5 Clever Easter Eggs in Rings of Power Only True LotR Fans Have Noticed
If you managed to catch all these by yourself, you can proudly call yourself a true LotR fan.
Despite being accused by some Middle-earth fans of not living up to the high standard of John R.R. Tolkien's works, The Rings of Power is actually filled with Easter eggs and references even for the most sophisticated nerds.
In a new Reddit thread, fans have discussed the Easter eggs that are not as easy to spot if you are not a true fan with good knowledge of the lore. In fact, the mere fact that such references were included in the show might point out that The Rings of Power showrunners knew very well what they were doing and actually did their research.
Animal References
Throughout the first season, three animals are referenced in the show, and those who know Tolkien's works have immediately caught those references. In the first episode, when hunters pass by the Harfoots settlement and one of them accidentally spots a Harfoot, he says it could have been a badger or a fox.
The two species are not random at all. In fact, both badgers and foxes are portrayed in Tolkien's Legendarium as sentient and highly intelligent species. Badgers, according to Tom Bombadil, had once kidnapped him and he hardly made it out after winning in what could be described as a rap battle (and yes, we're being serious).
Meanwhile, a fox was described in The Fellowship of the Ring book as a sentient creature when it literally "thought" it smelled hobbits and even deemed it to be "mighty queer" that as many as three hobbits were wandering in the land.
Last but not least, The Rings of Power has referenced the fact that someone teaches birds to sing their songs in episode 1, when Nori and Marigold are talking. In The Silmarillion, Tolkien wrote that "Nightingales [Melian the Maia, Luthien's mother] went always with her, and she taught them their song". The fact that The Rings of Power mentioned it caused many fans to believe that the show has actually referenced Melian.
Black Speech
The Rings of Power has turned out to be quite accurate when it comes to Black Speech. Few words in the orcs' language can be directly translated to English, but thanks to the fiery inscription on the Elden Ring, we do know how to say "One Ring to find them all".
You know why it might be useful to remember this when you watch The Rings of Power?
"I liked one of the orcs screaming "Gimbatul!" to those under him after Adar gives orders to "find them." "Gimbatul" is one of the only words in Black Speech that we can definitively directly translate to english thanks to the inscription on the Ring. "Ash nazg gimbatul" -> "One Ring to find them" – u/redstar_5
Stone Giants
At the beginning of the show, Galadriel referenced stone giants on the North Moors, which one Reddit user, DarrenGrey, deemed to be a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to a relative of Sam's.
"[...] It refers to Sam's statement about his cousin seeing a "tree-man" beyond the North Moors of the Shire. Many have debated whether this is an ent or a giant (and most who know the lore very deeply would lean on the giant side). So this is a funny little reference to a minor item of contention/discussion in the fandom, and done in such a way that you barely noticed Galadriel said anything about it," the fan explained.
Ethical Dilemma
Besides sneaking a couple of obscure Easter eggs and references, The Rings of Power also appears to be brave enough to address a dilemma that Tolkien himself was uncomfortable with: whether orcs are inherently evil or do they deserve a treatment as fair as any other species.
In The Rings of Power, Adar says that orcs are given souls by the One, and therefore have a right to life just like other people.
"They basically ran with Tolkien's initial idea, that Orcs came from Elves and were also Children of Illuvatar, and tackled the negative implications head on, by conveying that Orcs aren't 'inherently' Evil but still have free will due to coming from Eru, and that Other peoples can be as evil as any Orc," Redditor Yamureska noted.