Gollum belongs to the Hobbit race in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium.
Before becoming Gollum, he was known as Sméagol, a member of a Hobbit-like river people. On his birthday, Sméagol’s relative Déagol found the One Ring while fishing. Sméagol murdered Déagol to take it, then hid beneath the Misty Mountains and became increasingly corrupted by the Ring.
The Ring prolonged Sméagol’s life but also distorted his body and mind. He eventually became known as Gollum because of the gulping sound he made. Bilbo encountered him in the caves beneath the Misty Mountains and won the Ring in a riddling contest.
Gollum is sometimes mistaken for a separate monster species because of his appearance and behavior. Tolkien’s story instead presents him as a corrupted Hobbit, making his history closely connected to Bilbo, Frodo, and the Ring.