Tolkien Explained: The Life of Shelob & the Spiders of Mirkwood

Shelob was the dark terror of Cirith Ungol – consuming all unfortunate enough to cross her path. Not only did she serve as a guard of the passage into Mordor, but her offspring would bring terror to the forest of Mirkwood. Today, we cover Shelob’s life. In the First Age, she lived in Nan Dungortheb – the Valley of Dreadful Death – where Beren would miraculously cross to eventually meet Luthien. Later, she flees to the mountains that would be her home, outside Mordor. We cover these early days through her fight with Samwise Gamgee and the possibilities of her ultimate fate.

[Nerd of the Rings]