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Gollum

2009-02-08T02:52:56Z

65.2.240.127: /* Portrayal in Adaptations */

{{sources}}
{{hobbit
| image=[[Image:John Howe - Gollum.jpg|200px]]
| name=Gollum
| othernames=Sméagol
| birth=Approximately [[Third Age 2430|T.A. 2430]]
| death=[[March 25]], [[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]]
| parentage=
| location=[[Misty Mountains]]
| gender=Male
| hair=
|}}
Originally known as '''Sméagol''', he was later named '''Gollum''' after the disgusting gurgling noise he made in his throat. His birth can be estimated to have happened around the year 2430 of the [[Third Age]]. His death date is given as March 25, 3019 of the Third Age. His life was extended far beyond its natural limits by the effects of possessing the [[One Ring]]. At the time of his death, Gollum was about 589 years old, a remarkable age for a creature who was once a [[Hobbits|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 which had enslaved him, and he pursued it for many years after he lost it.

== History ==
===Early Life===
Once a [[Stoors|Stoorish]] Hobbit, Sméagol spent the early years of his life living with his extended family under a Matriarch, his grandmother. Around the year T.A. 2463 Sméagol became the fourth Bearer of the One Ring, after [[Sauron]], [[Isildur]], and [[Déagol]]. Déagol was a close relative, and on Sméagol's birthday they went fishing in the [[Gladden Fields]]. It was there that Déagol found a gold ring, after being pulled into the water by a large fish. Sméagol demanded the ring as a birthday present and strangled Deágol when he refused. Sméagol was quickly corrupted further by the ring and, banished by his people, was forced to find a home in a cave in the [[Misty Mountains]]. The Ring's malignant influence twisted his Hobbit body and 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.

He lived in the Misty Mountains for over four hundred years, living on raw [[fish]], which he caught from his small raft, and [[Goblins]], and in later years he found Hobbit and [[Elves|Elven]] food repulsive.

During his centuries under the Ring's influence, he developed a sort of multiple personality disorder: Sméagol, his "good" personality, still vaguely remembered things like friendship and love, while Gollum, his "bad" personality, was a slave to the Ring and would kill anyone who tried to take it. Years later, [[Samwise Gamgee]] would name the good personality "Slinker" (for his fawning, eager-to-please demeanour), and the bad personality "Stinker". The two personalities often quarrelled when he talked to himself (as Tolkien put it, "through not having anyone else to speak to") and had a love/hate relationship, mirroring Gollum's love and hatred for the Ring and for himself.

===Departure of the Ring===
[[Image:Michael Hague - Riddles in the Dark.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Riddles in the Dark'' by [[Michael Hague]].]]
In July [[Third Age 2941|T.A. 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. As [[Gandalf]] said later, it looked after itself, trying to get back to Sauron. After the famous [[Riddle-game|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 - ''"What have I got in my pocket?"'' - 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. As Bilbo ran, Gollum cried out, "Thief! Thief, Baggins! We hates it forever!"

Gollum left the Mountains and pursued Bilbo a few years later, but the trail was cold. He made his way into [[Mordor]], where he was captured and forced to reveal what he knew about the Ring. Gollum was then set free, but caught by [[Aragorn II|Aragorn]], who placed him in the care of the [[Silvan Elves]] living in [[Thranduil]]'s kingdom in [[Mirkwood]]. After a coordinated attack, he escaped into [[Moria]].

===The War of the Ring===
Gollum picked up the trail of the new [[Ring-bearer]], [[Frodo Baggins]], as he and the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] traveled through Moria. On [[January 15]], T.A. 3019 the Fellowship was divided when Gandalf disappeared while fighting a [[Durin's Bane|Balrog]]. Gollum continued trailing the remaining members. It is unknown how he crossed the [[Bridge of Khazad-dûm]], but he came with them to [[Lothlórien]] without their knowing. Gollum, floating on a log, followed their boats down [[Anduin]] to [[Rauros]]. He pursued [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] across the [[Emyn Muil]] when they struck out on their own towards Mordor. Gollum followed them, but after a confrontation in which he bit and nearly strangled Sam, Frodo subdued him. Frodo tied an [[Elves|Elvish]] rope around Gollum's ankle 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 unlikely company, guided by Gollum, made their way to the [[Black Gate]], the entrance to Mordor.
[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Gollum's Debate.jpg|thumb|left|175px|"Gollum's Debate" by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]
Frodo's kindness brought out the "Sméagol" personality, and he made at least some effort to keep his promise. The two had a strange sort of bond from both having been Ringbearers; in Gollum, Frodo saw his possible future, and so wanted to save him so he could save himself.

