4 LotR Theories That Almost Ruin Tolkien's Canon (But Make Sense)

The Lord of the Rings books and movies are undoubtedly among the most important works in the fantasy genre and pop culture in general.

Hardcore fans of The Lord of the Rings are interested in speculating about the gaps in the plot or the description of the characters that Tolkien did not fill.

This is where the fan theories come to the rescue.

Gollum is an entity trapped within the Ring

We see a clear split personality in Gollum – there is Smeagol, who wants to help Frodo, and there is Gollum, who only wants to get the Ring back.

It is generally believed that he developed such quirks after centuries spent alone with the Ring, but some fans believe that Gollum is actually an entity contained within the Ring.

We have seen that Bilbo sometimes changed both physically and mentally under the influence of the Ring, too.

In addition, Gollum, Bilbo and Isildur refer to the Ring as "my precious," implying that the words are somehow related to the Ring itself and the entity that can become part of an individual who carries the Ring.

Gollum killed Frodo's parents

Although not included in the movies, the books explain that Frodo's parents died in a mysterious accident with a boat.

The theory is based on the fact that, after the events of The Hobbit, Gollum had only two clues on which to base his search for the Ring – the words "Shire" and "Baggins."

The theory deserves to exist because of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Frodo's parents: both Hobbits were experienced boatmen, but died in the water.

Denethor went mad from lead poisoning

There is a scene in The Return of the King that may shed light on the behavior of the steward of Gondor. While Pippin is singing, Denethor is feasting.

If you look closely, you will notice that the dishes from which Denethor is eating are made of lead. As you know, lead is poisonous, and it could influence the steward's behavior.

Sauron's blood poisoned Boromir

There were many characters in the Fellowship, and none of them felt the pull of the Ring as much as Boromir.

Theoretically, this may be due to the fact that Boromir was the only one of them to handle the fragments of Narsil.

When Boromir found the legendary blade, he picked it up, but cut himself on the sharp edge. This was with the same edge that Sauron fingers were cut off and it could save traces of his blood.

Fans believe that this may be the reason why Boromir turned to the "dark side".