Gollum

[Melian]

GOLLUM

Intro
It is said that Tolkien, after conceiving that "The Hobbit" may turn into an introduction to a more profound story, had to alter some parts of it. The edit included a chapter called "Riddles in the Dark" and it was meant to explain a happening of a great importance for the bigger story, LOTR.
Gollum, a slimy dark creature, also had to undergo certain changes and he gradually grew up to become one of the chief characters in LOTR.
But was it only the need of the plot? I believe it was not. Tolkien must have realized that to Gollum there was more than met the eye...in fact that there was much philosophy in this character.
For Gollum is a distortion of anyone's soul. Gollum is the dregs and filth even in the brightest mind. He's a grotesque and a warning, a problem and a question. And, most inportantly,one can never consider him an entirely positive or negative character.
So this is the story of Smagol aka Gollum, last bearer of the Ring.

Background

Gollum's history before the Ring is obscure. Not much can be found about his genealogy and the year of his birth is unknown. Assuming he had already been 'of age' at the time the Ring was found, he must have come into the world arond year 2430, but it's no more than a hypothesis.
Gandalf's personal inquries cast some light over some (but not all) vague details of Smeagol's earliest years. From his study can be inferred Smeagol's kinship to the Hobbit kind and a litle something about his lifestyle.

Long after, but still very long ago, there lived by the banks of the Great River on the edge of Wilderland a clever-handed and quiet-footed little people. I guess they were of hobbit-kind; akin to the fathers of the fathers of the Stoors, for they loved the River, and often swam in it, or made little boats of reeds. There was among them a family of high repute, for it was large and wealthier than most, and it was ruled by a grandmother of the folk, stern and wise in old lore, such as they had. The most inquisitive and curious-minded of that family was called Sméagol. He was interested in roots and beginnings; he dived into deep pools; he burrowed under trees and growing plants; he tunnelled into green mounds; and he ceased to look up at the hill-tops, or the leaves on trees, or the flowers opening in the air: his head and his eyes were downward. --FOTR, "The Shadows of the Past"

A few more hints about his 'prime' can be sensed in "The Hobbit", "Riddles of the Dark" when Bilbo's riddles ring a bell in Gollum's mind about long long gone times....well, such as egg stealing and other cherished memories of his above-the-ground life.

But these ordinary aboveground everyday sort of riddles were tiring for him. Also they reminded him of days when he had been less lonely and sneaky and nasty, and that put him out of temper. What is more they made him hungry

No doubt, we can say that his life can be tracked down much easily after the most important event in his life,almost the beginning of his new life...

[Melian]

A Ring Is Found

The hallmark of Smeagol's life is year 2463, shortly after his ?? birthday.
Smeagol and a friend of his, Deagol, hang out at the river bank and dive and swim, when Deagol makes an unusual discovery--a glittering Ring. As reported by Gandalf...

Then up he came spluttering, with weeds in his hair and a handful of mud; and he swam to the bank. And behold! when he washed the mud away, there in his hand lay a beautiful golden ring; and it shone and glittered in the sun, so that his heart was glad. But Sméagol had been watching him from behind a tree, and as Déagol gloated over the ring, Sméagol came softly up behind.

And this is the fatal first sight that turned Seagol's life upside down. The Ring called to him. From this moment on, Smeagol turns into its servant, ready to do anything for it, to keep it,to hold it...Yeah, it called to him, it was his Precious and Deagol ought to give it to him...if not, Deagol had to pay a high price...