When the Black Gate was reached and found to be well guarded, Gollum convinced them not to go that way, saying that they would be caught and Sauron would regain the Ring. Gollum said he would lead them south, where he knew of another entrance into Mordor.

Frodo and Sam were caught by [[Faramir (son of Denethor II)|Faramir]], and Gollum followed them. When Frodo allowed Faramir to briefly take Sméagol prisoner, however, he felt betrayed, allowing the "Gollum" personality to take control. Faramir found out that the place Gollum was taking them was called [[Cirith Ungol]]. He then warned Frodo and Sam of the evil of that place.

Frodo, Sam, and Gollum left Faramir and began crossing the pass of Cirith Ungol in the border-mountains of the [[Ephel Dúath]]. Gollum visited the great spider [[Shelob]], because he was planning to betray the Hobbits to her and then get the Ring for himself. When he returned the Hobbits were asleep. The sight of Frodo sleeping nearly moved Gollum to repent. However, Sam woke up and spoke harshly to Gollum, and all hope of redemption was lost. Gollum followed through with his plan and led Frodo and Sam into [[Torech Ungol|Shelob's lair]].
[[Image:Peter Xavier Price - The Stairs of Cirith Ungol.jpg|right|thumb|185px|"The Stairs of Cirith Ungol" by [[Peter Xavier Price]].]]
Just as Frodo warned him, Gollum's betrayal of his oath ultimately led to his undoing, for Frodo and Sam escaped from Shelob's lair and came against all odds to the volcano [[Orodruin]], or Mount Doom. Gollum followed them all the way, seeking a chance to surprise them and take the Ring. When Frodo and Sam had almost reached their destination, he attacked, but failed to get the Ring. Sam, who had hated Gollum on sight, tried to bring himself to kill him, but relented out of sheer pity and disgust, turning his back on the beaten creature.

Moments later, Frodo was standing on the edge of the [[Crack of Doom]], but, unwilling to destroy the Ring, claimed it for himself and put it on. Then Gollum attacked again. The two fought whilst Frodo was invisible and finally Gollum bit off Frodo's finger.

Here Frodo's kindness in sparing Gollum's life was rewarded, for Gollum then teetered on the edge of the great pit, lost his balance and fell in, taking the Ring and finger with him with a last cry of "Preciouss!". Had Gollum not lived to play this final part, there would have been a good chance that Sauron would have regained the Ring, as he knew where Frodo was as soon as he put the Ring on.

==Other versions of the Legendarium==
In the first edition of ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Gollum did not appear quite as wretched or as bound to the Ring. Tolkien revised this characterisation to fit the concept of the Ruling Ring developed during the writing of ''The Lord of the Rings''. Tolkien then explained the version given in the first edition as a lie that Bilbo made up to tell the [[Thorin and Company|Dwarves]] and [[Gandalf]].<ref name="Christensen">[[Bonniejean Christensen]], [[Jared Lobdell]] (ed.), "Gollum's Character Transformation in ''The Hobbit''", published in ''[[A Tolkien Compass]]'', pages 7-26</ref>

==Description==
He is described as being small, with large eyes that seemed to glow, as well as a scrawny neck and soft clammy fingers. He moved like a spider, and several references suggest that he was black in color, though it could be said that it only looked like he was black, as most if not all of the descriptions were in the dark. In ''[[The Hobbit]]'' it is mentioned that he has six teeth, but this statement probably changed in the ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' as he had the ability to give deep bites, and was able to bite off Frodo's finger.

