What actually is Lembas?

[@InDeepGeek]

This is a revised and updated version of a video first published in June 2022.

[@througtonsheirs_doctorwhol5914]

WOW... literally watched it 2 days ago just found out about your channel... "imagine the shock !"

[@warbler]

Are we to expext these upcycled videos more often?

[@chefkochjay]

I'll watch it again :)

[@sauromatian]

Can you start reuploaded videos by saying the video has been revised?

[@bonerici]

thanks. It seems identical to me. great episode.

[@Skipston55]

I interpreted it as Tolkein just thinking to himself- "What if travel rations, but you WANT to eat them."

[@Vuurgeest]

Probably true.

[@judywright4241]

I thought of ‘manna’ from the Bible.

[@LOBricksAndSecrets]

As someone who would have eaten hardtack and other battlefield rations, that idea would probably have been incredibly appealing. [Edit: I typed this reply when I was one minute in to the video, before Robert mentioned the same. I'm glad I wasn't alone in my thinking]

[@MarkusAldawn]

@@LOBricksAndSecrets great minds think alike, clearly! I never knew what hard tack was, so this is really interesting.

[@KorithStoneheart]

Haha

[@theloverlyladylo9158]

Gotta say, as a history nerd, I’ve always assumed that lembas was drawn from Tolkiens military service. It’s one of those tiny details that cements the world as being utterly fantastic. Anyone who’d served in the military, which after both world wars was a lot of people, would have seen “rations that taste good” as just as wondrous and magical elves and magic rings.

[@hic_tus]

yeah it's probably something in between pemmican and hardtack or ship biscuits.. with elven craftmenship involved. we know those nerds always make fancy and pretty things. posh bast... eh? what?😆

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

A portable higjly nutritious snack to eat on a journey seems obvious. I don't see the need to be inspired by military service.

[@Zwijger]

@itsgonnabeanaurfromme Thanks for not getting the point and adding nothing to the conversation all at once.

[@EtruskenRaider]

I’m sure it was definitely, at least a little about Tolkien shaking his fist at his quartermaster going, “See! That’s what it should be like not bully beef and ship biscuits.”

[@wordsofcheresie936]

Traditionally, corn meant any kind of grain. We see this today in "corned beef" meaning that the salt used to preserve it is as large as grain. The grain we now call corn is really called maize and Tolkien almost certainly did not envision lembas being made from maize. Actually, Tolkien specifically says that it is made of wheat.

[@dursty3226]

oh good. maybe it's personal bias, but i can't imagine CORNBREAD being that amazing.

[@Yallan]

​@@dursty3226what kind of cornbread are you eating???

[@mmseng2]

@@dursty3226 As a midwestern American I can vouch that cornbread can in fact be amazing; so amazing in fact that I can and, in my youth occasionally did, eat nothing but cornbread for a meal. Like any other food it can also be terrible.

[@dursty3226]

@@Yallan i'm not eating any, bc i don't really like it. but i've tried at least half a dozen varieties of cornbread made by at least a dozen different people. almost all of them have been really dry, they've all been really flat and boring flavor-wise (like it's literally just corn-flavored), and no matter how moist they are they're *always* super crumbly and messy (and i can't stand crumbly messy foods). i'm guessing it might be personal bias because i just don't like corn in general, but i've never had any kind of cornbread that i would describe as delicious. in my experience, cornbread is mediocre at best, but usually pretty flavorless and dry.

[@Caramelo23606]

Maíz*

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

Remember: pre-industrial societies used grain two ways-to bake and to ferment. And from fermentation comes distillation. So logically, lembas beer and lembas whiskey must both be possible!

[@garicb9271]

They call it Miruvor

[@worldtraveler930]

I LIKE Your Thinking!!! 🤠👍

[@Nefville]

Now you might be on to something here...

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

Elven wine i hear is particularly potent. 100 man pints only made Legolas' fingers tingle

[@ionlywantedone]

One small sip is enough to keep a bender going for a month

[@TigerofRobare]

"Waybread" is almost a direct translation of the Latin "Viaticum", which is Communion given to the dying as part of the Last Rites.

[@aggietony2010]

There are so many parallels. There is the fact that the evil ones (orcs, gollum) find lembas objectionable, just as the consuming the Eucharist would not be beneficial to those in a state of mortal sin, but instead would be eating one's own damnation.

[@DemstarAus]

I thought whey-bread! But that's interesting.

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

​@@aggietony2010horrible christian beliefs truly

[@cristiancaiola9588]

​@@itsgonnabeanaurfromme How so?

[@SinEater_]

Wonder if the practice of sin eating is related at all to that catholic process...

