Shelob

Shelob is a character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. A Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, where her attack leads to Sam Gamgee's key decision to take over the quest to destroy the One Ring.

Related Topics:
J. R. R. Tolkien - Middle-earth - The Lord of the Rings - Sam Gamgee - One Ring

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shelob is a huge creature in spider form, high in the mountains of Mordor, the last of the spawn of Ungoliant. (She may be a form of evil spirit, possibly a Maia or with Maiar blood, instead of an actual spider.) Her lair is along the path that Sam Gamgee and Frodo Baggins take while seeking Mount Doom. Apparently she has some sort of understanding with Gollum, whom the Orcs of the Tower of Cirith Ungol call "Her Sneak".

Related Topics:
Spider - Mordor - Ungoliant - Maia - Sam Gamgee - Frodo Baggins - Mount Doom - Gollum - Orc - Cirith Ungol

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She attacks and stings Frodo, who lapses into a death-like coma. Sam manages to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon Frodo's sword while trying to crush him, and she flees to her lair, wounded.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam takes the One Ring from him and leaves his body behind, but discovers by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom is not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shelob occupies Terech Ungol beneath Cirith Ungol, and may have once lived in Beleriand, possibly in the Ered Gorgoroth.

Related Topics:
Cirith Ungol - Beleriand - Ered Gorgoroth

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shelob's brood (upon whom she often would often feed) include the giant (but relatively smaller) spiders who capture Bilbo Baggins' Dwarf allies in Mirkwood.

Related Topics:
Bilbo Baggins - Mirkwood

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The name Shelob is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~