The Prancing Pony Podcast
Hosted by Alan and The Man of the West and Shawn and Matt and Don and Sara and The Nerd of the Rings and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan · The Prancing Pony Podcast
4.9from 4,418 ratings
- 428
- Episodes
- 61
- Transcribed
- 4,418
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 2016
- First episode
- 151K
- YouTube views
About The Prancing Pony Podcast
The Prancing Pony Podcast is a weekly show about the Middle-earth legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien, hosted - for six seasons - by Alan Sisto and Shawn E. Marchese. Now in its eleventh season, Alan is joined by an all-star cast of co-hosts as he explores more of Middle-earth! Alan and all his co-hosts are passionate Tolkien enthusiasts, inviting listeners to enjoy their detailed exploration of Tolkien’s work, with smart but straightforward discussion and a healthy dose of self-effacing humor, pop-culture references, and bad puns. These are the folks you'd want to hang out with at a pub and talk Tolkien with!
- Publisher
- The Prancing Pony Podcast
- Category
- arts · tv & film
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 22 Feb 2016
- Latest episode
- 4 Oct 2026
Latest episodes
61 of 428 episodes have a transcript.
4 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
426 – Tiny Dancer
27 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
425 – Questions After Nightfall 36
20 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
424 – Your Song
Inside a recent episode
426 – Tiny Dancer
Published 4 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] It's derived from Old English, I'm going to probably mispronounce this, hembilici, hemlic, and hemlic. Now, the origin of these is unknown, but that first syllable, hem or hem, likely means poison or poisonous. But Tolkien said, quote, the hemlock umbels tall and fair. So what are umbels? Well, you won't be surprised to find that it comes from the same root as we get the word umbrella or umbra, meaning shadow or shade. It is a reference or description of the plant's architecture. The way flowers are stalks that arise from a common point. It comes from a family of plants called umbellifers. And that family includes carrots, celery, and parsley. […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on The Prancing Pony Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- The Lord of the Mark
- The Tolkien Professor
- Bret Devereaux
- Don Marshall
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 150,567
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.9 / 5
- 2,106 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.9 / 5
- 2,312 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 82 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 90
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 86
- Engagement
- 99
Contact The Prancing Pony Podcast
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about The Prancing Pony Podcast
Who hosts The Prancing Pony Podcast?
Alan and The Man of the West and Shawn and Matt and Don and Sara and The Nerd of the Rings and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan host the show. Published by The Prancing Pony Podcast.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does The Prancing Pony Podcast take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
61 of 428 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of The Prancing Pony Podcast?
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