Having seen your ask box label —
Dear Counsel-providing Immortal Agony Aunt, please tell me, is it a good idea to swear an unbreakable oath?
Given my ask box label, you know I'm obligated to say both no and yes, of course. And given your delightful style of address, which I love, I shall endeavour to answer in the style of an agony column.
Dear Curious About Oaths,
A very interesting question! Well. First of all, it depends heavily on what you mean by 'unbreakable'. It could simply mean a promise which everyone will expect you to keep forever, or it could mean a promise which will constrain you as an external force, or it could mean something in-between. None of them, of course, should be undertaken lightly. But there may be occasions, such as marriage, where you will want to swear an oath that you will be expected to keep for the rest of your existence, and rightly so. (Just be aware that if your spouse dies and doesn't want to return, you'll need to have a line to the Powers of the World if you want to remarry.)
However, the second kind of oath should be undertaken with great caution, if at all. Moments of high emotion are unwise times to swear oaths, and even less wise times to compose them. If you find yourself wishing to swear an oath which might bind you to a force outside yourself, especially one which invokes the name of Illuvatar or the Everlasting Darkness, I strongly recommend that you stop immediately and, at the very least, check the wording of this oath to ensure that it will not obligate you to, for instance, potentially attack individuals who are otherwise friends or allies except for an accidental circumstance. I would advise against this type of oath for any but the most considered and holy undertakings, and even then it might perhaps be wise to consult with the Valar first. Not the Maiar, or one who claims to be an emissary of the Valar, unless you are familiar with this Maia and are absolutely certain that (s)he is trustworthy and has not been suborned by the Enemy. Or meddling with the Enemy's technology. Or spying on the Enemy too closely.
In short, oaths of all kinds should be taken very seriously, and oaths which cannot be broken by any force residing within Arda should not be taken at all without divine sanction from a trusted source.
May a star shine upon the hour when you receive this message,
Your Affectionate Counsel-providing Immortal Agony Aunt
