The Lord of the Rings trilogy is full of historic behind-the-scenes moments that have been too publicized for anyone’s good. But if you’re willing to take a break from needlessly letting everyone know that Aragorn broke his toe kicking that helmet in The Two Towers, perhaps this piece of trivia regarding Boromir’s passing in The Fellowship of the Ring will prove an interesting addition to your lore mind palace.
Speaking of lore, House of the Dragon fans are starting to dive into Fire & Blood now that the show’s first season has come to a close and a second is nowhere near being finished, and they’re finding the alternate accounts of history in the source material a rather intriguing notion, to say the least, especially when it involves none other than Mushroom’s perverse notes.
Dune: Part Two newcomer calls the first film a ‘cinematic masterpiece’
Denis Villeneuve and co. are currently busy shooting the second installment in the Dune reboot saga. The sequel will feature a host of new characters, including Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan), Christopher Walken (Shaddam IV), Léa Seydoux (Lady Margot), and Austin Butler, who will be portraying the antagonistic figure Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
Butler recently chatted with Variety and displayed nothing but reverence for the 2020 film, which is obviously a good sign when you happen to be a part of the ensemble for its follow-up. “I just love the first film so much, it was a cinematic masterpiece. So, the idea of getting to be a part of that world is incredibly exciting. And Denis is one of my favorite filmmakers, and just, an amazing human being… so kind. I felt really honored [to get the phone call.]”
House of the Dragon fans find Mushroom’s account of the events incredibly disconcerting
As you might already know, Fire & Blood doesn’t have a linear story, or an omniscient narrator to give an account of everything like it really happened. This is more like glimpsing into a history book, where you’re often guaranteed to find inconsistencies with other accounts as much as you’re likely to root out the truth. The tale of the Targaryen dynasty is told from the perspective of several Grand Maesters, but there’s also an account from the infamous court jester, “a three-foot-tall dwarf possessed of an enormous head,” who goes by the name: Mushroom.
And so, a lot of the things that happen in Fire & Blood, or House of the Dragon, for that matter, shouldn’t be taken as the absolute truth. The HBO show is seemingly leaning more into Mushroom’s recounting of the events in his journals, but perhaps a little less perverse or nepotistic. It still doesn’t change the fact that the Targaryens really dropped the ball in those final years, mind you, but taking a trip through pages of history can be an unsettling experience when you’re dealing with a “historian” who is as candid as Mushroom was, and all too unreliable, at that.
The Lord of the Rings community realizes this Howard Shore soundtrack incorporated lyrics from the book
Almost every lyrical song from the Lord of the Rings OST features poems in Sindarin, Tolkien’s invented language for the Elves, but who knew that lamentable choir had ever so subtly accompanied Boromir’s passing scene, as well? Well, someone in the community has reminded everyone else that the Sindarin lyrics are actually translated from a book dialogue spoken by Boromir’s brother Faramir, which basically goes like this: “I do not love the sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to curl up into a ball and cry those inevitable tears that even Aragorn couldn’t help but shed when the Captain of Gondor breathed his last breath.
