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Could be WAY OFF Base Here: Could Gollum be a representation of Loki?

Sulimo

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Apr 23, 2011
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I just came up with this, and I haven't completely thought it through. Thought I would post it, and see what others think.

Loki is the trickster, and he is very sneaky. The gods tolerate him until Balder's death, but he is almost always up to no good. When he helps the gods its for his own reasons, and he is as much the source of the problem as the provider of the solution. In two major ways is he the source of the problem. First, he is the father of Fenrir, the Mithgar Serpent, as well as Hel, and he does orchestrate the death of Balder. He is part of the solution because after all these monstrosties he sired are defeated; it will usher in a new age of eternal peace where Balder reborn will rule.

Now, one may think, "Okay so where does Gollum fit in?"

Gollum is very sneaky with a split personality. There is both Smeagol and there is Gollum. This makes him more sympathetic, but he is still "tricksy". Gollum is the reason why there are black rigers scouring the Shire for the one ring. However, when he meets Frodo he acts as Frodo's guide. Every good deed he performs is for his own selfish reasons, and he ends up playing them false with Shelob. He then provides the solution by biting Frodo's finger off, and accidentally falling into Mt. Doom. Ushering in the 4th Age of peace.
 
Yes, Gollum is like Loki in some ways.

But lots of literary characters are like other literary characters in some way without being identical or based on them.

One noticeable difference is that Loki is presented as very sharp and a trickster while Gollum most isn’t. Gollum’s one deceit in the main story of The Lord of the Rings is where he tries to betray Frodo and Sam to Shelob. There is no similar Norse story about Loki.
 
I appreciate your comment Jallan. I do not know if it is a directly correlative connection, such as when Gandalf faced the balrog on the Bridge of Khazad Dum to Frey facing Surt on Bifrost the Rainbow bridge, but I do suspect that it is behavior that would have been consistent with Loki's behavior.
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