@@eduleal Every time a self-proclaimed Tolkien geek does that, I'm thinking "you can't be _that_ big a Tolkien fan if you don't care about language." Which is a bit unfair to people who just aren't good at language thinking, but still.
"She weeps forever and turns grief into wisdom" This must have spoken to Colbert deeply. He got into Tolkien as a kid after his father and 2 brothers passed away in a plane crash 😥
I love how Stephen Colbert appreciates Nienna. The mark of a quality person is appreciating Nienna. (By the way, Gollum saved the day by falling into Mount Doom and Gollum was alive because of what Gandalf said to Frodo about pity and mercy, which he learned from Nienna, so Nienna, whose story is more boring than like Aragorn or doomed Feanor, saved the world. I have depression, so I've always appreciated that.)
To nail it home, Nienna's role in mercy, pity and sorrow seems to have been inspired or based on one of the Virgin Mary's epithet or role as the Lady of Sorrows, or the mournful mother. Which would fit Tolkien's traditional catholic sensibilities.
In my language there is no such thing as a nerd. Luckily so. Tolkien created all this, is he a nerd ? No, he was a very smart, wise, creative war veteran. I like lord of the rings. Am i hacking, mining bitcoin and watching japanese animecrap ? No. The concept of nerd is so stupid and american
@@gunnerman259 I disagree. While I agree that the movie stereotype of a nerd is stupid and "american", the true definition of a nerd would still apply in this case. I would say a nerd is any person with great interest in anything, most commonly a fantastic and fictional "study" or hobby, be it reading, movie, gaming, to a point where they are a lot more knowledgeable than the majority of people that enjoy those medias, but don't actively seek to understand it more/in a deeper way. In that sense, most people aren't universally nerd, but a nerd on a specific area. So yeah, while not all nerds are strange fat dudes, Stephen would still be a LOTR-nerd for sure, because he knows a lot more than the average fan, that maybe read all the works a couple of times but never bothered to actually remember all the details.
James McTrollington apparently he went to The Hobbit filmset and the filmmaker put him against the LoTR expert who was advising the production, Colbert beat the expert on details and was rewarded with a cameo for himself and his kids in the 2nd film.
He's accurate and the point to take away is that grief can turn into wisdom. If I'm not too bold I'd reckon that is something Mr. Colbert has done himself, and done well.
He lost his father and brother in a plane crash. I think that was about when he got into Tolkien. Tears turned into wisdom Amazing! I need that now. The Trump shit has me crying almost daily. What wisdom could by tears bring?
One could say wisdom is the desired outcome of grief, and indeed of any adversity in our lives. Anything that we have to overcome or that breaks us in some way, mentally or emotionally, those are the best points in our lives, in my opinion, to learn and grow on a personal level, don'tcha think? But the trick is we have to realize this opportunity and then make the choice/decision to learn that lesson or turn those tears into wisdom.
One of the biggest misses in life was to not have Stephen Colbert and Sir Christopher Lee together for an interview... Just listening to them talk anything Tolkien would be the biggest nerdgasm this side of Geekdom.
Not all of us Americans butcher the names like he did. The guy's just never taken the time to read up on the languages and pronunciations. I've always found his showing off of Tolkien to be a little grating, to be honest. I mean, he's clearly a fan and has at least read The Silmarillion, but his act seems to be based around throwing out as many relatively obscure names as he can for a reaction from people who know nothing about the lore, without going too much into any real depth of knowledge. He is right, though. Nienna is awesome.
Peter Jackson called him the biggest Tolkien geek he's ever met. They had a Tolkien scholar on set for the movies and, just for fun, they decided to have a contest between Stephen and the scholar to see who knew Tolkien better. The scholar **fucking lost**. Stephen knows his goddamn Tolkien. He's probably just rusty on the pronunciation because he hasn't taken any elvish classes recently.
well, not to take it from Stephen but just Silmarillion has basically everything he just said, everything he usually says about LotR, and basically everything about the LoTR universe from beginning to end. So if you want to have as much as knowledge as Stephen presents, just read Silmarillion. (Well, you have to keep yourself engaged though)
This is my son explaining this stuff to me all the time. Now he's into Dungeon & Dragons. Now I know who he's going to be like when he grows up, I'm so proud.
I went to a taping of The Late Show once. The moment I saw Andruil on his set I knew I had to try and ask a Lord of the Rings question. I didn't think he'd pick me but I was the first one up. I asked him what storylines he'd like to see in the upcoming Amazon series. We Geeked out for a bit. He said I've "got some game" when I mentioned the Black Numenorians and then quizzed me real quick. I knew that another word for Numenor was Westernesse but didn't know the name of the mountain in the center of Numenor. It was one of the best experience of my life.
