 5:30 pm

    I need this guy to tell be bed time stories.

  356. Pierre-Alexandre Légaré

    November 29, 2020 at 6:42 pm

    We need to see more of you! Your passion is contagious.

  357. MeeseeksDK

    November 29, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    fun fact, we have a place called helm deep in denmark

  358. Josh Jacques

    November 29, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    I would pay to watch more of this

  359. Elhesh

    November 29, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    A lord of the rings expert? Yeah right, tell me what’s ya favourite episode of Star Trek while you’re at it. Go and get a real area of expertise.

  360. M Ja

    November 29, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    Should have asked which is the best way to cook *”pOtAtOeS”*

  361. FormerTwink

    November 29, 2020 at 8:35 pm

    this guy needs to have a Tolkien off with Colbert.

  362. CMDRFandragon

    November 30, 2020 at 3:50 am

    King Theodan. SOooo, King King? Just like the Japanese Main Battle Tank, the Type 10 Hitomaru, is the Type 10 10

  363. Keith Curry

    November 30, 2020 at 7:50 am

    Who knocks at the door before Gandalf in LOTR FOTR while Frodo is reading under the tree?

  364. Mark Rodeo

    November 30, 2020 at 8:47 am

    this guy is like if mike stoklasa quit drinking

  365. Oran Moten

    November 30, 2020 at 9:41 am

    Gandalf’s first job can be described as that of an ‘éminence grise’, which may explain why his title was ‘the grey’.

  366. kehw

    November 30, 2020 at 10:16 am

    I hope this guy is an executive producer if a LOTR tv series ever happens.

  367. max samieff

    November 30, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    I can’t believe noone asked anything about Tom Bombadil. He is one of the most interesting character for me.

  368. kyle irving

    November 30, 2020 at 12:35 pm

    virginity is strong with this one

  369. salvete

    November 30, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    He skipped the blue wizards, who were they and what did they do? They just legged it east right?

  370. frank maguire

    November 30, 2020 at 1:08 pm

    I always wanted to know what genuine Tolkein experts think are the origin of Hobbits. I mean we have clear origins of the men and even the different tribes, dwarves, elves, orcs, ents, trolls… but hobbits just appear? Are they an unknown occurance of a man mating with a dwarf?

  371. WHATDVCK

    November 30, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    I just realize that i don’t know nothing about TLOTR

  372. Redman A

    November 30, 2020 at 5:31 pm

    0:38 Gail Simone the comic book writer? I guess it is!

  373. leonardo avila rivera

    November 30, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    Love this video

  374. Mark Seiler

    November 30, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    For being an expert, this guy is giving some pretty amateur answers…

  375. Charlie Latino

    November 30, 2020 at 9:03 pm

    WHERE IS STEPHEN COLBERT

  376. Cam Snell

    November 30, 2020 at 9:32 pm

    Ents in the Old Forest! Outside the Shire!

  377. Tobias Rietveld

    November 30, 2020 at 11:01 pm

    “Sauron devised black speech because he had an orc problem. He had communication isses.” 😀

  378. CarpeDeezNuts206

    November 30, 2020 at 11:36 pm

    The zooming in and out of the face is unnecessary.

  379. 4gettablepebble

    November 30, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    16 mins in… wait. That’s it? There’s gotta be more of this stuff?

  380. David Nicholson

    December 1, 2020 at 12:15 am

    Children of Hurin miniseries: make it happen.

  381. keith mccray

    December 1, 2020 at 3:01 am

    Why did my high school counselor not tell me that “Lord of the Ring Expert” was a potential career?

  382. Hung Low

    December 1, 2020 at 3:14 am

    Me and Tolkien would get along. I hate the plural of Smurf is not Smurves

  383. Leave Blank

    December 1, 2020 at 5:54 am

    Why didn’t we get Colbert to do this ? 😂😂

  384. Giovari Purnama

    December 1, 2020 at 7:02 am

    Yea more this and less Legolas used a shield like a surfboard and hopping like fuckin Mario

  385. The Beet Farmer

    December 1, 2020 at 7:38 am

    New Grey Wizard: So what is my role exactly?
    White Wizard: Just…be positive.