===Personality===
There is some debate about the nature of his impulse to kill Déagol. Some maintain that Sméagol, as a Hobbit, was good at heart, and it was entirely the Ring's doing. But the more popular and perhaps more likely opinion is that Sméagol was harboring dark thoughts to begin with. Their argument bases on several points, including...
# The sight of the Ring at the council or at many points in the journey of the Fellowship did not cause anyone to suddenly murdur someone else.
# It is possible for Hobbits to be evil; for instance, [[Ted Sandyman]] and [[Lotho Sackville-Baggins]].
# In the chapter ''[[The Shadow of the Past]]'', Gandalf mentions that Bilbo was corrupted far more slowly by the Ring because his adventures with it began with an act of mercy, while Gollum began his with murder.

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
<center><gallery>
Image:The Hobbit (2003) Gollum.JPG|<center>''[[The Hobbit (2003 video game)]]''</center>
Image:Lotr-rotk gollum poster.jpg|<center>''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]''</center>
Image:Gollum1 viv lotr.JPG|<center>''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)]]''</center>
</gallery></center>
'''1968: ''[[The Hobbit (1968 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Hobbit]]'':'''
:The narrator refers to Gollum (voiced by [[Wolfe Morris]]) as "Galloom", even though Gollum himself manages to pronounce his name correctly. Gollum's role is based on that of the second edition of ''The Hobbit''.<ref>''[[The Hobbit (1968 radio series)]]'', "[[Riddles in the Dark (episode)|Riddles in the Dark]]"
</ref>

'''1977: ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit]]'':'''
:Gollum is a frog-like green creature, voiced by [[Brother Theodore]]. Here, his "Gollum" noise sounds like muttering instead of swallowing.

'''1978: ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Gollum is depicted as a skinny, dark grey creature, voiced by [[Peter Woodthorpe]].

'''1979: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|Mind's Eye's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:[[Gail Chugg]] provided the voice of Gollum.

'''1980:''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]'':'''
:Brother Theodore reprised his role from the earlier [[Rankin/Bass]] production. Some footage from ''The Hobbit'' was reused to introduce the viewer to the story.

'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Gollum, again performed by [[Peter Woodthorpe]], has the first lines of the play (save [[Gerard Murphy|the narrator]]). He is described as "slimy and as dark than darkness".<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)]], "[[The Long Awaited Party]]"</ref>

'''2001-3: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Gollum is a CGI-motion capture creature voiced by actor [[Andy Serkis]]. He is barely glimpsed in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', where he is voiced by [[Dominic Monaghan]] in absence of Serkis. Gollum becomes a central character in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers|The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''. The groundbreaking CGI character was built around Serkis's voice, movements and expressions, sometimes by using a motion capture suit which recorded his movements and applied them to the digital character, and sometimes by the more laborious process of digitally "painting out" Serkis's image and replacing it with Gollum's. In one such shot in ''The Two Towers'', Serkis' real spittle can be seen emerging from Gollum's mouth.

:In ''The Return of the King'' Serkis himself appears in a flashback scene as Sméagol before his degeneration into Gollum. This scene was originally earmarked for ''The Two Towers'' but held back because it was felt that audiences would relate better to the original Sméagol once they were more familiar with who he became. 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'.

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:Gollum, voiced by [[Quinton Flynn]], is seen thrice: first, in the introduction scene, he is stooping over his precious, dashing away from the camera. He is a creature in colour and clothing much like Jackson's version. He is briefly glimpsed again in [[Moria]], but not more than a dark shape with a green outline can be seen.<ref>[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)]], "3 Passages"</ref> His most important role is in the final stages of the game: he can be seen atop several ridges, and can even be visited on a rock on the shores of [[Nen Hithoel]]. He throws a [[fish]], the "Xiphiidae", at "[[Aragorn II|Ranger]]". This will become the most deadly weapon in the game, and replaces [[Andúril]] in the weapon slots.<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)]]'', "Amon Hen"</ref>

'''2003: ''[[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|Sierra's The Hobbit'']]:'''
:Gollum appears in a cut scene after the level "Riddles in the Dark". Only Bilbo's last riddle - "What have I got in my pocket?" - is shown, after which Gollum spouts out all possible answers in one sentence rather than in three turns. Gollum is a dark grey, hobbit-like creature with seven spiky teeth, who walks on all fours like an ape would, and like his Rankin/Bass counterpart, his "Gollum" noise is a muttering instead of a swallowing. He is voiced by [[Daran Norris]].<ref>''[[The Hobbit (2003 video game)]]'', "Riddles in the Dark"</ref>

== Etymology==
Sméagol's name is [[Old English]] one, from ''sméah'', and adjective meaning "''creeping in, penetrating''". This title was also applied by the Anglo-Saxons to the Biblical Cain, from the story of Cain's murder of his brother Abel in Genesis. This draws a clear connection between the two.

