Gollum

I Once Was A Hobbit – Part Three

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Hail and well met friends!

Last week when we left off, Gollum had told Sam and Frodo about another way into Mordor that was safer then crossing the Black Gate. This entrance was to the South and even though Frodo agreed to go, Sam was quite suspicious of Gollum’s actions.

gollumfishie_nasFinding the Stairs of Cirith Ungol.

During this change in direction to find this new passage to Mordor, Frodo and Sam were captured by Faramir, and Gollum quickly followed  In doing so, Frodo allowed Faramir to take Gollum prisoner, and Faramir found out that the place Gollum was taking the Hobbits was Cirith Ungol and he warned Frodo and Sam of the great evil that dwelt in that place.

cirith-ungol-leeThe Hobbits, and Gollum chose to leave Faramir and crossed the Morful Vale which brought them to the “Stairs of Cirith Ungol” which stood near the border mountains of Ephel Duath. Gollum was planning to betray the hobbits and had devised a plan to visit the great spider Shelob, the child spider of Ungoliant.  His plan was to deliver the Hobbits to Shelob for food and steal the “Precious” back for himself.  How Gollum managed to forge an alliance with Shelob is quite remarkable, as she was known for devouring and killing everything that came in her sight. When he returned from his devious onslaught the Hobbits were asleep. While Gollum watched Frodo sleeping it almost brought him to stop his plan…. However, Sam woke up and began speaking harshly to Gollum which brought back the hatred and Gollum chose to follow through with his plan and led Frodo and Sam into Torech Ungol.

Just as Frodo warned him, Gollum’s betrayal of his oath ultimately led to his demise, as Frodo and Sam escaped from the Great Spiders lair and Cirith Ungol. They made it to Mount Doom, but still Gollum followed them seeking his chance to surprise them and take the ring back.  Frodo and Sam had almost reached the peak of the Volcano and Gollum attacked them but failed to get the ring.  Sam, almost killed Gollum but couldn’t due to pity and disgust for the creature.

download (5)Gollum’s Fiery Death

Once Frodo reached the Crack of Doom which was the heart of the Volcano, he chose not to destroy the ring but instead claimed it for himself and put it on. Gollum then attacked the hobbits again and knocked Sam out with a rock while Frodo was invisible. But Gollum was able to track his footprints and jumped on Frodo. The two fought and finally Gollum bit off Frodo’s finger with the ring on it.  He finally got his “Precious” back but Gollum then teetered on the edge of the great pit, lost his balance and fell in, taking the Ring and finger with him along with a final cry of “Precious!”. The ring was burned in the molten magma with Gollum dying with it as well.

Years after Gollum’s death, Frodo would finally forgive him, as Gandalf had told Frodo that Gollum wasn’t actually an evil being that deserved his death, but was only a poor being, bound to the Ring’s will, and that Frodo’s fate would be like Gollum’s if he kept the Ring. For if Gollum did not stay with Sam and Frodo to the end of Mordor, Frodo’s choice not to destroy the Ring would have brought Sauron to it, and all good in the world of Middle-earth would have disappeared.

As we wrap up one of the most iconic characters in Middle Earth, stay tuned next week as we pick up with a brand new lore series.

Until next week, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell

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I Once Was A Hobbit – Part Two

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misty_printIn a Desperate Search for Precious

Gollum eventually left the Misty 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, but caught by Aragorn, and interrogated by Gandalf, who placed him in the care of the Silvan Elves living in Thranduil’s kingdom in Mirkwood.  Assisted by Orcs he escaped the elves, and slipped out to search for for the Shire. He passed through Moria, but could not make it out of the East gate. He was stuck and waiting, but got lucky when the Fellowship passed through.

poort1Finding the Fellowship

Gollum met and started following the Fellowship in Moria, and was spotted and heard by Frodo several times during that journey.  The Fellowship was divided when Gandalf disappeared while fighting a Balrog. Gollum continued following the remaining members of the Fellowship. It is unknown how he crossed the Bridge of Khazad-dum, but he came with them to Lorien without their knowing.  Gollum followed their boats down Anduin to Rauros and pursued Frodo and Sam across the Emyn Muil when they decided to make the journey to Mordor on their own. Gollum followed them, but after a confrontation with Sam in which Frodo finally stopped him and threatened to kill him with Sting, which Gollum recognized from his encounters with Bilbo.

