Good thing that Celegorm was there!!

[doug*platypus]

Finrod had full knowledge that he was going to his doom, yet he kept on going, because he was in Barahir's debt. Makes you really appreciate the House of Finwë.

But should his oath have extended to the lives of his people? An interesting question... possibly yes, since the sacrifice of Barahir saved the warriors of Nargothrond as well as Finrod their leader (if memory serves me correctly). However, it seems (uncharacteristically) rash of Finrod, Finarfin's son to seemingly want to lead his entire people into what would surely have been a massacre (?).

Perhaps Finrod knew that Celegorm and Curufin would speak against his leading the people of Nargothrond into open war for a 'mere mortal'. By suggesting that the army march, Finrod got to firstly save face, secondly to give his warriors the option to join him, and thirdly to show how strongly he was held by his oath. In the end, circumstances allowed him to leave his people, fulfill his oath, and be comforted by the fact that Nargothrond would stand at least for a short time after he was gone.

Good thing that Celegorm and Curufin were there.

Still, it's not as if everyone lived happily ever after anyway! Maybe if the armies of Nargothrond had been destroyed in Beren's time, Glaurung would never have come across the family of Túrin.