Sméagol's "real" name was ''[[Trahald]]'', of the meaning "burrowing, worming in" or "apt to creep into a hole". In both [[Westron]] and Old English, Sméagol's name is related to [[Smaug]]'s: Smaug's name in "true Dalish" was ''Trâgu'', and the ''Trah-'' stem in Trahald and Trâgu is thus a cognate of the Germanic stem present in both Sméagol and Smaug.

===Pronunciation===
In both the 1981 BBC radio adaptation and in Peter Jackson's films ''Sméagol'' is pronounced as "SMEE-gol", although the placement of the acute accent suggests that the correct pronunciation is "SMAY-uh-gol". On the other hand, in [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s recordings of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' he also pronounced it "SMEE-gol" or "SMEE-AH-GOL", suggesting that ''éa'' should either be pronounced as a long "i"-sound or as a diphthong ''ea'', and not as two distinct vowels "e" and "a". Tolkien had a habit in his writing to put diacritics in varying places, as can also be seen in the name ''[[Eärendil]]'', which also occurs spelt ''Ëarendil''.

{{sequence|prev=[[Déagol]]|next=[[Bilbo Baggins]]|list=[[Ring-bearer]] c. [[Third Age 2463|T.A. 2463]] - [[Third Age 2941|2941]]}} 
{{sequence|prev=[[Frodo Baggins]]|next=''none'' (destroyed)|list=[[Ring-bearer]] briefly, [[March 25]], [[Third Age 3019|3019]]}}

== External links ==
*[http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/329/7480/1435?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=gollum&searchid=1103349387213_18575&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=329&issue=7480 Medical Students Profile of Gollum]

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Ring-bearers]]
[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[de:Gollum]]
[[fi:Klonkku]]

Smaug

2009-02-07T01:02:27Z

65.2.240.127: /* Portrayal in Adaptations */

{{royalty infobox
| image=[[Image:John Howe - Smaug the Golden.jpg|300px]]
| name=Smaug
| othernames="the Golden", "the Dragon Dread"
| birth=Not long before the [[War of Wrath]]
| rule=[[Third Age 2770]]-[[Third Age 2941]]
| death=[[Third Age 2941]]
| age=Nearly 6,000 years
| realms=[[Lonely Mountain | The Lonely Mountain]]
| gender=Male
| race=[[Dragons|Dragon]]
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=Red-gold
|}}
{{quote|Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!|''[[The Hobbit]]'', [[Inside Information]]}}

'''Smaug the Golden''' was the greatest [[dragon]] of [[Middle-earth]] to survive into the [[Third Age]]. In the year 2770, he attacked the [[Lonely Mountain]] and drove the [[dwarves]] out, claiming their treasure as his own. Killing Smaug and reclaiming the treasure was the object of the quest in [[The Hobbit]].

== History ==
When he attacked in 2770, Smaug destroyed the town of [[Dale]] before entering the [[Lonely Mountain]] and slaying all the dwarves he encountered and burning all the towns with massive fires. After securing the mountain, he blocked all but two entrances: the main gate and a secret postern known only to the [[King under the Mountain|King Under the Mountain]]. Unknown to Smaug, the dwarf king [[Thrór]] and other members of the royal family had escaped through the postern, and others were not in the mountain when the dragon attacked. Following the attack, Thrór abdicated and gave the key to the postern to his son [[Thráin II]]. Smaug would remain in control of the Lonely Mountain for 170 years.