03_KALUTA_01Frodo decided it best to tie a rope around Gollum’s neck for a leash, but the mere touch of the rope pained him. Taking pity on the wretched creature, Frodo made Gollum swear to help them. Agreeing to the oath, Gollum swore by the “Precious” itself and Frodo released him. The three of them then made their way to the Black Gate of Mordor.  Upon arriving the Black Gate they found it well guarded, Gollum convinced them if they went this way they would surely be caught and Sauron would regain the Ring. Gollum knew of another way farther to the South, another way into Mordor that was safer.

We shall pick up in the next episode and find out what happens with the journey to the South and supposed safer entrance into Mordor.

Until Next Week, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell

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I Once Was a Hobbit

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Hail friends!

This week we continue in our lore series of villains in Middle Earth.  We are taking a look at a very mysterious creature.  I hope you enjoy the story!

a-08The Corruption Takes Place

Once a predecessor of the Stoorish Hobbits, Smeagol spent the early years of his life living with his family under the Matriarch, which was his grandmother.  Around the year 2463 in the third age, Smagol became the fourth Bearer of the One Ring, after Sauron, Isildur, and Deagol, who was his cousin.  On Smeagol’s birthday, his cousin and him went fishing in the Gladden Fields north of the mountains.  It was there that Deagol found a gold ring, after being pulled into the water by a large fish.  Almost immediately, Smeagol fell to the power of the ring and demanded it as a birthday present.  When Deagol refused, Smeagol promptly went into a panicked rage and began fighting with Deagol over the ring.  Smeagol was so engulfed with rage he strangled his cousin to death and finally took the One Ring.  For seven years Smeagol was corrupted by the ring and finally banished by his people…he was forced to find a home in the nearby Misty Mountains.  The Ring’s malignant influence twisted his body, as well as his mind, and prolonged his life far beyond its natural limits. He called the ring his “Precious” or his “Birthday Present,” the latter as a justification for killing his cousin.

121217_r22934_p465A Home in a Cave

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 Goblins when he could get them as Goblin City was very close to his home.  In later years, he found Hobbit and Elven food completely repulsive.

During his centuries under the Ring’s influence, he developed a sort of dissociative identity disorder: Smeagol, being his former hobbit personality, still vaguely remembered things like friendship and love, while Gollum, his now corrupted personality, was a slave to the Ring and would kill anyone who tried to take it. Years later, Samwise Gamgee gave him the nicknames, “Slinker” (for his eager-to-please demeanor), and “Stinker” for his corrupted personality.  His two personalities often argued when he talked to himself and he had a love/hate relationship, which mirrored Gollum’s love and hatred for the Ring and for himself.

In the year 2941, during the Quest of Erebor, Bilbo Baggins stumbled upon the lake on which Gollum lived and found the One Ring.  Gollum had lost the Ring while squabbling with an imp goblin in the caves leading to the lake, though in some fact it is thought that the ring abandoned Gollum, as it was known to have a will of its own. As Gandalf says later, it looks after itself, trying to get back to Sauron.  After the infamous Riddle Game that Bilbo played with Gollum and in beating him, Gollum refused to show Bilbo the promised way out and had plotted to murder him. When he went to get his “Precious,” he found that it was gone. He suddenly realized the true answer to Bilbo’s last riddle—”What have I got in my pocket?” – breaking into a rage he began to chase Bilbo into the tunnels. Bilbo stumbled across the Ring’s power of invisibility as he ran, allowing him to follow Gollum to the back entrance of the cave and make his way out safely.

We shall pick up next week and continue our episode to find out what happens with Gollum and the Ring!

Until then, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!

 

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