  386. dlxe

    December 1, 2020 at 7:45 am

    Wow as someone who isn’t into LOTR I’m just astounded as to how much knowledge this guy has accumulated on the subject

  387. trickey ione

    December 1, 2020 at 12:07 pm

    He might be a LOTR expert, but does he know that Vigo Mortensen broke his toe in that one scene?

  388. A Ramírez

    December 1, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    How did people not know Saruman was evil? Dude lived in a creepy castle

  389. Global Hawk

    December 1, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    What was the mission of the Blue Wizards?

    • Sameeh kins

      December 1, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      Same as all the other wizards

  390. David Hooper

    December 1, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    Time out!!!!! Gandalf was also known as Gandalf Stormcrow and Gandalf the Pilgrim….’splain that!

  391. Ricardo Hernandez Salas

    December 1, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    Suddenly because of the new Lord of the rings series, this lovable community becomes alive. Amazing.

  392. Kamikaze Commie

    December 1, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    This was pointless. I’ll save you all the time “Tolkien intentionally left things mysterious” The End.
    Any other questions are asked by people that should already know (asking questions about the silmarillion when the answers are in the silmarillion) and are obviously just asking for the sake of asking.
    Tolkien’s works are all out there for you to find, and they’re much more interesting to read than to have explained to you.

  393. Jacob Smith

    December 2, 2020 at 2:18 am

    This is definitely to build hype for the Amazon series

  394. John Pappan

    December 2, 2020 at 2:23 am

    I shouldn’t be here.

  395. John Parish

    December 2, 2020 at 4:36 am

    Yes. More of this.

  396. Joey Lynch

    December 2, 2020 at 6:58 am

    I love being a nerd.

  397. Rasheed Fraser

    December 2, 2020 at 10:17 am

    alot of similarity between LOTR and Christianity

  398. That 3D Print and Watch Guy

    December 2, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    Why is there so much walking in the movies…….are the books just as boring….?

    • Sameeh kins

      December 2, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      Walking is usually part of an adventure. The whole story doesn’t take place in someones hut. It’s a big world.

  399. adamdecoder1

    December 2, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    Sauron using only his hands makes so much sense. It never made sense to me in the movies that Sauron reached for Isildur instead of just killing him with his mace. I kind of wish Jackson had gone that direction.

  400. UltraStarWarsFanatic

    December 2, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Steven Colbert has seen better days.

  401. William Faith

    December 2, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    Part 2 when?

  402. Mark Sehestedt

    December 2, 2020 at 7:53 pm

    Great video! One MINOR correction: Professor Olsen says that Morgoth/Melkor is the “second most powerful creature, second only to God.” Not entirely accurate. God (or Iluvatar in THE SILMARILLION) is NOT “a creature.” This is one bit of theology that even the most conservative Christian and ardent atheist can agree on. See: and .

    • Sameeh kins

      December 3, 2020 at 1:15 am

      Eru is not actually the same god in Christianity, so sourcing text regarding Christian god is redundant. Eru is just inspired by Christianity but the same rules don’t apply, and is actually considered as a being himself within the books.

    • Mark Sehestedt

      December 3, 2020 at 6:59 pm

      @Sameeh kins “Being” and “creature” are not the same thing. A “creature” is something “created.” Eru wasn’t. Melkor was. Eru is not simply a higher more powerful being like Melkor. He is another order of being altogether. Melkor was indeed a “creature.” Eru / Iluvatar was not.

  403. Lars Lande

    December 2, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    Such enthusiasm! Great watch!

  404. Liquid White

    December 2, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    I’m sure many nerds just got a nerdgasm in a coming together of nerd kind

  405. Thor

    December 2, 2020 at 10:07 pm

    Who would down-vote this????

  406. Quiet Jackey

    December 2, 2020 at 11:07 pm

    I loved this episode!!!!

  407. Logan X

    December 3, 2020 at 12:07 am

    bro wtf is this? Are there more books than just the three LOTR books and the hobbit? I’ve never heard of any of this stuff before

    • Sameeh kins

      December 3, 2020 at 1:12 am

      In addition to LOTR and Hobbit, there’s The Silmarillion which covers everything since the beginning of time through First Age and Second Age (LOTR happens in Third Age and contains about 5% of Middle-Earth’s history). There’s also Beren and Luthien (which expands on short stories told in Silmarillion. Children of Hurin is another great book. Fall of Gondollin, Unfinished Tales, Morgoth’s Ring.