[@resurgam_b7]

I love the idea that Lembas wasn't satisfying like normal food. It was fully sustaining, and pleasant to partake of, but was still a tool for those with need and if it had been commonly eaten, it would not have been as fulfilling as a hearty meal. I wonder if even Legolas had eaten it before receiving it from Galadriel. He obviously knew what it was and its significance, but he was probably fairly young for an elf and as far as I'm aware, he hadn't ventured far beyond Mirkwood before joining the Fellowship, so he may not have ever been given some before.

[@Tar-Elenion]

It is unlikely. Tolkien, in a late writing, indicates that Galadriel, Celebrian and Arwen were the last to know the art of its making.

[@ferngullible]

ik it’s acting and not coming directly from the novels but the fact he takes a bite and sounds relieved makes me think hes had it before, just very briefly, and has missed it since he hasn’t needed it before going on the journey.

[@earthknight60]

A note about the term 'corn'. In the context of the LoTR and European history/myth it doesn't mean the corn/maize that was shown in the painting. Corn referred to anything that had kernels of a certain size, hence barleycorn, and it was not limited to plant grains, corned beef is called that because of the grain size of the salt used. 'Corn' in the context of European history and by extension LoTR is not a reference to any specific type of grain.plant, it's a reference to the kernel size. As an aside, I've always imagined Lembas as a sort of magic shortbread, mainly because shortbread is deliciosus and the color and slightly crumbly aspect of Lembas always made me think of it.

[@Story-Voracious66]

That's why you can get "corns" in your feet. Corn, Querne -stone, Kernel; all related. 🌾

[@emrek99205]

Corned Beef is just beef that has been salted. Salt is a square-ish shape, or a corn.

[@earthknight60]

​@@emrek99205 The 'corn' in 'corned beef' referred to the size of the grains of salt, not just that salt grains in general are squaresih. When preserving in salt different sizes/coarsenesses of salt grains are used for different types of preservation. Townsends channel actually just recently has an episode where they talk about this exact thing (salt grain size in preservation, not the terminology).

[@jaredbrown1128]

When he said "hardtack" I couldn't help but think of Max from Tasting History and laughed. Clack clack lol

[@JamesJamesW]

clack clack!

[@lolloblue9646]

Clack clack!

[@sylph4252]

Clack clack to you as well!

[@JennyzaS]

Me too lol

[@anthonyqcn]

Glad to see fellow tasting history connoisseurs out here LOL

[@satakrionkryptomortis]

you should record fantasy audio books. you voice is just perfectly soothing to just float away while listening and start hallucinating the stuff

[@joshmathis1973]

Check out "The Well Told Tale." it's a second channel/ podcast that Robert hosts, where he does exactly that.

[@GeorgeLucas1138]

I can't stop watching his videos because his voice is so calming and positive. Literally one of the best narrators I've ever heard. Golden voice

[@roberthummell3701]

Reminds me most of pemmican, the "waybread," of the American natives. A nutritious and high calorie granola bar, if you like, made of suet, local grains, dried meat and berries, nuts, et al. I'll add that through the 16th century, "corn," referred to any dried grain, seed or nut product, not just the American "maize." Barleycorn, wheat corn, millet corn, acorns, anything that could be made into a bread, cake, or porridge, was "corn."

[@benjaminnewman6772]

LEMBAS was made by the Elves for their Moon landing program, it stands for Lunar Excursion Module Basic Alimentary Supply.

[@stegosandrosos1291]

Lol

[@mboettcher349]

Would love to see a companion piece to this, if you haven't already done it, about orc draught and ent draught.

[@jaykaramales3087]

Again you've managed to find a seemingly insignificant aspect of Tolkien's world and explained its deep significance. Thank you for increasing my appreciation of the depth of the Professor's work.

[@richardfarnsworth7473]

How many did you eat? Four

[@markstott6689]

I've always imagined Lembas as an ultra high calorie shortbread with added umph from Valinor. 😊❤😊

[@cuchutrain]

its deep fried multiple times in that valinor oil

[@KarlJayce]

yes daddy

[@MSUTri]

Absolutely. Lembas always looked like and descriptions of what it is like to eat always made me think of shortbread.

[@EQOAnostalgia]

John 6:31-44 King James Version "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." ^ That's what it is seemingly based off of. 10:44 gives more weight to this theory, in that in Numbers 11 the Hebrews complained that they wanted meat, and grew tired of mana. Good video as usual, thanks. It's fascinating how much detail Tolkien gives to something as simple as Elvish bread.

[@festerbestertester1284]

At 2:57, a photo of matzah (unleavened bread) and a cup of wine from a Pesach seder (Passover meal).

[@TheTrumpReaper]

That was what I thought. Mmmmm...matzah...🤤

[@mfcabrini]

There is a book called "Jesus and the Jewish roots of the Eucharist." An entire chapter is dedicated to a discussion of manna and its relationship to Communion. As an educated and believing Catholic, Tolkien would have known these religious connections.

