<P> Gollum is a fictional character from J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium . He was introduced in the 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings . Gollum was a Stoor Hobbit of the River - folk, who lived near the Gladden Fields . Originally known as Sméagol, he was corrupted by the One Ring and later named Gollum after his habit of making "a horrible swallowing noise in his throat". </P> <P> In Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings, the name Sméagol is said to be a "translation" of the actual Middle - earth name Trahald (having to do with the idea of "burrowing", and rendered with a name based on Old English smygel of similar meaning). Several critics speculate that Beowulf's Grendel could have been an inspiration for Gollum due to the many parallels between them such as their affinity for water, their isolation from society due to personal choices, and their bestial description . Although Tolkien has never explicitly stated this, he has accredited Beowulf as one of his "most valued sources" when writing The Hobbit . </P> <P> The Ring, which Gollum referred to as "my precious" or "precious", extended his life far beyond natural limits . Centuries of the Ring's influence twisted Gollum's body and mind, and, by the time of the novels, he had "come to love and hate the Ring, just as he loved and hated himself ." Throughout the story, Gollum was torn between his lust for the Ring and his desire to be free of it . Bilbo Baggins found the Ring and took it for his own, and Gollum afterwards pursued it for the rest of his life . Gollum finally seized the Ring from Frodo Baggins at the Cracks of Doom in Orodruin in Mordor; but he fell into the fires of the volcano, where both he and the Ring were destroyed . </P> <P> Gollum was first introduced in the Hobbit as "a small, slimy creature" who lived on a small island in the centre of an underground lake at the roots of the Misty Mountains . He survived on cave fish, which he caught from his small boat, and small goblins who strayed too far from the stronghold of the Great Goblin . Over the years, his eyes adapted to the dark and became "lamp - like", shining with a sickly pale light . </P>

Who says precious on lord of the rings