Between Peter Jackson‘s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, and Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, Middle-earth has gone from the land created by J.R.R. Tolkien in his novels and writings to one of the main realms of fantasy in modern pop culture. Tolkien himself had no issues with other creators telling stories in Middle-earth, and The Lord of the Rings gained some incredibly well-written moments that people often mistake as being Tolkien’s, but are actually not, proving how much respect there is for the professor’s original writings and style. We selected ten of our favorite moments that are connected to the Legendarium at their core, be it through words, songs, concepts, or imagery.
10
The Rite of Sigin-tarâg
Tolkien gave each of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth rich histories and lore, sometimes even going into ritualistic minutiae, and the Rite of Sigin-tarâg feels just like that. Invented for The Rings of Power, it consists of a challenge between two individuals breaking huge boulders with big hammers until one of them is eventually exhausted. It’s the kind of ritual that perfectly befits the Dwarves as Tolkien originally conceived them: a strong and deeply proud folk. The name means “Longbeards,” the Dwarven kindred that inhabits Khazad-dûm.
9
The resonating ritual
Another perfect original creation for the Amazon series, the ancient Dwarven practice of resonating consists of “singing” to the mountain to find new veins of ore. The sound resonates on the rock, thus revealing where it’s safe to mine. Disa (Sophia Nomvete) is Khazad-dûm’s chief singer, and her voice proves that Dwarves are capable of beauty beyond the gems they produce. The concept explores the relationship between nature itself and the people of Middle-earth, making it one that Tolkien would certainly have approved and enjoyed.
8
“This Wandering Day”
Songs are ever-present in all of Tolkien’s works, and it’s not unusual for characters to express themselves or tell stories by singing, and “This Wandering Day” keeps on with this tradition in a touching way. Sung by Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards), the Harfoot song precedes concepts that would become key traits to their descendants, the Hobbits, like the importance of community, the comforts of home, and the call to adventure. It also uses famous lines from the books, pretty much condensing everything Tolkien used to create the Hobbits.
7
Sauron’s betrayal by Adar
The Rings of Power Season 2 opens with a bang, showing an original sequence where an earlier version of Sauron (Jack Lowden) attempts to convince Adar (Sam Hazeldine) and the Orcs to follow him as the new Dark Lord. He is immediately betrayed in a scene that feels like a twisted take on Julius Caesar, with Sauron barely surviving as an amorphous blob until he’s able to regain his physical form (Charlie Vickers). This scene is reminiscent of Tolkien in how much treachery there is among the followers of darkness, and how evil doesn’t have a clear shape and will never truly vanquish.
6
“The old world will burn in the fires of industry.”
One of Christopher Lee‘s finest moments as Saruman the White is ordering the destruction of the Westfold and Fangorn forest in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. His whole speech is not in the books, but is a clever extrapolation of Tolkien’s writings, showing how Saruman intends to build Isengard’s own might to rival Mordor under the guise of “serving” Sauron. Although the films might give the impression that Saruman wants to truly serve Sauron, that was never his intention — as the leader of the Istari, he actually sought to bring down the Dark Lord by taking his place. In the book, Treebeard (John Rhys-Davies) mentions how Saruman has “a mind of metal and wheels,” proving how faithful the film is to the original character.
5
“If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose.”
Gandalf (Ian McKellen) is an immensely powerful and wise character, and he likes to demonstrate it in the most unusual ways. This incredible advice is given to Merry (Dominic Monaghan) once he remembers the right path as the Fellowship reaches a trifurcation in Moria in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf figures out the way because “the air doesn’t smell so foul” in the right path. Anyone who has ever followed a smell into a kitchen can relate.
Although the sentiment is similar, in the book Gandalf never says that, proving how well writers Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson understand the character. Gandalf is deeply attuned to the simple things, and usually relies on them to figure out his next steps. It’s such a great line, that The Rings of Power later used it with The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), too, in a nod to the movies.
4
“A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins.”
Another Gandalf classic, this time showcasing his great sense of humor as he arrives in the Shire in The Fellowship of the Ring. As serious as he can be, Gandalf can be really silly when he wants, too, and enjoys teasing his friends. He knows that his speeches can sound confusing sometimes, as he often speaks in proverbs, so he makes them into jokes, too, to confuse people. This one is right up his alley, making Frodo (Elijah Wood) and the audience pause to think “Wait, what?” before bursting into laughter.
Gandalf’s silly sense of humor is present in many Tolkien stories; his famous “good morning” monologue in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is also in the book, for example. “A wizard is never late” serves the exact same purpose of introducing a character who is friendly, intelligent, and noble, but also a huge dork. Sense of humor is a staple of Gandalf’s character, and manifests in other ways, too, like his short temper with Pippin (Billy Boyd), which he knows deep down is a little too much.
3
“For Frodo.”
Aragorn’s (Viggo Mortensen) speech at the Black Gate is completely original to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. What makes it deeply connected to Tolkien’s, however, is him turning to his friends and quietly saying, “For Frodo,” revealing two things. First, that Aragorn knows his sacrifice is a fraction of Frodo’s, acknowledging the Hobbit as the true hero of the story. Second, the true purpose of the battle isn’t to defeat Sauron, but to draw his attention away from Mount Doom, where Frodo currently is.
Théoden’s (Bernard Hill) speech at the Pelennor Fields is also powerful and original to the movies, and some may consider it a better battle speech overall, but Aragorn’s reveals that the stakes aren’t just military or political, but also personal. Sacrifice is important, but friendship is perhaps the central point in all of Tolkien’s work, and “For Frodo” is the perfect way to make that clear at such a crucial moment in the story.
2
“There is some good in this world, Mister Frodo.”
Some consider Sam (Sean Astin) the single best character in the whole Legendarium, and his speech at the end of The Two Towers is a strong argument. It’s so good, it touches even Gollum (Andy Serkis) and gets Frodo back on his feet after almost handing the One Ring to the Nazgûl in Osgiliath. It resonates deeply with Tolkien’s tenet that “even darkness must pass,” and perfectly wraps up a chapter in the story where everything seems to be lost.
Beyond its meaning, Sam’s speech feels like an ode to Tolkien himself, praising the stories “that really mattered” as the ones where good always overcomes evil, and the heroes aren’t perfect, but continue their journey because it’s the right thing to do, feeling almost like a meta commentary on the Legendarium. More than Frodo, that’s exactly who Sam is — not a warrior, wizard, or a powerful entity, but the simplest of beings with a strong moral compass.
1
“Why Bilbo Baggins?”
The whole White Council sequence in An Unexpected Journey is original to the movie, including Gandalf’s answer to Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) about why he recruited Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) for the mission to Erebor. The spirit of what Gandalf says is deeply consistent with Tolkien’s worldview and the moral fabric of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, positioning ideas like kindness, love, and mercy as the values that can truly hold darkness at bay. It’s also consistent with Gandalf’s character and his mission, as opposed to Saruman.
Bilbo proves Gandalf’s point many times later on. First, by sparing Gollum’s life in the Misty Mountains, and, then, when he says he joined the Dwarves’ quest because he is fond of home, and wants to help them reclaim theirs (another original moment, incidentally). Powerful beings like Galadriel and Saruman may not approach these ideas like Gandalf does, but that’s part of his mission as the Grey Wizard; it’s Bilbo’s kind courage that drives him. This line may not be Tolkien’s, but it would fit easily within any of the professor’s works.
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