[@DavidTheConkerer]

Now I'm hungry. Time for second breakfast!

[@chazzmccloud36]

And don't forget about elevensies!

[@kaiserjoe2316]

@@chazzmccloud36An apple will do you fine, young hobbit. "An apple a day keeps the Nazgul at bay. Honest."

[@marcusfridh8489]

And the luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper

[@ahmedshaharyarejaz9886]

Midnight snacks must also be a secret hobbit tradition.

[@tiolee]

i think there is no such thing call diabetes ... 🥲🥲🥲

[@gigagian]

I always imagined that Lembas' great taste would only make it way too tempting to eat and therefore be poorly suited for the task of being an actual travel ration.

[@jasonrr9817]

Like a ww2 k ration. Emergency ration, super high calorie protein packed chocolate bar. But, they made it gross, bitter I think, to prevent soldiers from simply snacking on it.

[@Tyler-u8z2m]

I have enjoyed so much from IDG, but I have never been so pleased to have a subject covered as this minor one.

[@philosofrenzy]

11:10 - Having been Catholic, Tolkien almost certainly would have heard the (dubious) stories of Saints who had sustained themselves on nothing but their daily intake of the Eucharist, and so the parallel to communion bread really comes out in that description of Lembas in the Mount Doom chapter.

[@Wolfeson28]

I think this discussion provides a good example of one thing that makes Tolkien's writing so great. While we can see that Tolkien obviously took inspiration from some real-world things as he built his fantasy universe, it was almost never the sort of heavy-handed one-to-one inspiration we sometimes see in other works. Those tend to be quite obvious as readers, where we can immediately see that the author took a specific real-world item or concept, changed a couple of tiny details, and inserted it into their literary world. Tolkien, on the other hand, draws threads of inspiration from numerous disparate places (as varied as hardtack, communion bread, matzah, and manna), and weaves them together into something that can stand as its own unique artistic creation. Of course, we can pick those creations apart and examine the individual threads that went into them, but we can see how Tolkien's creations are a true fusion, and aren't dependent on any one inspiration or allegory.

[@bityew]

What a wonderful update! Thank you for taking the time to revise your informative videos.

[@Sarafimm2]

In D&D, it could be a specially "Blessed" type of travel bread/hardtack made by the clerics of certain Deities. It would explain the characters with ill or opposing intentions being repelled by it.

[@SerialNoYM63]

The channel "Townsends" has a video on how to make hard tack. Great channel overall.

[@crakkbone]

It’s the best channel! Lol I love it.

[@jamesrussell2051]

Robert, thank you for this great video. Wonderful examination of this detail from the LOTR but also the larger legendarium.

[@auntiegravity7713]

I actually experimented with Lembas recipes. It's a thing online. Seriously. They are even served with, or wrapped in.. leaves. It's fascinating to think of them historically as rations, but also.. practically.. this one of the most popular recipes I've ever made for the holiday season. The "magic" was about being in a good mood while baking my batches, but also thinking like an elf. This usually meant watching the trilogy. Edit: I could listen to your voice all day and produce the same effect. No joke. This was an intentionally timed ritual which could not be rushed. Things had to sit. Everything had to be intentional. There could be, I suppose, a spiritual/symbolic/religious aspect as well, depending on the person. (For me it was a blend) But I didn't take myself too seriously with it all. It would be wonderful if I could do something more, but of course, I'm not delusional. How could I make something as simple and elegant as possible via the creative medium of baking? I also gave them as gifts with specific notes: If they were active (I lived in CO so this was pretty common) it was about the lore. If they were more into magic or pleasure, well, I focused on my secret blend of orange, vanilla, and pistachio, and still included a note about the lore. Nothing was fake, it was all organic. The point was experimenting with the best I could possibly create via the medium of baking. Although I put my soul into the final product, I didn't emphasize this to the recipient. I'm living outside the US right now, and miss this ritual. Having fun with magic, and making people happy. Edit: This isn't me, typically. I'm a rational introvert. So there you have it.

[@slizzysluzzer]

Most of the lembas recipes online are basically desserts, they're not really made to last for a long time.

[@quailstudios]

The depth and thought that Tolkien put into his stories is stunning, glorious... I'm having a hard time finding the words to describe his genius.

[@Cedestra]

I made some lembas for my friend going through alcoholic recovery. I tested it and it was tasty- you use cinnamon and it tastes warm and buttery.

[@KhoaTran-mm9iy]

6:14 looks surprisingly similar to a Vietnamese dish call "xôi bắp gói lá chuối" which is cooked corn topped with shredded coconut flesh, wrapped in banana leaf, eaten using a spoon made out of banana trunk traditionally.

