What kind of creature is Shelob in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?

Shelob is a giant spider in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

She lives in a tunnel in the mountains above the pass of Cirith Ungol, near Mordor. Frodo and Sam encounter her while trying to reach the land of Sauron. Shelob attacks Frodo, but Sam uses the sword Sting and the Phial of Galadriel to drive her away.

Tolkien presents Shelob as a descendant of Ungoliant, a monstrous spider-like being from the earlier history of Arda. This connection gives Shelob a place in the wider mythology beyond her role as an obstacle on Frodo and Sam’s route.

Shelob is not one of Sauron’s ordinary servants, although Gollum guides the Hobbits toward her lair because he hopes to recover the Ring afterward. Her name and form can also be confused with Ungoliant, but Shelob is the particular giant spider encountered at Cirith Ungol.