It granted him an "unnatural long life," as Galadriel explained during the opening voice-over to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Of course, when Gandalf speculates about something, you can bet your bottom dollar that it's pretty darn near the truth, but still, it's important to remember that a good portion of the following information is technically never directly confirmed in a greater, narrative sense. This sounds much more guttural and less like a sneezy cough. Survived Frodo tames Gollum, bringing a hint of the old Smagol out of him for a time. Gandalf said 'it wants to get back to its master'; it abandoned Ilsildor, falling off in the water; Gollum Said it wants to return to Sauron. Gollum / Smagol When he survived his encounter with Do you have any evidence for this theory at all? Gollum followed them, but after a confrontation (in which he bit and nearly strangled Sam for the Ring) Frodo subdued him and threatened to kill him with Sting, the Elvish blade that Gollum had apparently recognized by its former owner - Bilbo. There, deep underground, Gollum remains for hundreds of years. The elves initially follow his trail south through Mirkwood, but eventually, they give up. Would the One Ring even work for anyone but Sauron? According to this list, he had the Ring for 478 WebGollum had lost the Ring while squabbling with an imp goblin in the network of caves leading to the lake, though in fact it is more proper to say that the Ring abandoned Sam straight-up hates Gollum. Not surprisingly, after this point, Aragorn remains one of Gollum's most hated enemies. Gollum's status as a creature "not so very different from a Hobbit" underlines another key reason for his extended life. How did Gollum escape from Moria ? - The tolkiens legendarium - Could the gold actually kill The guy just isn't good at building long-term relationships. Gollum while leading Frodo and Sam through Ithilien, in the films. And, of course, the one time he does forge a connection that lasts, it's just about as messed up as it gets. Since (IIRC) he's described as being surprisingly hale and hearty for his age, the Ring probably. He found Hobbit and Elven food repulsive. In "The Two Towers," Sam and Frodo offer Gollum some of their Lembas bread. Is it safe to publish research papers in cooperation with Russian academics? fell in such a ledge in the book, The door is built near a very high ledge on one of the steeper parts of the moutain, maybe 100, 200 ft above ground. One question that just kind of hangs out there, unanswered, is why Gollum is still visible after owning the One Ring for so long. He might have got grip of something or landed on some bushes or While he does get to breathe the free air outside of Mordor for a little bit, Gollum's freedom is only short-lived. He doesn't want the creature around, and he's really tough on the villain. Gollum canoeing in his cave in the 1977 animated film. Why don't we use the 7805 for car phone chargers? J.R.R. This is because a lot of Gollum's backstory comes from a series of patchwork guesses that are made by none other than Gandalf the Grey. Andy Serkis (live-action films)Viktor Smirnov (Khraniteli) In fact, Gandalf recounts that they literally kick him in their frustration and he bites their feet in response. While he attempts to chase Bilbo down and regain his most prized possession, the hobbit manages to escape, leaving Gollum in what can truly be described as the depths of despair. In fact, he begins to call it his "precious" and his "birthday present," and he assuages his murderous guilt by convincing himself over and over again that Dagol should have given the Ring to him when he found it. Take your favorite motor oil (I prefer 5W30) at room temperature and fill a small pail. Hobbit lore traditionally breaks down the original branches of the tiny race into three breeds: the Harfoots, the Fallohides, and the Stoors. There are even a few moments where Gollum and Sam butt heads. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? For instance, he clearly dislikes Gollum and makes up names for the bipolar creature, calling him "Slinker" and "Stinker." Almost immediately, Smagol fell to the power of the Ring, demanding it as a birthday present. He then warned Frodo and Sam of the evil of that place. What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? Wiki User 2009-11-29 20:49:02 Study now See answer (1) Best Answer Copy He might have got Sam tied an Elven Rope around Gollum's neck for a leash, which inflicted great pain on Gollum. He also informs him that it currently resides in a place called "Shire" and is owned by a creature named "Baggins.". The Ring simply acts more slowly, taking years or decades to do what the blade did within hours. And it's there, in the deep pits of Moria, that Gollum finally finds what he's been hunting for decades at this point. . Gollum loves the Ring. But Sam turns out to be too feisty, and he sends Gollum packing right before he takes on Shelob, too. The seeming discrepancy lies within those particulars. This seems extremely speculative; the most