The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit:
Azog and Bolg Awareness

vexx801 Rivendell Sep 9 2013, 5:59pm Views: 942 Azog and Bolg Awareness I have been a Tolkien fan for many years. The past two years, aside from the Letters and the 12-volume HoME, I have read everything else that has been published from him (short stories, essays, poems, so forth). But it wasn't until I started frequenting the TORn forums due to the (then) upcoming release of AUJ that I really began to dig deeper into Tolkien - his poetry, his prose, his writing styles, his influences, and so forth. That being said, prior to 2012 I have made a habit of reading The Hobbit at least once or twice every year, but in my many times of reading it, I had always glossed over references to Azog and Bolg. I had always noticed those references, but never really cared about them, truly understood the context or importance of those references, and never really had a clue why Azog or Bolg were important to The Hobbit. Quite frankly, I had no idea who either Azog or Bolg was. And for that matter, I had little clue who Radagast was, too. When I began playing The Hobbit back in 2004 on my Gamecube, in the introduction you briefly get an appearance from Bolg. I never really understood why he was important, and in my many readings of The Hobbit afterward, I still did not (mainly because I glossed over the references). To get more to the point - it was not until I started frequenting TORn on a weekly and then daily basis that I heard that Azog and Bolg were to be in the film, or that there was intially some confusion on the point. So I suppose what I am trying to get at is this - regardless of the role of the characters in the trilogy, the films have made me pay much more attention to the details in Tolkien's work. It also led me to delve deeper and read the History of The Hobbit, the History of Middle Earth, Unfinished Tales and many other works. I now read through with a much better grasp on these characters and their importance. Has anyone else found this to be the case or can anyone relate - perhaps an example from Lord of the Rings - to the idea I'm getting at?

malickfan Gondor Sep 9 2013, 6:36pm Views: 509 Yes I agree about Bolg and Azog, I was the same with a certain Shipwright... Although I've been a Tolkien fan for around seven or eight years (yeah I'm a relative newbie) it was only when I joined TORn a couple of years ago that I went beyond reading the main trio for entertainment (Hobbit, LOTR, The Sil) and read Tolkien's other works and looked into the how's and why's of his writing (still a work in progress!) I never really had much to think or say about Azog or Bolg until I read The H.O.T.H- Rateliffe's essay on Bolg certainly made me look at things another way (his translation of Bolg as 'torture/ torment' was very interesting reading after the news about the film's version of the character, and Azog being black speech did make me think of the Nazgul music in his showdown with Thorin) but I generally view The Hobbit as removed from the wider legendairum anyway so for me the two characters have always been minor mysteries I wasn't overly concerned by, and I'm kinda anoyed the films are making the links so much firmer. Quote So I suppose what I am trying to get at is this - regardless of the role of the characters in the trilogy, the films have made me pay much more attention to the details in Tolkien's work. -Again agreed, though that's not always a good thing when you are trying to seperate the two mediums! I guess I had a similar reaction to Cirdan The Shipwright, I was always intrigued by the characters sparse apperances in LOTR, and surprised to discover his cameo in the film, and a few months after joining TORn I started to put my intrests into play, writing a rather long winded essay (which I still tweak to this day) for my own enjoyment (though boring a few members here in the process) exploring and analysing the character and his history. So yeah despite my numerous gripes with the films, at the very least the changes can be a good thing to make you approach the source material from a new perspective. Azog and Bolg were worth exploring soley for the throw away reference to a once in the canon Orc father and son. I don't have much to say.

Ziggy Stardust Gondor Sep 10 2013, 12:49am Views: 333 I can relate I've been a fan since I was 13. I've read The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, and the Children of Hurin. I plan on checking out some of Tolkien's other works. I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings once to twice a year too (glad to see I'm not the only one who reads one or both of these works every year.) I too started frequenting TORn when AUJ was on it's way to theaters. Before, I also glossed over characters like Azog, Bolg, and in The Lord of the Rings, I had glossed over Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, Galdor and Glorfindel (now they're two of my fave elves), Ghan-buri-ghan, and possibly a few others. Now, I've gotten more and more involved in Tolkien and Middle-Earth, that I appreciate each and every character that appears throughout Middle-Earth, learning that each one has a role, no matter how small, are still relevant. Since I joined TORn, I now own a copy of The Tolkien Companion by J.E.A. Tyler, and Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit by Corey Olsen. Both have really helped in my understanding and enjoyment of the stories, plots, characters, and of Middle-Earth.

MouthofSauron Tol Eressea Sep 10 2013, 4:16am Views: 329 well i think PJ beefed up Azog for TH films because Azog was long gone when the quest took place, but i like the rewrite. Azog seemed like such a "bad ass" orc so i think its great PJ "resurrected him" no pun intended! As for Bolg, i'm sure his part has been expanded as well. Looking forward to seeing him in DOS, i hope they didn't change him into a CGI character because his costume looks so horrifying. take me down to the woodland realm where the trees are green and the elf women are pretty....Oh will you please take me home!!

Lio Lorien Sep 12 2013, 12:24am Views: 207 I get a better sense of the interconnectedness of Tolkien's writings now Specifically how the materials in The Hobbit, LoTR, and Appendices all tie together. In particular, I have a much better undesranding of the Dwarves and their history, and the significance of the line of Durin. In fact a made a post about it a while back. It's funny how despite all the differences between AUJ and what's written in the books, the movie has made me appreciate the latter more. Dwalin Balin Kili Fili Dori Nori Ori Oin Gloin Bifur Bofur Bombur Thorin Orcs are mammals! "Don't laugh at the Dwarves because they will mess you up." — Dean O'Gorman (Fili) Want to chat? AIM me at Yami Liokaiser!