Crafted bythe Dark Lord Sauronin 1600 of the Second Age, the One Ring is intended to bring the entire Middle-earth under his rule by gaining dominance over the other Rings of Power. However, during the War of the Last Alliance, it somehow ends up in the River Anduin and remains there for the next 2500 years until it is discovered by Gollum.
One of the most notable characters who bears the Ring inThe Lord of the Rings, Gollum spends centuries confined in a cave with his “precious”, succumbing to its malignant influence over time. With no remorse for his depraved actions, he is manipulated by it to the point of no redemption. Owning the Ring for over four centuries allows him to live longer than the average 100-year lifespan of a hobbit. He spends most of his long years either under its control or in its pursuit after he loses it.
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How Old Is Gollum in LOTR?
It is believed that Gollum was born around 2430 of the Third Age, and he came across the Ring in the year 2463. In 2941, when he ran into Bilbo Baggins in the Misty Mountains inThe Hobbit, his age is estimated to be 511. This was the point when the Ring had abandoned Gollum, and let itself be discovered by Bilbo in Gollum’s lair so that he could be his new owner.
Despite the fact that he does not hold the custody of the Ring anymore,Gollum continues to live for several more decades. This is because he had worn it frequently for centuries, making him more vulnerable to its effects. As seen inThe Lord of the Rings, he has not aged visibly and is still on the quest for the Ring. At the time of his death in 3019, whenhe fell off the edge of Mount Doomafter having seized it from Frodo, he was 589 years old.
Where Did Gollum Come From?
By the time Gollum was born, the Ring had been lost for thousands of years and seemed nothing more than a myth. His name was Sméagol at that time, and he belonged tothe breed of Stoor hobbits, also known as the river-folk. His early years were spent with his grandmother, the matriarch, and his extended family on the banks of the Anduin.
On his 33rd birthday, he went fishing with his cousin Déagol in the Gladden Fields. After being pulled into the river by a large fish, Déagol discovered the Ring and became its third bearer — but only for a few moments. Immediately captivated by it, Sméagol demanded the Ring as a birthday present. However, Déagol refused, and the two fought over it until Sméagol choked him to death and hid his body.
Sméagol kept the Ring a secret and gradually became corrupted by it, using it frequently to turn invisible and engage in malicious behavior. He sneaked around his village to steal, eavesdrop and aggravate everyone. After seven years of inflicting torture on others, he was ultimately banished from the hobbit-hole.
He wandered around for a few years until he settled in a deep cavern in the Misty Mountains. The Ring had greatly changed his appearance by then, reducing him to a disfigured and repulsive creature. His voice also became raspy, and his constant mutterings and gurgling noiseseventually earned him the name ‘Gollum’. The two personalities of Sméagol and Gollum seemed to co-exist, interacting with each other, although the latter would often succeed in taking control of the other.
By the time he had met Bilbo, he had descended into complete madness, still bewitched by his “birthday present”.
Where Was Gollum Between The Hobbit and LOTR?
When Bilbo escaped from the Misty Mountains with the Ring inThe Hobbit, Gollum did not immediately go after him out of fear of being taken by the goblins outside his cave. After staying two more years there in bitterness and angst, he finally overcame his terror of the light and the Orcs, and descended from his hiding place to search for the Ring.
Without it, the Ringdid not overpower his senses like before, and gave him renewed energy to follow Bilbo’s trail through Mirkwood, and later to Esgaroth and Dale. He overheard the Men of Dale and, after learning about Bilbo and his origins, decided to turn southwards to find him. The Elves of Mirkwood, on the orders of Gandalf (who was concerned about Gollum being captured by Sauron and forced to reveal details about the Ring), were able to track him down until they lost his trail again when he headed to Mordor.
About 30 years later, Gollum reached the borders of Mordor,where he encountered Shelob, the ancient and giant spider whohelps him take revenge from Frodolater on. As he ventured further, he was captured by the Orcs and, as predicted by Gandalf, tortured by Sauron to disclose where the Ring was. He repeated only two words during his interrogation: “Shire” and “hobbits”.
Sauron set Gollum freein 3017, presumably because he felt that the creature might be able to retrieve the Ring. However, Gollum was captured by Aragorn near the Dead Marshes to be questioned by Gandalf about what he had admitted to Sauron. He was then imprisoned in Thranduil’s kingdom in Mirkwood, but managed to escape with the help of the Orcs. At long last, he came upon the Fellowship of the Ring in Moria, finding what he had lost about sixty years ago.
