What is Gollum?

[Lady Galadriel]

I've heard he wasa hobbit, and also a goblin, but what is he really? I'm confused!:confused:

[Lady Galadriel]

I have read the book, and if I missed this I'm sorry, but i just don't get it? He seems so, well, slimy! He really remingds me of E.T. as well:p

[Elvet]

I thought he was a man, from people that lived along the river banks. They had an affinity for water, and got their sustainence
from it . Sort of like fisher-folk. I guess when the ring corrupted him, it drove him to the extreme of watery darkness.

[Nibs]

He was a Stoor, a type of halfling found more south-eastward and dwelling near rivers. His cousin, Deagol, found the ring while swimming. It was Smeagol's (Gollum) birthday, and wanted the ring. He murdered Deagol when he (Deagol) refused. Smeagol discovered the ring's powers and had a heyday, but became an outcast from his own folk. He then left and dwelt in the Misty Mountains.

[Rána Eressëa]

You're correct, Nibs. And the reason he's all slimey is from the transformation the ring had on him all those hundreds of years beneath the mountains and in those dark, wet surroundings. He kind of adapted to the area and also was corrupted physically by the ring.

[Wayfarer]

He was also wet. That tends to make me slippery

[markedel]

He was a fisshhh hunter who disliked nassty fries.

[Wayfarer]

I wonder what his stance on hamburgers would be?

"Greasy! Nasty! Oh, yes, my prescious! Burned by nasty red flames, yes, yes! We don't like catsup, do we, my prescious! Oh, no!"

[Ararax]

deagol was his cousin they shared the same gradndmother

[Arathorn]

Just curious? How does one make a gollum sound with one's mouth/throat anyway? Is it like a gurgle or a burp?

[luinilwen]

perhaps you have read the book, but not thoroughly enough. in the second chapter of fotr "The Shadow of the Past" the history of Gollum and the ring is all there quite plainly. i'm hoping the movie isn't confusing anyone - i can't remember if galadriel mentions what manner of being gollum is in her little prologue :)

[Elf Girl]

I saw a screen shot of Smeagol and Deagol fishing that day, but they cut it out of the movie. They did say that Gollum found it, but they never called him Smeagol.

[Ërendil]

I always thought that he was a corrupted Hobbit! Oh he is isn't he.Doh!

[Ararax]

yes he was a corrupted hobbit hobbits weilded the one ring longer then either sauron or men they seemed, to be most resiliant to its powers

[Arathorn]

Yes it seems that the less concerned with power an individual is, the less it is affected by the One Ring. The hobbits were very petty (men's point of view) in terms of their concerns (meals, parties, etc.) and there was also Tom.

[Ararax]

thats why i think tom was eru or at least a valar because the ring had no power over him he was much more powerful then it, also i would have thought if tom was a maiar then sauron would have noticed if the ring and he joined be senseing a powersurge

[Kwijibo]

Smeagol/Gollum was NOT a Hobbit! He was descended from a race of people who later called themselves Hobbits. Gandalf did say something similar to this in A Shadow Of The Past.

It was Smeagol's birthday and he was fishing with his cousin Deagol. Deagol found the Ring but Smeagol wanted it, so he murdered Deagol and then took the Ring for himself. The Ring turned Smeagol into a mishevious pain in the neck and was kicked out of his little community. That was when he fled to the Misty Mountains and evolved into Gollum as the Ring lengthened his life by over 600 years (according to the movie, I can't remember whether this was said in the book).

You could say he was a kind of mutant Hobbit. That's what my Biology teacher said :D . No really! He was working so he gave us a free lesson, I was stuck on one of the desks right at the front by his desk. I got The Fellowship of the Ring out and he said,
'Lord of the Rings! Gollum, right?' I nodded and then he said 'He a mutant Hobbit, have you got that far yet?' I hadn't, and I was fuming :mad:

[Ararax]

haha i would have shot him, but golum mutated after he got the ring he was a hobbit b4

[Comic Book Guy]

deagol was his cousin they shared the same gradndmother

The word Cousin can also mean simply 'friend', which is used in that context sometimes by Tolkien (Gandalf refers to Radagast as his cousin) so they may not be direct cousins, they are probally related someway or other, like most Hobbits were.

