Dale & Lake-town: A History | Tolkien Explained

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Lake-town - Alan Lee
Erebor - WETA
Dale - Matej Cadil
esgaroth - aegeri
Dale - Matthew Stewart
Battling the Dragon - Anke Eissmann
Thrain Discovers the Lonely Mountain - Ted Nasmith
Erebor - Matthew Stewart
Erebor Interior - WETA
Northman - Tolman Cotton
Rohirrim and dunlendings - merlkir
treasures of erebor - aegeri
thorin oakenshield - Tolman Cotton
dwarf king - artigas
Dwarven smith - Lída Holubová
dwarven smith - Turner Mohan
Dale - Angus McBride
Boromir - Elrodimus Flash
Theoden King - Jenny Dolfen
Brand - teodor victor
dwarf king - artigas
Mithril Coat - Anke Eissmann
smaug the fire-drake - Jerry Vanderstelt
smaug - aegeri
King under the Mountain - Smaug - Jerry Vanderstelt
smaug flying over the lonely mountain - Matej Cadil
Laketown - Ivan Cavini
Lake-Town - J.R.R. Tolkien
Wootton Major - Alan Lee
Thror's Map - Alan Lee
After the death of Arathorn - Steamey
Lake_Town - JRR Tolkien
The Dragon is Coming - Matej Cadil
Smaug Destroys Lake Town - John Howe
Smaug over the long lake - Anke Eissmann
Smaug's_Fury - Alan Lee
eotheod - teodor victor
Bard the bowman - Kinko White
Master of Laketown Portrait - WETA
Bard the Bowman - Matthew Stewart
Smaug and Bilbo - Andrea Piparo
The thrush - Matthew Stewart
Bard the Bowman - Anke Eissmann
Bard the Bowman vs Smaug the Magnificent - Kip Rasmussen
The Death of Smaug - Alan Lee
Scorched - Aegeri
Lake-Town Merchants - Turner Mohan
The Fall of Esgaroth - Aegeri
Bard the Bowman - Abe Papakhian
Bard - Janka Latečková
men at pool - Turner Mohan
master of laketown - WETA
Master of Laketown - WETA
Thorin - Kinko White
Aragorn of the Dunedain - Peter Xavier Price
Erebor - aegeri
Battle Under the Mountain - Matt Stewart
they buried thorin deep beneath the mountain - anotherstranger_me
smaug - aegeri
Bilbo, bard, and thranduil - anotherstranger_me
master of laketown - aegeri
statue of bard - merlkir
Boromir - Catherine Karina Chmiel
Aragorn - Daniel Dougherty
battle of dale - merlkir
The Messenger - Ralph Damiani
Council of Elrond - Alan Lee
Gloin - Tolman Cotton
battle of five armies - Weta
Battle of Pelennor Fields - Magdalena Katanska
battle of dale - WETA
Dain and Brand - WETA
Gates of Erebor - WETA
two kings - tulikoura
The Battle of the Morannon - Peter Xavier Price
Shadow of Sauron - Ted Nasmith
battle of dale - tulikoura
Battle of Dale - WETA
Erebor - Aronja Art
Crowning of elessar - Tolman Cotton
King Aragorn - Steve Airola
#laketown #tolkien #lordoftherings

[@Shirebaggins.]

finally dale, now the next iron hills.

[@CraigCourt]

Life of Bard next!

[@samuelbelihu3724]

Mirkwood too

[@Americandragonrider333.]

The Iron Hills! That would be cool to hear about its history! I’m all for this!

[@STMukr]

Blue mountains after

[@dragonsized]

Second

[@FiachnaOCadhain]

I love how Brand and Dain stand side by side one last time Against the Easterlings.

[@imraduin]

Dain* bro

[@FiachnaOCadhain]

Sorry ​@@imraduin

[@teeheeteeheeish]

Ultimate Bro moment. Knowing he was dead, he was like... I will die right here next to my friend. Legendary stuff.

[@jamesplunkett8912]

Dain was close to King Bard's family. He is even close friends with King Bain and King Brand. I'm glad Dain is kind enough to defend Brand's body from so many enemies. He was such a good friend as he stood his ground and fought to the bitter end, refusing to back down. A true dwarf, brave, strong, everlasting might still excisting in his old age for a dwarf to long a good long life, making something grand and noble of himself in the end.

