Mythgard Academy

469 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 76 ratings

Mythgard Academy aims to make engaging discussions of fantasy and science fiction literature free and open to everyone. The Mythgard Academy program features live discussions with Dr. Corey Olsen, The Tolkien Professor, and other experts on speculative fiction. Books are nominated and voted on by our supporters, and recordings are available for free via podcast and the Signum University YouTube channel.

Books Arts Education Courses tolkien corey olsen mythgard academy signum univesity tolkien professor lotro lord of the rings fantasy science fiction medieval
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Episodes

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 14

November 12, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB

It's time for more poetry, concerning which I hope your enthusiasm exceeds Alice's!

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 13

November 08, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MB

It's time for another really famous poem! I'm so excited.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 11

November 02, 2022 02:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MB

Tonight we return to Looking-Glass House and immediately attempt to leave it, spending time being considered by flowers.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 12

November 02, 2022 02:00 - 1 hour - 52.8 MB

Tonight we consider train tickets, insects, and the use of names.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 10

October 02, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 68.2 MB

Tonight, we will join Alice in Looking-Glass House, but we may not be able to escape it.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 9

September 16, 2022 03:00 - 1 hour - 55.4 MB

This evening we start Through the Looking Glass!

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 8

September 02, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MB

Tonight we get towards, if not to, the end of Alice in Wonderland -- ending with intense courtroom drama!

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 7

August 06, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 60.7 MB

It is time for more silly poetry this evening.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 6

July 13, 2022 00:45 - 1 hour - 64.4 MB

Tonight we meet the bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts, and perhaps also the musical Mock Turtle with his excellent curricular plans.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 5

June 20, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 65.4 MB

In a mad world, everyone misbehaves.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 4

June 15, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MB

Be careful what you say!

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 3

June 04, 2022 04:00 - 2 hours - 70.2 MB

Tonight, Alice begins to reflect on her own identity and changing sizes. And she also recites more wonderful poetry.

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 2

June 01, 2022 00:15 - 1 hour - 64.6 MB

Tonight we will look at Alice's interactions with her body and mind, neither of which seem very predictable.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 26

June 01, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 53.7 MB

Join me tonight for our discussion of the last chapter of the book, looking at the rivers and beacon-hills of Gondor. We're finished!

MSA031: Alice’s Adventures, Session 1

May 23, 2022 03:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MB

Session 1: An Origin Poem and Foreshadowing. In a lilting and bouncy Introductory Poem, Lewis Carrol gives an origin story for the first book. Is it iambic heptameter or double quatrains of ballad stanza with which Carroll turns a pastoral poem into a demand by the Fates 3? He doesn't miss a trick, a twist, or a comical turn of poetic imagery, and in the end, he leaves an offering that should be taken seriously. And we meet the Alice who loves to show off her learning. Her maths and her wonde...

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 25

April 23, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 63.1 MB

Of Silvan speech, Sauron's armies and dwarf voices.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 24

April 15, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MB

Concerning Valinor, Galadriel and Mushrooms.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 23

April 03, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 55.5 MB

You do the Ruxoale and you turn yourself around...

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 22

March 26, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MB

Of various bans.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 21

March 20, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 63.4 MB

This evening we contemplate both the mytho-astronomical view of the cosmos and also badgers.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 20

March 14, 2022 03:00 - 1 hour - 65.1 MB

Tonight we finish Part II of the book, with some final thoughts about death, and begin Part III!

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 19

February 27, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MB

Tonight we finish Part 2!

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 18

February 21, 2022 19:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MB

What about elvish rebirth? Settle in, folks...

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 17

February 16, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 59.4 MB

It's time to dig deep into elvish philosophy.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 16

February 08, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MB

It's time to resolve the "Do Elves have free will?" question once and for all!

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 15

January 31, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 66.4 MB

More Osanwe-kenta. Please.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 14

January 22, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MB

Tonight, I will try to communicate more perfectly without language. If that doesn't work, I'll talk.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 12

January 16, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 62.2 MB

It's time for Part 2 of the Nature of Middle-earth, wherein we get to learn some fascinating lore!

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 13

January 16, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 63.6 MB

Does Prince Imrahil have a beard? What color is Gollum's skin, anyway? How tall was Boromir? We need to know!

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 11

December 20, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB

Tonight we look at the final version of Tolkien's thought on Elvish life spans, along with some other miscellaneous items.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 10

December 13, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 64.3 MB

Tonight we move towards the end of Tolkien's thoughts on aging, as we see his conception of Elves and their immortality continue to develop.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 9

December 06, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MB

A discussion full of niggling, amazing cameos, and lots of recreational math.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 8

November 22, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MB

Tonight we continue to proceed with Tolkien as he brings myth, math, and worldbuilding together -- including some wild new early cameos!

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 7

November 17, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB

It will turn out that it is hard to please both Maeglin and Arwen.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 6

November 07, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MB

It's time to playtest some of these worldbuilding ideas some more, in myth and story.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 5

November 01, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 65.9 MB

Note: Stream ends abruptly at 1:55:08 Title: The Awakening: The Whole Story Week 5: Fixing the chronology of the Tale of Years leads to just enough room to fit in all the worldbuilding necessary for the Children to arrive, be discovered, and start the Great Migration. Note that Melkor was great at planning ahead, while the rest of the Valar were clueless about the Children and their place in the world.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 4

October 20, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 63.4 MB

The Beginnings, For Real Week 4: Good news, upcoming events, and a winner! Then we check The Professor's math and redefine an elven year. The march of time catches the Valar looking in the wrong direction. Melkor finds the Children first. Sauron becomes the Serpent of lore.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 3

October 11, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 64 MB

Growth and Change Week 3: We start with a dice roll for the fundraiser appreciation drawing, and then jump right in to the math. How long was elven gestation? And how long did it take for an elven family to recover and want a second child? Or a third? The math for this is meaningful. It sets the foundation for all that will come after. Like how elves experience time, why only male elves made it into the spotlight (really?), how intensely elves invest themselves in their work, among other deli...

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 2

October 01, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MB

Love and Time among the Eldar Week 2: Fall Fundraising update: weekly appreciation drawings at every class until the webinar! Tonight we wonder if invisible elves are still out there. And how old is Cirdan? And has Galadriel gone through Elfopause yet? And what does Glorfindel remember of his first time around? And we find that Elves are burdened with memory but completely in control of their will and actions. Even in expressing their 4 loves.

MSA030: The Nature of Middle-Earth, Class 1

September 26, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MB

Week 1: Lofty Goals, and worthy news, and an auspicious date (mark it well, Saturday, October 16, 2021, Signum Webathon!) precede our inaugural dive into this new book. In the late 1950s, JRRT reworked the structure of Arda. He removed his flat earth and introduced Valian Years. What was the point? Not just math, surely. At last, we have the introductory 'Concerning Elves' material that will shape the Silmarillion. And we have a new word for the incarnate beings in Arda: hröambari.

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