Fionn mac Cumhaill

“ The most prominent characters in the Fionn saga, after the death of Fionn's father Cumal, are Fionn, his son Oisin, his grandson Oscar, his nephew Diarmaid with his ball-seire, or "beauty-spot," which no woman could resist; Fergus famed for wisdom and eloquence; Caoilte mac Ronan, the swift; Conan, the comic character of the saga; Goll mac Morna, the slayer of Cumal, but later the devoted friend of Fionn, besides a host of less important personages. Their doings, like those of the heroes of saga and epos everywhere, are mainly hunting, fighting, and love-making. ”

“ He was in the world of men, where movement is not easy and the very air a burden. In his own sphere, in his own element, he might have outrun Fionn, but this was Fionn’s world, Fionn’s element, and the flying god was not gross enough to outstrip him. Yet what a race he gave, for it was but at the entrance to his own Shi’ that the pursuer got close enough. Fionn put a finger into the thong of the great spear, and at that cast night fell on Aillen mac Midna. ”

“ I hope," he said, turning to Fionn, "you are not going to disgrace the Fianna by taking that ill-favoured wretch there into it, and putting his bag of bones—calls it a horse, indeed!—among our horses."
"As a horseman I come to you, Fionn mac Cumall, and a horseman's wages I expect," said the Gilla Decair. "If you can pledge your word that nothing shall happen to my horse, I will turn him out among yours, and not heed what that abusive man there says." ”

“ Fionn would have heard much of them, and it is likely that he practised on a nettle at taking the head off Goll, and that he hunted a sheep from cover in the implacable manner he intended later on for Conán the Swearer.
But it is of Uail mac Baiscne he would have heard most.
With what a dilation of spirit the ladies would have told tales of him, Fionn's father. How their voices would have become a chant as feat was added to feat, glory piled on glory. The most famous of men and the most beautiful; the hardest fighter; the easiest giver; the kingly champion ”

“ Perhaps it will be wiser for us not to go nearer."
"Surely such a great hero as Fionn mac Cumall does not fear three gentle maidens?" taunted Conan, and laughed loudly.
"I am not afraid of the greatest champion on earth, so why should I fear women?" answered Fionn. "But there are powers belonging to an unseen world which even the most courageous man may fear, without having his courage questioned, and a presentiment that such powers are near is on me now. However, we will speak to these girls," and he walked up to the mouth of the cave and stood before them. ”

“ His mind, quietly busy on all sides, picked up one sound and dwelt on it. “A man,” said Fionn, and he listened in that direction, back towards the city.
A man it was, almost as skilled in darkness as Fionn himself “This is no enemy,” Fionn thought; “his walking is open.”
“Who comes?” he called.
“A friend,” said the newcomer.
“Give a friend’s name,” said Fionn.
“Fiacuil mac Cona,” was the answer.
“Ah, my pulse and heart!” cried Fionn, and he strode a few paces to meet the great robber who had fostered him among the marshes. ”

“ He was followed by a number of warriors who, when they saw Fionn and his heroes, shouted with joy; for these were the Fians who had been carried away on the demon horse, and often they had feared they would never see their country or their friends again.
"I bring you your men, Fionn," said the man, "and of them all there isn't a man I wouldn't like for my own, except Conan mac Morna, who night and day unceasingly abuses and reviles every one near him. ”

“ The dark hours of the night passed on, and Fionn shivered as the chill autumnal dews dropped on his weak and helpless limbs. He thought how the poor and the old must suffer, without warmth or comfort, and welcomed the dawn and sunrise more eagerly than he ever had before; then on his ears fell the sound of men's voices shouting and calling, and the barking of many dogs. Nearer and nearer the sound came; a minute or two later his son Oisin, and Oscur the son of Oisin, with Caeilté and Conan mac Morna and a great band of the Fianna Eireann, came over the hill-top to him. ”

“ They returned to the dún, and Conn gave orders that a banquet should be prepared, to celebrate Fionn's great feat. When the feast was ready he commanded his trumpeters to sound their trumpets, and as soon as every one was assembled in the great banqueting hall of the dun the king placed Fionn in the seat belonging to the chief of Ireland's Fianna, and all the Fians, even the deposed chief, Goll mac Morna, placed their hands in Fionn's, and vowed to be faithful and true to him as long as they lived. ”

