Episode
Tolkien: Middle Earth and the Middle Ages
- Podcast
- Gone Medieval
- Published
- Aug 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2176
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
From where did J.R.R. Tolkien get his ideas for the world of Middle Earth? For millions of readers, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are more than just fantasy fiction. Their rich mix of sacred mythology and archetypal saga stories draw deeply into history and legend and profoundly resonate with universal human experience. As with most things, Matt Lewis is determined to claim Middle Earth was inspired by the medieval period, with the help of today's guest, Tolkien scholar Dr. Christopher Snyder. MORE: Beowulf Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Czech Braveheart: Jan Žižka Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. This episode was edited by Rob Weinberg and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds. Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™ Watch Matt and Eleanor's new documentary series The Rise of the Plantagenets only on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.