THE PRANCING PONY PODCAST
Episode 383 – Questions After Nightfall 32
September 28, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively "Questions After Nightfall" episode, host Alan Sisto and co-host Dr. Sara Brown welcome a panel of Patreon supporters for the 32nd installment of their acclaimed Middle-earth Q&A sessions. This episode marks a transition between their epic Lord of the Rings deep-dives and a new season focused on Unfinished Tales. Alan and Sara field spontaneous, wide-ranging questions from listeners—ranging from Tolkien’s internal world-building struggles and character mythologies to fan debates on dragons and dwarves. The atmosphere is as warm and welcoming as a pint in Tolkien’s own Prancing Pony, brimming with laughter, thoughtful analysis, and more than a few puns.

Key Discussions & Insights

1. Tolkien’s “Mythology” Explanations

(05:01–12:36)
Question by Olivia: What's your favorite example of Tolkien offering a mythological explanation for real-world phenomena (e.g., how the sun or moon came to be)?

• Alan:
  • Favors the myth of Arien, the Maia who carries the Sun, for her fiery defiance against Morgoth and the myth's explanation for the sun and moon’s odd cycles and eclipses.
  • "Her carrying the sun...her attitude toward Morgoth...her bright fire just scares the heck out of him." (06:15)
• Sara:
  • Prefers Tolkien's wrestling with the world’s shape: starting with a flat Middle-earth inspired by Norse myths, then catastrophically shifting to a spherical world using Atlantis and Noah’s Ark parallels.
  • Tolkien’s drive for “inner consistency of reality” and his struggle to retrofit mythology into geological sense.
  • “He gave up on the rewriting...it got him into such a mess he couldn’t write himself out of it...but I love that he was still playing with it even late in life...” (08:29)
• Shared Reflection:
  • Admire how Tolkien’s Ainulindalë gives even weather, mists, and mountains a mythic backstory.

2. Galadriel’s Evolving Backstory

(12:42–23:58)
Question by Kevin: Why was Tolkien so invested in expanding and revising Galadriel's story, and what makes her so central and compelling?

• Sara:
  • Galadriel started as a “retconned” character Tolkien tripped over, then became a Valkyrie-like powerhouse, representing his love for strong female figures with proud flaws and depth.
  • She embodies complex “unfriendship” with Feanor and oscillates between pride/power and penitent narrative paths in Tolkien’s drafts—even mirroring Marian (Virgin Mary-like) ideals by the end of his life.
  • “Anybody who tells you there are no powerful female figures in Tolkien has not been paying attention.” (15:08)
  • Her journey is enriched by time spent with Melian, critical for her moral development.
• Alan:
  • Highlights Tolkien’s vacillation near his death: “...in one letter, Galadriel’s a penitent...in another, she did nothing wrong...he never actually managed to write that properly.” (19:12)
  • Argues her flaws enhance her interest and relatability.
• Memorable Moment:
  • “Thank you for coming to my Galadriel TED talk.” —Sara (20:18)

3. Surprises in Tolkien’s Collected Poems

(28:28–39:41)
Question by Jenny: What surprised you most in the new three-volume Collected Poems of Tolkien, edited by Scull & Hammond?

• Sara:
  • Astonished by the precocious brilliance and technical range of Tolkien’s earliest poems.
  • Deeply moved by “GBS,” Tolkien’s elegy for his friend Geoffrey Bache Smith: “I have described this poem as being like a howl of pain...” (33:26), seeing its pain echoing through all Tolkien’s later themes of loss.
• Alan:
  • Enjoys watching poems like the "Malbeth the Seer" prophecy evolve draft by draft (“...he changed that so many times...” 39:41).
  • Praises Scull & Hammond’s work for revealing the process behind poetry, not just the product.
• Shared Reflection:
  • Both agree Tolkien’s poetry, especially about loss, enhances the emotional impact permeating the legendarium.
  • Quote: “Their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness.” —Alan, reading from Field of Cormallen (38:00)
• Jenny:
  • Observed how poetry brings readers close to Tolkien's own heart, “even if it’s about mythological things, it’s very close.” (37:10)

4. Fellowship as a Band

(40:47–43:44)
Question by Sam: If the Fellowship were a band, who would play what?

• Alan/Sara (with in-chat suggestions):
  • Boromir: Lead guitar, flashy
  • Aragorn: Bass, steady backbone
  • Legolas: Keyboards
  • Gimli: Drums
  • Merry & Pippin: Backup vocals, comically off-key
  • Frodo: Emo lead singer
  • Sam: Roadie or sound board
  • Gandalf: Stage manager/pyrotechnics
  • Running joke: “Every once in a while the Eagles open for them...”
• Notable Quote:
  • “Sam’s running sound, he’s the one running the board and making sure everything sounds good.” —Alan (41:57)
  • “Do they open with Hotel California?” —Sara (42:56)

5. Tolkien’s Motivation for Writing LOTR

(44:18–60:48; key content from 45:19–60:48)
Question by Anthony: Why did Tolkien write The Lord of the Rings, especially with all its appendices and legendarium depth—was it for a “gospel” purpose or something else?