“ When Fionn saw that the enchanter was put to flight, he descended from the high bank of the rath and pursued him. Many miles he went, and when he splashed through the rippling waters of the Boyne he was close on the heels of the magician. At length Fionn called out: "O Aillen mac Midna, turn your face to me. Let it not be said that death shamefully overtook you in the back, as you fled from a boy"; but Aillen still continued his flight. Then Fionn poised his spear—which for a long time had struggled in his hand, striving to free itself—and with all the strength of his arm threw it ”

“ Conan replied.
“You are right there,” said Cairell. “It takes a good ripe man for that weapon.”
“Boys are good enough with slings,” Confro continued, “but except for eating their fill and running away from a fight, you can’t count on boys.”
The two bulky men turned towards the school of the Fianna.
It happened that Fionn mac Uail had summoned the gentlemen of the Fianna and their wives to a banquet. Everybody came, for a banquet given by Fionn was not a thing to be missed. There was Goll mor mac Morna and his people; Fionn’s son Oisi’n and his grandson Oscar. ”

“ All men are masters when one is young, and Fionn would have found knowledge here also. He would have seen Fiacuil's great spear that had thirty rivets of Arabian gold in its socket, and that had to be kept wrapped up and tied down so that it would not kill people out of mere spitefulness. It had come from Faery, out of the Shí of Aillen mac Midna, and it would be brought back again later on between the same man's shoulder-blades. ”

“ Of Fionn’s people eleven hundred of men and women were dead, while of Goll’s people eleven men and fifty women were dead. But it was through fright the women died, for not one of them had a wound or a bruise or a mark.
CHAPTER III AT the end of a fortnight Fionn and Goll and the chief men of the Fianna attended at Tara. The king, his son and daughter, with Flahri, Feehal, and Fintan mac Bocna sat in the place of judgement, and Cormac called on the witnesses for evidence. ”

“ For this was the order of Fionn’s affection: first there was the boy; next, Bran and Sceo’lan with their three whelps; then Caelte mac Rona’n, and from him down through the champions. He loved them all, but it was along that precedence his affections ran. The thorn that went into Bran’s foot ran into Fionn’s also. The world knew it, and there was not a champion but admitted sorrowfully that there was reason for his love.
Little by little the boy came to understand their speech and to speak it himself, and at last he was able to tell his story to Fionn. ”

“ He continued: “Aillen mac Midna will be off his guard when he stops playing and begins to blow his fire; he will think everybody is asleep; then you can deliver the attack you were speaking of, and all good luck go with it.”
“I will give him back his spear,” said Fionn.
“Here it is,” said Fiacuil, taking the Birgha from under his cloak. “But be as careful of it, my pulse, be as frightened of it as you are of the man of Dana.”
“I will be frightened of nothing,” said Fionn, “and the only person I will be sorry for is that Aillen mac Midna, who is going to get his own spear back.” ”

“ It is quite possible to see what is happening and yet not know what is forward, for while seeing is believing it does not follow that either seeing or believing is knowing. Many a person can see a thing and believe a thing and know just as little about it as the person who does neither. But Fionn would see and know, or he would under-stand a decent ratio of his visions. That he was versed in magic is true, for he was ever known as the Knowledgeable man, and later he had two magicians in his household named Dirim and mac-Reith to do the rough work of knowledge for their busy master. ”

“ And then she stared fiercely at Fionn.
“I demand a combat,” she roared.
“It is your right,” said Fionn. He turned to his son.
“Oisi’n, my heart, kill me this honourable hag.” But for the only time in his life Oisi’n shrank from a combat.
“I cannot do it,” he said, “I feel too weak.”
Fionn was astounded. “Oscar,” he said, “will you kill me this great hag?”
Oscar stammered miserably. “I would not be able to,” he said.
Cona’n also refused, and so did Caelte mac Rona’n and mac Lugac, for there was no man there but was terrified by the sight of that mighty and valiant harridan. ”