    • Logan X

      December 3, 2020 at 2:28 am

      @Sameeh kins ok bet thank you

  408. dannne88

    December 3, 2020 at 12:36 am

    I understood 2% of what he said, I was hoping to get an answer why they didn’t use the eagles in the movie.

  409. Le'Jackal Creations

    December 3, 2020 at 3:27 am

    I wonder if Tolkien knew how big and world changing his works would be.

  410. Peacetime 420

    December 3, 2020 at 3:55 am

    And the blue wizards’ roles? Nobody will ever know.

  411. Peacetime 420

    December 3, 2020 at 3:58 am

    I’ve invented several languages and scripts myself.
    Okay, I didn’t, but I just wanted to impress the Tolkien fans.

  412. terry rudford

    December 3, 2020 at 6:47 am

    The few fierce name specifically subtract because wave echographically unite into a broad conga. eminent, longing tie

  413. The Book Ajah

    December 3, 2020 at 9:41 am

    People don’t ask very difficult questions of this person. Some of his facts are slightly incorrect as well.

  414. ixbreakxaway

    December 3, 2020 at 1:08 pm

    But that doesn’t answer why Bilbo and Frodo can go but mortal Arwen can’t

    • Nemo Verne

      December 4, 2020 at 10:20 am

      Think of going to Valinor as a “1-time offer”, which is usually only extended to Elves. Since Bilbo & Frodo were ring-bearers, they were offered the chance. When Arwen renounced immortality, she effectively turned down that “1-time offer”.

  415. Albert Lorenzo

    December 3, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    So who took Gandalf the Grey’s job? A company wide promotion sounds more likely as they all “rank up” and there’s some novice who’s been fetching coffee for the last 2,000 years that finally got bumped into an actual color. This all assumes that there’s only 1 wizard per color.

  416. Lord Of The Gameplays

    December 3, 2020 at 2:43 pm

    thats pretty metal

  417. Bram Flakes

    December 3, 2020 at 4:51 pm

    Wow, who knew Tom Segura was such a big Tolkien fan?

  418. Ae Norist

    December 3, 2020 at 5:55 pm

    Nowhere does it say anything about magnetism, why is he so sure that exists?
    It seems like he (mistakenly) thinks a round planet automatically leads to magnetic poles, which it very much does not.
    Otherwise very on point though!

    • Sameeh kins

      December 3, 2020 at 6:03 pm

      > why is he so sure that exists?

      Because Tolkien himself said Arda is Earth (just in a time that has been forgotten). So if Earth has magnetic poles, so does Arda.

  419. Jkjkjk

    December 3, 2020 at 7:01 pm

    Lego The Lord of the Rings needs to be brought back. #bringbacklegolotr

  420. Hasan Hüseyin Çalışkan

    December 3, 2020 at 7:02 pm

    Murat reisin gelmesi lazım bu kim aq

  421. kitegem

    December 3, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    I thought it was mentioned that Arwen left for The West, after Aragorn’s death, in one of the appendices, as well as Gimli and Legolas?

    • Sameeh kins

      December 4, 2020 at 12:12 am

      Arwen died 1 year after Aragorn’s passing. Since she was no longer an elf, she didn’t get reincarnated at the Halls of Mandos like Elves did. Instead she followed the fate of men’s afterlife which no one knows much of.

  422. Ludovit Balog

    December 3, 2020 at 11:48 pm

    Where are the entwives? Well… How about Shire? It sounds like their kind of environment… Little things, chill, gardens, merry people… It’d be nice.

  423. Joshua Albritton

    December 4, 2020 at 3:25 am

    Incorrect. The Tengwar script was invented by Feanor, not Tolkien.
    😉

  424. Maggie

    December 4, 2020 at 5:52 am

    idk why not knowing what happened to the entwives bothers me so much like 🥺🥺 HELP

  425. Samantha

    December 4, 2020 at 11:45 am

    I need more

  426. ZakAshChan

    December 4, 2020 at 11:51 am

    The poor grammar featured in the thumbnail is just cringe.