The Valar are actually closer to Gods. the Middle Earth mythology has basically the Valar acting in a manner we would attribute to the Greek Gods, and the Illulvatar( I know I butchered that spelling) more akin to the Christian God. he lead the Valar in the 1st-3rd Music, and that music was the basis of the Ages of Middle earth. their music was the creation and inspiration of the various races and powers and such in Middle earth, which holds the everlasting flame that Melkor aka Morgoth was constantly searching for in the abyss. it was the ability to create from nothing, essentially. Sauron was his highest Lt, and a Maiar himself that served Melkor. in fact Melkor was the most powerful of the Valar, while Manwe was the closest in mind to Illulvatar, which is why he takes on the 'Zeus' role in Middle Earth. and Sauron was among if not the most potent/powerful Maiar. of the Maiar we know, I think the most powerful were Sauron, then there was Thingol's wife whose name I forget, then Saruman, then Gandalf, Radgast, and the Blue wizards that we don't know much about at all.
Yeah, Iluvatar is God and he created the Valar but the Valar are like gods under Iluvatar because Tolkien wanted to have Christianity (Iluvatar) and Norse myths (the Valar=multiple gods for different domains).
I find myself returning to this video time and time again. It's so beautiful to see and hear him talk about his passion. It gives me strength to live out my inner nerd.
And he'd say "Okay, but I'm definitely not going for a beer straight after. I'll be late only because I can't find my way home like the cats of Queen Beruthiel."
Niels I would love to have Craig Ferguson together so they could discuss philosophy and classical mythology in the context of LOTR. Now that would make for an interesting TED talk.
As a fellow Catholic AND a fellow LOTR nerd, I would love to talk to Mr Colbert about the paralells between that world and the world of the Catholic Tolkien.
Very happy to say I knew all of that |D I really wish he'd record an audiobook with him reading the books, the energy and performance and love he'd bring to it would be incredible and a joy to listen to.
I actually totally understood what he was talking about with Gandalf being a Maia of the Vala Niena who doesn't have a Greek mythological god counterpart, and whose 'thing' is to 'always weep and turn grief into wisdom'. He's great at explaining concepts like that and it actually really helped me understand the character of Gandalf better! It makes a lot more sense WHY he was never fully tempted by the Ring and why he was one of the only Wizards to not go at least slightly batshit. Also that Sauron and Saruman BOTH were Maiar of Aule so... that makes sense.
That feeling when nobody in the room understand who Nienna is... poor people. God help one day your hands reach Silmarillion and read it. Always've been showing off like that. Now I see Stephen Colbert doing the same!
Stephen makes us nerds proud of ourselfs...not only because his love for Tolkien....but because of his passion everytime he gets the chances to show it
I've never read the books, but that is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. To be able to recite and recall such detailed facts from such dense works on the spot like that is incredible.
What he said about Gandalf’s Demi-god makes sense of the line “I will not say do not weep, because not all tears are an evil” from ROTK... very interesting
I'm autistic and the lore of middle earth is one of my special interests, so watching videos of Stephen being a nerd about LotR always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I'd love to meet him someday and talk Silmarillion with him!
lol @ 2:15 😂😂😂😂😂😂 when a college professor fires a question to the students in middle of his lecture and the awkward silence that follows cause no one knows the answer
After years of procrastination, I finally started reading Silmarillion. Then I remembered watching Colbert's trivia clip on youtube and had to come back for it. Lo and behold, I find my own comment left 6 months ago lol I was even able to answer his question about Nienna.
I want more!!! As much as I love Stephen's Trump commentary, this is so brilliant on so many levels. I spent high school reading about the Valar and the stories from the Silmarillion (when I probably should have been studying), but Stephen just schooled me =)
watched this clip before i read the silmarilion i just admired his ability to recite names of characters in the book. now i am reading the silmarilion and i am just in awe of how anyone can pay that much attention to the book. Its very well writen but not like any modern writings that i am use to. It takes some effort just to read it so to recall and recite and be funny about it off the cuff is just amazing.
Because Sauron would see and then burn them from the sky with his vision. The whole point was the secret attack. What could be more visible than the assault of the Eagles? This is explained well in the Council of Elrond, though the eagles are not the example used there.
The eagles did not get involved with the events of middle earth for the most part. They had friends among men and elves and lent aid to them on occasion, but they existed apart. Kinda like Tom Bombadil. Many believe he could have made short work of Sauron, but he also was not interested or had no stake in the war. It couldn't touch him, no matter the outcome. But, yes, also it would have made for a much shorter, less interesting story. 😂
The eagles answer to no one but the Valar. The fact that they appeared at all at the end of the book is an example of direct divine intervention by the Valar into the affairs of Middle-Earth, something that is extremely rare by the Third Age.
Maia is the singular form, and it's Aule, but I love the fact that Stephen knew all that about Nienna. I didn't know the no association with another mythology bit! And I love how he presented it and took it seriously- because I have depression, Nienna means a lot to me. I feel that the day I can understand why Tolkien made her exist is the day I will be mentally healthy, but even understanding that it's possible to think that way- because Tolkien did- gives me hope.