[@lateshagallman5778]

12:00

[@EmblemParade]

The intervention of the thrush might be a hint that Radagast the Brown was working behind the scenes to help Dale and thus the Lonely Mountain quest.

[@khizzkazul7450]

Interesting theory. I never thought about that. 👍

[@thomasrichardson7543]

I would watch an entire trilogy just focused on the War in the North. So many amazing battles and adventures.

[@VGGPTA]

Same I would so watch that as cool as the Lord of the rings is I love that in the hobbit, you got to see men, elves and dwarves fight together, and with their own special kind of fighting styles in a truly defensive way that I just I could not get enough of it was so amazing to see a fortress city that is Erebor being besieged, and dale defending itself at a new peak of power it would just be so cool to see, and the elves will be defending their woodland realm that would be amazing as well. I hope they do make more movies set in J.R.R. Tolkien‘s world as cool as the power of the rings the series is it just can’t compare to the giant movies in my mind but I mean just think about it they could make a few movies on the reclaiming of Maurya, take a create three movies based on defeating moregoth so many movie possibilities and they’re always so well received I think they should totally do it but at the same time I don’t think Peter Jackson will do it again I don’t know if I want someone else touching it but they got to do it sooner than later, because who knows some of the actors might not want to do it, or some of them might even die I mean guy that plays Lord Elrond he’s going into his 60s I’m worried for Ian Malcolm the guy who plays Gandolf though I don’t know if he’d be in a lot of movies as the character wasn’t at any of those battles but yeah

[@TheGreatUnwashedThing]

I find it so sweet that Dale's toy shop is one of its wonders - it always reminds me that the Hobbit was written as a children's story and yet it somehow fits perfectly into the type of story that is Lord of the Rings. Tolkien at his best.

[@myriadmediamusings]

Woot, been waiting for this one ever since the Rohan vids to complete the "big three" as I see the major realms of Men during the 3rd Age. For such an important place in the Hobbit, always felt that they were left out or forgotten compared to Gondor and Rohan, so it was neat that Tolkien included the story bit on how Dale and Erebor fielded their own major battle during ROTK.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

That's because they were "on the side" because it weren't close to Mordor. Gondor and Rohan are right on Mordor's doorstep, and Sauron and Saruman's attempts to conquer them were a big part of the story.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

- shows up out of nowhere. - kills the dragon. - leads his people through the Battle of Five Armies - becomes the king of Dale Who is this chad?

[@Ilikefinalfantasy795]

Bard grandson of Girion.

[@BlahKDubstep]

A Dark Knight.

[@Eowyn3Pride]

BARD BARD BARD BARD!!! "I've had enough of this lippy lakeman!" "Bard! His name is Bard." 😂😂❤🍻

[@12classics39]

Literally, when you read the book for the first time, he comes out of absolutely NOWHERE and solves the biggest problem. One of Tolkien’s boldest choices, IMO.

[@richmondlandersenfells2238]

Reinstalls the new kingdom of Dale. 💪

[@annecarter5181]

I just love these place-focused videos!

[@Spartan-Of-Truth]

Makes for wonderful history. Tolkien is a gift to us all. The nerd, too.

[@nigeldepledge3790]

". . . the men of Dale would be survived by their ancestors, living in Lake Town . . ." That's a clever trick if you can pull it off!

[@Alduinswall]

I found your channel in 2021 and at that point i had only been into tolkiens works for 1 year and i have to say without a doubt your one of the reasons i love this universe so much

[@NerdoftheRings]

That’s amazing! Thanks so much for sharing. It always warms my heart to hear these videos help people connect with Tolkien. 😊

[@alpalcn891]

⁠@@NerdoftheRings​​⁠ Great video as always! Can you please share a link for the Beleriand map used in your videos? 🙏🏻​​⁠​​⁠

[@snoozieq4584]

I've been a fan of the animated version of "The Hobbit" since childhood. I know every single song, verse and riddle by heart. I remember the animated version better than the book "The Hobbit". Granted I received the 33 1/3 record and illustrated version between the two record jackets as a birthday present in 1978 as well as the book, I will never forget the music, sound effects or character idiosyncrasies that brought them to life for me. When Peter, Phillipa and Fran brought The Lord of The Rings to life on the big screen, I was overjoyed and not a bit bothered by what was left out. When it came time to release The Hobbit in theaters, I loved his choices in actors, except Thorin. I expected him to be older because of the animated version. None the less, I love all three movies. Seeing the battle against Smaug inside the Lonely Mountain was wonderful to behold. Thank you for bringing me back to my childhood again. ALL of these memories are PRECIOUS to ME!