[@Omfghellokitty]

oooooo seeing this remade is crazy and very awesome

[@timsemith12]

Your videos help me through my workday!

[@AluVixapede]

As a kid, reading the books for the first time, I imagined it tasted like a nice light corn-bread, with honey baked right into it. Somehow both hearty and delicious.

[@whatsinanameish]

Lembas is really just Walker's pure butter shortbread... one of the rare foods that contain vastly more calories than the object actually weighs. A mere 300g pack to the lips equals at least a kilo gained to the hips.

[@wordsofcheresie936]

You are probably correct. Like most people, Tolkien probably loved shortbread.

[@ryo-kai8587]

Walker's pure butter shortbread is excellent! I get it sometimes for the wholesome, simple recipe, high quality and low sugar content.

[@deon700]

From England and grew up in the north hiking with kendle mint cake. Now I'm after that sugar high

[@veronicaclarke7499]

Damn it, now I want shortbread.

[@beccaboo3040]

I alway's thought it would be like short bread umm I love short bread 🤤🥰❤

[@jacktribble5253]

Well said. I hadn't expected such a comprehensive analysis. But I should have...

[@Danratman]

Excellent as always rich 🎉

[@jessicajayes8326]

Makes me think of other long lasting breads. Germany has stollen, a sweet bread with dried fruit and nuts. Italian sailors had biscotti (literally meaning twice baked). I'm sure there are others but I'm not a food historian.

[@RupertFoulmouth]

Pretty sure based on what I am hearing here that Lembas is Cool Ranch Doritos.

[@Ithirahad]

Doritos are anti-lembas - empty calories that do not fill you up with any degree of efficiency at all, created from low corn and some questionable alchemic arts, the goetia of the modern food industry, rather than being associated with a nature goddess :P

[@NuclearFalcon146]

Cool Ranch Doritos are the best Doritos.

[@mementomori771]

Would love a Turin video at some point

[@mox3909]

Durin?

[@mementomori771]

@mox3909 Túrin from the children of Hurin it's one of the saddest stories in lord of the rings imo

[@lineetta]

There was an early-2000s internet “theory” that lembas loaves were Twinkies: light brown outside, creamy white inside, comes in a wrapper, can last a very long time if unopened!

[@dennisthemenace3695]

Always made me think of Senzu Beans. Rejuvenating magic food item "Thank you Goku I will take this Lembas without hesitation"

[@IIGrayfoxII]

2:18 Clack Clack

[@Kaiyanwang82]

I thought about that too, MM is cultural phenomenon at this point

[@Archelaus_v]

As a vet, I understand Tokiens biggest nightmares were field rations.

[@claycon]

The manna of the Old Testament had to be ground into meal & baked into cakes. These were said to be sweet like honey & also would impart physical satisfaction & spiritual strength to those that ate in faith with gratitude. This (and many other details) make the lembas like manna.

[@thenerdfaraway]

Robert, you've done it again, and brilliantly, even in this revision! And now I want to go to Middle-Earth again, too...

[@Probattlex]

12 minute Video about bread....love it

[@theodoremccarthy4438]

That’s just absolutely wonderful.

[@SveninColorado]

Beautiful: "... gods themselves had handed down, and given as a gift freely, and used as a last resort in a good cause can be more than just food. It can be a blessing, nourishment for more than just normal physical needs, magical; and sometimes, just sometimes, maybe even a little bit holy." Transubstantiation AMEN!

[@awesomehpt8938]

Lembas bread! and Look more lembas bread!

[@seanrcollier]

Frodo: Have respect fool, it comes from Heavenland

[@mcpudd-20k]

It’s a pauper staple for 2 colorless mana that lets you scry 1 and draw a card when it enters the battlefield. You can pay an additional 2 colorless mana and tap Lembas to sacrifice it and gain 3 life. If Lembas would be put into a graveyard from the battlefield, it’s returned to the owner’s library

[@YuliaHadassahK]

Very interesting 👍🏻 The way lembas is described makes me think distinctly of manna, especially because Tolkien would have had the religious background to know about it. A small portion of manna, just what every person could collect, would sustain the Israelites for the day - and it was said to taste sweet and pleasant. Maybe that's where Tolkien got the idea from. Also, a thought on the Valar: When I read the Silmarillion, in particular the first chapters, the Ainulindule, I understood Eru Iluvatar to be the only god (I believe he was called the first, like God would be called the first and the last in the Bible) and his thought created the Ainur (which the Valar are part of), who I understood to be angel-like creatures. You called them gods in the video, but I think they may be more like angels. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this, though 🙂

[@rikk319]

Tolkien wrote the Valar like they were both a pantheon of polytheistic gods, and the archangel servants of Eru Iluvatar. He rarely wrote things in a one-to-one translatable way, but blended his inspirations together to form a fusion and a wholly new idea.