That was an amazing, off-the-cuff character analysis, and interesting in its own right butade more so by his enthusiasm for the subject. Ive read the Silmarillion twice but wouldn't be able to discuss it like this, even with some preparation. Very impressed.
I love the audience sighs, like let’s out an “aaaahhhhhhhhh” when Stephen says Nienna weeps forever. They love the power of Tolkien but don’t know it yet. Nienna also spends most of her time with her brother Námo in the halls of Mandos in the houses of the dead. She weeps with the spirits there and gives them endurance and hope. Yes I’m rereading the Silmarillion.
I was just wondering that question about Frodo's ability to destroy the Ring. "Frodo drew the Ring out of his pocket again and looked at it. It now appeared plain and smooth, without mark or device that he could see. The gold looked very fair and pure, and Frodo thought how rich and beautiful was its color, how perfect was its roundness. It was and admirable thing and altogether precious. When he took it out he had intended to fling it from him into the very hottest part of the fire. But he found now that he could not do so, not without a great struggle. He weighed the Ring in his hand, hesitating, and forcing himself to remember all that Gandalf had told him; and then with an effort of will he made a movement, as if to cast it away - but he found that he had put it back in his pocket." - The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past What was Gandalf thinking?
He put his trust in the Will of Hobbits. A decision hade to be made. Bilbo gave up the ring, willingly, for the first time in the Rings history. Also Frodo commited no ack of darkness in obtaining the Ring, also rare. He was the only choice.
No one can willingly destroy the Ring. Sam can't destroy it, Gandalf can't destroy it, Elrond can't, no mortal can. The Ring grows more powerful as it gets closer to Mount Doom, and in the Sammath Naur the Ring's power reaches its zenith. That was part of why Sauron believed the Ring could not be destroyed. Gandalf knew full well that sending the Ring to Mordor with anyone would be a huge risk. He also would have known that Frodo wouldn't be able to destroy it. He was, however, able to get it to the Cracks of Doom, where Providence was able to take over and ensure the Ring is destroyed through Gollum. Gandalf trusted Providence would see to it that the Ring was destroyed.
What's weird to me is why the Istari had to dress as wizards. Why not just be normal looking people who blend in while on their mission to defeat Sauron? Also I can see why the eagles help out who are commanded by Manwe but then again he doesn't want the Valar to become too intervened? If they just went to Middle Earth Sauron would get rekt. Hell they did it to Melkor.
As gods and the powers that be often do, too much intervention prevents progress. That's why Greek mythology is almost too depressing. Zeus is always screwing around with people, figuratively and literally, in animal form.
They only did it to Melkor when they thought he was on the point of totally and utterly defeating the Firstborn and having complete dominion over Middle Earth
They weren't in the Middle Earth to blend in and defeat Sauron like some kind of ninja. They where there to assist the people of Middle Earth in defeating Sauron, and for that, they needed a form that could influence people, they needed visibility.
I was going to ask the same. I know that Steven was in some lore contest with the hobbit films lore person and won, but I don't know if he was on set or met the cast, and Lee didn't have too many scenes.
I knew everything he was talking about, except Nienna's power. I missed that! Saruman being a Maia of Aule is why Treebeard says, "He has a mind of metal and wheels." Sauron was also a Maia of Aule, and perhaps the greatest Maia of them all.
Shiva cried all over the Himalayas creating Rudraksha seeds where ever his tears fell. He was also obviously the creator and destroyer... Tolkien's inspiration for Nienna??
I think he was saying there was no parallel in the Greek/Roman pantheon for Nienna, not that there is absolutely no parallel. Besides, I'm not sure that Shiva is analogous to Nienna in the same way Zeus is to Manwei (spelling might be off). I've never heard of Shiva being associated with turning grief into wisdom, but I also only have a surface understanding of Hindu mythology.
You never really believe a celebrity when they say "I am the biggest fan of *****". I just thought Stephen a regular fan but he is absolutely astonishing. Take a bow son!
He cared _that_ much about his quasi-god/demigod response that he actually told them to put a note on it. That is hardcore.
Either that or the internet would have blown up over this detail
I'm more annoyed by the internet not exploding over the fact he keeps using plurals for individuals. :P
@@beth12svist yes, that kills me inside every time.
@@eduleal Every time a self-proclaimed Tolkien geek does that, I'm thinking "you can't be _that_ big a Tolkien fan if you don't care about language."
Which is a bit unfair to people who just aren't good at language thinking, but still.
