Galadriel’s arc in first season revolved around her task.

According to Patrick McKay, “character after character in the show” told Galadriel that her obsession was not a good thing, and we know that vengeance could not satisfy it.

“One cannot satisfy thirst by drinking seawater” (Galadriel, 1×05).

Her task was directly associated with two things: the dagger and the mark that Sauron carved into Finrod’s flesh.

Everything already made sense on the surface, but when I looked deeper into the reason for Finrod’s death, I found there was much more than met the eye. From Galadriel’s perspective, the dagger was special because it was Finrod’s, and she viewed it as a symbol of his task—now hers. However, on the boat, we saw a peculiar attachment as she struggled to let it go.

The reason behind this is simple. “The most important truths often are,” said Finrod, but we must learn to discern them for ourselves; J.D. and Patrick will not always be there to speak them to us.

First, we must trace this back to the source.

“Sometimes to find the light, we must first touch the darkness” (Galadriel, 1×05).

Sauron responded to Galadriel here by posing excellent questions, with which we may begin our examination. He knew the answers to each one by this point, which means they were all rhetorical. It would not be the first time he interrogated in this manner.

What did he try to accomplish in the forge, specifically? —He tried to make Galadriel think, which is also what he did in prison.

Referring to the season finale, Charlie Vickers revealed that Sauron wanted Galadriel to discover who he was.

We will return to this idea later. Now that we have established all of Sauron’s questions as rhetorical, let us thoroughly answer each one:

“What do you know of darkness?”

Galadriel first touched the darkness as she mourned over her dead brother, but for her, “touching the darkness” was more than figurative.

“And there, in the darkness, his vow became mine” (Galadriel, 1×01).

Somehow, Sauron already knew about this moment. He prompted the memory for a purpose: to make her stop galloping, and give herself a moment to think. He tried to tell her something in a way that would allow her to discover it for herself.

“Whose dagger was it, Galadriel?”

Sauron knew who first possessed the dagger, but to mention it as a follow-up to, “What do you know of darkness?” is as if to say, “This is what you know of darkness.”

“Who is it you lost?”

Her brother, Finrod Felagund, who was the King of Nargothrond at the time of his death.

“What happened to him?”

“He was killed in a place of darkness and despair, by servants of Sauron. Is that enough for you?” (1×05).

What a wonderful summary, but even Galadriel asked if it was enough. She knew (as well as we), how long it would take to explain. But Sauron requested an explanation, so let us make an attempt.

This is one of the most crucial pieces of information. A gander in The Silmarillion answers Sauron’s question more fully (and oh boy, is it a long one). Let us begin a bit before Beren’s arrival in Nargothrond, for a little background, from Of Beren and Lúthien.

King Thingol loved and cherished his daughter, Lúthien, above all things. When she brought Beren before him, he said in scorn and anger:

“Who are you, that come hither as a thief, and unbidden dare to approach my throne?”

Insults were exchanged, lives were threatened, and at length, Thingol said to Beren:

“Bring to me in your hand a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown; and then, if she will, Lúthien may set her hand in yours. Then you shall have my jewel; and though the fate of Arda lie within the Silmarils, yet you shall hold me generous.”

Beren laughed and responded:

“For little price do Elven-kings sell their daughters: for gems, and things made by craft. But if this be your will, Thingol, I will perform it. And when we meet again my hand shall hold a Silmaril from the Iron Crown; for you have not looked the last upon Beren son of Barahir.”

Thus, Beren undertook a daunting task, indeed. A while after his departure, he saw Nargothrond afar off, and “being destitute, without hope or counsel, he turned his feet thither.” The Elves of Nargothrond were aware of Beren as he traveled through.

“But knowing his danger he held ever aloft the ring of Felagund; and though he saw no living thing, because of the stealth of the hunters, he felt that he was watched, and cried often aloud: ‘I am Beren son of Barahir, friend of Felagund. Take me to the King!’”