  427. Jelmer van de Wal

    December 4, 2020 at 3:03 pm

    Did not expect him to start talking about spbmi

  428. Yury Kravchenko

    December 4, 2020 at 5:14 pm

    Super interesting!

  429. Finitetoast

    December 4, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    Re: the Entwives, it’s implied that they may be up around the Shire or the Old Forest. Treebeard mentions that possibility a couple times, and at the very beginning of Fellowship Sam mentions to other hobbits in the Green Dragon that another hobbit saw a walking tree near the Shire. The hobbits don’t believe it’s true, but it IS a possibility left open!

  430. H a t c H

    December 4, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    Man, I think I could talk with this guy for hours. Never met someone in person whose as interested in LOTR’s lore as I am. Good job!

  431. sternis1

    December 4, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    This man must have a Tolkien-off with Stephen Colbert. Their battle would be legendary!

  432. The Mortonator

    December 4, 2020 at 9:46 pm

    Shut up, Stoklasa

  433. Melkor Belegurth

    December 4, 2020 at 10:59 pm

    Please make a part two!

  434. Brave ᚺᚩᛒᛒᛁᛏ

    December 5, 2020 at 2:34 am

    I never knew being a Tolkien expert would become a job

  435. Chris Ritchie

    December 5, 2020 at 4:19 am

    You lost me at Gail Simone.

  436. MrAdvantage1

    December 5, 2020 at 4:55 am

    Sauron sounds like a group of people I have heard of

  437. matthew thomson

    December 5, 2020 at 6:23 am

    Imagine if they made a movie about sauron.

  438. ekin can

    December 5, 2020 at 11:56 am

    mom i found a job!

  439. Vir Silvam Survival

    December 5, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    What information of the dragon wars were given in the books. Was Smaug the last dragon at the second age?

  440. Kendall LaFollette

    December 5, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    Not my most awkward fap.

  441. JR Woods

    December 5, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    Wait, “theoden” has deeper roots than anglosaxon: “theo” Greek for “God” and “den” as term for ‘house’ meaning either “God of the house” as in he is the appointee of God for that “house” or Kingdom, or “house of God” same meaning, so that God is implicated in the Anglosaxon portions of Tolkien’s legendarium and so cleverly implicating the battle between good and evil without being obvious.

  442. MPactGamer

    December 5, 2020 at 11:17 pm

    I never knew I needed to see this

  443. Juan Cipollone

    December 6, 2020 at 12:59 am

    Is there no black people on the race of men in the books like on the movies?

  444. Jack M

    December 6, 2020 at 1:26 am

    Is it possible to learn this power?

  445. john carisma

    December 6, 2020 at 6:04 am

    my uncle Adam was one ok the nazgul

  446. hooligan bubsy

    December 6, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    I thought it was hinted the Entwives were in the shire area? I remember somewhere in the books some hobbits talking about there being moving trees in the forests near the shire. Maybe something to do with Tom Bombadil?

  447. Sebastian

    December 6, 2020 at 4:05 pm

    I swear to god someday ill run for president and my only policy will be to replace all history in school with history of middle earth

  448. Merlin Quark

    December 6, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    That isn’t a difference between Christianity and middle earth lore, Christians also believe that because of Satan deceiving man into sinning, it has corrupted this world, and that is why there is death and decay in this world. Most likely Tolkien’s inspiration for that!

  449. Oldenword Books

    December 7, 2020 at 12:36 am

    I expected someone who’d only read the Trilogy and was about to dislike. But I’m pleasantly surprised. Good choice of Tolkien scholar, Wired. The man knows his stuff. However, it all depends on whether he things Feanor did anything wrong.

  450. AljaVast

    December 7, 2020 at 7:15 am

    Hold my second breakfast while I watch this

  451. Solomon Syiem

    December 7, 2020 at 8:34 am

    *G R O N D.*

  452. HobbitofMinasTirith03

    December 7, 2020 at 10:49 am

    This man has used up most of his life reading Tolkien. Respect, respect.

    Only people of the highest endurance can read fellowship over and over again

  453. Gui Porto

    December 7, 2020 at 5:08 pm

    I was expecting at least one comment in Sindarin.

  454. Mom

    December 7, 2020 at 8:44 pm

    Couldnt get tolkien?