You have 1984 likes, like the book you know? Well say goodbye to that and hello 1985, hah
Why isn't "Tolkien with Colbert" a thing? I'd pay to see that.
yeah.. but you'd probably have to hire an other band.. have you seen Baptist's and his crew's faces during Stephen's monologue!? ^^
The faces say “this is interesting and all but god are you a nerd
I would give you a thumbs up, but I would ruin the number 666
@loknath - my thoughts exactly lol!!
www.cc.com/video.../krcfjp/the-colbert-report-balrog
I seriously want this. Is it too late to convince Amazon to have him host the post-show for their LotR show?
"She weeps forever and turns grief into wisdom"
This must have spoken to Colbert deeply. He got into Tolkien as a kid after his father and 2 brothers passed away in a plane crash 😥
“She weeps forever and turns grief into wisdom” that’s poetry right there. Tolkien was a genius, and also a wise man.
I love how Stephen Colbert appreciates Nienna. The mark of a quality person is appreciating Nienna. (By the way, Gollum saved the day by falling into Mount Doom and Gollum was alive because of what Gandalf said to Frodo about pity and mercy, which he learned from Nienna, so Nienna, whose story is more boring than like Aragorn or doomed Feanor, saved the world. I have depression, so I've always appreciated that.)
To nail it home, Nienna's role in mercy, pity and sorrow seems to have been inspired or based on one of the Virgin Mary's epithet or role as the Lady of Sorrows, or the mournful mother. Which would fit Tolkien's traditional catholic sensibilities.
Stephen can answer the NERDIEST questions with so much charisma...I respect him so much.
Star Wars Explained oh it’s the actual Star Wars explained
In my language there is no such thing as a nerd. Luckily so. Tolkien created all this, is he a nerd ? No, he was a very smart, wise, creative war veteran. I like lord of the rings. Am i hacking, mining bitcoin and watching japanese animecrap ? No. The concept of nerd is so stupid and american
@@gunnerman259 I disagree. While I agree that the movie stereotype of a nerd is stupid and "american", the true definition of a nerd would still apply in this case. I would say a nerd is any person with great interest in anything, most commonly a fantastic and fictional "study" or hobby, be it reading, movie, gaming, to a point where they are a lot more knowledgeable than the majority of people that enjoy those medias, but don't actively seek to understand it more/in a deeper way. In that sense, most people aren't universally nerd, but a nerd on a specific area. So yeah, while not all nerds are strange fat dudes, Stephen would still be a LOTR-nerd for sure, because he knows a lot more than the average fan, that maybe read all the works a couple of times but never bothered to actually remember all the details.
@@voidgods Exactly. Don't know what the other person was on haha
Star Wars Explained woah hey Alex
I feel like Stephen could write the entire LOTR Wiki off the top of his head.
Honestly though, he could probably retype the entire Wiki in a day and still have time to do his show.
I just want to point out that I like your account icon. That is all. Have a nice day.
+Jacob Siemons Can we make fractal comments?
Who's to say he didn't?
James McTrollington apparently he went to The Hobbit filmset and the filmmaker put him against the LoTR expert who was advising the production, Colbert beat the expert on details and was rewarded with a cameo for himself and his kids in the 2nd film.
can we get Sir Ian McKellan to dress as Gandalf and do an interview just for shits and giggles?
BURN!!!
thank you! :D
i hope it made your day, XCIIBdub.
Gandalf the Gay needs to (re)visit colbert. such a brilliant performance by McKellen with that character.
oh please do
Or as I like to say...shiggles
I mean to be fair even Peter Jackson has said "Stephen Colbert is the biggest Tolkien geek I have ever met"
and Stephen even bet their professional fact checker and Tolkien expert in a lord of the rings trivia quiz
+guy stone link??
I know it was mentioned in this interview back at the Report: www.cc.com/video-clips/9ak9w5/the-colbert-report-stephen-fry
"Even" Peter Jackson? He's no expert. Or he'd have made movies that didn't suck all the important themes out of the story.
By important theme, you mean the nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain with all-seeing, ever vigilant KGB?
dude. He even had a correction on-screen to make sure he got his facts right. Genuine LOTR nerd. Love it
Stephen please do this every month
He knows his stuff... please more segments on LotR
every week
Every day
please lol
Yeezz
He's accurate and the point to take away is that grief can turn into wisdom. If I'm not too bold I'd reckon that is something Mr. Colbert has done himself, and done well.
He lost his father and brother in a plane crash. I think that was about when he got into Tolkien. Tears turned into wisdom Amazing! I need that now. The Trump shit has me crying almost daily. What wisdom could by tears bring?
brother's*
Melora Foy melora, it always passes. A clear morning appears behind the mist one day. I hope you will begin to sense that morning soon.
One could say wisdom is the desired outcome of grief, and indeed of any adversity in our lives. Anything that we have to overcome or that breaks us in some way, mentally or emotionally, those are the best points in our lives, in my opinion, to learn and grow on a personal level, don'tcha think? But the trick is we have to realize this opportunity and then make the choice/decision to learn that lesson or turn those tears into wisdom.
