0386: The Lord of the Rings » Prologue » Of the Finding of the Ring and a Note on Shire Records

Why did Bilbo lie about how he found the Ring—and why did Tolkien invent an entire history for the manuscripts behind The Lord of the Rings?

In Episode 386 of The Tolkien Road, John concludes the Prologue with “The Finding of the Ring” and “Note on the Shire Records.” We explore Bilbo’s false account, Gandalf’s suspicions, the mysterious “luck” behind finding the Ring, and Tolkien’s elaborate history of the Red Book of Westmarch.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

01:10 — The Finding of the Ring

02:27 — The Accident That Changed Middle-earth

03:24 — Was Finding the Ring Really Luck?

04:04 — Does the Ring Have a Will?

05:26 — Bilbo’s Original Version of the Story

07:11 — Why Did Bilbo Lie?

08:02 — Gandalf Doesn’t Believe Bilbo