The Lord of the Rings: Can You Resist the Call of the One Ring?
"One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and into the darkness bind them." So begins the most iconic adventure in the entire history of Fantasy imagined by one of the genre's forerunners, Professor J. R. R. Tolkien. Dive into Middle-earth, a world between fairy and nightmare where elves, dwarves, hobbits and humans meet and where Good and Evil clash in sometimes unexpected ways!
What Is the Lord of the Rings World?
While correcting his students' homework and bored to death, Professor Tolkien scribbled a few words on the back of a copy in a hurry: "At the bottom of a hole lived a hobbit". From this insignificant little sentence was born a whole world that until then had existed only in the head of this English professor with a passion for linguistics. Even before the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which gave fantasy its letters of nobility, it was Bilbo the Hobbit who introduced the whole world to Middle Earth.
Impossible quest, companions of misfortune, treasure buried in the heart of a mountain, dragon, orcs, trolls and goblins to face, magic, ancestral inheritances... All the ingredients are gathered to make the adventure of Bilbo Baggins, this Hobbit to whom nothing abnormal ever happened, an unforgettable story that will mark a whole generation. And many more afterwards!
It was so successful that Tolkien's publisher asked for a sequel. Thus, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was born under the pen of one of the greatest storytellers of the 20th century. Decades after Bilbo and the dwarves of Thorin's company, the Oak Shield, set out to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the invisible dragon Smaug the Dread, our favorite hobbit is about to celebrate his 111th birthday in Hobbiton. The party will be superb and Gandalf the Magician and long-time friend of Bilbo will be present to shoot his most beautiful fireworks.
While the Shire, where the hobbits live apart from the other races of Middle-earth, is carefree, darkness is slowly spreading over the world. Sauron, the Evil One, has awakened in Mordor and seeks to regain his immense power. To do this, he needs the unique ring that was lost many ages ago and has been slowly forgotten. However, it is in the possession of the most unlikely creature in this world: a hobbit (our dear Bilbo) who is completely unaware of the danger that lurks. But after Bilbo leaves for the land of the elves, it is on the shoulders of his nephew Frodo Baggins that the burden of the ring falls.
With his friends Sam, Merry and Pippin, Frodo leaves the Shire to take the ring to a safe place, away from Sauron's grip. At least that's what our four brave hobbits believe... With the help of Gandalf the wizard, Aragorn the heir of Isildur who defeated Sauron the first time, Gimli son of Glóin, the dwarf master representing his people in this quest, Legolas the elf doing the same for his, and Boromir, son of Gondor, our hobbits set out on a journey that is much longer and more dangerous than they thought. Their goal: to throw the unique ring into the flames of the Orodruin volcano located in Mordor, at the other end of the world.
Why Has the Lord of the Rings World Become a Must-Read?
Certainly, the genre of Fantasy already existed before the writings of Tolkien, but it was indeed this eminent Oxford professor who gave its letters of nobility to this literary genre and laid the foundations of it. The creation of universes, magic, the struggle of Good against Evil, the evolution of characters, the archetypes of the hero and his sidekicks, from the mentor (Gandalf) to the loyal and devoted friend (Sam)... Tolkien was able to create the perfect recipe for Fantasy, quite simply! The strength of the characters also makes the story successful: Frodo is like the reader, a small being lost in a huge world, with no real talent apart from his courage. The Lord of the Rings is also a beautiful story of friendship, loyalty and surpassing oneself.
Without the brotherhood of the ring and his friends, Frodo would never have gone very far! Everyone finds himself in these different heroes, and, although it is a struggle of Good against Evil, the universe of the Lord of the Rings is far from being Manichean. Each character has his or her strengths and weaknesses, doubts and moments of hesitation that could change the fate of Middle Earth at any moment. And that's what we love about the Lord of the Rings world!
Although the literary success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy has never wavered, a renewed interest accompanied the release of the films of director Peter Jackson in the early 2000s. These three films plunge the spectator into Middle-earth and touch the fans and geeks of the whole world (even those who had difficulty with the pen of Tolkien whose descriptions are magnificent, certainly, but a little... long!). Following the success of this series of 3 films, it is Bilbo the Hobbit who is adapted to the screen in a new trilogy released between 2012 and 2014.
What Lord of the Rings World Merchandise Is Available at the Best Price?
The Lord of the Rings world is so vast and so ingrained in the imagination of any self-respecting geek that there are a host of derivative products from the official license. We have selected for you our favorite products to allow you to continue the adventure and discover the world of the Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth and the hobbits, elves, dwarves and other peoples that inhabit it.
Figures: Bring Your favorite Characters to Life
With the articulated figures of your favorite characters, you can recreate the best fights of Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli or invent new adventures for Frodo, Sam and Gollum! To expand your collection, the action figure of Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White is a must have. If you're more on the dark side of the Lord of the Rings world, a bust of Sauron or one of his Nazguls will show your loyalty to the One Ring to everyone.
And for a light and funny collection, funko pop figures will feature your favorite characters with humor! To go further into the Lord of the Rings world, you can treat yourself to a replica of the One Ring or one of the elven swords wielded by our heroes - Glamdring for Gandalf or Dart for Frodo.
The Lord of the Rings world: Role-playing, Cosplay and Board Games
Perhaps more than any other, the Lord of the Rings world lends itself particularly to role-playing (board or life-size) and cosplay. Dress up in Middle-earth fashion and play as a wizard, a warrior of Rohan or Gondor, a blue mountain dwarf or a wood elf, and go on an adventure! Show your colors at a convention or comicon by donning Gandalf's iconic cape and hat or slipping Gimli's axes into your belt. You can even create your own Brotherhood of the Ring cosplay version!
To relive and extend the adventure, the cooperative board game Journeys to Middle-earth and its many versions (Dark Paths, Eriador's Scourge, etc.) immerse you in the world of the Lord of the Rings for exciting and lively games. You can also test your knowledge of Middle-earth, its history and mythology with quizzes and trivia on the Lord of the Rings world.
Clothing and Tableware: Show Off Your Membership in the Brotherhood of the Ring!
From the "You shall not pass!" t-shirt featuring Gandalf's iconic cry during his battle with the Balrog in the mines of Moria to the mug displaying the map of Middle Earth, the Lord of the Rings world is with you every day. Serve your best beer in your "The Prancing Pony" mugs to your guests during your role-playing games and decorate your home with the colors of Middle-earth and its heroes with the posters and collector artprint of Aragorn or Boromir. And of course, never part with the unique ring by carrying it with you everywhere as a keychain!
The Literature of the Lord of the Rings World: a Return to the Sources Obliged
Without Tolkien's books first published in 1937 for The Hobbit (yes!) and in 1954-1955 for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Middle Earth would not exist and something would be missing from our imagination. Collector's and illustrated editions, ancillary and posthumous works, discover or rediscover the world of the Lord of the Rings in all its details! If you are an assiduous and patient reader, learn about the origins of this world with The Silmarillion.
If not, let yourself be carried away by Tolkien's Illustrated Encyclopedia, which will open the doors to the Lord of the Rings world and explain everything there is to know about Middle-earth and the Undying Lands: the history, the geography, the peoples, the flora and fauna, the different races, their histories and their interactions...
So don't wait any longer to please a fan or simply please yourself, browse our catalog, you won't be disappointed!