In [[Third Age 2850|T.A. 2850]], [[Gandalf|Gandalf the Grey]] -- while spying upon the [[Necromancer]] of [[Dol Guldur]] -- obtained the key and map to the secret postern from Thráin, who had become a prisoner there after being captured in [[Third Age 2845|2845]]. Having discovered that the Necromancer was actually [[Sauron]], Gandalf realized that Smaug would be a valuable ally to the Dark Lord. Gandalf therefore sought a way to destroy Smaug and re-establish the Kingdom Under the Mountain to reduce Sauron's power in the north.

Gandalf recruited Thráin's son, [[Thorin Oakenshield]], to reclaim the mountain. In 2940, at the home of [[Bilbo Baggins]], he presented Thorin with the map and key, and accompanied them on part of their quest. The party reached the mountain in 2941, and they sent Bilbo in through the secret door to investigate. Bilbo stole a small cup from the dragon's vast bed of treasure, sending Smaug into a killing frenzy.

Smaug scoured the mountainside for the intruder, but was unable to find the secret door. Bilbo visited the dragon's lair again when it returned and discovered Smaug's only vulnerability through riddling talk. Smaug left his lair again and smashed the mountainside with strikes of his tail, trapping [[Thorin and Company]] inside the secret passage, but not before the [[Thrushes|thrush]] that lived on the mountainside heard Bilbo describe Smaug's weakness.

Realizing that the men of [[Lake-town]] must have helped the intruders, Smaug flew there and attacked, setting the town aflame from the air. The dragon's scales were impervious to the arrows of the defenders, but the thrush also flew to the town and revealed the bare spot in Smaug's armor to [[Bard the Bowman]], who killed Smaug by firing the [[Black Arrow]] through the vulnerable spot. Smaug destroyed the town when he crashed, then sank to the bottom of the [[Long Lake]].

==Smaug's Conceited Personality==
{{quote|My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!|Smaug, [[Inside Information]]}}

Smaug appeared to be very conceited, and believed in his own invulnerability. The very suggestion that the dwarves might seek revenge upon him sent him into a fit of hysterical laughter. It might be said that it was only his greed and laziness that kept him from continuing to plague the nearby lands. Like all dragons, he loved riddling talk, and revealed his own weakness because of his vanity.

== Treasure ==

Among the items in his possession were the [[Arkenstone]], a cup, and a number of [[mithril]] chain shirts, one of which was gifted to Bilbo by [[Thorin Oakenshield]], and was later to save [[Frodo Baggins]] from the spear of a [[Goblins|Goblin]] captain in [[Moria]].

== Aftermath ==

After Smaug's death, Thorin and Company claimed the treasure as theirs by birthright. This created a conflict with Bard and the Elven King [[Thranduil]] of Mirkwood, who each wanted a portion of the gold as reimbursement for all the damage Smaug had caused their kingdoms over the years. Thorin refused to share the treasure and declared war on both of them. The conflict eventually exploded because they heard news of approaching wargs and goblins. This became the [[Battle of Five Armies]].

== Etymology ==
The name Smaug is a translation of the "original Dalish" '''''Trâgu''''', and is related to the name ''[[Trahald]]'' ([[Sméagol]], also known as [[Gollum]]). According to [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]], the name Smaug is "the past tense of the primitive Germanic verb Smugan, to squeeze through a hole" ([[Letter 31]]).

This reflects his custom to render the language of [[Dale]] with Norse terms.

Others have noted that Smaug has echoes of "smoke" and "smog", though it is pronounced with a long /au/.

==Inspiration==
{{quote|Fafnir in the late Norse versions of the Sigurd-story is better; and Smaug and his conversation obviously is in debt there.|[[Letter 122]]}}

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
[[Image:Rankin-Bass' Smaug.jpg|thumb|225px|Smaug as portrayed in [[Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit]]]]
In the 1977 animated version of ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit|The Hobbit]]'', Smaug was voiced by [[Richard Boone]]. In this version, Smaug's face possesses more mammilian traits, resembling a mix between a cat and a bat. Also, his armor is never mentioned to be fortified by lying on the treasure, but more resembles an extra padding of skin/scales, minus the bare patch.
In the [[2003]] video game release, Smaug was voiced by [[James Horan]].

== See Also ==
* [[:Category:Images of Smaug|Images of Smaug]]

{{dragons}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Dragons]]
[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]