• Alan:
  • Summarizes Tolkien’s stated motives:
    • “The desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story...” (foreword to the second edition)
    • Practical: Answering publisher and market demand for a Hobbit sequel.
    • Deeper: A “mythology for England,” though Sara clarifies he wanted “a mythology that he could dedicate to England.”
  • Tolkien’s dislike of direct allegory, so his gospel message (if any) is delivered through “applicability,” not allegory.
• Sara:
  • Emphasizes many-layered motives: practical need, creative urge, and the desire to “immerse” his sequel into his Silmarillion world.
  • LOTR unites themes of hope, courage, death, and working across cultures.
  • “There is no one reason why he wrote the Lord of the Rings. There’s a bajillion reasons...” (54:44)
• Jenny:
  • Recalls the “mythology for England” theme, but Sara offers a precise textual correction.
• Quote:
  • “Tolkien was human...He had many reasons and he drew on all of them for writing whatever he was writing.” —Sara (51:34)
• Caveat:
  • Letters must be read in context—Tolkien tailored answers to his audience (especially notable with religious/Catholic interpretations).
  • “You have to take the letters with a pretty big grain of salt based who he’s writing to...” —Alan (58:24)

6. What Happened to Mordor After Sauron?

(60:59–64:55)
Question by Erica: Did Tolkien ever mention how Mordor fared after Sauron’s fall—did it recover ecologically, or become habitable?

• Alan:
  • Yes: Aragorn freed slaves in Mordor and gave the fertile lands around Lake Núrnen to them ("breadbasket of Mordor").
  • “The king...gave [the slaves] the lands about Lake Nurnen to be their own.” (61:48)
  • The northern, volcanic Gorgoroth plain likely stayed desolate for a long while.
• Sara:
  • Notes that renewal is possible only with much effort (and perhaps “Samwise the Great Gardener” could help).

7. Are There Any Dragons Left After Smaug?

(65:10–70:51)
Question by Neil: Did dragons survive into the Fourth Age? How many were there?

• Alan & Sara:
  • Some dragons likely survived but very few, and far from the west—diminished in both number and grandeur (smaller, weaker than First Age dragons like Ancalagon).
  • Dragons are “territorial” and their mythos is tied to scarcity, like Balrogs.
  • “I doubt there are a dozen,” —Alan (67:25)
  • New dragons would have been in the North or East, possibly in isolated “retirement” or lairs.
• Quote:
  • “By the time we get to Smaug...if you put him next to Ancalagon, [he’s] just going to look like a tiny little earthworm.” —Sara (68:53)

8. Middle-earth’s Best Cook?

(71:10–73:18)
Question by Seth: If you could invite any non-Ainur Tolkien character to cook for you, who and what would they make?

• Alan:
  • “Sam? Fish and chips? Yes, I’m perfectly happy with that.”
• Sara:
  • Chooses Gildor Inglorion, recalling the vegetarian-friendly elven feast in the Shire, featuring “beautiful white bread, fruits, and all sorts of lovely, fresh things.” (72:05)
  • Alan: “It’s gonna be accompanied by some fantastic drink...”
• Jokes:
  • Melian would bake a mean lembas, but she’s Ainur, so disqualified.
  • Sara on gender assumptions: “I deliberately did not want to go for a female character because I wasn’t going to assume that it would be a woman making the food.” (73:01)

9. Dwarf Demographic Math

(76:20–80:44)
Question (Round 2) by Anthony: How can dwarves survive with such low reproduction rates and frequent warfare?

• Alan:
  • Admits Tolkien’s world-building here fails the math—likely unintentional, as Tolkien didn’t “run the numbers.”
  • Suggests Aulë’s imperfection as a creator compared to Ilúvatar may explain dwarves’ unique challenges.
• Sara:
  • The low birthrate and many unmarried/childless dwarven women is "entirely Tolkien, not me." (79:25)
  • Tolkien sought “mystery,” but the math “doesn’t math.”

10. Fingolfin vs. Sauron—Who Would Win?

(82:13–86:53)
Question by Kevin: If the High King Fingolfin fought Sauron (at various points in Sauron's history), who would win?

