TME: Gollum

The Tolkien Monster Encyclopedia by Calle Mattsson This page is devoted to all the monsters and races belonging to darkness. Here you will find Orcs, Goblins, Balrogs and many more fearsome creatures.

Gollum Gollum is a nasty little creature, a thief and a murderer. Born as a hobbit named Sméagol (Also referred to as Trahald, Slinker, Stinker, the Sneak) he lived with other hobbits by the river Anduin. One day his best friend found a ring at the bottom of the river. Sméagol killed him and took the ring. The ring became "his precious" and he fled with it into the orc city east of Imladris. After living in total darkness and influenced by the ring (which had been made by Sauron) he transformed from Sméagol to Gollum. No longer a hobbit, he stayed alive in the mountains feeding on fish and goblins until the day he met Bilbo Baggins...

The riddles exchanged between Bilbo and Gollum in The Hobbit

    [Gollum:]

    What has roots as nobody sees,
    Is taller than trees,
    Up, up it goes,
    And yet never grows?                     [a mountain]

    [Bilbo:]

    Thirty white horses on a red hill,
    First they champ,
    Then they stamp,
    Then they stand still.                      [teeth]

    [Gollum:]

    Voiceless it cries,
    Wingless flutters,
    Toothless bites,
    Mouthless mutters.                      [wind]

    [Bilbo:]

    An eye in a blue face
    Saw an eye in a green face.
    "That eye is like to this eye"
    Said the first eye,
    "But in low place,
    Not in high place."                     [sun on daisies]

    [Gollum:]

    It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
    Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
    It lies behind stars and under hills,
    And empty holes it fills.
    It comes first and follows after,
    Ends life, kills laughter.                     [dark]

    [Bilbo:]

    A box without hinges, key, or lid,
    Yet golden treasure inside is hid.      [an egg]

    [Gollum:]

    Alive without breath,
    As cold as death;
    Never thirsty, ever drinking,
    All in mail never clinking.             [fish]

    [Bilbo:]

    No-legs lay on one-leg,
    two-legs sat near on three-legs,
    four-legs got some.                  [fish on a table,
                                                    man on a stool,
                                                    cat gets the scraps]

    [Gollum:]

    This thing all things devours:
    Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
    Gnaws iron, bites steel;
    Grinds hard stones to meal;
    Slays king, ruins town,
    And beats high mountain down.           [time]

    [Bilbo:]

    What have I got in my pocket?           [the ring]