By-the-Bywater
@bythebywater.bsky.social
By-the-Bywater is a monthly #Tolkien podcast hosted by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social, @schwindter.bsky.social and @nedraggett.bsky.social -- thanks for listening! Catch up with all our episodes at megaphonic.fm/bythebywater
It has, sadly, often come down to this.
My rule of thumb is if the company is named after something in Lord of the Rings, it’s almost certainly evil.
Since its founding in 2017, Anduril Industries has become one of the hottest companies in a crowded field of defense-tech startup.
Its fast-moving approach comes with its share of setbacks.
Its fast-moving approach comes with its share of setbacks.
November 27, 2025 at 10:57 PM
It has, sadly, often come down to this.
We will take it under advisement.
November 25, 2025 at 5:43 AM
We will take it under advisement.
Quite right.
“Conversation with Smaug”, by JRR Tolkien, for 1937’s “The Hobbit”.
I’ve no idea what state of mind Tolkien was in when he painted it. But every time I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it a lot, I get the impression that he was having a really great time. It’s so zestful, in its details & as a whole.
I’ve no idea what state of mind Tolkien was in when he painted it. But every time I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it a lot, I get the impression that he was having a really great time. It’s so zestful, in its details & as a whole.
November 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Quite right.
True enough.
saturation with Tolkien spinoffs has somehow not prepared our culture for the arrival of dark lords bearing a gift that everyone becomes convinced they can wield to accomplish great things but just makes them dependent and start whispering about preciouses if you suggest just throwing it away
November 20, 2025 at 12:16 AM
True enough.
New episode in two weeks!
talking about journeys on the next @bythebywater.bsky.social
November 16, 2025 at 11:27 PM
New episode in two weeks!
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
TIRED: techbros who saw the Lord of the Rings films once and think they understand Tolkien and rip off the names for all the wrong things
WIRED: awesome.
WIRED: awesome.
A few hours behind the Mithrandir Pack
YouTube video by Voyageurs Wolf Project
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:08 PM
TIRED: techbros who saw the Lord of the Rings films once and think they understand Tolkien and rip off the names for all the wrong things
WIRED: awesome.
WIRED: awesome.
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
Episode 80 is live! This time we talked about what #Tolkien viewed as one of his core 'Great Tales' and the one with the most personal resonance, Beren and Lúthien. Plus, cats. Really big cats. Episode art by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social as ever! megaphonic.fm/bythebywater...
80. What If This Housecat Was Actually Really Big? | By-The-Bywater
On Beren and Lúthien.
megaphonic.fm
November 3, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Episode 80 is live! This time we talked about what #Tolkien viewed as one of his core 'Great Tales' and the one with the most personal resonance, Beren and Lúthien. Plus, cats. Really big cats. Episode art by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social as ever! megaphonic.fm/bythebywater...
Episode 80 is live! This time we talked about what #Tolkien viewed as one of his core 'Great Tales' and the one with the most personal resonance, Beren and Lúthien. Plus, cats. Really big cats. Episode art by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social as ever! megaphonic.fm/bythebywater...
80. What If This Housecat Was Actually Really Big? | By-The-Bywater
On Beren and Lúthien.
megaphonic.fm
November 3, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Episode 80 is live! This time we talked about what #Tolkien viewed as one of his core 'Great Tales' and the one with the most personal resonance, Beren and Lúthien. Plus, cats. Really big cats. Episode art by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social as ever! megaphonic.fm/bythebywater...
Quick heads up that the newest episode will drop tomorrow!
talking about Beren and Lúthien next time on @bythebywater.bsky.social (and since it’s October I drew their scary forms)
November 2, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Quick heads up that the newest episode will drop tomorrow!
Yup.
Let’s be real: approximately ten seconds after you told Tolkien that Catholics couldn’t go to Mass because they were afraid of being disappeared by agents of the government, he’d be out there protesting.
October 29, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Yup.
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
after reading the peter thiel biography for our @bythebywater.bsky.social episode about silicon valley misreading tolkien i have been wondering if all this shit even works but now i feel like they know it doesn't actually work and see that as a feature, not a bug
New: Videos show ICE/CBP agents are scanning peoples' faces on the street to verify citizenship. ICE has tool to instantly look up unprecedented number of databases with just a photo
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship
Videos on social media show officers from ICE and CBP using facial recognition technology on people in the field. One expert described the practice as “pure dystopian creep.”
www.404media.co
October 29, 2025 at 4:54 PM
after reading the peter thiel biography for our @bythebywater.bsky.social episode about silicon valley misreading tolkien i have been wondering if all this shit even works but now i feel like they know it doesn't actually work and see that as a feature, not a bug
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
we've talked for hours and hours on @bythebywater.bsky.social about tolkien and race, tolkien and women—dude was not exactly progressive. but he was very much opposed to fascism and imperialism and i refuse to cede his work to orcs
October 29, 2025 at 3:38 PM
we've talked for hours and hours on @bythebywater.bsky.social about tolkien and race, tolkien and women—dude was not exactly progressive. but he was very much opposed to fascism and imperialism and i refuse to cede his work to orcs
We cannot deny it.