[@mtgemperor]

Stellar work, friend. I hate to admit that one of my favorite locations within the Hobbit trilogy was Lake-town as it showed another location of non-Numenorean Men. I won't lie that I often think of the parallels of Lake-town with the crannogs of the British Isles, though the crannogs were Neolithic rather than medieval.

[@zelot113]

Erebor and Dale are some of the coolest side histories

[@axelStorymode]

A battle of Dale movie would go hard

[@DarkSoulja3323]

So happy you did Dale and Lake Town.

[@colinleat8309]

I love that in the Fourth age, there is an unprecedented era of peace in Arda. Boy do they deserve it!! 🖖😁🤘🇨🇦🕊️

[@nicholasmaddocks7545]

Though not as big as Gondor, I'm glad Dale is receiving recognition.

[@user-zl9cm5gb7x]

I have been waiting for this for a long time

[@Darkgeran7]

I feel bad for the men of dale they are the first race of men we encounter but they are left to have mentions in subsequent works

[@lww3226]

I never would have guessed the history behind dale.👌🏼

[@valkloki]

The Master bears a striking resemblance to Stephen Fry ;-)

[@jcook6602]

I was about to post this.

[@yrlo6308]

No way?!? Just guess what his role was in the hobbit trilogy for a second…

[@quinnimon]

should we tell im?

[@istari0]

I don't see how Lake Town's construction was intended to deter Smaug. Being made of wood, it would have been even more vulnerable to fire and being on a lake would be no obstacle to a winged dragon.

[@Dr_Cole]

Whereas I believe I knew all of the parts detailed in the video, having it put together in a single story was great. It helps one appreciate the long history and derivation of the peoples of these areas more and even cheer for their successes.

[@dxpower1158]

I really enjoyed this one keep up with this videos.

[@jacobmoak1670]

Love what you do man! Keep it up! Because of you I always can flex my lotr lore to my friends

[@Eowyn3Pride]

🍻😁Same! All creds to Matt!

[@biglawngnome]

Oh man that was a banger🎉

[@teresaandrobplaxton2418]

You should make a video of Eledan & Elrohir

[@michaelnewsham1412]

From the middle 1800s (our time😊😊) villages built on stilts on the shores of lakes were first discovered in Switzerland, and then all across central Europe. They dated back to perhistoric times, and excited great interest. I would think Tolkien would have them in mind when conceiving of Laketown.

[@zere825]

Love all the videos you do about the history and lore behind Tolkiens works, absolutely love it. Its so interesting to hear about all the ages of Middle Earth. Keep doing what you do, you are a true gem my friend!

[@nerdwatch1017]

Dwarves are my 3rd favorite race under elves and men. Though there my favorite in one way!! How they build there massive kingdoms inside mountains!! Seeing Moria when it still had dwarfs living there was amazing!!

[@alexfishkind1848]

Amazing! Please consider doing the iron hills and blue mountains next

[@mjm2271]

The artists showcased in this video are phenomenal!

[@Mikebrowski]

Amazing lore video, think we can get something about the northeren waste? I still am confused about that area

[@valentinkambushev4968]

It's the same as our northern waste - ice, snow, and people who, for some reason, live there.

[@user-sy5is2uw4s]

Yesssss :) Thank you for this one! I hope your New Zealand trip was amazing. You deserve it. Much obliged for all the content! #NerdOfTheRings #MenOfTheWest #Tolkien -JRoot

[@jayare6804]

excellent!

[@davesing]

Most excellent. Great job as usual.

[@TJPactronix]

Superb episode

[@dalepride8671]

Such a great and educational video. Thank you for your amazing work!

[@Nokyyyyy]

Gave me chills in the lotr events. The bros fighting to their death, together ❤

[@thomasbrown8468]

Much respect for your hard work

[@aphizzukamara6328]

I don't know what to say.. Thank you thank you thanks

[@Jmac1962]

Great video, love all you do. Thanks! At 3:58 you mean descendants rather than ancestors?

[@onangarodney7746]

I love everything you do

[@chrisryan2313]

Good work boss man

[@carlambroson8872]

My favorite tale of lasting and unbreakable friendships is the story of King Dain defending the dead body of his dear friend, and fellow king, King Brand. Until he too his killed!!

