Be warned - most of the names in this post begin with the letter F.
The character we're going to focus on today is named Fionn. (Fionn means "fair"; he was named for his looks.) Fionn is a very interesting character in Celtic mythology, and his story is one of my favorites. Much like Cu Chulainn, there are a lot of stories about Fionn. I'm going to tell you a very compressed version of his life, but I'd like to set the stage first.
First off: the gods. The Tuatha De Danann aren't seen in this story until the very end. The stories of Fionn were written much later than several of the other tales we've talked about, and so the Tuatha De Danann have evolved. Ireland is famous for its stories of the sidhe, or the fae - they are what the ancient Celtic gods became as stories changed with the times. The sidhe mostly stay in their own realms, hidden underground beneath magic mounds, but they sometimes come to our world to meddle with (or, occasionally, help) mortals.
Next up: Fionn himself. He's a fascinating character, because people have wondered for some time if he was based upon a historical person. The same question surrounds King Arthur. Did these men actually exist? Are their stories embellished truth, or pure fantasy? Another question often asked is whether Fionn and Arthur are human personifications of gods. Whatever the case, their stories sure are interesting!
Lastly: The Fenians. All of the other stories we've talked about so far have revolved around kings and their warriors; the same hierarchy exists even among the Tuatha De Danann. Celtic society had a high king, who ruled over all of the lesser kings. Warriors served these kings...except for one specific type of warrior. These fighters were called Fenians, and they operated out side of the normal structure of Celtic society. They served no king, but were warriors under the command of those fighters who were strongest.
As a side note: There are so very many different ways of spelling the names of the various Celtic gods and heroes. I'm going with the versions I have in my books, but upon trying to find images for this post I discovered a lot of other variations. For instance, you may see Fionn spelled as Finn if you go looking, and there are tons of ways to spell his last name. The group I refer to as the Fenians are also called the Fianna. I'm just an enthusiast, not an expert, so I can't tell you which is the proper way to refer to any of these people. I'm just sticking with the terms I know.
Our story begins with the birth of Fionn, called Demne at the time. He was born into a time of strife, for his father had been killed when Demne was still in his mother's womb. There was a long-standing feud between Demne's family and that of his father's killers, the mac Morna clan. Fearing for her child's safety, Demne's mother sent him away to be raised in the wilds.
There, Demne was raised by a druidess and a warrior who taught him magic and how to fight. He had many adventures in his youth, and eventually a king gifted him with the name of Fionn due to his appearance. Fionn often left the women who were raising him to seek out adventure, and spent much of his childhood roaming the country with bands of warriors.
Once, Fionn came across a poet named Finneces who was fishing in a pool. This pool was said to be the home of a special salmon; whoever caught and ate the fish would know the future. A prophecy had been made about the salmon - it would be caught and eaten by a man named Fionn.
Finneces figured his name was close to Fionn, so he had spent years trying to catch the fish. Not long after Fionn met him, Finneces finally managed to fish up the salmon. Overjoyed, he asked Fionn to cook it for him, but cautioned him not to eat it.
(Who knew you could look so heroic cooking a fish?)
Fionn did as he was asked, but he burned his finger while cooking the fish. Ouch! Anyone else ever burnt their finger? What's the first thing you do? Most people, myself included, immediately put the burn in their mouth to try and soothe the pain. Fionn was no different. He sucked on his finger to try and ease his discomfort, and then brought the fish to Finneces.
The old poet asked if Fionn had eaten any of the fish, and he truthfully explained about his burn. Only then did Finneces think to ask Fionn's name. Upon hearing that his companion was called Fionn (maybe he should have checked on that before handing him the fish!) Finneces gave up and told Fionn to eat the fish, explaining the prophecy. From then on, any time Fionn sucked his burn he could see the future.
Fionn had many adventures from that point forward. He slew an evil goblin, became leader of the Fenians, loved and lost two women, and had both children and grandchildren. If you're interested in these stories, you can find a concise version of them here. Fionn even managed to kill Goll mac Morna, the man who had killed Fionn's father.
Unfortunately, this act was to be his undoing.
