Shelob

Last child of Ungoliant, the great spider of Cirith Ungol

Other names

Shelob the Great

ca. 1 min

AI-generated voice · continually improved · veiled destinies are read aloud as wellAI voice · continually improved

In briefanswer capsule

Shelob is an immense, ancient spider who lairs in a lightless tunnel above the pass of Cirith Ungol on Mordor's border. Called the last child of Ungoliant to trouble the world, she serves no master, not even Sauron, and devours whatever strays into her domain. When Frodo Baggins crosses her lair she stings and binds him, until Samwise Gamgee wounds her grievously with Sting and the Phial of Galadriel.

Relations

Enemy: Frodo Baggins
Enemy: Samwise Gamgee
Enemy: Sting

In the Annals

Where the Tale of Years names this entry: 2 entries.

TA 3019 · 03-11Gollum goes to Shelob but, finding Frodo asleep, comes close to turning back. Denethor sends Faramir to Osgiliath; Aragorn reaches Linhir and passes into Lebennin.Appendix B, The Tale of Years
TA 3020 · 03-13Frodo falls ill, a year to the day after Shelob's sting.Appendix B, The Tale of Years

Sources

The Lord of the Rings — Book IV, ch. 9
The Lord of the Rings — Book IV, ch. 10

Cite this page

Legendarium (2026): „Shelob“. Last updated August 18, 2026. https://www.legendarium.page/characters/shelob/

APA

Legendarium. (2026). Shelob. Last updated August 18, 2026. https://www.legendarium.page/characters/shelob/

MLA

„Shelob“. Legendarium, 2026, https://www.legendarium.page/characters/shelob/. Last updated August 18, 2026.

BibTeX

@misc{legendarium-shelob-en,
  title        = {Shelob},
  author       = {{Legendarium}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.legendarium.page/characters/shelob/}},
  note         = {Last updated August 18, 2026}
}