The Elves surrounded him, but spared his life, and bowed to him upon seeing this ring. They led him by night “lest their paths should be revealed […] to the dark gates of their hidden halls.”

Now that the stage has been set, we will momentarily switch gears. In the prologue, Galadriel explained what she thought was Finrod’s vow.

“My brother vowed to seek [Sauron] out and destroy him” (1×01).

This was not Finrod’s true vow, but considering that Galadriel had a habit of assuming things and jumping to conclusions in the first half of season 1, and that she was stricken with intense grief,* it is understandable that her judgment was somewhat clouded at the time of the prologue.

* Sauron had a habit of using these things to his advantage, but we will discuss that later.

Finrod did make a vow, though, which came upon him for his death… just not for the reason that Galadriel thought. But her belief had to come from somewhere.

This part of the story was not changed for the show. It had a purpose. (I do not believe the Tolkien Estate would have allowed something like this for no reason.)

We must rewind to the events of Dagor Bragollach: The Battle of Sudden Flame.

“…King Finrod Felagund, hastening from the south, was cut off from his people and surrounded with small company in the Fen of Serech; and he would have been slain or taken […] but Barahir came up with the bravest of his men and rescued him, and made a wall of spears about him; and they cut their way out of the battle with great loss.

“Thus Felagund escaped, and returned to his deep fortress of Nargothrond; but he swore an oath of abiding friendship and aid in every need to Barahir and all his kin, and in token of his vow he gave to Barahir his ring.”

Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin

Finrod’s true oath was one of abiding friendship and aid in every need to Barahir and all his kin. The token of his oath was not the dagger, but the ring he gave to Barahir, which was eventually passed down to Aragorn.

Knowing Finrod’s true vow, let us return to Beren’s arrival in Nargothrond (again, taken from Of Beren and Lúthien).

“Thus Beren came before King Finrod Felagund; and Felagund knew him, needing no ring to remind him of the kin of Bëor and of Barahir. Behind closed doors they sat, and Beren told of the death of Barahir, and of all that had befallen him in Doriath; and he wept, recalling Lúthien and their joy together. But Felagund heard his tale in wonder and disquiet; and he knew that the oath he had sworn was come upon him for his death, as long before he had foretold to Galadriel.”

Finrod: “I won’t always be here to speak them to you.”

Galadriel: “You won’t?” (1×01).

“Behind closed doors they sat.” Finrod’s conversation with Beren was in secret.

Beren, being the son of Barahir, fell under the “kin” category of Finrod’s oath to provide aid in every time of need. Beren’s task was to retrieve a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth, and bring it to Thingol, which Finrod knew would spell his (Finrod’s) own death.

“He spoke then to Beren in heaviness of heart. ‘It is plain that Thingol desires your death; but it seems that this doom goes beyond his purpose, and that the Oath of Fëanor is again at work. For the Silmarils are cursed with an oath of hatred, and he that even names them in desire moves a great power from slumber; and the sons of Fëanor would lay all the Elf-kingdoms in ruin rather than suffer any other than themselves to win or possess a Silmaril, for the Oath drives them. And now Celegorm and Curufin are dwelling in my halls; and though I, Finarfin’s son, am King, they have won a strong power in the realm, and lead many of their own people.’”

This next statement is the key.

“‘They have shown friendship to me in every need, but I fear that they will show neither love nor mercy to you, if your quest be told. Yet my own oath holds; and thus we are all ensnared.’”

Finrod essentially said, “If we tell anyone about your task, your life is in jeopardy. If your life is in jeopardy, I must protect you. Revealing the details of your quest would start a war.”

It is interesting that the scene cuts from Finrod’s statement straight to this:

“Then King Felagund spoke before his people, recalling the deeds of Barahir, and his vow; and he declared that it was laid upon him to aid the son of Barahir in his need, and he sought the help of his chieftains.”

Finrod did not say what Beren’s specific need was. Celegorm still repeated the oath of his father (perhaps because a great power was moved from slumber by Thingol mentioning the Silmarils in desire). The following statement shows that if the details of their mission were revealed, the outcome of Finrod’s announcement may have been far worse.