- "Give us that, Déagol, my love," said Sméagol, over his friend's shoulder. - "Why?" said Déagol. "Because it's my birthday, my love, and I wants it," said Sméagol "I don't care," said Déagol. "I have given you a present already, more than I could afford. I found this, and I'm going to keep it." - "Oh, are you indeed, my love," said Sméagol; and he caught Déagol by the throat and strangled him, because the gold looked so bright and beautiful. Then he put the ring on his finger. - No one ever found out what had become of Déagol; he was murdered far from home, and his body was cunningly hidden

The murder of Deagol put an end to many things for Smeagol. It put an end to all that he's evr done in his life before, to all that previously had any meaning, to his life in his community, and, it put an end to Smeagol himself.
For from now on he turned into another creature, into a Gollum.
This Gollum was so obsessed by the Ring that it was impossible to live on in this merciless world, it was impossible and unbearable to withstand that Yellow Burning face in the sky...so an exile beagn.
Year 2470 marks the beginning of Gollum's isolation in the Misty Mountains where the Ring consumed all of him.
His 'activities' there included splashing about in the dark waters, conversations with himself/the ring, gulping fish 'alive without breath/as cold as death", loving and hating the precious...

He was Gollum - as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face. He had a little boat, and he rowed about quite quietly on the lake; for lake it was, wide and deep and deadly cold. He paddled it with large feet dangling over the side, but never a ripple did he make. Not he. He was looking out of his pale lamp-like eyes for blind fish, which he grabbed with his long fingers as quick as thinking. He liked meat too. Goblin he thought good, when he could get it; but he took care they never found him out. He just throttled them from behind, if they ever came down alone anywhere near the edge of the water, while he was prowling about. They very seldom did, for they had a feeling that something unpleasant was lurking down there, down at the very roots of the mountain. They had come on the lake, when they were tunnelling down long ago, and they found they could go no further; so there their road ended in that direction, and there was no reason to go that way-unless the Great Goblin sent them ---"Riddles in the Dark"

Well, estimated time he spent like this...440 years.
440 years! They passed as if they were a single day for him, in the forgetfulness of the Precious.
This is the time when an alter ego developed---out of loneliness, out of madness, out of both?!...Gollum eventually lost his likeness to a Hobbit, he became a ghost...a creature of the dark.
And it went on like this until....

[Melian]

A Ring is Lost

As described in "The Hobbit", in year 2941, en route to his adventure with Smaug, Bilbo calls in at the Misty Mountains.
Searching a way out, Bilbo the Hobbit got to know Gollum. And more, they played Riddles in the Dark...a dangerous gambling game which demanded serious concentration from both sides. For Gollum winning it would mean a freash meal. For Bilbo-an (assumed) escape.
The Riddle contest, as all of you are familiar with it, had quite a doubtful outcome. According to riddle game rules, both players were far from fair play...but this is not what concerns this story.
In my view,there are 2 basic points that are of interest here.
One of them is ( as mentioned above) the evidence that gollum belongs to the Hobbit kin.
The other one is huge. The Ring that had decided to leave his current perspectiveless bearer, had slipped from his finger...and came to become bilbo's posession.
The Precious was lost!!!!
Gollum's mind, already well blurred after 440 years intimacy with the Ring, now was entirely damaged.
Bilbo's robbery was a terrible shock, and from now on there was only that acute desire to get the Precious back...to chase the fickle friend that left him by its own will.
A new period in Gollum's life begins--and Gollum certainly has a cause. His creed is to devote his life to the return of hte Ring.
And so came the time of....

[Melian]

Years of Roaming

3 years after he was deprived from his Precious, Gollum obeyed its power and left his abode to find it..
He headed off to Mordor and by 2980 he reached its borders. It's assumed that on this journey he got acquainted to Shelob ( quite a useful acquaintance, yeah he knew this).
What he did in the next 20 years is unknown.
In year 3001 gandalf and Aragorn, well aware of Gollum's part in the events of Doom realized that gollum ahd to be found. Gollum was sought between years 3009 and 3017 with no success. His whereabouts could not be tracked.
But in 3017 he got into Mordor, where he was captured and tortured. He succumbed to the terrible torments and made a confession of all he knew about the ring's new bearer.He was released then.
Gollum had no luck. He was such a wretch that probably his sorrow made him easier to find. Aragorn caught him in the Death Marshes the same year and taken to Mirkwood to Tranduil.
He wouldn't stay in hostage for long,though.
Great events and great years were approaching...

to be continued...(Manveru, thank you darling, you're my precious)

[Melian]

The Great Years: 3018

In June, Tranduil was attacked and it was an opprtunity for Gollum to escape his prison. Off he went. .. Chased by everyone--the dark servants and the Elves alike, the wretch was following one direction---the call of the Ring.
It is said that in his roamings he reached Moia, and that, attracted by its darkness and safety, he went into the mine...waitnig for a better day. However, he couldn't find a way out and stayed there until January next year.