I want audio books of Stephen Colbert reading the lord of the rings trilogy, interrupting himself all the time to go on rants like this😂
Omg...I would totally enjoy this a lot!
Hahahaha!!! This made me laugh so hard!! Totally agree!!
that would be awesome! Colbert reading LotR's with a Commentary by Colbert!
Hahaha yaas
Yes - please
One of the biggest misses in life was to not have Stephen Colbert and Sir Christopher Lee together for an interview... Just listening to them talk anything Tolkien would be the biggest nerdgasm this side of Geekdom.
so true. :/
I think it would've been Sir Lee just endlessly sighing due to Colbert's horrible pronunciation of the names. Americans...
Not all of us Americans butcher the names like he did. The guy's just never taken the time to read up on the languages and pronunciations.
I've always found his showing off of Tolkien to be a little grating, to be honest. I mean, he's clearly a fan and has at least read The Silmarillion, but his act seems to be based around throwing out as many relatively obscure names as he can for a reaction from people who know nothing about the lore, without going too much into any real depth of knowledge.
He is right, though. Nienna is awesome.
Peter Jackson called him the biggest Tolkien geek he's ever met. They had a Tolkien scholar on set for the movies and, just for fun, they decided to have a contest between Stephen and the scholar to see who knew Tolkien better. The scholar **fucking lost**. Stephen knows his goddamn Tolkien. He's probably just rusty on the pronunciation because he hasn't taken any elvish classes recently.
Jarod Gordon I'm a little disapointed you didn't go "this side of middle earth"
Damn Stephen is real hardcore LoTR nerd.
well, not to take it from Stephen but just Silmarillion has basically everything he just said, everything he usually says about LotR, and basically everything about the LoTR universe from beginning to end. So if you want to have as much as knowledge as Stephen presents, just read Silmarillion. (Well, you have to keep yourself engaged though)
Reading is not enough. I read the book twice but I could never tell as good as Steven therefrom.
And remember! Seriously I've read that book 3 or 4 times, and I still blanked on the name of the Valar Gandalf is associated with.
And remember! Seriously I've read that book 3 or 4 times, and I still blanked on the name of the Valar Gandalf is associated with.
If I can read legal texts then am I ready for Silmarillion?
Most people laugh. Tolkien fans listen with interest.
Thank you!
Totally!
Not really, as these are basic facts.
Correct
you’re damn right sir
Professor Colbert on everything Lord of the Rings.
I WOULD TAKE EVERY CLASS HE TAUGHT IF HE TAUGHT THAT SUBJECT!!!
I would take a class on any subject he wants to teach!
+Wayne T, he taught catechism
searchbrowseclose yeah pity I am not a kid anymore. Plus I already went through the right of initiation 6 years ago.
So who is signing up for Lord of the Rings 101?
why only two questions?
WE WANT A 20 MINUTE VIDEO OF STEPHEN AND LOTR
that would probably amount to three questions tbh
Or some hours.
How many times has this man read the silmarillion
probably more times that he has ever said 'Trump' in his life, which is a lot!
you could say he's read it...a silmamillion times
+TheRauuuuuuuul duuude.
TheRauuuuuuuul Good One
Jacob Piazza you honestly think he ever actually stopped?
This is my son explaining this stuff to me all the time. Now he's into Dungeon & Dragons. Now I know who he's going to be like when he grows up, I'm so proud.
To anyone moderating this channel reading this: Make outtake and Q&A videos a regular thing. PLEASE.
Nice Triforce. I'm wearing a Zelda tank top in my pic. :P
I am sure they would listen to Bill.
I went to a taping of The Late Show once. The moment I saw Andruil on his set I knew I had to try and ask a Lord of the Rings question. I didn't think he'd pick me but I was the first one up. I asked him what storylines he'd like to see in the upcoming Amazon series. We Geeked out for a bit. He said I've "got some game" when I mentioned the Black Numenorians and then quizzed me real quick. I knew that another word for Numenor was Westernesse but didn't know the name of the mountain in the center of Numenor. It was one of the best experience of my life.
I want Stephen to go back in time and tell highschool me it's all going to be ok.
Stephen explaining 'Lord of the Rings' is that one professor in every College teaching something he is passionate about. I love it.
I understand nothing but still loved every second of it
He was basically saying that Gandalf is not a human, but is actually like an arch-angel from the dawn of time.
Nay, Gandalf is like an angel= maia
Valars are the arch-angels.
