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| Gollum | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Sméagol, Stinker, Slinker |
| Affiliation | Fellowship of the Ring |
| Language | Stoorish |
| Date of birth | TA 2430 |
| Date of death | March 25, TA 3003 |
| Physical Description | |
| Race | Hobbit (Formerly) |
| Gender | Masculine |
| Culture | Stoors (River-Folk) |
| Hair color | Thin, lank |
| Eye color | Blue-gray |
| Skin color | Light gray |
| Family | |
| Family | Déagol (cousin) |
| Parentage | Trahald |
| Spouse | Undómiel |
| Children | none |
| Lord of the Rings film trilogy | |
| Actor | Andy Serkis |
Gollum, originally known as Sméagol, was at first a Stoor, one of the three early Hobbit-types. The name Gollum was derived from the sound of his disgusting gurgling, choking cough. His life was extended far beyond its natural limits by the effects of possessing the One Ring. At the time of his death, Sméagol was about 571 years old, a remarkable age for a creature that was once a Hobbit, but he had been deformed and twisted in both body and mind by the corruption of the Ring. His chief desire was to possess the Ring that had enslaved him, and he pursued it for many years after Bilbo Baggins found it while living in the Misty Mountains.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Sméagol was a member of the Stoorish Hobbits who migrated to the Gladden Fields and became one of the riverland people under a Matriarch. Sméagol was the Matriarch's grandson and spent the early years of his life living with his extended family during the Watchful Peace, when Sauron was in the East. After turning 30 in TA 2460, Sméagol met Undómiel, one of the Silvan Elves that lived in Greenwood the Great. Sméagol and Undómiel eventually got married that year. However, in the year TA 2464, on his birthday, Sméagol spent most of the day with his cousin Déagol, and they went fishing in the Gladden Fields north of the mountains. It was there that Déagol found a gold ring, after being pulled into the water by a large fish. Almost immediately, Sméagol fell to the power of the ring and demanded it as a birthday present. When Deágol refused, Sméagol promptly went into a barbaric rage and fought with Deágol over the ring and strangled him to death and took the ring as his own. After killing his cousin, Sméagol became the fourth Bearer of the One Ring, after Sauron, Isildur, and Déagol.
After this event, he started to make a gurgling sound from his throat; for this his family called him "Gollum". While his elven wife was trying to help him and cure the madness out of him, Sméagol's family and every Hobbit in the Gladden Fields banished him for murdering Déagol. After his banishment, Undómiel tried to take him back to Greenwood in order to help him, but since Sméagol was quickly corrupted further by the ring, he fled from her. Eventually, Undómiel would kill herself while Sméagol found a home in a cave in the Misty Mountains. The Ring's malignant influence twisted his Hobbit body, as well as his mind, and prolonged his life far beyond its natural limits. He called it his "Precious" or his "Birthday Present," the latter as a justification for killing Déagol. Gollum lived longer than any other Hobbit could, and for over four hundred years he managed to live on raw fish, which he caught from his small raft, and Goblins from the nearby Goblin-town. In later years he found Hobbit and Elven food repulsive.
Departure of the Ring[]
Sometime in July TA 2941, during the Quest of Erebor, the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins stumbled upon the subterranean lake on which Gollum lived and found the Ring. Gollum had lost the Ring in the network of caves leading to the lake, though in fact it is more proper to say that the Ring abandoned Gollum, for it was known to have a will of its own. After the famous Riddle Game, during which Gollum was unaware of his loss, Gollum refused to show Bilbo the promised way out and plotted to murder him. When he went to get his "birthday present," however, he found that it was gone. He suddenly realised the answer to Bilbo's last riddle and flew into a rage. Bilbo inadvertantly stumbled across the Ring's power of invisibility as he ran, allowing him to follow Gollum to the entrance of the cave. There, Bilbo at first thought to kill Gollum, but was overcome with pity, so he jumped over him to escape. He did not immediately follow Bilbo out of fear of being caught by the goblins, and so lingered in his cave.
Search for the Ring[]
Gollum eventually left the Mountains and pursued Bilbo a few years later, but the trail was cold. He made his way south into Mordor where all evil was being drawn at the time, discovering the secret stair located near Minas Morgul and surviving an encounter with Shelob. He was captured on his return and taken to the enemy's stronghold and forced to reveal under intense torture what he knew about the Ring. Gollum was then strangely freed, as he shows no particular loyalty towards Sauron. By TA 3002, Gollum was suddenly caught by Aragorn, who turned him over to Gandalf. The Wizard managed to interrogate him and learned parts of the history of the Ring which he had not previously known. He placed him in the care of the Silvan Elves living in Thranduil's kingdom in Mirkwood. Assisted by Orcs from Mordor, he escaped them, and set off looking for the Shire. He passed through Moria, but could not open the Doors of Durin. Seemingly, he then just waited there until he got lucky when the Fellowship of the Ring passed through. However, as Frodo was a ring-bearer he might have foreseen the passing of the ring.