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hobbitmom
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Post Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: October 17, 2003 12:38
The reason Smeagol was nick-named Gollum was because of the horrible sound he made deep in his throat. What I want to know is, Why does he make that sound? He sounds like he's about to throw up . My daughters cat sounds like that when he's about to up chuck a ferball, sorry :dizzy:. I can't find any place in the books that tells why Smeagol/Gollum makes this deep sound. Can someone help .
[Edited on 25/11/2003 by hobbitmom]

[Edited on 28/12/2007 by cirdaneth]
Elven_Redwood
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: October 17, 2003 01:24
He kept the ring secret, and used it to help him find out secrets to put to evil uses. Eventually to started stealing and was shunned by his family. He had started muttering, and gurgling in his throat, and it was then people started to call him Gollum. His grandmother exiled him from the family to keep the peace.
This is from Elrond's Library; it seems to me that it was an effect of the ring starting to take hold of him, or something like that... What do you think? :dizzy:
Este
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: October 17, 2003 09:14
Good question...I guess it was the effect of the Ring,combined with his sneaky personality...Maybe it made his muttering slowly turn into that wierd sound...Who knows?:dizzy:

Interesting you mentioned that ˝cat choking the furball thing˝,it`s the same thing that inspired Andy Serkis in making Gollum`s voice.
k
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: October 18, 2003 08:21
nervous habit?? or perhaps a middle earth form of tourettes

seriously though, um i always imagined the "gollum" sound he made to be rather softer than it was in the films. more like a throat clearing sound really, than a distinct word.. which is what the gollum in the films sounded like.

have you ever come across people who habitually put "right" at the end of thier sentances, or clear thier throat, or start a sentance with um.. all the time i figured it was kinda like that... just habit- and i should imagine a 500 year old habit becomes very hard to break
theniece
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: October 20, 2003 02:42
He kept the ring secret, and used it to help him find out secrets to put to evil uses. Eventually to started stealing and was shunned by his family. He had started muttering, and gurgling in his throat, and it was then people started to call him Gollum. His grandmother exiled him from the family to keep the peace.
This is from Elrond's Library; it seems to me that it was an effect of the ring starting to take hold of him, or something like that



I agree with you, Elven_Redwood. It was actually when the Ring began to first get hold of him, that he started acting weird, talking to himself and doing nasty things. Then when he was exiled from his home, he grew extremely lonely. Moreover, the Ring gave him prolonged life, and after a while, he just imagined he was talking to two people. *Spoiler* Remember in TTT, when they were sleeping, (can't rmb which scene) and he was talking to himself. Or maybe because of his age, his voice just naturally changed.
hobbitmom
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: October 20, 2003 12:51
Yes, we all know that he was lonely, and had a prolonged life and talked to himself . I mean, theniece, wouldn't you if you lived a very longly long life ? My question was about the horrible, deep sound he made with his throat. Why does he make it? I don't agree with you, K, about it being a softer sound then it was in the films. I think it was just the way acter Andy Serkis did it . At least that's the way I imagined it to sound like when I read the books .





[Edited on 25/11/2003 by hobbitmom]
LadyEowyn_Of_Rohan
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 28, 2004 04:22
Interesting topic! I never thought about that. I'm going out on a limb here: Gollum, living in a cave for a few hundred years and only eating goblins and fish, probably wasn't in the best of health. You wouldn't be either. If he had a cold or sinus infection when he got the Ring, it probably would take a while to get rid of. If he had a little post-nasal drip (eew - sorry), he might easily acquire the habit of clearing his throat.

Going even further out on a limb, and I don't think this is right: If he was constantly clearing is throat and constantly muttering to himself, and there was no one paying attention or listening to say "I don't understand you," the muttering and clearing his throat might start to blend, producing that "gollum" sound.
Morwinyoniel
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 29, 2004 12:35
I think the "gollum" sound evolved from him muttering to himself and starting to swallow some words; I actually always imagined the sound more as a deep "gulp" or a bit clucking (if you've ever heard the amorous calling of a male capercaillie, you get some idea of what I mean), rather than a "cat coughing up furballs" sound.

[Edited on 29/11/2004 by Morwinyoniel]
Silivrentolwen
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 29, 2004 11:23
Well, we weren't given an exact description of the sound in the books, so I'm going to relate to the movies.

If you have watched the EE versions of the movies, Andy Serkis did take his inspiration from cats when they cough up furballs.

And I think that the noise "gollum, gollum" comes from the evil side of the Smeagol/Gollum character. He's trying to take over completely. In the books and the movies, that is how you can tell Smeagol is lying, if his sentence is interjected by "gollum, gollum," or when he is telling his master he will do this or that to help the two hobbits, the evil side of him protests by blurting out "gollum." Remember, the two parts of this character are sometimes at odds with each other in the books, but they both desire the ring.