[@Jonahch2v9]

In Canada, Hard bread was a version of everyday hard tack. It's shaped like small buns. It was used for sailing voyages, long hunting trips or even simply winter food supply. In Newfoundland especially, they still pride themselves on recipes where this is blended with salted fish to make a stew like meal.

[@paulgee1952]

Lembas was required in the story for logistical reasons, oft forgotten in the modern retelling where hundreds of miles is no chore. Its weight and sustenance as much about travel rations as any ex-military person can understand on such ground. Hardtack , plus bovril maybe? j/k

[@Cazjer]

i love your channel, and i listen to at least one or two Lotr videos every day and rewatching them, love the story! Can we maybe start talkin about the Rings of Power, amazon show. how accurate are they, what is calandriels full story, elrons etc. Lort lore is soooo god, its my daily drug atm

[@dragonrykr]

I swear I see this video in my recommendations once every two weeks

[@Tipi_Dan]

I'd never read the back story presented here. I wanted to create a facsimile of lembas that reflected to my understanding of what might have gone into it. My understanding led me to create a dense, nutritious, natural power bar. 1. Equal parts of acorn, chestnut, and hazelnut flour; 2. two parts lovegrass flour (teff) [substitute kamut flour if you insist upon wheat]; 3. eggs proportionally to bind; 4. butter or cream to consistency; 5. honey (or maple sugar or white sugar) to sweeten. Roll flat to about 1/2 inch onto parchment paper, cut into bars before baking. Paint with egg wash mixed with dash of hazelnut oil.. Hazelnut (or walnut) oil may substitute for butter or cream. Eggs man be considered optional, but your bar will be crumblier on the downside, more shelf stable on the upside. The results were tasty: more like a brown-bread version. Serve with candied chestnuts and fine Sauternes. Sauternes the only wine worthy of the Eldar.

[@Kryptnyt]

Goes quite well with Senzu Beans

[@kathleencummings8081]

A friend of ours found a recipe for it online and made it for us for one of her teas, while it didn't have the elvish properties, it seemed to be a cross between shortbread and a scone, and did taste good.

[@DemstarAus]

I remember learning about the stories of battle rations and anzac biscuits that got sent to soldiers. The idea of something sweet and delicious made by loved ones when you're under fire and dissolving from trenchfoot is profoundly touching. It's the quintessential relief food. A reminder of home. Not only that, but made from foods spared during times of rationing. Honey, oats, sugar, butter (depending on recipe, I looked it up and golden syrup is traditonal but we never made them like that 😅). It's also a sacrifice.

[@republikadugave420]

What a great video...never knew this about lembas

[@guyjperson]

Funny this comes up today. I was just talking about Clif bars last night and opined that they're like less holy lembas bread. You get some decent energy out of them, but it doesn't make you not look forward to a real meal.

[@jasonmurdick9864]

I love the mention of Melian in Doriath knowing how to make it because Galadriel came to Doriath and married Celeborn. She was a Queen of the Eldar and it is a very cool link that the lembas was given to the Fellowship by her.

[@LaineyBug2020]

I wonder if we could make a cornbread with some squash (like zucchini bread) and powdered beans that were raised in a 3 sister's garden, then maybe add some tallow amd dry it like a hard tack. It would have complete proteins and vitamins from the 3 sister's combo and tallow fat for energy and the shelf stability of hard tack. Plus you wrap it in squash greens with the corn husks, you can eat the greens! It won't be magic but it would make phenomenal rations!

[@40kbrit47]

Hiya In deep, long time viewer first time commentor, just a quick one, your travelers guide to Westeros seems to be missing quite a few videos for some reason, has sonething happened to them, they have always been a favourite of mine.

[@Satanperkele]

The ability of raising spirits attributed to Lembas makes me think of Gandalfs ring Narya which; "Narya was described as having the power to inspire others to resist tyranny, domination and despair" All things I see as related to loss & death of spirit. I don't think it's coincidental but I've not yet filtered through my own thoughts as to be able to explain why.

[@TheToramir1]

To the point you mentioned at 4:40 : Was it ever confirmed anywhere that Sam actually ended up going West? I know it's nice to think that he did, but as far as I remember, wasn't that just what his family _wanted_ to believe, not what was actually confirmed to have happened? Also, as a side note, I'm curious as to why it wasn't presented to the Fellowship at Rivendell? Does this, on a deeper level, reflect something as to the choices made by Elrond and his ancestors or something? Did they not have access to it?

[@jackinthebox301]

Taking from what the video said, it was strictly for the Queen to give. Elrond may have had some, but it wasn't his right to give out even if he wanted to.

[@wordsofcheresie936]

I'm pretty sure that lembas was made only by Galadriel.

