With LEGO Icons 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire about to launch as the set to rule them all, Blocks is taking a look at some of the references inside…
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” Frodo lamented after finding out he must leave the safe comfort of the Shire in order to destroy his uncle’s ring. Out of all the locations created by Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings, few are as cosy and quaint as the Shire. Built within Hobbit holes, each home is framed by a colourful circular door and has a garden bursting with flowers.
10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire is the biggest LEGO version of this location yet, perfectly capturing the busy lives in Hobbiton. Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine for fans, is unsheathing Sting to go on a quest through some of the Easter eggs within…
A birthday to remember
With Bilbo Baggins being famous for throwing extravagant parties, his 111th birthday celebration is no exception. There’s dancing, music, and a cake that rivals the size of an actual Hobbit. It seems like an inauspicious start to this great adventure – until Bilbo disappears without a trace. It’s then that Gandalf realises who possesses the One Ring and where it has been hidden all this time.
Hobbit hole
Bilbo’s home in the Shire has previously been featured in 79003 An Unexpected Gathering. While that set was cramped and barely detailed, this new version truly does it justice. Bilbo’s home is lavishly furnished with rugs, sofas, food aplenty and a pedestal for his book. It’s wonderful to see There And Back Again take pride of place in this set with a newly printed 1×2 tile for the opening to Bilbo’s memoir.
What about second breakfast?
If there’s one thing Hobbits love, it is food. Pippin and Merry Took are Frodo’s cousins and more widely known as the menaces of Hobbiton due to their food pilfering. Second breakfast, afternoon tea and supper are all essential meals according to this pair. There’s a great little reference to Pippin’s second breakfast as his minifigure is holding an apple – just like the one Aragorn throws hi when he demands more food on the road.
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Out with a bang
Gandalf’s fireworks were absolutely famous in Hobbiton and surrounding Hobbit villages. Sam and Frodo even even mention in a song from the books that they, “burst in either stars of blue and green or in a rain of flowers.” Gandalf also liked naming them quite extravagantly, selling fireworks called elf fountains and thunder claps. And when Pippin and Merry decide to play with fire they end up setting one off in the form of a gigantic dragon that’s amazingly brick-built in this set.
Under the Misty Mountains
Perhaps one of the smallest references in this new set is a little 2×2 tile on Bilbo’s kitchen table. It features a hand-drawn mountain range and a dragon circling the peaks. This is Thorin’s map that’s is activated on a midsummer night under the light of a crescent moon according to Elrond. It’s vital for Bilbo’s adventures during The Hobbit and is a memento of his younger adventuring days.
That’s all we noticed from the official images, but there are likely going to be some more hidden Middle Earth treasures when 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire hits shelves on April 2. Be sure to tag Blocks when you’re building because we’d love to see what eagle-eyed Tolkien nerds find throughout the model!