<Tr> <Th> Race </Th> <Td> Hobbit </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Book (s) </Th> <Td> The Hobbit The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King Unfinished Tales </Td> </Tr> <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>

Who is gollum in the lord of the rings
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