The ring was lost or not?
If the ring was supposedly lost, how come everybody knew that Gollum had it?
I really don't understand that.
If the ring was supposedly lost, how come everybody knew that Gollum had it?
I really don't understand that.
The Ring was lost until the point where Gandalf pieced together the evidence and confirmed it was the One by attempting to throw it into the fire at Bag End.
He dragged the truth out of Gollum and this was the first time anybody had discovered what had truly happened to make Gollum the way he was. He suspected at this point that it was the One as all the other Rings of Power were accounted for, then confirmed it at Bag End thus confirming that Gollum had possessed it.
"He dragged the truth out of Gollum"
Gollum left the Misty Mountains a few years after Bilbo found the Ring. Eventually he was caught by the Enemy and taken to Mordor to be interrogated. That was when Sauron learned of Bilbo's ring and the Shire. Gollum escaped (or was released from) Mordor only to be by caught by Aragorn and taken to the Wood-elves, where he was questioned by Gandalf, who then learned how Gollum had acquired the Ring. This last sequence of events might have been different in the films where it's not clear that Gollum ever reached Thranduil's Halls (though Gandalf did find and question him). Gandalf did not know that Gollum's ring was the One Ring until he found the account of Isildur in Minas Tirith and then tested it in Bilbo's fireplace.
"Hell hath no fury like that of the uninvolved." - T. Isabella
Gandalf said: "I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the enemy found him first"
So, he didn't dragged the truth out of nobody. I stil don't understand how did he knew that Gollum had it...
As for Sauron, there's absolutely no evidence that Sauron knew anything about Gollum and Gollum's possession of the Ring. So, that's another mistery to...
"How long have you known all this?" asked Frodo again. "Known?" said Gandalf. " have known much that only the Wise know, Frodo. But if you mean “known about this ring”, well, I still do not know, one might say. There is a last test to make. But I no longer doubt my guess.When did I first begin to guess?" he mused, searching back in memory. "Let me see - it was in the year that the White Council drove the dark power from Mirkwood, just before the Battle of Five Armies, that Bilbo found his ring. A shadow fell on my heart then, though I did not know yet what I feared. I wondered often how Gollum came by a Great Ring, as plainly it was - that at least was clear from the first. Then I heard Bilbo’s strange story of how he had “won” it, and I could not believe it. When I at last got the truth out of him, I saw at once that he had been trying to put his claim to the ring beyond doubt. Much like Gollum with his “birthday present”. The lies were too much alike for my comfort. Clearly the ring had an unwholesome power that set to work on its keeper at once. That was the first real warning I had that all was not well. I told Bilbo often that such rings were better left unused; but he resented it, and soon got angry. There was little else that I could do. I could not take it from him without doing greater harm; and I had no right to do so anyway. I could only watch and wait.
And my search would have been in vain, but for the help that I had from a friend: Aragorn, the greatest traveller and huntsman of this age of the world. Together we sought for Gollum down the whole length of Wilderland, without hope, and without success. But at last, when I had given up the chase and turned to other parts, Gollum was found. My friend returned out of the great perils bringing the miserable creature with him. What he had been doing he would not say. He only wept and called us cruel, with many a gollum in his throat; and when we pressed him he whined and cringed, and rubbed his long hands, licking his fingers as if they pained him, as if he remembered some old torture. But I am afraid there is no possible doubt: he had made his slow, sneaking way, step by step, mile by mile, south, down at last to the Land of Mordor.’
"Wretched fool! In that land he would learn much, too much for his comfort. And sooner or later as he lurked and pried on the borders, he would be caught, and taken - for examination. That was the way of it, I fear. When he was found he had already been there long, and was on his way back. On some errand of mischief. But that does not matter much now. His worst mischief was done. Yes, alas! through him the Enemy has learned that the One has been found again. He knows where Isildur fell. He knows where Gollum found his ring. He knows that it is a Great Ring, for it gave long life. He knows that it is not one of the Three, for they have never been lost, and they endure no evil. He knows that it is not one of the Seven, or the Nine, for they are accounted for. He knows that it is the One. And he has at last heard, I think, of hobbits and the Shire
Thank you so much! Yes, you are right, the movie had me confused...
shareIf the ring was supposedly lost, how come everybody knew that Gollum had it?
I really don't understand that.