[@Tar-Elenion]

@@wordsofcheresie936 Galadriel, Celebrian and Arwen were the last with the art.

[@rikk319]

Yes, Tolkien confirmed in the appendices at the end of Return of the King that Sam sailed into the Uttermost West.

[@krakraen343]

There is something else similar in the real world; Pemmican, (granted not a bread and primarily meat based). Ground up meat (bison meat in particular), berries and nuts. Ground into a fine powder, then dried so nearly all moisture is taken out. Finally animal fat added to bind it together. Meat-fat-nuts mixture packed exceedingly densely, creating a very long lasting and extremely energy rich food. Nothing like we would think of meat, its like meat fibers, but bound in lard and not water. Would have the properties of lembas I think. I dont know about the taste though. Apparently a few variations of pemmican did not use meat either, but yeah most did. Native Americans/ settlers relied on this for long trips.

[@passionplayer7]

Thank you for doing these videos Robert, they really bring joy and it’s always exciting to see a new one come up! á na márië

[@jediphobic]

I've always imagined Lembas as being something like Hudson Bay bread which some American Boy Scouts may be familiar with. It's an ideal travel food, compact, high in calories, and relatively shelf stable. The recipe varies, but usually includes things like butter, honey, sugar, corn syrup or molasses, oats, and chopped nuts. It's usually baked in large sheets and then cut into small squares that are then packaged in aluminum foil. Good versions will have about 600 calories or so in a small square slice. When eaten with peanut butter and jelly, it makes for an excellent meal while canoeing or hiking, or anything else that involves a lot of energy spent over long days. It won't keep for years like hard tack, but it does keep quite nicely for a few weeks even in somewhat rough conditions. It's also a lot tastier than hard tack though, so maybe closer to Lembas in that regard.

[@AnArmAndAGreg]

Amazing videos. I wonder what Valinor is like according to Tolkien. Did the surviving members of the fellowship reunite? Does the special dispensation Frodo, Bilbo, and Gimli re ieved to travel to the undying lands grant them elf-like immortality? Thanks again for the amazing LOTR videos.

[@jacobfreeman5444]

Unlikely. It technically just a place like any other. It was special because of those that resided there. The Valor. And it was difficult to get to because the Valor decided to close their borders to men. When godlike being decide you shall not pass...you shall not pass. Elves technically could return at any time but had their own reasons for staying amongst men for as long as they did. This is why when Frodo, Bilbo, and Gimli left for the undying lands they did so with elves. Only elves had that open invitation to return that allowed them to navigate to the undying lands. Of course going west to those lands did have magical and spiritual significance despite being just another parcel of land because of all the wondrous things from the dawn of creation still existed there. The Valor ruled, there were elf tribes there, wonders wrought when the world was still young abound.

[@rikk319]

I believe Tolkien explained in one of his letters that Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, and Gimli died of natural causes or old age--they did not change to immortals, but were able to live out their natural last years in peace and healing. They also likely didn't enter Aman, but resided on Tol Eressea, an island just off the coast. Tolkien mentioned that Valinor's power would likely be fatal to mortal bodies who dwelt there...I'm sure Olorin, Galadriel, and other immortals could come and visit them, though.

[@Kellett781]

When I read the Tolkien books at the tender age of 8 years old, when I got to the first mentions of Lembas bread, I immediately thought of classic fig newtons and the idea stuck.

[@moreparrotsmoredereks2275]

As far as macronutrients go, it would likely be very high in fat. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, while protein and carbohydrates only have 4. So, if it contains a lot of calories for relatively little weight, it would probably have a high fat content.

[@wordsofcheresie936]

Now we're starting to get close to pemmican.

[@ModernEphemera]

His comment that a laboratory would not find anything special about it is similar to language used in explaining the Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation. The same thing is said about the Eucharist, though the the same doctrine nonetheless states it is literally the body of Christ.

[@Pat4th]

My wife makes a pizza that I named Lembas because one small slice of this is enough to fi 6:09 lol a grown man. It’s a deep dish pizza that starts with andouille sausage, Italian sausage, bacon, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni. Next comes a full can of chopped olives followed by a pound of sautéed mushrooms. Next comes what sauce will fill the crust before the cheeses. Mozzarella, Asiago, Parmesan, Colby Jack, and sharp cheddar. When it comes out of the oven then it’ll need to sit and solidify because if it gets cut fresh then it will melt and collapse under its own weight.

[@sercastamere9853]

My personal thoughts: Lembas being an Elvish waybread/ration could well have been made with Miruvor, a magical Elven liquor. Miruvor was most notably mentioned as having been the gift Gandalf received from Galadriel when the Fellowship departed Lothlorien, and which he in turn urged the others to partake in when crossing Caradhras. Anyway, the "fulfilling, sustainting" properties of Lembas lead me to believe there must be a smidgen of magic involved, which may be explained by being made with Miruvor.