Why is everyone repeating eachothers facts?

[Kwijibo]

Originally posted by Comic Book Guy

Why is everyone repeating eachothers facts?

I guess we're just parrots. Do they have parrots in Middle-earth?

Why is everyone reapeating each others facts? ;)

:D Sorry, couldn't resist! :D

[Ararax]

i maybe wrong about the rand mother part but hobbits in the same family seem to share similer names frodo bilbo aka smegol degol

[FrodoFriend]

Hmmm . . . I find the most provocative post on this thread to be Arathorn's question about how to make a gollum sound. I've been trying for ages!! But it still doesn't sound right!

How is "gollum" pronounced anyway - "go-llum" as in the word "go" or "goll-um" as in the word "golly"? I know in the movie they used the second way, but I've always imagined the first way when I read the books.

[Kwijibo]

I'm sure it said that they were realated as cousins.

They don't always have similar names if they're related - Samwise and Hamfast were father and son!

[Kwijibo]

Originally posted by FrodoFriend
How is "gollum" pronounced anyway - "go-llum" as in the word "go" or "goll-um" as in the word "golly"? I know in the movie they used the second way, but I've always imagined the first way when I read the books.

I thought it was goll-um as in golly. I think go-llum sounds like golem, and that's a kind of statue thing. I probably wouldn't be able to take him seriously if it was the second way.

But I guess the only one who can really tell how it's said is Prof. T himself. And he's dead. Darn :(

[FrodoFriend]

LOL, a profound statement on death - "Darn." I hope people say that when I die! ;) :D

[Jumblefish]

"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, "

i have no idea if this contributes to the subject but i thought , when in doubt turn to the all wise all knowing and all powerfull books. so there you are, he was akin to the fathers of the fathers of the Stoors. So i guess that kinda makes him an ancestor to hobbits.

[Elfmaster XK]

Gollum is cool

I know that's so helpful and you all needed to know.

[Comic Book Guy]

I always believed that the noise was pronouced without using the vowels through your throat, making it 'Gllm'.

[crickhollow]

for those of you consumed by the burning desire to know the correct pronounciation of gollum's name, do not fear, there is hope. there exists somewhere on this planet (probably many places, my local library, for one) a recording of Tolkien reading the riddles chapter of the hobbit. here's a link:

Darn, I don't have the link anymore. but it's chapter five, i think.

[Nibs]

Originally posted by Arathorn
Just curious? How does one make a gollum sound with one's mouth/throat anyway? Is it like a gurgle or a burp?
Do I look like a friggin' Stoor?!? (Don't answer that)

[Wayfarer]

I've alwasy been of the opinion that it was a deep throated gurgling sound.

[markedel]

What isn't Gollum?

:D

[Wayfarer]

A picky eater?

[FrodoFriend]

Actually, he did seem rather picky . . . demands raw meat, won't eat any other food group, is disgusted by culinary preparation of any kind.

[Wayfarer]

Good point...

A brilliant conversationalist?

[crickhollow]

if anyone is still curious, here's a link. Not the one I had before; Nytimes online took that page down. This one actually has more poetry etc, than the first one I had.

http://www.tolkien.karlson.ru:8101/audio/tolk/index.shtml

[crickhollow]

I think JRRTolkien sounds like Cary Grant.

[FrodoFriend]

Ah, so it is "Goll-um" as in "golly". Thanks, crickhollow!

[Nenya]

As to the question of how to make a gollum sound in your throat, I always find that a mouthful of water is handy...

Afterall, Gollum does seem to like water

[crickhollow]

Glad to be of service, my lady." *Crickhollow makes a deep curtsey, tangles her feet together, and falls backwards onto her butt*

Ouch!

[markedel]

Gollum not a good conversationalist

nasty hobbitses

[hectorberlioz]

[QUOTE]How is "gollum" pronounced anyway - "go-llum" as in the word "go" or "goll-um" as in the word "golly"? I know in the movie they used the second way, but I've always imagined the first way when I read the books.[QUOTE]
I know this conversation is over..., but i gotta make a point. If it was pronounced GO-LLUM it would only have one L.