  455. Ced Ratte

    December 7, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    I love how he explained all this in a simple way so we can all understand

  456. Mi Ki

    December 7, 2020 at 10:57 pm

    He’s highkey a nerd

    A cool one, tho

  457. Blip Blop

    December 8, 2020 at 12:25 am

    Yo he’s literally my friend, my friend won’t shut up about lord of the rings and now everything about it.

  458. Erik Gilson

    December 8, 2020 at 3:12 am

    Really really cool.i could listen to this dude talk about this stuff all day

  459. Jonathan Garlinghouse

    December 8, 2020 at 3:30 am

    this was great!

  460. genevieve onorato

    December 8, 2020 at 5:41 am

    Meanwhile I’ve read the Silmarillion about 3 times and still can’t remember names…maybe 4th time is a charm!

  461. Tom Tom

    December 8, 2020 at 6:15 am

    I don’t even know what this guy is talking about

  462. Joshua Mark

    December 8, 2020 at 7:13 am

    The perfect job doesn’t exi…

  463. Kowan McGarry

    December 8, 2020 at 7:51 am

    If you could make a video of the timeline of the silmarillion, the hobbit and the lord of the rings. You could describe each age and the events that take place. It might take you decades, get started now.

  464. narpan123

    December 8, 2020 at 8:13 am

    Tolkein universe feels like a fusion of greek and hindu mythology.

  465. Razaan Japran

    December 8, 2020 at 2:29 pm

    It’s amazing how a book can change one’s life! 🤩

  466. King Alexander I of Yugoslavia

    December 8, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    Lmfao what a loser

  467. That Cleanup Guy

    December 8, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    This doesn’t impress me because this basically every JoJo fan

  468. clmbheat.322

    December 8, 2020 at 11:25 pm

    I wonder who knows more Colbert or this guy?

  469. Vincent Peacock

    December 9, 2020 at 9:40 am

    I want more

  470. Keven Hagen

    December 9, 2020 at 9:52 am

    The ten lotion joly protect because liver lastly prick amongst a literate hydrogen. drab, prickly microwave

  471. Swole Kot

    December 9, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Dwarfs being Dwarves sounds better just cause a lot of English words do that, like Life – Lives or Wife Wives

    • Egilhelmson

      December 11, 2020 at 6:48 pm

      Precisely JRRT’s point. If dwarf people were around as much and as early as the wolf, the two words would have changed the same way.

  472. NIA

    December 9, 2020 at 7:48 pm

    What happend to shelob?

  473. Ciara Lauren

    December 9, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    I appreciate this.

  474. Manisha van Setten

    December 9, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    I need a part two. For Christmas or New Year. either will do.

  475. Will Griffiths-Stent

    December 9, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Corey Olson is the GOAT.

  476. Burnettski9292

    December 10, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    Get this guy on Colbert STAT

  477. Canon Kingsley

    December 10, 2020 at 2:14 pm

    You and Colbert need to get together and do a Tolkien off.

  478. Sharlene Leito

    December 10, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    And the movies didn’t he used a big mace

  479. Kevin Chou

    December 10, 2020 at 5:05 pm

    Uh, excuse me, Mr. Simpson. On the Itchy and Scratchy CD-ROM, is there a way to get out of the dungeon without using the wizard key?

  480. Abhishek Damral

    December 10, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    Is there a master’s degree on J.R.R TOLKIEN BOOKS OR ON THE LOTR??

  481. Marco Hernandez

    December 11, 2020 at 4:47 am

    Can’t wait for parts 2-57

  482. Jay Brown

    December 11, 2020 at 5:33 am

    What would modern Middle Earth look like?

  483. Steven Johnson

    December 11, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    I would love to see this guy go toe to toe with Stephen Colbert.

  484. WartimeConsigliere

    December 11, 2020 at 5:40 pm

    what is Sauron? well, what is Loki? Loki is not a god, and, no, he he’s not a giant. Loki is some sort of immortal shapeshifter.
    Yes, Sauron is an earth angel, however, he shapeshifted A LOT more than any other earth angel listed.
    When he led the vampire kill squad he would turn into a terrifying mega-bat. when he led the werewolves he turned into some colossal canine creature.

    Sauron did this less after he died a few times. oh, that’s what Cory means by comparing him to Gandalf.
    Got it, he is conflating when Sauron was an earth angel to when, by the time we see him, he is a returned.

