How did Gollum escape from Moria ?

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

Would Gollum have been trapped? I mean there are no waters (That I know of) in Moria that house fish. So he probably would have eaten Goblins as he did time to time in his old abode. He would have had to learn secret hidden ways. I understand the East Gate was protected by the bridge but at the same time it creates a tough point of advance for an outgoing army as well. They probably had special Outswinging doors hidden along the exit way. Which he found and frequented in his hunt.

Ha I googled a question about Gollum’s lake vs the lake Gandalf and the Balrog fell, I had secretly hoped but doubted, they were one and the same, alas they are not. And this thread came up. Amazing so much discussion has been forgotten.

Anywho, I’ve been thinking about Gollum in Moria. The generally accepted version is he went there in an attempt to cut straight across. But looking at the map he was a prisoner in Mirkwood then escaped and headed towards the Shire. Moria is a far way south why wouldn’t he have gone due west and found his old hunting grounds? Granted the orca used their “front porch” to capture the dwarves but I have to believe those tunnels also held an exit to the west.

Gollum being in Moria is so strange to me.

[Galadriel55]

If the mystery/adventure genre taught me anything, the answer is the ventilation shafts.


Seriously though, it would explain why the small and lithe Gollum could pass through while the Orcs wouldn't even consider the possibility of an exit there.

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

Anywho, I’ve been thinking about Gollum in Moria. The generally accepted version is he went there in an attempt to cut straight across. But looking at the map he was a prisoner in Mirkwood then escaped and headed towards the Shire. Moria is a far way south why wouldn’t he have gone due west and found his old hunting grounds? Granted the orca used their “front porch” to capture the dwarves but I have to believe those tunnels also held an exit to the west.

Gollum being in Moria is so strange to me.

It's not that strange if you look at the map. We know that after escaping the Elves he went south in the direction of Dol Guldur, and Dol Guldur is level with Lorien on the map. I often forget that Mirkwood reaches pretty far south, it just is not inhabited by Elves in those regions.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

If the mystery/adventure genre taught me anything, the answer is the ventilation shafts.


Seriously though, it would explain why the small and lithe Gollum could pass through while the Orcs wouldn't even consider the possibility of an exit there.

Is... Is that you Gordis?

Originally Posted by Gordis

I think Gollum climbed out of a light-shaft/window. He was a small, very agile creature and could climb like a spider.

While I think Gollum might have been able to pull something like that off in another place, Moria just seems to vast and the craftsmanship too superior (I Imagine something akin to the masonry of the Incas) for this to be an actual possibility.

Even if he could, the odds of falling to his death was probably to great for him to try the venture.

Also Legate has a fair point.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

If he could do that, he would have done that ages ago. But we are told that he was actually stuck in Moria and couldn't get out - he couldn't open the Western gate, because the doors were too heavy for him, and in the East, there were the Orcs. So if he could have used any of the shafts, he would have done so before. No, this won't hold.

[Huinesoron]

On glancing over the thread, I think several people have struck on the correct answer but not realised why. In my view, Gollum knew where the exits to Moria were, but (as has been cited) couldn't use them: one he couldn't open, the other was guarded by Orcs. When the Fellowship came through, Gollum knew where they were headed - it's pretty obvious, there's only two doors and they're moving east! After checking that they weren't up to anything sneaky in the night, he simply went through the eastward arch and waited for them in sight of the Great Gate. I doubt he expected them to show up with a Balrog in tow, but the plan worked.

Why is this the correct answer? Because it's exactly what he did to Bilbo!

Originally Posted by Riddles in the Dark

“It said so, yes; but it’s tricksy. It doesn’t say what it means. It won’t say what it’s got in its pocketses. It knows. It knows a way in, it must know a way out, yes. It’s off to the back-door. To the back-door, that’s it.”

[...]

“Then let’s stop talking, precious, and make haste. If the Baggins has gone that way, we must go quick and see. Go! Not far now. Make haste!”

Having lost track of the person with the Ring - or, in the LotR case, having seen them enter the larger halls where he couldn't guarantee he'd stay hidden behind them - Gollum simply went on ahead to the exit and waited to catch them there.

Come to think of it...

Originally Posted by Shelob's Lair

Sam gasped and gathered all his remaining breath to shout. 'Look out behind! ' he yelled. 'Look out master! I'm' - but suddenly his cry was stifled.

A long clammy hand went over his mouth and another caught him by the neck, while something wrapped itself about his leg. Taken off his guard he toppled backwards into the arms of his attacker.

`Got him! ' hissed Gollum in his ear.

... he did it a third time!

hS

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

On glancing over the thread, I think several people have struck on the correct answer but not realised why. In my view, Gollum knew where the exits to Moria were, but (as has been cited) couldn't use them: one he couldn't open, the other was guarded by Orcs. When the Fellowship came through, Gollum knew where they were headed - it's pretty obvious, there's only two doors and they're moving east! After checking that they weren't up to anything sneaky in the night, he simply went through the eastward arch and waited for them in sight of the Great Gate. I doubt he expected them to show up with a Balrog in tow, but the plan worked.

Why is this the correct answer? Because it's exactly what he did to Bilbo!



Having lost track of the person with the Ring - or, in the LotR case, having seen them enter the larger halls where he couldn't guarantee he'd stay hidden behind them - Gollum simply went on ahead to the exit and waited to catch them there.

Come to think of it...



... he did it a third time!

hS

Excellent catches! In the trade we would call this "pattern and practice."
To quote Blofeld, "One time is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action."