Finrod: 30-Day Character Study - Study Days by cuarthol

29. What Do They Think About You, Part Two.

What Do They Think About You, Part Two. How do characters unfriendly towards your chosen character (rivals, enemies, ex-partners…) see them?

Finrod may well be one of the more underestimated and ignored characters in terms of what those who don’t like him think of him (if they think of him at all).

He isn’t Noldo enough for the Noldor, as Caranthir pointed out (even though it wasn’t directed solely at Finrod).  He does not have great skill of hand like his kin.  He is the son of the youngest son and so is never really in line for anything of note among the Noldor as a whole.

Celegorm and Curufin are noted as being friendly to him in his every need while they are at Nargothrond, until the oath prompts them to turn - and so it isn’t exactly fair to say they were his enemies for most of their time, but they held him in little regard when it came to that fateful moment.

But the curse of Mandos came upon the brothers, and dark thoughts arose in their hearts, thinking to send forth Felagund alone to his death, and to usurp, it might be, the throne of Nargothrond; for they were of the eldest line of the princes of the Noldor. 

- The Silmarillion

Sauron knew Finrod had left Nargothrond and yet even he didn’t imagine that the Noldo he had captured was Finrod - it never seemed to have crossed his mind!  Celegorm is more known to Sauron than Finrod seems to be.

'Come, tell me true, oh Morgoth's thralls,    
what then in Elvenesse befalls?
What of Nargothrond? Who reigneth there?    
Into that realm did your feet dare?'    

'Only its borders did we dare.    
There reigns King Felagund the fair.'    

'Then heard ye not that his is gone,
that Celegorm sits his throne upon?'

…

Yet not all unavailing were    
the spells of Felagund; for he    
had spun spells Sauron could not see -    
some not yet full-wrought; and Sauron
neither their names nor purpose won.

- Lay of Leithian Canto VIII

Even Morgoth more or less seems to have no thoughts about Finrod at all.  He isn’t leading battles at the siege, he doesn’t rouse his fear or anger in particular like Turgon, his hidden realm isn’t sought after to the degree Gondolin is (it doesn’t really appear to be sought after whatsoever, if the bridge had not been built it likely would have endured to the very end).  There’s no noted bounty on his head - even Beren got a bounty on his head!

He is seen as largely un-notable, expendable, and weak.