The Valar are actually closer to Gods. the Middle Earth mythology has basically the Valar acting in a manner we would attribute to the Greek Gods, and the Illulvatar( I know I butchered that spelling) more akin to the Christian God. he lead the Valar in the 1st-3rd Music, and that music was the basis of the Ages of Middle earth. their music was the creation and inspiration of the various races and powers and such in Middle earth, which holds the everlasting flame that Melkor aka Morgoth was constantly searching for in the abyss. it was the ability to create from nothing, essentially. Sauron was his highest Lt, and a Maiar himself that served Melkor. in fact Melkor was the most powerful of the Valar, while Manwe was the closest in mind to Illulvatar, which is why he takes on the 'Zeus' role in Middle Earth. and Sauron was among if not the most potent/powerful Maiar. of the Maiar we know, I think the most powerful were Sauron, then there was Thingol's wife whose name I forget, then Saruman, then Gandalf, Radgast, and the Blue wizards that we don't know much about at all.
Yeah, Iluvatar is God and he created the Valar but the Valar are like gods under Iluvatar because Tolkien wanted to have Christianity (Iluvatar) and Norse myths (the Valar=multiple gods for different domains).
I just have the weirdest look on my face trying to comprehend any of that xD It's like he's speaking mandarin
I find myself returning to this video time and time again. It's so beautiful to see and hear him talk about his passion. It gives me strength to live out my inner nerd.
And this is why Stephen is the best talk show host
After Conan
Let me introduce you to Graham Norton
I can just hear his wife.."Okay Stephen, just take the darn trash out now!".
He be like: "But I havent even told you about the Isildur and Morgoth and Gundabad and the Kingdom of Angmar!"
And he'd say "Okay, but I'm definitely not going for a beer straight after. I'll be late only because I can't find my way home like the cats of Queen Beruthiel."
Get Ian McKellen (actor who played Gandalf) as a guest on the show. that be awesome.
yeah he dead
Ian McKellen is very much alive. Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, died last year.
Welp, there goes my stride today. A reminder of one of the Lost Ones.
Niels I would love to have Craig Ferguson together so they could discuss philosophy and classical mythology in the context of LOTR. Now that would make for an interesting TED talk.
That sounds TOTALLY FREAKING AWESOME AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT!.
oh my god look at how excited he is. just hoppin around, gesticulating wildly. I love him
This MUST become a regular thing. ALL the time! Stephen's LOTR addiction should be encouraged.
As a fellow Catholic AND a fellow LOTR nerd, I would love to talk to Mr Colbert about the paralells between that world and the world of the Catholic Tolkien.
Stephen is the Pope of Geekdom
hallow be his name
His kingdom come, his will be done
In Middle Earth as it is in Valinor.
on Middle Earth as it is in heaven.
One might call him... the Tok.
It's so f-ing adorable how excited Stephen gets about LOTR :)
Adorable? Are you ok?
It's extremely adorable to watch anyone geek out over their interest like this.
damn, I respect Stephen 3 times more now.
Wow, I got goosebumps when he explained about Nienna weeping forever and gaining wisdom.
(PS. I loved Silmarillion)
I wish I was as passionate and knew as much of a topic like Stephen does with LOTR...
Very happy to say I knew all of that |D I really wish he'd record an audiobook with him reading the books, the energy and performance and love he'd bring to it would be incredible and a joy to listen to.
I think Stephen has read the LOTR books.
You "think"
I don't think that "think" is a strong enough word
I think you might be right.
Either that or he has a knack for lucky guessing
I think he just skim the books, you know light read
It's just adorable to watch him geek out that hard.
Is it weird that I want to kiss Stephen Colbert whenever I listen to him talk about Tolkien and Lord of the Rings?
It would only be weird if you are a guy :)
+LordOfTheBored even then it wouldn't be weird, just possibly homosexual.
Im okay with that if it's Stephen Coolbear
no same
omarssikins Of course NOT! I want to kiss him ALL the time. This man is sexy as hell!! 😍🔥
I actually totally understood what he was talking about with Gandalf being a Maia of the Vala Niena who doesn't have a Greek mythological god counterpart, and whose 'thing' is to 'always weep and turn grief into wisdom'.
He's great at explaining concepts like that and it actually really helped me understand the character of Gandalf better! It makes a lot more sense WHY he was never fully tempted by the Ring and why he was one of the only Wizards to not go at least slightly batshit.
Also that Sauron and Saruman BOTH were Maiar of Aule so... that makes sense.
That feeling when nobody in the room understand who Nienna is... poor people. God help one day your hands reach Silmarillion and read it.
Always've been showing off like that. Now I see Stephen Colbert doing the same!
Stephen makes us nerds proud of ourselfs...not only because his love for Tolkien....but because of his passion everytime he gets the chances to show it
He made a mistake. The last Valar is named Aule, not Alue. I corrected Stephen in something related to Middle-Earth.. My life is complete.
I was thinking the same, thank you! But then I couldn't have said a thing about Niena or even named Gandalf original name.
Yeah he also called Gandalf a maiar when that's the plural; should have said maia.
I believe he did so because he swapped between "a member of the" and "a".....
KevintheBooth Nah he did it at least twice.
+Seth Harbert "one of the maiar"
When I feel down I always return to this video. It's so uplifting to see Stephen talking about Tolkien.