I believe people who misuse Tolkien to advance fascism should have a brief but life-changing encounter with World War II–era Christopher Lee
October 29, 2025 at 3:11 PM
We cannot deny it.
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
Out two weeks from today!
talking about Beren and Lúthien next time on @bythebywater.bsky.social (and since it’s October I drew their scary forms)
October 21, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Out two weeks from today!
Out two weeks from today!
talking about Beren and Lúthien next time on @bythebywater.bsky.social (and since it’s October I drew their scary forms)
October 21, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Out two weeks from today!
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
talking about Beren and Lúthien next time on @bythebywater.bsky.social (and since it’s October I drew their scary forms)
October 20, 2025 at 1:16 AM
talking about Beren and Lúthien next time on @bythebywater.bsky.social (and since it’s October I drew their scary forms)
Trick question.
Have Peter Thiel and Palmer Luckey ever read *anything* other than Tolkien?
Tolkein continues to resonate. The new bank being set up by Palmer Luckey and backed by Peter Thiel is named Erebor after the “lonely mountain” in The Hobbit. This was also an interesting line in this rpt on the new bank by @tabbykinder.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/202d...
October 16, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Trick question.
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
“they flip kingdoms” i am assuming can only refer to galadriel and celeborn rofllllllll
Anyway, our latest episode is live! This time around it's marriage as portrayed in Tolkien's works, which is far less straightforward than it might seem. Art as ever by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social here showcasing Galadriel's travails with the Purse...
79. Some People Flip Houses, They Flip Kingdoms. | By-The-Bywater
On marriage in Tolkien.
megaphonic.fm
October 6, 2025 at 4:49 PM
“they flip kingdoms” i am assuming can only refer to galadriel and celeborn rofllllllll
Reposted by By-the-Bywater
elf-marriage is so weird!!!
Anyway, our latest episode is live! This time around it's marriage as portrayed in Tolkien's works, which is far less straightforward than it might seem. Art as ever by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social here showcasing Galadriel's travails with the Purse...
79. Some People Flip Houses, They Flip Kingdoms. | By-The-Bywater
On marriage in Tolkien.
megaphonic.fm
October 6, 2025 at 4:22 PM
elf-marriage is so weird!!!
Anyway, our latest episode is live! This time around it's marriage as portrayed in Tolkien's works, which is far less straightforward than it might seem. Art as ever by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social here showcasing Galadriel's travails with the Purse...
79. Some People Flip Houses, They Flip Kingdoms. | By-The-Bywater
On marriage in Tolkien.
megaphonic.fm
October 6, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Anyway, our latest episode is live! This time around it's marriage as portrayed in Tolkien's works, which is far less straightforward than it might seem. Art as ever by @vandroidhelsing.bsky.social here showcasing Galadriel's travails with the Purse...
The ride, it is wild.
I grabbed this book from the library thanks to @bythebywater.bsky.social and oh boy does the tenor change when you get to the Charles Williams chapter
“Rational this, Catholic that
…
SECRET HIDDEN ORDER OF THR GOLDEN BANANA (or whatever)”
“Rational this, Catholic that
…
SECRET HIDDEN ORDER OF THR GOLDEN BANANA (or whatever)”
October 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
The ride, it is wild.
When you’re watching the latest Rifftrax and something unexpected happens.
September 27, 2025 at 3:03 AM
When you’re watching the latest Rifftrax and something unexpected happens.
About right. (Click through.)
average noldori when you ask them about the war of the jewels
What percent of wars throughout history had a "good guy"? It can't be very high I would think
September 25, 2025 at 11:27 PM
About right. (Click through.)
It must be true.
CHOTINER: And you didn’t know this person - what did you call him again?
CELEBRIMBOR GREATEST OF THE ELVEN SMITHS: Right, his name was Annatar but
CHOTINER: And you taught him to create a ring harnessing all his malice and cruelty?
CELEBRIMBOR: Well I mean I was deceived
CHOTINER: So you’ve said
CELEBRIMBOR GREATEST OF THE ELVEN SMITHS: Right, his name was Annatar but
CHOTINER: And you taught him to create a ring harnessing all his malice and cruelty?
CELEBRIMBOR: Well I mean I was deceived
CHOTINER: So you’ve said
September 25, 2025 at 11:36 AM
It must be true.
We feel this pain.
September 24, 2025 at 3:17 PM
We feel this pain.