Sat Dec 18, 2004 10:30 pm
Gollum had porphyria
A group of British doctors have diagnosed Gollum. It's an interesting analysis.
The original article is here.
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The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary. - James D. Nicoll
Ich liebe dich Luke, mein teurer Schatz. - Kieran
Love blinds us to faults, but hatred blinds us to virtues. - Iba Ezra
The Lord of the Rings character Gollum was paranoid and had a split personality, according to a group of British doctors.
The doctors have sifted through Gollum's symptoms in a tongue-in-cheek diagnosis published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
They conclude that his paranoia and split personality were probably because he suffered from vitamin deficiency, anaemia, hyperthyroidism and a metabolic disease called porphyria.
"Gollum's diet is extremely limited, consisting only of raw fish. Vitamin B-12 deficiency may cause irritability, delusions and paranoia," they say.
"His reduced appetite and loss of hair and weight may be associated with iron deficiency anaemia. He is hypervigilant and does not seem to need much sleep.
"This, accompanied by his bulging eyes and weight loss, suggests hyperthyroidism.
"Gollum's dislike of sunlight may be induced to the photosensitivity of porphyria. Attacks may be induced by starvation and accompanied by paranoid psychosis."
Porphyria is an inherited disease of the metabolic system.
The 'study', lead-authored by psychiatrist Elizabeth Sampson of the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, describes Gollum as "a single, 587-year-old hobbit-like male of no fixed abode".
"He has presented with anti-social behaviour, increasing aggression and preoccupied with the 'one ring.'," it said.
"He has no history of substance misuse, although like many young hobbits, he smoked 'pipe weed' in adolescence."
The diagnosis concludes: "Gollum displays pervasive maladaptive behaviour that has been present since childhood with a persistent disease course.
"His odd interests and spiteful behaviour have led to difficulty in forming friendships and have caused distress to others.
"He fulfils seven of the nine criteria for schizoid personality disorder."
In JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy - subsequently turned into a trio of Oscar-winning films - Gollum, a thin, pale, gangrel creature, is enslaved by a magic ring made by the evil Sauron.
In his desperation to retrieve it, his mind persistently fights between a "good" personality, Smeagol, and a nasty one, Gollum.
The original article is here.
-------------------------------
The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary. - James D. Nicoll
Ich liebe dich Luke, mein teurer Schatz. - Kieran
Love blinds us to faults, but hatred blinds us to virtues. - Iba Ezra
) and the opposite page tells a story from Pooh which has similar characters and moral content.