The looks on the band members' faces throughout this whole video are priceless 😂😂
Colbert is truly the Lord of the Lord of the Rings' trivia.
I've never read the books, but that is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. To be able to recite and recall such detailed facts from such dense works on the spot like that is incredible.
Hearing Stephen go into LOTR details always bring a smile to my face, especially when it concerns the First and Second Ages.
My LOTR level is just way too low to understand 90% of what he is saying but this is still great to watch.
"Niena weeps forever and turns grief into wisdom." Wow, that is beautiful. Also a lot of characters in Tolkien's writings need her.
What he said about Gandalf’s Demi-god makes sense of the line “I will not say do not weep, because not all tears are an evil” from ROTK... very interesting
I thought I was a hardcore fan of the Silmarillion and the extended Middle Earth universe, but this blew my mind. Stephen, you are an inspiration.
My God ... I thought I was a nerd but I think I found my master.......:D
Good point about Frodo not ultimately being able to throw the ring into the fire.
Is this The Late Show or a Ted Talks segment?
+XCIIBdub I don't know what "gtfoh" means, but I'm going to assume it means "get the fuck out ho"
+Sam K get the fuck out, hobbit
get the fuck outta here. But I like yours better.
+XCIIBdub It was the profile pic that threw you off.
I could listen to this man talk lotr literally all day
Stephen should have an annual LOTR show where all it is, is him geeking out on LOTR.
I'm autistic and the lore of middle earth is one of my special interests, so watching videos of Stephen being a nerd about LotR always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I'd love to meet him someday and talk Silmarillion with him!
lol @ 2:15 😂😂😂😂😂😂 when a college professor fires a question to the students in middle of his lecture and the awkward silence that follows cause no one knows the answer
After years of procrastination, I finally started reading Silmarillion. Then I remembered watching Colbert's trivia clip on youtube and had to come back for it. Lo and behold, I find my own comment left 6 months ago lol I was even able to answer his question about Nienna.
@@333pinkelephant333😮
we want more of these!
I want more!!! As much as I love Stephen's Trump commentary, this is so brilliant on so many levels. I spent high school reading about the Valar and the stories from the Silmarillion (when I probably should have been studying), but Stephen just schooled me =)
watched this clip before i read the silmarilion i just admired his ability to recite names of characters in the book. now i am reading the silmarilion and i am just in awe of how anyone can pay that much attention to the book. Its very well writen but not like any modern writings that i am use to. It takes some effort just to read it so to recall and recite and be funny about it off the cuff is just amazing.
Another reason why I love Colbert. I wish someone would have asked why they just didn't have the eagles fly them to Mordor.
Because Sauron would see and then burn them from the sky with his vision. The whole point was the secret attack. What could be more visible than the assault of the Eagles? This is explained well in the Council of Elrond, though the eagles are not the example used there.
sounds good. of course the trilogy would be very short.
Actually, the eagles can't in any way help any side of the battle. It's explained in a video
The eagles did not get involved with the events of middle earth for the most part. They had friends among men and elves and lent aid to them on occasion, but they existed apart. Kinda like Tom Bombadil. Many believe he could have made short work of Sauron, but he also was not interested or had no stake in the war. It couldn't touch him, no matter the outcome. But, yes, also it would have made for a much shorter, less interesting story. 😂
The eagles answer to no one but the Valar. The fact that they appeared at all at the end of the book is an example of direct divine intervention by the Valar into the affairs of Middle-Earth, something that is extremely rare by the Third Age.
Lol that's the first time ive seen a post editorial note on the video, he really cares
Less than 1% of hardcore lotr nerds has EVEN READ the Simillarion. Stephan is truly a HARDCORE NERD! AMAZING KNOWLEDGE!
This one clip shows that Stephen absolutely gets Tolkien. He's always joking around in his interviews with guests.
Maia is the singular form, and it's Aule, but I love the fact that Stephen knew all that about Nienna. I didn't know the no association with another mythology bit! And I love how he presented it and took it seriously- because I have depression, Nienna means a lot to me. I feel that the day I can understand why Tolkien made her exist is the day I will be mentally healthy, but even understanding that it's possible to think that way- because Tolkien did- gives me hope.
He is such a nerd :D
Best late night host ever ^^
Don’t call him a nerd, he’s not
That was an amazing, off-the-cuff character analysis, and interesting in its own right butade more so by his enthusiasm for the subject. Ive read the Silmarillion twice but wouldn't be able to discuss it like this, even with some preparation. Very impressed.
I can't even say how happy I am that there is another nerd in this world like me- and PEOPLE LIKE HIM. XD
I love the audience sighs, like let’s out an “aaaahhhhhhhhh” when Stephen says Nienna weeps forever. They love the power of Tolkien but don’t know it yet.