[@thomasbrown8468]

Really love your videos and your knowledge of the best world ever created to my knowledge. Ahhh. Love ❤it

[@elektro096]

N ever been this early to a video. Looks to be a great one!

[@BlahKDubstep]

Ah yes just in time for lunch! Got me some meat ripe off the bone, lembas bread, and malt bear!

[@jaelwyn]

That must be one _seriously_ drunk bear…

[@14shamus14]

Thank you

[@johnhendrickse9731]

Iron hills next please

[@nickbalwit3302]

please make a video about the forest of fangorn and other notable forests of middle earth.

[@tea002]

great!

[@i_DONT_get_IT]

Next video idea: “What if Frodo had left the ring in Rivendell with the Elves?”

[@Eowyn3Pride]

Well done Matt! Now THAT would make a great series! Post BotFA but before LotR! Yes! A NEW series, in Anime...The Alliance of Erabor and Dale.

[@user-nt9qq8lt4u]

Just wondering where do you find this info? Also great vid!

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy, the clear Eastern design and culture of Lake-town and its inhabitants (including, the military and political leaders) are primarily derived from medieval Russian influences - i.e., the early Rus' states of Kievan Rus' and its successors. Indeed, Lake-town is reminiscent of the old northern Rus' trading city of Novgorod - itself, like Lake-town, also situated on a lake. Further, as presented in the movies, per the complex nature of Russian ethno-cultural history, Lake-town itself and its people are thereby infused with East Slavic, Finnic, Baltic, Scandinavian and Turkic influences. In the movies, Peter Jackson clearly defines the culture of Lake-town and Dale as a part of the East.

[@CraigCourt]

Finally!

[@arthurok327]

Howdy, I really enjoyed the six movies Peter Jackson made, they were action packed, and stories well told, it's just, he changed so many facts, and some " in my opinion " drastically, Thank you for pointing these out, it is appreciated, and makes much more sense to me, Stay safe, God Bless, Peace

[@jacobsedlack1173]

A particularly sad change from books to film was that Bilbo's age catches up to him before he can cross the Misty Mountains and see Dale and Erebor again. I get why, the needs of the plot means events need to keep pace but still.

[@dragonsized]

NEW VIDEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RAWWR!

[@jayrenteria605]

For the next video even if it's a short one I'd like to know the fate/whatever became of the Seven Dwarf Rings. Ps: As always I enjoy this material you give us.

[@user-gh1xf2cw4g]

Could you cover Eonwe next ?

[@kirandeepchakraborty7921]

Nice

[@peterk7428]

I always wonder if and how many dwarves lived in Dale. It would have been the only place in the third age where races lived together.

[@marksanders573]

FINALLY❤

[@thedragondemands5186]

Dale men are to Rohan as Old Norse are to Old English / Anglo-Saxon

[@ahmetturki7147]

😍😍😍😍 so interested

[@teeheeteeheeish]

I really hated the depiction of the Laketown Army in the Hobbit - Battle of the Five Armies. They made them a comically unarmed rabble.

[@fredreindljr1996]

You're probably the only Tolkien YT channel I watch nowadays. Every other one is just RoP bashing and treating the Silmarillion like it's a bible or something, very tiresome in my opinion. Keep up the good work, man!

[@thecocktailian2091]

To be fair, the Silmarillion is as close to a Bible as you would get for Tolkien's universe.

[@VGGPTA]

I would so watch a movie on the war in the north as cool as the Lord of the rings is I love that in the hobbit, you got to see men, elves and dwarves fight together, and with their own special kind of fighting styles in a truly defensive way that I just I could not get enough of it was so amazing to see a fortress city that is Erebor being besieged, and dale defending itself at a new peak of power it would just be so cool to see, and the elves will be defending their woodland realm that would be amazing as well. I hope they do make more movies set in J.R.R. Tolkien‘s world as cool as the power of the rings the series is it just can’t compare to the giant movies in my mind but I mean just think about it they could make a few movies on the reclaiming of Maurya, take a create three movies based on defeating moregoth so many movie possibilities and they’re always so well received I think they should totally do it but at the same time I don’t think Peter Jackson will do it again I don’t know if I want someone else touching it but they got to do it sooner than later, because who knows some of the actors might not want to do it, or some of them might even die I mean guy that plays Lord Elrond he’s going into his 60s I’m worried for Ian Malcolm the guy who plays Gandolf though I don’t know if he’d be in a lot of movies as the character wasn’t at any of those battles but yeah

[@fred20097]

Whoever enjoyed jacksons the hobbit series must also get really excited sitting in front of a wall watching paint dry for hours on end. The greatest tolkien adaptation ive seen to date is amazons rings of power. Cant wait for the next series. And i challenge anyone who disagrees to explain why.

