The Condensed Silmarillion by Cheeky

In Case You Hadn't Noticed, Oaths are Not a Good Idea.

In case you hadn't noticed, Oaths are not a good idea.

We haven't heard much from Morgoth for awhile.
He had been busy.
Very busy.
Building up a pretty army, and now he wanted to come out and play. It took the elves by surprise a bit but then dragons breathing fire will do that to you.

Things didn't go so well.
Angrod and Aegnor were killed.
Celegorm and Curufin ran away.
Maglor had to go and hide out with his big brother.

There were Men helping out in this battle. One of them was Bregolas, (no, not Legolas, Bregolas ) Bregolas doesn't do anything much in the story except die, but he is randomly mentioned right through the book. Randomly mentioned doing nothing.

Why??

So that people like me skim reading through see his name and think "ooh Legolas!! ........ No, no, it's only Bregolas" A cruel joke Tolkien was playing on Legolas lovers as if it wasn't bad enough he wrote a whole book without him in it.

Finrod, got himself into serious trouble in the battle, surrounded by Orcs with no way out, ( were they singing Finrod?) Just when he was about to get slaughtered Barahir showed up to save him. Thats Barahir, brother of Bregolas, ( Bregolas, NOT Legolas).

Barahir and his sidekicks saved the day and Finrod was so happy he gave Barahir a ring. Is this ringing any bells? The ring of Barahir, that piece of jewellery Aragorn kept flashing around whenever he wanted attention. " Look at me, I have the ring of Barahir. I am important!" Turns out it isn't the Ring of Barahir at all guys, It's the Ring of Finrod. Credit where credit's due.

And while we are on the subject why is it everybody who sees that ring instantly says "oh the Ring of Barahir, even though I have no reason at all to know what that looks like. I am sure that ring is it"
Maybe it was the only ring Men ever owned, (apart from those evil Sauron ones and the less said about them the better), and that's why everyone recognised it?
Maybe from the day they were born every Man in existence was shown pictures of the Ring of Barahir just in case they ever stumbled across it.

I wonder if Galadriel was ever the slightest bit annoyed by Aragorn strutting around Lothlorien, wearing her beloved brothers ring like it belonged to him and never acknowledging poor Finrod?
Because, you know, given what happened to Finrod because of that ring it has to be a bit of a sore point.

But Finrod didn't stop with the ring. He swore an Oath to Barahir and all his family that came after saying he would protect them in the future. I don't think he really anticipated where this would end up.......but oaths are like that.

And so Finrod's panicked prophecy to Galadriel, about swearing an oath and not having a son came true.

Or did it??

Looking at you, Gildor Inglorion.