3019

In a few months, in January 3019, the Fellowship appeared in Moria! What an event must it have been for Gollum! The Ring within his reach, his precious so close...He had been on the watch for it for the last 70 years!
Gollum followed the Fellowship through Moria and witnessed their parting from Lorien (hidden on the West bank of Anduin)...
At this time, his dream to get back the ring surely seemed feasible...and it must have appeared even better when the Fellowship broke at the end of February.
It was now or never, he had to catch up with the Ringbeare who was so vulnerable and so alone...there was just one companion with him...but who would stop Gollum, oh my darling, my preciousss, isn't it preciousss?...
February 29. Frodo and Sam meet Gollum at Emyn Muil.

Help and Treason

The last month of Gollum's life is especially interesting.
It conveys mixed feelings and ( at least for me) it provokes much contemplation.
If one just looks at the mere facts, this is what happened next:
Frodo and sam tamed Gollum, he swore to serve Frodo, he swore in the precious to take him to the Black Gate; the Black gate closed and passing through it seemed unthinkable, so he lead them on another path; he lead them through Cirith Ungol; he betrayed them and let Shelob do her deeds...
But ( as you might have already guessed) I'm not much into facts. It's not the facts I'm concerned about in Gollum's character and in tracking his life, there is much more to him than meets the eye.
There are episodes that woudn't remain in a Middle-earth History textbooks...
I'm most struck with Gollum's ambivalent character. It was no sooner these partcular day than Smeagol appeared again.
Gollum's alter ego, deeply concealed all those years, popped uot again. Why? Was it the presence of two Hobbits, two of his kin, that stirred his mind? Was it that strange feeling of closeness between the two Ringbearers? Or his acute senses that made him feel the arising terrible power of the Ring?
On the other hand, the Ring iwthin his grasp...was such a torture. The Gollum in him was not only avid, he was uncontrolable!

Smeagol and Gollum cannot reason. Here's an extract of his monologue with himself that best reveals this separation...Sméagol was holding a debate with some other thought that used the same voice but made it squeak and hiss. A pale light and a green light alternated in his eyes as he spoke.
- Sméagol promised, - said the first thought. Yes, yes, my precious, - came the answer, - we promised: to save our Precious, not to let Him have it - never. But it's going to Him yes, nearer every step. What's the hobbit going to do with it, we wonders, yes we wonders
I don't know. I can't help it. Master's got it. Sméagol promised to help the master
- Yes, yes, to help the master: the master of the Precious. But if we was master, then we could help ourselfs, yes, and still keep promises
- But Sméagol said he would be very very good. Nice hobbit! He took cruel rope off Sméagol's leg. He speaks nicely to me.
- But the Precious holds the promise, - the voice of Sméagol objected
Then take it, - said the other, - and let's hold it ourselfs! Then we shall be master, gollum! Make the other hobbit, the nasty suspicious hobbit, make him crawl, yes, gollum!

(.....)

- No, no! Not that way! - wailed Sméagol. - Yes! We wants it! We wants it Each time that the second thought spoke, Gollum's long hand crept out slowly, pawing towards Frodo, and then was drawn back with a jerk as Sméagol spoke again. Finally both arms, with long fingers flexed and twitching, clawed towards his neck

[Melian]

Anyway, it's well known that poor Smeagol could not endure this fight. So...it was, regretfully, the traitor Gollum who gained an assendancy...although with a strong dose of REMORSE:

Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo's knee - but almost the touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.

But...Mellow Smeagol had gavin in....a few hours earlier this same day in March, when he had visited his old friend Shelob...

Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids. Almost spider-like he looked now, crouched back on his bent limbs, with his protruding eyes. The fleeting moment had passed, beyond recall. - Sneaking, sneaking! - he hissed. - Hobbits always so polite, yes. O nice hobbits! Sméagol brings them up secret ways that nobody else could find. Tired he is, thirsty he is, yes thirsty; and he guides them and he searches for paths, and they say sneak, sneak. Very nice friends, O yes my precious, very nice

O yess, my precious, very nice...cause Gollum had had a brainwave....let Shelob do the dirty job!

Got him! - hissed Gollum in his ear. - At last, my precious, we've got him, yes, the nassty hobbit. We takes this one. She'll get the other. O yes, Shelob will get him, not Sméagol: he promised; he won't hurt Master at all. But he's got you, you nassty filthy little sneak! - He spat on Sam's neck

Shelob certainly got them...howeve, there was a slight hiccup. (Oh!).And Shelob was not of much help in getting back the Ring.The precious passed to a new Ringbearer.
Well, it was hard to believe it...but,having reached so far, what could stop Gollum one more time? One more strain for the precious, now,when it was so close and when it was calling out? Now, tht the nasssty hobbitsess wanted to destroy it?
O no, Gollum would get up and go!

Mount Doom

The final act of Gollum's existence was as dramatic as his whole life.
His last minutes mark his greatest triumph, his wildest joy and unbound happiness. He was so victoriuos! The Precious was his again...for a few seconds.
At the same time, his last minutes mark his greatest fall, wildest anger and unbound malice. He was such a loser! The Precious was his again...for a few seconds.
Gollum's falling into the crack...was at the same time a flight and a fall. Magnificent! In a way I feel this fate of his was actually Tolkien's judgement. Or who knows? Open to interpretation...

Gollum and Frodo were locked together. Gollum was tearing at his master, trying to get at the chain and the Ring. This was probably the only thing that could have roused the dying embers of Frodo's heart and will: an attack, an attempt to wrest his treasure from him by force. He fought back with a sudden fury that amazed Sam, and Gollum also. Even so things might have gone far otherwise, if Gollum himself had remained unchanged; but whatever dreadful paths, lonely and hungry and waterless, he had trodden, driven by a devouring desire and a terrible fear, they had left grievous marks on him. He was a lean, starved, haggard thing, all bones and tight-drawn sallow skin. A wild light flamed in his eyes, but his malice was no longer matched by his old griping strength
Then suddenly, as before under the eaves of the Emyn Muil, Sam saw these two rivals with other vision. A crouching shape, scarcely more than the shadow of a living thing, a creature now wholly ruined and defeated, yet filled with a hideous lust and rage
Gollum turn again, and then with a wild light of madness glaring in his eyes come, swiftly but warily, creeping on behind, a slinking shadow among the stones.
The fires below awoke in anger, the red light blazed, and all the cavern was filled with a great glare and heat. Suddenly Sam saw Gollum's long hands draw upwards to his mouth; his white fangs gleamed, and then snapped as they bit. Frodo gave a cry, and there he was, fallen upon his knees at the chasm's edge. But Gollum, dancing like a mad thing, held aloft the ring, a finger still thrust within its circle. It shone now as if verily it was wrought of living fire
- Precious, precious, precious! - Gollum cried. - My Precious! O my Precious! - And with that, even as his eyes were lifted up to gloat on his prize, he stepped too far, toppled, wavered for a moment on the brink, and then with a shriek he fell. Out of the depths came his last wail Precious, and he was gone

Curtain! Finish! Gollum passed and we should feel relieved, but (there's always a 'but' in such stories)...am I wrong if I say some of us feel a tiny bit of sorrow for gollum? Like a little Frankenstein, this poor little outcast being was not entirely good or bad...so you'll see it's hard to dacide wether he's a tragic, comic, dramatic character.
Thus end s the story of Smeagol aka Gollum, last bearer of the Ring.

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Special thanks to acrhangel Manveru!!!;) :D :)