February 8, 2004

To Jevic Re Gollum
Brett C.

Jevic, your puzzlement over Gollum's strenght is a natural result of some more of the writer's meddling with the history of Middle Earth, though this time for understandable reasons.

Historically [the term I will henceforth use in reference to all occurences in the book, in deference to the Professor's preference to 'history, real or feigned.'] Bilbo does not in fact begin to age when he gives up the Ring. Gandalf made the point of telling Frodo that Bilbo would probably just goon as he was at the point we he gave it up, which is in fact what happened. It was not until the Ring was destroyed that Bilbo aged to match his chronological development of 128+.

My guess [without having listened to the commentary on the extended FOTR] is that they aged Bilbo in the movie early to show that he had freed himself of it's influence, by and large, while Gollum was still fully in it's thrall. It is clear however that Tolkien intended that the Ring's power persisted over its owner even if they no longer possessed it, so long as the Ring itself remained in existence.

The question this does raise, of course, is how long you must possess the Ring in order to have your ageing halted permanently. Frodo never aged after his receiving it from Bilbo, but would Sam, had the Ring not gone into the fire, have also continued? Would Isildur have lived on and on had he not been shot by Orcs as he swam? Opinions? References?