“ Later, Fionn fought the beings who threw down a dún which was In course of construction and for this obtained the king's daughter, while the heroes killed by these beings were restored by him and became his followers. 22 Scots ballad and folk-tale versions contain some of these Incidents, but vary much as to Cumhal. In one he goes to Scotland and defeats the Norse, and there sets up as a king; but Irish and Norse kings entice him to Ireland, persuade him to marry, and kill him in his wife's arms. ”

“ If a man enters the Fianna Eireann, and after entering fails in either of these things, then the Fians cast him out, and disgrace rests on him whereever he goes."
"We pledge you our word," said they, "that in neither of these things shall we ever fail. Nor are we without knowledge, for certain gifts are ours that may be of use to you some time or other."
"What are they?" asked Fionn.
"I will watch over and guard the Fianna of Ireland, both night and day," said one.
"That is a good thing for one man to be able to do," remarked Fionn ”

“ They all passed the night in feasting and making merry, and rested during the morning hours; but when the evening was near Donn mac Midir said to Fionn:
"Come; I will show you where we meet our enemies in battle," and he led Fionn out to the broad green field before the house.
"How many will stand up against you?" asked Fionn.
"There will be a great number," answered Donn. "Bove Derg himself, with many hundreds of warriors, will be here ”

“ In some respects the two may have been rivals, for if the Cúchulainn saga was introduced by conquerors from Britain or Gaul, it would not be looked on with favour by the folk. Or if it is the saga of Ulster as opposed to that of Leinster, rivalry would again ensue. The Fionn saga lives more in the hearts of the people, though it sometimes borrows from the other. This borrowing, however, is less than some critics, e.g. Zimmer, maintain. Many of the likenesses are the result of the fact that wherever a hero exists a common stock of incidents becomes his. ”

“ Fionn did not succumb to the music, because of the magic power of a weapon given him by one of his father's comrades, and he also warded off with his mantle the flame from Aillen's mouth and succeeded in beheading him, so that he was given Goll's position, while GoU made friends with him rather than go into exile.15 In the account of Cumhal's death as given in the Leahhar na hUidhre, Conn advised Muirne to go to her sister Bodhmhall, at whose house Fionn was born. Later he challenged Tadg to single combat, or to fight him with many, or to pay a fine for Cumhal's death ”

“ At last she came to the edge of the sea, where the Fians stood watching her, and her voice sounded like sweet music as she spoke to Fionn:
"It is a long road from my country to yours, O Fionn, but I have taken it in search of you."
"Beautiful queen," said Fionn, "I am old and my men are nearly all killed, but few and sorrowful as we are, we will not refuse any service you may ask of us. Tell us now, O fairest of women, your name and your country, and what your desire is."
"My father calls me Niav of the Red-gold Hair, and he is lord of the Island of Youth," she answered. ”

“ Such a soldier was he that, single-handed, he could take the Fianna out of any hole they got into, but such an inveterate poet was he that all the Fianna together could scarcely retrieve him from the abysses into which he tumbled. It took him to keep the Fianna safe, but it took all the Fianna to keep their captain out of danger. They did not complain of this, for they loved every hair of Fionn's head more than they loved their wives and children, and that was reasonable, for there was never in the world a person more worthy of love than Fionn was. ”

“ Fionn; Manus—Parallels to the Bespelled Castle; the Brug of Oengus, the Brug of Lug, the Brug of Manannan Mac Lir, Bran's visit to the Island of Women, Cormac Mac Art, and the Fairy Branch; Diarmaid and the Daughter of King Under the Waves—Unspelling stories: The Three Soldiers; the waiting of Arthur; Arthur in Etna; the Kyffhäuser Legend, objections to Martin's views concerning it—Gawain's visit to the Magic Castle and Celtic parallels; The Son of Bad Counsel; Fionn in Giant Land; Fionn in the House of Cuana ”

“ When good was coming to the Fianna they would know and tell it, and when evil was coming they would not conceal it. But at the death of Fionn, Blaithnait and Cnu Deireoil returned to their own people; and even now, all these centuries afterwards, if you are sitting on the side of Slieve-na-man in the twilight, you will hear a sweet and sorrowful strain coming from the hillside, where Cnu Deireoil still laments on his harp for the death of the most noble and generous chief of the Fianna. ”