• Alan:
  • Fingolfin could beat Sauron one-on-one in most scenarios—his epic duel against Morgoth marks him as “the strongest, most valiant,” of elves. Without the One Ring, Sauron is at a disadvantage.
• Sara:
  • Whether Sauron bears the Ring is decisive: in Second Age, with the Ring, Sauron might take it; otherwise Fingolfin is favored.

11. Life Lessons from Tolkien’s Legendarium

(86:57–94:20)
Question by Seth: What is a life lesson you carry from Tolkien’s work?

• Sara:
  • Deeply identifies with Éowyn’s struggle through despair; her touchstone is “Aure entuluva”—day shall come again.
  • “You just need to put one foot in front of the other. Day shall come again.” (88:53)
• Alan:
  • Emphasizes hope in darkness and the value of “endure, endure, and hope,” as echoed in Húrin’s story and Gandalf’s words on despair.
  • Also credits Tolkien with teaching greater empathy, pity—even towards figures like Gollum.
  • “If you’re not taking something away you can apply day to day, you’re missing out.” (86:58)

12. Can Orcs Be Redeemed? Are Good Orcs Possible?

(95:58–103:44)
Question by Jenny: Is there such a thing as a good or heroic Orc, and what happens to them after Sauron’s defeat?

• Alan:
  • Tolkien struggled with this contradiction and never solved it; Orc origins (twisted elves vs. men) are uncertain. Orcs’ capacity for good or heroism is left unresolved in his writings.
• Sara:
  • Heroism is “immensely subjective”—an Orc could be “heroic” by Orc standards (e.g., seizing freedom from masters), but they lack models for “good” as others define it.
  • Points out they never had agency to choose virtue.
• Shared Reflection:
  • Compassion for Orcs could mean treating them as free peoples under law rather than extermination (“I can’t imagine Aragorn going around...with death squads...” —Alan 103:42)
• Memorable:
  • “What would compassion for the Orcs look like?” —Jenny (102:24)
  • “Not treating them as something you can just, you know, commit genocide against.” —Sara (102:27)

13. Why Did ONLY Glorfindel Come Back?

(103:44–106:00)
Question by Olivia: If the Valar only sent one elf back, why was it Glorfindel?

• Alan:
  • Jokes it’s because “he’s so pretty”—then more seriously suggests Glorfindel is unique simply because he’s the only one named.
  • Most elves, after “re-embodiment,” would choose to remain safely in paradise rather than go back to Middle-earth.
  • “The Yelp review for Middle-earth is pretty awful.” (104:48)
• Sara:
  • Doubles down on the “so shiny, so pretty” angle, riffing on Glorfindel’s dazzling appearance and reputation as Balrog-slayer.
• Humorous Banter:
  • “He struts around at Rivendell going, I’m so shiny, I’m so pretty, little swish of the cloak...” —Sara (105:14)

Notable Quotes

• “The whole legendarium is about loss.” —Sara (34:07)
• “You just need to put one foot in front of the other. Day shall come again.” —Sara (88:53)
• “Empathy...That’s the point.” —Alan on lessons learned (93:12)
• “Nobody is going to sit here and go that Tolkien’s belief system had absolutely zero impact on his writing.” —Sara (60:29)
• “Anybody who tells you there are no powerful female figures in Tolkien has not been paying attention.” —Sara (15:08)

Timestamp Guide to Key Segments

• 01:40–03:23 – Welcome, intro to format and Q&A session
• 05:01–12:36 – Tolkien’s mythological “explanations” and world-building struggles
• 12:42–23:58 – Galadriel’s many lives and Tolkien’s retconning
• 28:28–39:41 – Collected Poems: surprise & heartbreak
• 40:47–43:44 – The Fellowship as a rock band
• 44:18–60:48 – Why did Tolkien write LOTR? (gospel, commerce, mythology debate)
• 60:59–64:55 – Mordor after Sauron
• 65:10–70:51 – Dragons after Smaug
• 71:10–73:18 – Middle-earth’s finest cook
• 76:20–80:44 – Dwarf population math
• 82:13–86:53 – Fingolfin vs. Sauron
• 86:57–94:20 – Life lessons from Middle-earth
• 95:58–103:44 – Can Orcs be good/redeemed?
• 103:44–106:00 – Why Glorfindel alone?
• 107:01–108:16 – Closing remarks, thanks to patrons

Tone & Style

Warm, witty, corridorial, and at times poignant. Alan and Sara blend rigorous analysis with pub-friendly banter, never shying from tough questions, but always keeping discussion accessible—with good humor, humility, and Tolkienian heart.

This episode is a masterclass in passionate fandom and Middle-earth scholarship, serving up laughter, insight, and food for thought in equal measure—a perfect “common room” experience for Tolkien readers new and veteran alike.