A glimpse into the future had told Fionn that he would die in Ireland during a certain year. When this year arrived the old warrior decided to leave Ireland and head for Scotland, hoping to escape his prophesized demise. Upon hearing of this, the Fenians begged their leader to come to their homes and be feasted by them before he departed - sort of a series of farewell parties, if you will. Fionn was touched by the friendship of his warriors and agreed.
He probably should have sucked his finger first.
The very first home Fionn visited was that of the warrior Fer-tai. Fer-tai was a friend of Fionn's, as was his wife - but she was the daughter of Goll mac Morna, and her son Fer-li had loved his grandfather well. Fer-li had hated Fionn ever since the Fenian had killed his grandfather. Upon haring that Fionn would be staying in his father's house, Fer-li began to plot revenge.
(Dun dun dunnnnn!)
Fer-li's desire for blood was complicated by the fact that Fionn was a guest. Most ancient cultures had strong rules of hospitality, and the Celts were no exception. A guest was under the protection of his host, so Fer-li had to be careful or risk finding himself fighting his own father.
Fionn arrived at Fer-tai's house with a small group of warriors - less than two hundred men. He had most of these remain outside while he entered Fer-tai's home, where a splendid feast began.
The party was in full swing when the doors were flung open and a group of men stormed inside. These men were in cahoots with Fer-li; according to his plot, they accused Fionn's men of having killed many of the local villagers and animals. As their leader, Fionn could be held responsible for the Fenians' actions. Fer-li hoped to be able to kill him for the Fenians' "crime".
Fionn knew his men well, and so he knew that the accusations were false. Still, he wanted to appear willing to make amends. Fionn promised to give Fer-tai two animals to make up for every one slaughtered - a generous offer.
Seeing that his plan had not worked, Fer-li became enraged. He yelled that Fionn had come to kill he and his father just as the Fenian had killed Goll mac Morna. Overcome with rage, Fer-li then flung himself at Fionn, attacking the great warrior. Fionn's men rose up to defend him, but Fer-li's men countered them.
Fer-tai tried to break up the fight, but was unable to do so before blood was shed. The warriors only stopped fighting when Fer-tai's wife ran into the hall, naked and with her hair loose as a sign of peace. (Don't ask me why, but this is pretty common in Celtic mythology - something similar happens with Cu Chulainn. Naked women show up, and the fighting stops. Hey, at least it works!)
As soon as the brawl ended, Fer-li's mother began to berate him. How dare he attack a guest under his father's roof! And not just any guest - Fionn, who was dearly loved by all!
Nothing quite like being lectured in front of your warriors by your mom...who then proceeded to kick Fer-ti out of the hall. Ouch. That's gotta hurt your image...
Unfortunately, it was too late. Fer-li's plot had succeeded - Fionn had slain several of Fer-tai's subjects during the fight. As he left, Fer-li challenged Fionn to a battle the next day, secure in the knowledge that his father would have to side with him.
In the morning Fionn and his men approached the battlefield. They found themselves hopelessly outnumbered - a few hundred versus several thousand. Unable to withdraw from the fight without ruining both his honor and his reputation, Fionn attempted to buy peace. His offer was generous, and Fer-tai urged his son to accept it. Fer-li refused, still full of wrath at his grandfather's death. Fionn tried to negotiate peace once again, but still Fer0li refused to step down.
Left with no other choice, the battle began. Fionn and his Fenians fought bravely against the thousands who opposed them, but they could not hope to prevail against such numbers. One by one the Fenians fell - until all, even Fionn, were dead.
In the end, the mac Morna clan prevailed.
But the story does not end there. It is said that Fionn and his loyal warriors did not truly die. Instead, the sidhe came and took them from where they lay upon the battlefield. They carried the brave fighters back to the fairy realms, where their wounds were healed. To this day Fionn and the Fenians lie sleeping there, garbed for war. One day Ireland will again be in danger - and on that day, Fionn and his men will rise up to defend it.
Kind of a cool story, right? I love the ending; it reminds me of the dead Norse warriors, the Einherjar, who are fated to rise up and defend Asgard during Ragnarok. What do you guys think? Shoot me an email or post below to let me know!
Also, as a fun little aside - apparently Fionn showed up on an old card for Magic: The Gathering. I discovered the image while searching for other pictures, and I just had to share it with you guys. Any Magic players reading this?
I'll see you guys next week!
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