[@Blink-Ensu]

Lembas can also be interpretted as a balance of blessing by the gods to counter the corruption of Morgoth/Sauron. A direct line from Valinor, untouched by the corruption of Morgoth on the rest of Arda, to the recipient doing work in efforts opposing that corrupting influence. It helps equal the footing in a minor and subtle way. Empowering mortals to help themselves.

[@jamesimber8955]

The communion bread connection to lembas is probably best understood in terms of typology, not allegory. From a Catholic point of view, the manna is a type (technical term!) of Communion, in that it shares some of the same pattern or structure. Tolkien may therefore have seen lembas as "sharing in the same pattern" as Communion.

[@VYBEKAT]

For some reason I assumed that lembas contained some quantity of potent stimulant drug 😂 I was imagining something like corn mixed with coca leaves😅 Since I grew up eating corn tamales wrapped in leaves for cooking, they sounded dense, nourishing and appetizing. But it was funny to me how the hobbits would eat a bite and instantly feel invigorated and lose their hunger 😮

[@1TakoyakiStore]

I actually mentioned it in the original video but it's worth repeating here. In addition to hard tack there was also another long lasting, yet even more nutritious & calorie dense food during WWI. Called pemmican, it was a compressed block of salted meat, grains, and dried berries if you were lucky, held together by animal fat. It was invented by the Native Americans, and is often sited as to how anyone in the 17th through the 19th centuries could travel for long periods of time without lugging around their own weight in food. It wouldn't surprise me if lembas bread was a synthesis of hometown cakes, hard tack, pemmican, and the eucharist all rolled into one super food.

[@Trindall91]

3:55 - Who's the artist of the illustration on the right? It's amazing!

[@SkepticalChris]

Never forget Hobbits have Tardis stomachs, they are able to eat what would be several times the size of how big you may think their stomachs are.

[@angelopalmieri434]

I feel like Tolkien drew inspiration for lembas from the mana which was gifted to the Israelites when wandering the desert during their exodus from Egypt. Tolkien was after all a Christian so it’s not far fetched. Edit: As I was writing this it was mentioned in the video, glad we are on the same page.

[@JackofDaShadows]

Please put the wheel of time on your channel. Even if the show isn’t living up the book series is incredible…. I need these style videos for the wheel of time…

[@AnonEyeMouse]

Flatbread, cooked and hardened and pounded to crumbs, mixed with beef suet, salt and cloves and once set and dry, soaked in honey, nuts and dried fruit and peel. Wrapped in grease proof paper and again in muslin, bound with twine. My family called it Lorcha cake. I thought it was a Teesside thing or, later, maybe a scottish or Maltese thing. Outside of old family cookbooks I can't find the exact food anywhere. I was convinced it was the origin of Lambass when I first read the books. Even more so in the films dhen you see Legolas nibble some. Lorcha Cake is dense and hard. You chew off a grape sized amount and work it with your teeth and tongue for about five minutes. It starts off sweet and the turns savoury as it co es apart. It will eventually disintegrate in your mouth at which point you wadh it down and your mouth out with water. The strong flavour and hard work to eat it means you are done after two or three bites. Lasted for months. If you swallowed it too soon or whole it could pass all the way through and out and make for a painful crap.

[@franz-georgleopold-pagel3018]

Their is Zwieback in Scandinavia (meaning Backed Twice) und Butterkeks in Germany (Butter Biscituit). It also remainds me of Antidon - a bread that is blessed and given as a suport, but not holy.

[@EmperorCaligula_EC]

Hearing this, I can't once more ponder how very Pagan LotR actually is. And being a Pagan, I mean this in no way derogatory. Lembas is just one more such element. A corn connected to a Goddess, given out only by female sacred people, the world being blessed by the presence of the divine in it, not as some distant outsider God. Even Iluvatar has almost nothing in common with Yahweh, who involves himself so much in the world, where Eru does not. Gandalf, who is so much similar to Odin as Wanderer, Radagast who is more a Druid or Shaman than a cleric or Christian Saint. Lembas stands for the presence of the Divine WITHIN the world, a very Pagan idea, in contrast to the Christian alien-ness of the Divine in relation to the world. The Undying Lands resembling much more the Greco-Roman Elysian Fields than Paradise, the absence of any hell, even the fall-story, like Numenor, much more resemble Punishment against Hubris in ancient myths than this Eden story of "better not knowing Good and Evil". I am not sure Tolkien was aware of it, or even would have liked this comparision, and it is there on so many layers. The Ents as the Living Trees. The list would be long. Lembas coming from Lammas, an originally Pagan holiday; and I daresay it is no surprise that LotR became very popular among new Pagan movements, whereas strict Christians usually are rather negative to any Fantasy and Magic.

