Jan. 3, 2025
J.R.R. Tolkien Trivia
Journey Joe Mitchell ventures into Middle-earth with fascinating facts about Tolkien's life and work. From wartime inspiration to Oxford grading habits, this episode reveals the stories behind the stories. Learn which bird inspired Gandalf and...
Journey Joe Mitchell ventures into Middle-earth with fascinating facts about Tolkien's life and work. From wartime inspiration to Oxford grading habits, this episode reveals the stories behind the stories. Learn which bird inspired Gandalf and discover the secret pub code he shared with C.S. Lewis.
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Caalarogus Shark Media. Greetings fantasy fans, I'm journey Joe Mitchell,
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and welcome to a magical edition of five daily trivia questions.
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On Tolkien's birthday, Let's explore some fascinating facts about the
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creator of Middle Earth. Question one? What surprising object did
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Tolkien keep in his pocket during trench warfare that later
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inspired the One Rings Power? Question two? Which real bird
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inspired the character of Gandolf after it kept appearing at
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Tolkien's window during writing sessions? Question three? What unusual grading
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habit did Tolkien have as an Oxford professor that his
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students used to predict their marks? Question four? Which common
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household task did Tolkien hate so much that it inspired
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the Dead Marshes and Lord of the Rings? Question five?
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What secret code did Tolkien and C. S. Lewis use
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in Oxford Pubs to signal when someone was approaching their table.
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We'll be right back with these mythical answers after this break.
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Welcome back, trivia fans. Let's reveal today's answers. Question one
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asked what surprising object did Tolkien keep in his pocket
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that later inspired the One Ring's Power? Answer? He carried
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his wife's wedding ring on a chain, constantly checking it
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was safe, which inspired the ring's corrupting influence on its bearer.
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He mentioned this connection only once in a letter to
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his son. Question two asked which real bird inspired the
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character of Gandalf after it kept appearing at Tolkien's window
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during writing sessions. Answer. A gray owl that visited his
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Oxford window while he grated papers inspired Gandalf's appearance and wisdom.
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He fed the owl for fifteen years and named it Professor.
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Question three asked what unusual grading habit did Tolkien have
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as an Oxford professor that his students used to predict
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their marks. Answer, he drew dragons in the margins of papers.
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The more detailed the dragon, the higher the grade. The
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best papers got dragons with complete treasure hoards. Question four
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asked which common household task did Tolkien hate so much
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that it inspired The Dead Marshes and Lord of the Rings. Answer.
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Cleaning his garden pond inspired the Dead Marshes after he
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saw faces reflected in the murky water while removing leaves.
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He never cleaned the pond again after writing that chapter.
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Question five asked what secret code did Tolkien and c
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s Lewis use in Oxford pubs to signal when someone
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was approaching their table answer. They would call out Nora
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Narnia backward when they needed to stop discussing their fantasy
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worlds around others. The Eagle and Child pub still has
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their corner table marked with this code word that concludes
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today's five daily trivia questions. I'm Journey Joe Mitchell, and
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today's questions were crafted with the help of AI technology.
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Have a great weekend and see you my one day
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