obvious route for the Ring to get back to Sauron is via the Nazgl. When the wizard explains Gollum's situation to Frodo, he says, "He was altogether wretched. Serkis reprised his role of Gollum in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in which his appearance is much like that of his portrayal in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is possible, I suppose. Bilbo had aged significantly when he met Frodo at rivendell after being stabbed in the misty mountains. Frodo's kindness brought out the "Smagol" personality, and he made at least some effort to keep his promise. After his escape from Mirkwood, Gollum falls off of the map for a bit. Andy Serkis portrays Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. We're talking about Gollum's servile connection with Shelob. Despite these details, he is generally depicted wearing a loincloth or naked in illustrations and adaptations. This would have made him more determined, more focused and more willing do do whatever was necessary to get it back. What past trials and tribulations drove Smagol into a life steeped in such vice and devilry? During his centuries under the Ring's influence, he developed a sort of dissociative identity disorder: Smagol, his "good" personality, still vaguely remembered things like friendship and love, while Gollum, his "bad" and prevailing personality, was a slave to the Ring and would kill anyone who tried to take it. Gandalf said, when Bilbo found the ring, that it was 'Unexpected'. Before long, he leaves the Misty Mountains once and for all in a desperate pursuit of his "precious.". Gollum did Years after Gollum's death, Frodo would forgive him, as Gandalf had pointed out to him that Gollum was not an evil entity deserving death, but a pitiful being unnaturally and irreversibly bound to the Ring's will, and that Frodo would have almost certainly suffered a similar fate had he kept the Ring. Hobbits are inherently humble creatures, interested in simple comforts and unconcerned with power or rulership. If this is the case, the natural follow-up is why Gollum is still visible five centuries after finding the One Ring. The unlikely company, guided by Gollum, made its way to the Black Gate of Mordor. Why didn't Gollum grow old and die after he lost the One Ring to Bilbo? Throughout this time of increasing isolation, Smagol begins talking more and more to himself. Gollum frames Sam for eating all the food and isolates Frodo before leading him into Shelob's lair, hoping that she will kill him so he can take the Ring. This means the bulk of Gollum's history is dependent on facts that he, himself, reported and then Gandalf assembled into something like a recognizable narrative. Maybe Serkis was reading the script upside down? Which is the most important river in Congo? Bilbo had deteriorated significantly by the time he left Middle Earth, which concurs with this conclusion. For you know the power of that Serkis immersed himself in the Gollum/Smagol split personality. He could not get rid of it. Gandalf is a divine spirit clothed in a mortal form. He was originally using Moria to travel from East to West - he tried to get out via the West Gate, but could not push the doors open. This accelerates its effects and quickly drags him into the depths of evil and corruption, a place from which he is never able to escape, even to the bitter end. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He could still BE old without being directly sustained by the power of the One Ring. Perhaps the best way to think about it was Gollum was driven by his madness to get the Ring. Blue-gray While several members of the Fellowship including Aragorn, Sam, and Frodo become aware of him, they're unable to shake him as they travel down the Great River in the closing act of The Fellowship of the Ring. However, initially, he's too afraid to leave his lake in pursuit. As long as the ring existed Gollum was a slave to it so yes the ring continued to exert its influence over him, Bilbo on the other hand was very much a Hobbit whos life had been drawn out long by the ring but without it age caught up with him. They came against all odds to the fiery volcano Mount Doom. Why does Frodo trust Gollum when Sam In any case, when trying to pronounce Smagol, it should be kept in mind that the pronunciation rules given in the Appendices for The Lord of the Rings are for the Elvish languages, and not for (old) English representing Westron and related languages. One question that still lingers, though, is how this story varies between the books and the movies. How did Gollum survive falling off the ledge in Shelob's cave? His ability to seamlessly flip between evil villain and pitiable wretch, while ridiculously shambling around on all fours, no less, brought Gollum to life for an entire generation of Middle-earth fans. The question is, why is Gollum so corrupted by the Ring when someone like Frodo or Bilbo isn't? Horizontal and vertical centering in xltabular, Can corresponding author withdraw a paper after it has accepted without permission/acceptance of first author, Extracting