[@korkronwarlord]

What music are you using in your videos?

[@1987AnimeBoy]

9:14 Is that a picture of Alfrid?

[@vittoanaranto4795]

they should make a movie now about the siege of erebor

[@00martoneniris86]

What if urwen lived the first sister of turin

[@Eowyn3Pride]

That's an interesting thought! 🤔 I wonder, maybe more likely Galadriel...

[@JayashinaParthiban]

Would you write your own Fantasy book? Just curious

[@andrewhead1840]

Wonder what these middlemen were doing during the first age before they became the men of Dale and the roherium?

[@richmondlandersenfells2238]

Strangely enough, they were somehow "related" to the eotheod. But intermingled with stranger folks soon after.

[@andrewhead1840]

Cool how interesting. :-)

[@zcsknzfanz]

Here's a question I have. Both Elros and Elrond had the gift of choice of which children they wanted to be a part of, as being part elven, human, and maia. It seems Elrond's children also had the choice with Arwen's decision to become mortal to marry Aragorn. So did Elros' children have the same choice?

[@Raven6794]

The Master of Laketown seems to be closely related to Stephen Fry

[@Myriadmusics]

haha firewyrm go brrr

[@Eowyn3Pride]

😂😂

[@richardclark.]

made completely of wood as a deterrent for the dragon?

[@codymcteer5898]

Ok who’s the better archer, Beleg strongbow, Legolas, or Bard?

[@edwarddore7617]

If Gimli had been around in the Hobbit, would he have told Bard "that counts as one!"?

[@erikbender1967]

Now that would be a story to put into movies, or make a short series. Peter Jackson take note!

[@00martoneniris86]

What if glaurung lived

[@Eowyn3Pride]

😢😱

[@lateshagallman5778]

12:00

[@nicosy282]

What’s your opinion of Laketown in The Hobbit films?

[@TamajitDas88]

Is this dain, the same as Thorin's cousin from the hobbit..?? Can someone clarify..??

[@valentinkambushev4968]

Yes, he is.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Indeed! Dwarves live quite a lot longer than normal humans in the 3rd age

[@michaelharty7190]

💎👍👍👍

[@positivelynegative9149]

👍

[@slashknife]

What if a barrow wight got the ring from frodo?

[@joshuajohansen1210]

Why do you think Bard called for the bridge to be thrown down if Smaug could just fly?

[@user-mb1hg4qu9f]

👍👍

[@DavidPrice-ml2zv]

Hopefully one of the upcoming movies WB has announced covers the events that happen in Erebor, Dale, Woodland Realm etc during the War of the Ring. Peter Jackson said he wanted to cover those events in the trilogy but they couldn’t fit them in, so I say let’s get Peter back at the helm and make a War in the North movie

[@colinbaldwin313]

It makes sense to me that Lake-town was founded before Smaug's attack. If the Lake-men had had any intention of deterring the dragon, why would they build the whole town out of wood?

[@hermanmelville3368]

Crossroads between Thranduil Kingdom and Dorwinion. Customs money.

[@colinbaldwin313]

@@hermanmelville3368 Why does that dictate that the town be made of wood?

[@aurelian2668]

​@@colinbaldwin313 I think he meant the reason Lake town wass built was because of the river and the trade it would bring. I do agree that Lake town was probably built on the earlier days of Dale before smaugs attack

[@Ethan.D.McKinney37195]

I'm not sure why, but I have always enjoyed the story of Erebor and Dale much more than Gondor

[@hermanmelville3368]

All Rhovanion locations are the best

[@jackychang9148]

3:58 Why do people get ANCESTORS and DESCENDANTS mixed up!? Ancestors are our parents and their parents and their parents and upward. Descendants and our children's children and downward. Seriously?!

[@gandalf4751]

😍😍😍😍👌

[@ondris11]

Not much information about Lake-town...

[@Ghan04]

Under the protection of the King of the West? Surely you must refer to Manwe, the Elder King and not merely Aragorn Elessar? ;) Great video as always.