I've heard Smeagol described as a child-like character trying to do the right thing, so he gives into the "Gollum" nature.

Did that help at all, or am I just talking in circles??? :dizzy: :rolling:


[Edited on 29/11/2004 by Silivrentolwen]
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 29, 2004 11:46
'Gollum" is just an approximation of the swallowing sound he constantly makes as he talks and mutters . The sound was cruelly used as a nickname and, over time, gradually replaced his real name.
tarcolan
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: July 20, 2012 12:34
Look what I dug up. I was surprised to find this topic as I'd always thought that Gollum's noises were obviously a reference to someone being 'choked up' or of the tongue cleaving to the roof of the mouth. Is that from the Bible? I can't remember. It happens to people who're carrying a heavy burden of guilt or remorse. There's probably a psychological explanation for it. Any thoughts?
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Beren_Onehand
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: July 20, 2012 07:31
Phsycological? Maybe, but then again this is a fictional character. Although I will say that Gollum probably did carry a lot of guilt. Or did at one time before he might have been able to be beyond being guilty about some things if not all things.
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niniel the weaping
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 26, 2012 05:34
I honostly think that Gollum makes the sound because of the Ring, of course, but also because he lived in the caves for so long. I guess it's because it's always cold in there, and mostury air, so he got that habit of swallowing the sound, as if he's got a sore throut. And then, I'm guessing he talked to himself, and the affect of the ring, so he named himself (or his second identity he always spoke too) Gollum.
Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 27, 2012 07:50
Everyone has good points and thoughts about this. Personally I believe that he began to start muttering and talking to himself and eventually his personality split into two of which as he began to start conversing with his other self (Smeagol talking to Gollum)he began to cough and hack...possibly due to the lack of using his voice (or using his voice too much as he talked to himself). Though it could also have something to do with his diet...but I don't know much about that kind of problem...
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
cirdaneth
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 27, 2012 02:11
Could also be a form of "hysterical conversion" bearing in mind he choked Deagol to death.
tarcolan
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 28, 2012 02:24
That's a good point. Does anyone know if Tolkien explained Gollum's gollum? I'll look through 'Letters'.
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Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: November 30, 2012 10:36
Okay, I'm re-reading the Fellowship and I spotted something that may help.

"They kicked him, and he bit their feet. He took to thieving, and going about muttering to himself, and gurgling in his throat. So they called him Gollum, and cursed him, and told him to go far away; and his grandmother, desiring peace, expelled him from the family and turned him out of her hole." Chapter 2 Shadow of the Past Fellowship of the Ring.

I'll be keeping an eye out as I re-read the trilogy for any more explanations.
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
tarcolan
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: December 01, 2012 05:55
We might be too smart by half here. Perhaps we should go back to the beginning...
"I don't know where he came from, nor who or what he was." - Tolkien, The Hobbit
I think that Tolkien had him make that noise just so he'd be a bit creepy. Maybe the name came first.
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Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: December 01, 2012 11:53
Good point Tarcolan. My biggest problem is that I don't just read the stories, but I tend to notice connections to events in our history. So after I start noticing that I start looking for more connections or explanations that I did not see the first couple of times that I have read the books.
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
cirdaneth
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: February 05, 2013 03:28
Here's an example of a thread that lay dormant for eight years and was rediscovered last July and well worth further discussion.
Grizzwald
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: February 06, 2013 07:40
Yes that is a good question. I myself had always wondered about how 'gollum' would really sound, as I've never heard anyone make a sound to resemble it in any way.

However after watching the 1977 version of The Hobbit and the depiction of Gollum in that film I must say it seemed to fit him perfectly, as did Tolkien's description of Gollum, being evil yet pitiful after what the ring had done to him.

I would recommend watching that film and hope that after you (I say 'you' but doubt hobbitmom is still reading, so at least, some) may better understand Gollum and see why he made such a sound.

Hope that helps.
cirdaneth
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: February 06, 2013 11:44
Thanks Grizzwald.

Note: Hobbitmom was an early member of CoE and did a great deal of work getting the site going until she passed away. When I became co-mod and began weeding out old threads I wanted to keep one of Hobbitmom's as a tribute, so this is it.
tarcolan
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: February 09, 2013 03:01
You've done it again cirdanoth.
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Grizzwald
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: February 09, 2013 02:55
Ok...Now I'm mad.
cirdaneth
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Post Re: Why does Gollum make tha horrible sound. [keep - in memoriam]
on: February 09, 2013 03:14
Oops! Sorry! I've edited it!
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