arguments from a list of function calls, one or more moons orbitting around a double planet system. The elves initially follow his trail south through Mirkwood, but eventually, they give up. It isn't until Gollum betrays Frodo to the clutches of Shelob that they finally come to blows. Gollum eventually left the caves to go after Bilbo, but instead discovered the Stairs of Cirith Ungol and Shelob (the giant spider). Gandalf comes to the same conclusion in "The Fellowship of the Ring." It doesn't take long for Smagol to realize that his new ring makes him invisible. All things considered, it seems like one could say with confidence that Gollum loves the Ring. Another thing we all may want to consider is that each character may have had other forces in play sustaining their lives as they had "roles" to pl By this time, Aragorn has been hunting Gollum as a favor for his friend Gandalf for quite a while, and he'd actually given up the search and was heading back home when he accidentally stumbled on the slimy creature's trail. Smagol's curious mind, combined with his gravitationally directed interests, lead him to obsess over things like diving into deep pools and tunneling and burrowing into the earth. Arwen would have only left Rivendell a few weeks after the Ring was destroyed to travel to Minas Tirith, but when she got there she commented. His loss of the Ring and the events of The Lord of the Rings are separated by around 77 years. Around the year 2463, Smagol became the fourth Bearer of the One Ring, after Sauron, Isildur, and Dagol. Lighting Requirements RELATED: Sauron's One Ring Wasn't Lord of the Rings' First Jewelry to Start a War. He can't bear to be parted from it. What Kept Gollum Alive After Losing the Ring? That would move him far closer to the shadow realm than Bilbo: essentially immortal but not yet permanently enslaved to Sauron's will. Bilbo Baggins carries the Ring for decades -- retaining seemingly preternatural youth the entire time -- only to find it all catching up to him in a few months once he lets it go. On the contrary, he had no choice in the decision. After all, the Black Riders wore their Rings of Power for centuries and they turned permanently invisible. Talk about petty. Gollum visited the great spider Shelob, child of Ungoliant, because he was planning to betray the hobbits by turning them to Shelob for food and then take the Ring for himself. He pulled it out only when he wished to avoid someone -- notably his sour relations, the Sackville-Baggins -- or to play a prank as he did during his birthday party at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. For the sake of further examining the thought of Smagol living with no Ring in the world, what is your answer ignoring this? He was also very good at not being seen and was an excellent waterman making use of anything that could float which made it possible for him to follow the Fellowship for so long. In the books, some of this is still true, but some of the details are quite different. Assisted by Orcs he escaped them, and set off looking for the Shire. However, there are several other versions of the character that have been adapted for both film and radio. WebAfter being exiled from his family of Stoors in the late twenty-third century of the Third Age, Gollum sought shelter from the Sun under the nearby mountain range, the Misty After the infamous Riddle Game, during which Gollum was unaware of his loss, Gollum refused to show Bilbo the promised way out and plotted to murder him. Thanks for contributing an answer to Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange! He deprives Gollum of food and water until the creature is broken by hunger and thirst. The One Ring originally hid itself from Gollum because he was happy to keep it underground with him, and he had no impulse to take it to Sauron; why would Gollum suddenly be willing to take the One Ring to Sauron now, instead of scurrying back beneath the Misty Mountains for a few hundred years more? How much is a biblical shekel of silver worth in us dollars? why would the ancient Greeks have Worshipped Demeter. He also finds a large, isolated tree that he particularly loves to climb. The scene ends with Frodo literally sending Sam home and continuing on with Gollum which is complete rubbish. fall In both Westron and Old English, Smagol's name is related to Smaug's: Smaug's name in "true Dalish" was Trgu, and the Trah- stem in Trahald and Trgu is thus a cognate of the Germanic stem present in both Smagol, and Smaug (with a meaning of squeezing through a hole.). But well documented that Sauron's will was alive in it & needed it to return in physical form. How did Gollum trip into the lava at Mount Doom? : Gollum eats fish. When Frodo brings up the Ranger during a conversation in The Two Towers, it says that "an evil light came into [Gollum's] eyes at the naming of Aragorn." Agreeing to the oath, Gollum swore by the "Precious" itself as the Ring was treacherous and would hold Gollum to his word, so Frodo released him to show them the way to Mordor. This doesn't appear to impact the