CELTIC MYTHOLOGY
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                            FIONN MAC CUMHAL

  The legends of Fionn Mac Cumhal and the Fianna are well remembered and
  loved in the Highlands. They form part of the 'Ossianic Tales' that
  the Celtic bards were required to commit to memory. To this day
  story-tellers are keeping alive this ancient craft with their hero tales
  of mighty deeds and adventures. In these tales there are frequent
  contacts with the Gods themselves, especially with Angus Og, Midir and
  Bodb Dearg.

  Fionn, whose name means 'the Fair One', was the captain of the Fianna
  or Fenians, a sort of legendary police force of ancient Ireland and
  Scotland. During the summer months they lived outdoors, hunting and
  fishing. They fought many battles with the 'men of Lochlann' who could
  be identified with the Fomor, the aboriginal Earth Gods of the older
  races, who have become inextricably linked with the later De Danaan
  pantheon.

  Fionn was the wisest, kindest and most generous of the Fianna. He was
  also a poet and seer, who received his training from an old bard named
  Finnegas on the banks of the river Boyne. During this time we are told
  Fionn received the wisdom of the great salmon of knowledge that swam in
  the river. Fionn also received the gift of wisdom from a sacred well of
  the goddess. The three daughters who guarded the well threw some of the
  well water at Fionn to prevent him approaching. In doing so the water
  went into his mouth and so he gained the knowledge of the well.

  Fionn was the keeper of many weapons, each of them having some magical
  quality, in true Celtic style. His banner was called the Dealb Greine
  ('sun shape') for it had the likeness of the sun. His sword was known
  as Mac an Luin, Son of the Waves, and was given to him by the mystical
  God of the sea, Manannan. Fionn's shield, the Skiath Gailbhinn (Storm
  Shield) was capable of uttering a roar so loud that it could be heard
  throughout Ireland. The Dord Fian was the famous hunting horn of Fionn,
  the horn of plenty with which Fionn could rally together the men of the
  Fianna.

  Finally, Fionn was entrusted with the magical crane skin bag of
  Manannan, that contained: the shirt and knife of Manannan, the belt and
  smith's hook of Gobhniu, the shears of the king of Alban, the helmet of
  the king of Lochlann, the belt of the skin of a great fish and the
  bones of Assal's pigs. Each of these items had magical properties which
  the enthusiastic reader might gain some insight of by close study of the
  legends. At the full tide the crane bag would be full, whereas at the
  ebbing tide it would be empty.

  One of Fionn's greatest achievements took place at the Feast of Tara,
  after which he gained recognition as a great warrior and was given the
  leadership of the Fianna. It happened that every Samhain night for nine
  years a prince of the Tuatha De Danaans would come out of his sidhe
  mound and burn up Tara. His name was Aillen and he would play such
  sweet, enchanted music that everyone at the feast would fall into a deep
  slumber. The high king promised that if a man came forward who could
  save Tara from this fate, he would grant such a man whatever inheritance
  he claimed. With the help of a magical spear which he kept pressed to
  his forehead, Fionn was able to withstand the enchantment. Aillen grew
  angry and shot a flame of fire from his mouth, but the brave Fionn
  caught it in his cloak. Realising that here before him stood a man who
  could overpower him, Aillen made haste to retreat to his sidhe mound. As
  he entered through the doorway Fionn made a fatal cast with his spear
  that struck the faerie prince through the heart.

  There are innumerable stories and legends associated with the exploits
  of Fionn and the Fenians. Through them all we are shown their close
  affinity with the wilder places and their inhabitants, the sidhe folk.
  These heroes of Alba and Erin are no mere mortals, for they pass easily
  from one world to the other, often in pursuit of a magic fawn or boar
  which leads them ever deeper into hidden lands and strange encounters.

  Fionn possessed two magical hounds, Bran and Sceolan, who were once two
  women of the sidhe that had been changed into dog shape. They
  accompanied Fionn wherever he went. It was these faithful hounds that
  came upon the deer woman Sadb, who had been changed into the shape of a
  fawn by a jealous Druid and who became Fionn's wife for a time. She bore
  him a son, Oissin, which means 'little fawn'.

  In his older age Fionn was to take another wife, Grainne (Grania).
  However, his bride-to-be became infatuated with one of the Fianna,
  Diarmaid of the Love Spot, and the young couple eloped together. This
  dishonourable act invoked the wrath of Fionn, who tirelessly pursued
  them from then on across the country. Years later, when Diarmaid was
  lying mortally wounded by the boar of Beinn Gulben, Fionn refused to
  offer him a drink of water from his hands, which had life-restoring
  powers. By this act we are shown that Fionn Mac Cumhal has the power
  of Life and Death over Diarmaid. With his two white, red-eared hounds
  Fionn reveals himself as the White Hunter, the messenger of Death from
  the Goddess. His two hounds are the fighting dogs found amongst the
  labyrinth of Celtic knotwork. They guard the gateway that leads to the
  Mysteries, where only those with Truth in their hearts may walk.





     [Copyright - S. McSkimming/L. MacDonald GODS OF THE CELTS 1992]
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