In the original published version of his text, Gollum was a happy-go-lucky character, who wanted to play the game just for fun. So why did Tolkien change it into the sinister and life-threatening version of modern day?

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Tolkien had a difficult journey to writing the Lord of the Rings, after the hobbit was so well received. The went through several re-writes for the sequel and many characters changed, including Aragorn and Gandalf, until he eventually settled on the dark and gritty tone of the trilogy. However, these books were very different from his first work. ‘Riddles in the Dark’ is a core chapter in the hobbit, because it is how Bilbo comes into the possession of the One Ring of power.

All hobbits are good at riddles, having a love of language and songs, and as both Bilbo and Gollum are different types of hobbits, it makes sense that this would be a good way for them to find common ground. But in the version Tolkien first created, Gollum is excited to play the game, and when he loses, he is sad that he cannot reward Bilbo with the prize of the ring, because he has lost it. Unbeknownst to him, Bilbo has already found the ring at this point, but Gollum is disappointed to not be able to present him with it, because hobbits also love giving gifts.

But when the Lord of the Rings was written, Tolkien felt that the ring had more of a sinister voice, and needed to be something that was coveted. After his own experiences in WW1, Tolkien wanted to show how futile and cruel war can be, and so he needed to create a purpose for a war to be fought over. So the evil lord’s dominion over Middle Earth and his connection to the ring were established. He then had to go back and change the character of Gollum, turning him into a much more threatening and tricky creature, due to his long exposure to the dark power it possessed.

There are many magical objects within Middle Earth, including the Palantiri, the seven seeing stones that the Numenoreans brought over from the blessed lands, and the elvish chain that the ring is carried on so that it cannot betray it’s bearer and escape back to its master. But above all of these is the one ring, so potent and horrendous is it’s malice that the characters of all those who have encountered it needed to reflect this.

However, the kinder, funnier personality that Gollum was originally written with can be seen in his counterpart - Smeagol. This was the way in which Tolkien managed to keep some of the elements that he had already created, and actually add depth to Gollum’s disposition. In Smeagol, the audience can see the loyal nature that the hobbit once had, and his more innocent traits, like when he sings a river song whilst he is catching a fish at the forbidden pool of Faramir’s rangers.

This is a creative addition by Andy Serkis, who played him in the film adaptations, but it is the perfect way to reflect the kinder nature Gollum had in the original writing of the book. The problem was that the first version, with Gollum as a more amicable character had already been published, so to get around this, Tolkien had Bilbo lie about the way he received the ring. He told everyone that Gollum had given it to him as a birthday present, but Gandalf always remained suspicious. Then at the council of Elrond, he states “I will now tell the true story, and if some here have heard me tell it otherwise, I ask them to forget it and forgive me.” He then tells them the amended version that appears in the modern copies of The Hobbit, that Gollum tried to kill him rather than leading him safely out of the mountains as the tale was first drafted.

Many Lord of the Rings fans love the gritty nature of the books, which became some of the most pioneering in fantasy history, and enjoy the duplicitous nature of the creature. It adds to the allure of the ring, and also makes the audience more sympathetic to the hopes that those who have been infected by Sauron’s will can be freed of it. Unfortunately, this is rare and hard done, as the ring often prevents its bearer from ever forgetting its presence to the point where they cannot eat, sleep, or fall in love without yearning for the golden object. That is why Frodo ultimately goes to the Undying Lands where he can finally rest in peace.

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