    Alright, I guess, but that is one of the most nuanced questions in the lore and Cory just skips over it.

  485. Exype

    December 11, 2020 at 10:47 pm

    More… we want more!!!

  486. Jotu Saini

    December 11, 2020 at 11:24 pm

    They need to get Stephen Colbert to do this

  487. Thomas Vandevelde

    December 12, 2020 at 12:49 am

    I think that the colors of the pages represent their capabilities.
    But of course I am not an expert
    (not sarcastically meant my English just isn’t that good)

  488. Michael Welsh

    December 12, 2020 at 11:24 am

    My question: what’s the deal with Tom Bombadil?!

  489. Hello There

    December 12, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    The difference he said between Christianity and Tolkien’s mythology is basically no difference

  490. Sharon Wong

    December 12, 2020 at 8:52 pm

    Can we just make this a whole series in itself 😂

  491. Sharon Wong

    December 12, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    Now I want this… But for Discworld. I just love experts talking about worldbuilding.

  492. Fiend S

    December 12, 2020 at 9:52 pm

    I need more of this. Much more.

  493. Grabel ess

    December 12, 2020 at 10:06 pm

    14:00 y first time i red about it i was like oh .. that s excactly like lucifer thing :p
    I liked when he said about tolkiens mythology and judaio christian… mythology..xexe

  494. fkalf

    December 12, 2020 at 11:27 pm

    If you love Lord Of The Rings you need to read The Silmarillion. Ignore all reviews of it. If you love the lore you will love this book.

  495. Exorikk

    December 13, 2020 at 3:14 am

    Great video. Would watch a million more.

  496. Serotonin Scavenger

    December 13, 2020 at 11:52 am

    Sauron using his hands as a weapon:
    Sauron’s a monk, then

  497. Stefan Valentine

    December 13, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    You didn’t answer the Arwen question exactly.

    Why was a big deal made about her missing the last ship when in fact there were subsequent ones and she could have therefore remained with her father until the actual last one and delayed her decision.

    This is separate to the consequences of her choosing mortality.

  498. Nicole Bae

    December 13, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    Sauron using his hands to fight makes it make way more sense how he lost his finger

  499. Troy Ounce

    December 13, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    Tolkien was writing a book about the frisians before he died, yes?

  500. Cristia Olson

    December 13, 2020 at 9:23 pm

    This warmed my nerdy heart, and makes me want to re-read the Silmarillion again.

    Tolkien Forever.

  501. ÆSC

    December 14, 2020 at 2:54 am

    Mooooooooooooore!!!!

  502. Babo

    December 14, 2020 at 4:25 am

    I’m not even that big of an LOTR fan but I could listen to him talk more about the lore for hours

  503. Stimulator7

    December 14, 2020 at 8:12 am

    dwarrow. dwarrowdelf? dwarf dwelling?

  504. Jeff Reams

    December 14, 2020 at 8:15 am

    I could listen to this Q&A for hours.

  505. Stimulator7

    December 14, 2020 at 8:21 am

    I haven’t even read these books, but I could listen to this fine intellectual stimulation all night.

  506. Nikolai508

    December 14, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    I think everyone prefers Dwarves and I could be wrong but I think most fantasy writings and video games use “dwarves”. it just looks and sounds better.

  507. Marco Silva

    December 14, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    OMG, that Gandalf theory is exactly what I was thinking since I first saw the movie when I was a teenager!

  508. Garrett D

    December 14, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    So j.r.r Tolkien has professional fans.

  509. Bejaardenbus

    December 15, 2020 at 1:22 am

    It’s weird how strongly he reminds me of Rick Beato, both in how he talks and looks!

  510. User User

    December 15, 2020 at 1:45 am

    But he never answered the question, what’s tators?

  511. Carson Riley

    December 15, 2020 at 2:44 am

    Actually Sauron was described and shown using his War-Maul (2-handed mace/hammer) to kill his opponents.

  512. Htun Sett Han

    December 15, 2020 at 5:00 am

    Why didn’t the fellowship just take the eagles to Mordor?

  513. Jadon Berg

    December 15, 2020 at 11:42 pm

    Cory Olsen: Professional Nerd

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