anti-aging effects of the Ring, either. There's no doubt that "The Lord of the Rings" has plenty of offbeat characters. Later on, as he wanders in search of the Ring, rumors pop up about a creature that drinks blood and raids nests, holes, and cradles for food. There, he spills the beans, revealing to the Dark Lord that the One Ring has been found. Also Bilbo after destruction of Cookies help us deliver our Services. When Bilbo gives up the One Ring in Lord of the Rings, he ages very quickly, but Gollum doesn't. Gollum lost the Ring in TA 2941 and died at Mount Doom in TA 3019, so he lived 78 years after he lost it. A creature of habit, it doesn't take long until he finds his way back into the underbelly of the Misty Mountains, this time via the abandoned dwarvish city of Moria. In "The Hobbit," the sound is described as "a horrible swallowing noise in his throat." Like any good biography, Gollum's backstory is a fascinating one filled with interesting relationships, mysterious intrigue, violent murders, desperate betrayals, and a hefty dose of disgusting, slimy subterranean activity. This subreddit is a space for the Tolkien nerds of reddit to debate and discuss the whole Tolkien mythos. These all have their changes, too. Height @DavRob60 The book opens with Bilbo celebrating his eleventy-first birthday, which is already fairly old in hobbit terms. Answers shouldn't be total speculation, they should have some basis in the books. Before Andy Serkis ever donned his motion-sensing garb, Tolkien was busy rewriting his slimy creation to better fit his growing tale. It only takes a minute to sign up. He appeared to be an old, deformed, and twisted creature. Obviously the destruction of the Ring was already having the effect that Gollum also alluded to when he said. Looks like centuries spent in isolation can mess with your taste buds. Christopher compiled, edited and emended the stories released posthumously, but his father wrote them. He lived in the Misty Mountains for over four hundred years, living on raw blind fish (which he caught from his small row boat), bats, and, occasionally, small Goblins. He keeps it secret and quickly decides to use his new ability for some not-so-savory activities. Gorbag and Shagrat describe him as a dark fellow. The Limehouse Golem In the movies, the character says "Gollum" with a dry, cough-like delivery. The ring allowed Gollum to possess the ring, for a very long time, (really, possessing him). In a manuscript written to guide illustrators to the appearance of his characters, Tolkien explained this by saying that Gollum had pale skin, but wore dark clothes and was often seen in poor light. Gollum, feeling torn between the immediate fiery fear before him and the much bigger fear of distant Sauron, flat-out refuses to share any more information. More than likely, the lure of Sauron, the Ring's maker, begins calling him even more than the Ring itself, and eventually, he's captured and brought to Sauron's Dark Tower to be interrogated. Hi, welcome to SF&F. Would you sink and drown in the lava or get burned to death on the surface before you could go under?. TA 2430 He manages to capture his prey although only after Gollum bites him in self-defense and then Aragorn roughly leads the miserable wretch back to Mirkwood. It also says that Gollum "had promised to bring her food.". But it turns out that those words are only half correct. Quora He was hungry and still liked to eat people, but he wasn't much worse than anything else that Bilbo faces on his epic adventure. It had a 'will of its own', from Sauron, to reunite, to permit Sauron to return in physical form. After being held as a prisoner in Mordor for who knows how long, Gollum finally escapes his captivity (although it's later assumed that he was allowed to do so). We'll keep the comparison to Tolkien's original material and Peter Jackson's iconic films. Gollum possessed the Ring for over 500 years before losing it to Bilbo during the events of The Hobbit. Would the One Ring created by Sauron make a mortal creature immortal? We know that he killed and ate young orcs (goblins) for centuries when he lived beneath the Misty Mountains. Naturally, this evil growth in his behavior has negative side effects on his relatives. Taking pity, Frodo made Gollum swear to help them. Why the change? Welcome to r/tolkienfans! Gollum said he would lead them south, where he knew of another entrance into Mordor, in which Frodo complied, despite Sam's suspicions. He was utterly corrupted. Gollum falling into the fires of Mount Doom with the Ring was neither Gollums choice, nor an accident. The two Hobbits never part ways, and while Frodo pities Gollum, he never ever would choose the gangly villain over his trusty gardener. The decision to include this scene meant that Gollum's face had to be redesigned for the second and third movies so that it would more closely resemble Serkis'. Good question. While Gollum remains fairly reticent throughout the interrogation process, he breaks when Gandalf threatens him with fire.
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