[@jamesimber8955]

Thought provoking comment! Tolkien loved Pagan, particularly Norse and Finnish, mythology, and their influence is everywhere in his work. He also had a great sense of the Divine at work within and sustaining the world. I think this is partly why he makes magical elements in his work so subtle: he's describing how primary reality (particularly providence) works at some level. Tolkien's view is derived as much from his Christianity as his Pagan influences though (and historically there was A LOT of co-development and interplay/continuity between the two - Christian theology is at least as much Pagan Greek as at is Jewish at source, and even the latter has strong Pagan influence). A sacrament is literally the presence of the Divine in the world in a special/elevated way - this is essentially what lembas is. The Divine does not separate him/herself from the world, but engages with it as fully as possible, even taking on its nature. Some Christians (Tolkien and me obviously not included!) like to pretend there's a clean break between Paganism and Christianity. But there isn't. One developed into the other. Incidentally, since you mention the Garden if Eden, Morgoth's ring is very close to a traditional Christian understanding of the Fall.

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

now I'm curious what the lembas bread in the films was really made of in real life.

[@ClayTorres69]

Looks like Lembas is back on the menu boys!

[@ToothpikcOriginal]

Thanks for another great video :D

[@Kaiyanwang82]

2:18 I was almost expecting a Max Miller cameo

[@Jebbtube]

Kinda want a video on orc draught now.

[@Tysto]

You repeatedly say “corn” & show pictures of American corn, or maize. He couldn’t resist including tobacco & potatoes in the stories, but I doubt JrrT meant for us to picture elves cultivating maize.

[@jamesnunya7368]

I wonder if you can take Cheerios, smash them, and mix with corn Grits, and Flour to make something similar to lembas bread? Cheerios has vitamins, and minerals, and nutrition. The grits are also good for you too in the same way, but filling !! Add a little flour to bake it, and there ya go!!.. Lembas bread!!

[@bbgun061]

Supernatural is a better word than magical when discussing Tolkein's legendarium.

[@dursty3226]

i'm so glad Tolkien clarified it was wheat, because i can't imagine CORNBREAD being that amazing

[@MichaelRainey]

Look at this goblin over here who's never put honey on johnnycake.

[@dursty3226]

@@MichaelRainey i have, actually. 5/10

[@MichaelRainey]

@@dursty3226 That's okay. I like cornbread. If you've got any you need to get rid of I'll make sure it doesn't go to waste lol.

[@dursty3226]

@@MichaelRainey you got it, dude 👍😎

[@youngtetsuo8271]

When I was a kid, I used to pretend Poptarts was Lembas

[@wordsofcheresie936]

They are, they really are.

[@DIPleasure]

Hi IDG, I have a question about the ring's effects on Gollum. How come it didn't turn him into a wraith like the Nazgûl? I know the one ring isn't the same as the 9, but the way Bilbo describes how it makes him feel makes me think it could and would have turned him into a wraith, so why not Gollum?

[@mr.e1026]

Lembas looks like it was the inspiration for the D&D Unearthed Arcana (2nd Edition) Murlind's Spoon. Stick the spoon in an empty jar at night, and by morning, you have what amounts to a gruel, though tasteless and of the consistency of very wet cardboard, it would take care of all the body's needs. In my Kalar days, when my group was about mid way through the 3rd campaign, one of the characters, playing a wizardress, opted to leave her books in the hands of another, and took her magic dagger (Dagger+3, Wounding properties), this spoon, a decanter of endless water, and a purse of many coins, and set herself up a hermitage to the north of the main player's hub at the time. Kalar was a very superstitious place, and the sorts of magicks and powers she sought were the same ones that would likely have her burned at the stake. Forsaking all of that, she left with the final message: "I have taken upon the slings and arrows of the ingracious and superstitious long enough. My sacrifices have brought me nothing but scorn and ridicule, and as such, I shall leave them to the fates they rightly deserve; as food for the undead, and fodder for the demons. To have their wives raped, and children slaughtered before their own eyes, and having their own hearts ripped from their chest, as they watch it beat the final time before they die the death of a coward." This was a convenient way for the player to say "I'm going into the service, and hence, retiring my character. She can be an NPC from here out, and she did make an appearance later in the game.

[@joelkirtland5125]

Hello, I apologise if this has already been asked, but have you ever considered uploading some of your videos to Spotify? In the form of a podcast or show.

[@PleaseNThankYou]

I agree with your educated analogy of lembas. And while I'll agree that Tolkien cc indeed say he disliked allegory, I truely feel that, had we been sitting there with him when he wrote it, that he was actually be spanking himself for engaging with it. He did dislike it while at the same time fully knowing he was engaging. Like an inside joke on his own claims.