“Then Celegorm arose amid the throng, and drawing his sword he cried: ‘Be he friend or foe, whether demon of Morgoth, or Elf, or child of Men, or any other living thing in Arda, neither law, nor love, nor league of hell, nor might of the Valar, nor any power of wizardry, shall defend him from the pursuing hate of Fëanor’s sons, if he take or find a Silmaril and keep it. For the Silmarils we alone claim, until the world ends.’ And after Celegorm Curufin spoke, more softly but with no less power, conjuring in the minds of the Elves a vision of war and the ruin of Nargothrond.”

Their land was darkened, and the sons of Fëanor (having their hearts darkened) wanted to usurp the throne from Finrod. This may connect to the moment Finrod’s task was put into question for the first time, in the show:

Galadriel: “Your task was hunting Sauron.”

Sauron as Finrod: “My task was to ensure peace” (1×08).

All of this may entail that there was room for rumors to be spread and assumptions to be made as to why Finrod helped Beren. The oath was of abiding friendship; but Galadriel believed it was rooted in vengeance; and Sauron suggested it was to ensure peace when it actually had the potential to start a war.

Threat of treason did not sway Finrod from fulfilling his oath. “I must hold my bond,” he said. He and Beren, with ten very loyal companions set out to complete the task. They came upon a company of Orcs, slew them, and by the arts of Finrod, thoroughly disguised themselves as Orcs. They came “far upon their northward road, and ventured into the western pass, between Ered Wethrin and the highlands of Taur-nu-Fuin. But Sauron in his tower was ware of them, and doubt took him; for they went in haste, and stayed not to report their deeds, as was commanded to all the servants of Morgoth that passed that way. Therefore he sent to waylay them, and bring them before him.”

In other words, Sauron noticed some suspicious activity from these twelve supposed Orcs, and had them brought to him. The contest of the songs of power took place between Finrod and Sauron at this time, and “the King was very great; but Sauron had the mastery.” Finrod lost, Sauron stripped them of their disguises, and “they stood before him naked and afraid.”

What happened to Finrod will be revealed in a few moments. As you read the following, consider why he died.

“But though their kinds were revealed, Sauron could not discover their names or their purposes.
He cast them therefore into a deep pit, dark and silent, and threatened to slay them cruelly, unless one would betray the truth to him. From time to time they saw two eyes kindled in the dark, and a werewolf devoured one of the companions; but none betrayed their lord.”

Sauron knew of the existence of Finrod, but he did not know that this particular Elf was the Finrod. One might say that Finrod’s task was one of the most important things in the show, considering Sauron tortured and killed to know it, as well as Finrod’s identity. Even though he never discovered those things, he did see/perceive something.

“In the pits of Sauron Beren and Felagund lay, and all their companions were now dead; but Sauron purposed to keep Felagund to the last, for he perceived that he was a Noldo of great might and wisdom, and he deemed that in him lay the secret of their errand.”

Unfortunately for Sauron, saving Finrod for last meant that Beren would have to go first. This brings us to Finrod’s end.

Finrod died because his identity and the secret of his task were concealed from Sauron. Then, he was bound by an oath.

Here is the long answer to Sauron’s question:

“But when the wolf came for Beren, Felagund put forth all his power, and burst his bonds; and he wrestled with the werewolf, and slew it with his hands and teeth; yet he himself was wounded to the death. Then he spoke to Beren, saying: ‘I go now to my long rest in the timeless halls beyond the seas and the Mountains of Aman. It will be long ere I am seen among the Noldor again; and it may be that we shall not meet a second time in death or life, for the fates of our kindreds are apart. Farewell!’ He died then in the dark, in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, whose great tower he himself had built. Thus King Finrod Felagund, fairest and most beloved of the house of Finwë, redeemed his oath; but Beren mourned beside him in despair.”

TO BE CONTINUED

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