THE FIANNA OF ERIN

'Fian' has a number of definitions, with the most common being foot soldier. Indeed, a distinguishing feature of the Fianna is that they almost always fought on foot. The main function of the Fianna was to maintain and uphold the principles of justice and order within Ireland. The organisation was a very honourable institution and considered essential to the welfare of the community at that time. From Samhain (the greatest Cetic festival which celebrated the start of the year and was celebrated on October 31st) to Bealtainne (which signals the start of summer and was celebrated on May 1st) they were found among the people, whilst in the summer half of the year they engaged in hunting to support themselves. Their method of cooking their catches is well known to primitive peoples. A hole was dug into the ground, inside of which red hot stones were placed. On top of this was placed venison wrapped insedge. Then all was covered over and in time the meat was done to a turn.

In both seasons they were expected to police the countryside. In order for a man to join the Fianna he had to meet certain citeria. He had to be be versed in the twelve books of poetry, be a man of culture and pass the a number of initiation tests. At the start of the first initiation test the man had to stand in a pit, dug out to knee depth for him to stand in. His defensive weapons were a shield and a hazel rod. These were used to deflect the spears cast by nine men from a distance of nine ridges. These spears were cast simultaneously at the prospective warrior and if he failed to deflect these weapons then he was rejected. The second test consisted of a chase through the forest, pursued by armed men. The candidate was to avoid being caught or harmed in any way by the armed men. Indeed, if he had a lock of his braided hair loosened or if he had broken a branch on the forest floor in his hasty flight he was rejected. After all that his hands could not be seen to be shaking at all at the end or he would have failed. On top of this the man was obliged to jump over a branch his own head height and stoop below a branch his own knee height and also be able to run at full speed whilst taking a thorn from his foot at the same time, without breaking his stride. All these tasks seem nigh impossible to achieve yet they illustrate perfectly the idealistic nature of this group of legends.

FINN McCOOL & THE SALMON OF KNOWLEDGE

Finn McCool was the the leader of the aforementioned warriors. Although Finn was not the strongest warrior, he was the wisest, kindest and most trusted of them all. Finn was a true leader of his people, a poet and magician, the pinnacle of achievement for a Celtic warrior. Finn's father Cumhal was the leader of the Baiscne Clan. In a battle with the Morna Clan over who should have the right to the leadership of the Fianna of Eire, Cumahl was killed. The Baiscne Clan were defeated and their members were dispersed throughout Ireland. Not long after the epic battle, Cumahl's wife Muirne gave birth to the hero himself. In fear of the Morna Clan and concerned for her son's safety Muirne gave Finn into the care of two Druid women who took him to the wood of Slieve Bladhma to care for him. There he was given excellent training in the ways of the warrior and manhood. A couple of the exercises deemed to be constructive by the women were to throw him into a lake to teach him how to swim and to put him in a closed off field with some hares. They told him to always keep ahead of the hares no matter what until the day was over. However, this turned him into a fine young man, fair of appearance, supple of limb and skilled to boot. So, after spending some time with a troupe of poets being taught the way of words, he was put out on his own and went to seek his living in the service of a king. Eventually, he came to the king who had taken his mother for his wife and fine service he gave. All was well until one day he was playing chess with the king and won seven games in a row. It was then that the king questioned this fine young man's origins and discovered that he was the son of Cumhal. This displeased him greatly and Finn, who was then called Deimne to conceal his lineage, was asked to leave. He then decided to go into Connaught to seek out his father's brother, Crimall. He was on his way there when a magical meeting took place. He came across a woman crying tears of blood. Finn asked her why she cried so and the woman answered that her only son had just been killed by a champion. Finn vowed that after seeing such a sight that he would follow the champion and slay him. Such sorrow he had not seen before. So he killed the man and it was the same man who had given his father his first wound in the battle that was to be his last. The champion had on his person a treasure bag made of craneskin that had previously belonged to Finn's father. The bag was full of magical items that could only be used at full tide. The original owners of the bag were Manannan MacLir, god of the sea, and Lugh of the Long Hand, god of the sun. It was a precious find, marking another stage in the boy's oncoming adulthood. Finn found Crimall, now an old man, living in a lonely place with some of the other old men of the Fianna. They exchanged stories and conversation and it was here that Finn left the craneskin bag. Finn then went on to learn wisdom and poetry from a man named Finnegas who lived by the river Boyne. It is by the side of water that poets gain inspiration. The border between land and sea, neither one world or the other. It is where the goddess of poetry may be sought. For seven years Finnegas had watched for the white, red speckled salmon of knowledge. For in eating this fish a man may have all knowledge. At last the fish did arrive and Finnegas, rejoicing, gave the fish to Finn to roast but told him not to eat any of it. However, during the cooking of the salmon, Finn noticed a blister appearing on its skin and put his thumb onto it to make it disappear. Needless to say, Finn's thumb got badly burnt and he thrust it into his mouth and onto his wisdom tooth. The boy then gave Finnegas the fish and after looking at it for a while he said to Finn: "What is your name, boy?" "It is Deimne". Finn replied. "No, it is not", said Finnegas. "It is Finn that is your name and the prophesy that someone named Finn will gain the knowledge from the salmon has been fulfilled." The boy then confessed to having inadvertently tasted the fish. From that time on Finn had the knowledge from the nuts of the nine hazels that grew beneath the sea. This is how the boy then fulfilled his destiny and became the man who would be leader of the Fianna of Eire.