Nienna also spends most of her time with her brother Námo in the halls of Mandos in the houses of the dead. She weeps with the spirits there and gives them endurance and hope. Yes I’m rereading the Silmarillion.
I was just wondering that question about Frodo's ability to destroy the Ring. "Frodo drew the Ring out of his pocket again and looked at it. It now appeared plain and smooth, without mark or device that he could see. The gold looked very fair and pure, and Frodo thought how rich and beautiful was its color, how perfect was its roundness. It was and admirable thing and altogether precious. When he took it out he had intended to fling it from him into the very hottest part of the fire. But he found now that he could not do so, not without a great struggle. He weighed the Ring in his hand, hesitating, and forcing himself to remember all that Gandalf had told him; and then with an effort of will he made a movement, as if to cast it away - but he found that he had put it back in his pocket." - The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past
What was Gandalf thinking?
He put his trust in the Will of Hobbits. A decision hade to be made. Bilbo gave up the ring, willingly, for the first time in the Rings history. Also Frodo commited no ack of darkness in obtaining the Ring, also rare. He was the only choice.
No one can willingly destroy the Ring. Sam can't destroy it, Gandalf can't destroy it, Elrond can't, no mortal can. The Ring grows more powerful as it gets closer to Mount Doom, and in the Sammath Naur the Ring's power reaches its zenith. That was part of why Sauron believed the Ring could not be destroyed.
Gandalf knew full well that sending the Ring to Mordor with anyone would be a huge risk. He also would have known that Frodo wouldn't be able to destroy it. He was, however, able to get it to the Cracks of Doom, where Providence was able to take over and ensure the Ring is destroyed through Gollum. Gandalf trusted Providence would see to it that the Ring was destroyed.
I love that Stephen is such a nerd. It actually makes me so happy 😄
i could listen to Stephen talk LoTR all day
I love this dude so much!
I gotta start reading the silmarillion...
i am not particularly a lotr fan but i just enjoy seeing stephen so happy
I’d pay to see Stephen Colbert explain the whole history of Arda. Starting from the music of the ainur all the way till Dagor Dagorath XD
John Baptise' face at 1:35 is priceless
I wish I could sit and talk with Steven for just one evening about Lord of the Rings.
Ohhh! I love it! It's been so long since I've heard anyone talk like that about a book I love.
God I love him and his INSANE Tolkien nerdom.
I want WAY MORE Q&A's. Really love them
1:07 what about my man tom bombadil!?
1:41 I love that he felt this was something he HAD TO clarify!
What's weird to me is why the Istari had to dress as wizards. Why not just be normal looking people who blend in while on their mission to defeat Sauron? Also I can see why the eagles help out who are commanded by Manwe but then again he doesn't want the Valar to become too intervened? If they just went to Middle Earth Sauron would get rekt. Hell they did it to Melkor.
As gods and the powers that be often do, too much intervention prevents progress. That's why Greek mythology is almost too depressing. Zeus is always screwing around with people, figuratively and literally, in animal form.
True, it's just never clearly defined. I assume the Valar wanted Middle Earth to grow on it's own but it's not explicitly said.
I assume it had to do with the Doom of Mandos.
They only did it to Melkor when they thought he was on the point of totally and utterly defeating the Firstborn and having complete dominion over Middle Earth
They weren't in the Middle Earth to blend in and defeat Sauron like some kind of ninja. They where there to assist the people of Middle Earth in defeating Sauron, and for that, they needed a form that could influence people, they needed visibility.
Petition for the extended edition of the dvd to contain a commentary by stephen colbert
Did Stephen Colbert ever meet Christopher Lee? That would have been some conversation.
I was going to ask the same. I know that Steven was in some lore contest with the hobbit films lore person and won, but I don't know if he was on set or met the cast, and Lee didn't have too many scenes.
I knew everything he was talking about, except Nienna's power. I missed that!
Saruman being a Maia of Aule is why Treebeard says, "He has a mind of metal and wheels." Sauron was also a Maia of Aule, and perhaps the greatest Maia of them all.
He could teach a full college course on LOTR.
More of these, please.
Shiva cried all over the Himalayas creating Rudraksha seeds where ever his tears fell. He was also obviously the creator and destroyer... Tolkien's inspiration for Nienna??
I think he was saying there was no parallel in the Greek/Roman pantheon for Nienna, not that there is absolutely no parallel. Besides, I'm not sure that Shiva is analogous to Nienna in the same way Zeus is to Manwei (spelling might be off). I've never heard of Shiva being associated with turning grief into wisdom, but I also only have a surface understanding of Hindu mythology.
You never really believe a celebrity when they say "I am the biggest fan of *****". I just thought Stephen a regular fan but he is absolutely astonishing. Take a bow son!
He is not a maiar, he's A Maia.
this is like a university lecture on Middle earth history
can confirm this is all accurate lore
Speechless.
He said "he is a Maiar"
Maiar is plural