The
Irish History
And
The Fighting Irish
And
The Fighting Irish
( Celtic And Irish Mythology )
..The Fenian Cycle continued...
text is dated from linguistic evidence to the 12th century. The text records conversations between
Cailte mac Ronain and Oisin, the last surviving members of the Fianna, and St. Patrick, and consists of about 8,000 lines. The dates of the manuscripts may reflect a longer oral tradition for Fenian stories. The Fianna of the story are divided into the Clann Baiscne, led by Fionn Mac Cumhall ( often rendered as Finn MacCool, Finn son of Cumhall ) and the Clann Morna, led by his enemy, Goll mac Morna. Goll killed Fionn's father, Cumhal, in battle and the boy Fionn was brought up in secrecy. As a youth, while being trained in the art of poetry, he accidently burned his thumb while cooking the Salmon of Knowledge, which allowed him to suck or bite his thumb in order to receive bursts of stupendous wisdom. He took his place as the leader of his band and numerous tales are told of their adventures. Two of the greatest of Irish tales Toraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghrainne ( The pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne ) and Oisin in Tir na nOg form part of the cycle. The Diarmuid and Grainne story, which is one of the few Fenian prose tales, is a probable source of Tristian and Iseult.
The world of the Fenian Cycle is one in which professional warriors spend their time hunting, fighting, and engaging in adventures in the spirit world. New entants into the band are expected to be knowledgeable in poetry as well as undergo a number of physical tests or ordeals. There is not any religious element in these tales unless it is one of hero-worship.
The world of the Fenian Cycle is one in which professional warriors spend their time hunting, fighting, and engaging in adventures in the spirit world. New entants into the band are expected to be knowledgeable in poetry as well as undergo a number of physical tests or ordeals. There is not any religious element in these tales unless it is one of hero-worship.
It
is only recently that we have realised the all-important part played by legendary lore in forming and stamp
-ing a nation's character. A people's character and a people's heritage of tradition act and react upon each other, down the ages, the outstanding qualities of both getting ever more and more alike - so long as their racial traditions are cherished as intimate part of their life. But the people's character gets a new direction on the day that there comes into their life any influence which lessens their loving regard for the past. The world has known few races that were enriched with a richer heritage of legend - poetic, romantic, heroic, idealistic, wonderous, humorous, than that of the Gaelic world. Which in ancient ages sprang from the souls of the nation's noblest, and through all subsequent days nurtured the minds and souls of the multitude. So can be said about the ancient people of Ireland.
In these wonderful traditions every ancient great poet and teacher lives, and leads his listening people, for all time.
Of all the great bodies of ancient Irish legendary lore, none other, with the possible exception of the Red Branch Cycle, has had such developing, uplifting, and educational effect upon the Irish people, through the ages, as that of the wonderful body of Fenian tales-in both prose and verse, rich in quality and rich in quantity.
Finn MacCool leader of the Fian ( Fenians ) in the time of Cormac MacArt, is the great central figure of these tales.
Fionn and Fian were not figments of the ancient poets' fancy - as think some who know of this lore only by hearsay. The man Fionn lived and died in the third century of the Christian Era. The Four Masters chronicle his death on the Boyne, under AD 283 - though he must have died some years earlier. Fions father Cumal, was chief of the Fian in his day; and his grandfather, Treun-Mor, chief before that. In contrast to the Red Branch which was Ulster, the Fian was of Munster and Leinster origin ( Fionn's clan, Clan na Baoiscne, which was the heart of Fian, belonged in North Munster ) Connaught with its Clan na Morna, contributed largely to the body, later. It was in the reign of Conn, at the very end of the second. or beginning of the third century that was found the Fian - a great standing army of picked and specially trained, daring warriors, whose duty was to carry out the mandates of the high King - " To uphold justice and put down injustice, on the part of the Kings and Lords of Ireland - and to guard the harbors from foreign invaders. " From this latter we might conjecture that an expected Roman invasion first called the Fian into existence.
They were soldiers in the time of war, and a national police in time of peace. We are told that they prevented robberies, exacted fines and tributes, put down public enemies and every kind of evil that might afflict the country. Moreover they moved about from place to place, all over the island. During the summer and harvest, from Beltinne to Samain -May first till November first- they camped in the open, and lived by the chase. During the winter half year, they were quartered upon the people. But Fionn, being a Chieftan himself, in his own right, had a residence on the Hill of Allen ( Almuin ) in Kildare. An old poem pictures it as a very palatial residence.
In these wonderful traditions every ancient great poet and teacher lives, and leads his listening people, for all time.
Of all the great bodies of ancient Irish legendary lore, none other, with the possible exception of the Red Branch Cycle, has had such developing, uplifting, and educational effect upon the Irish people, through the ages, as that of the wonderful body of Fenian tales-in both prose and verse, rich in quality and rich in quantity.
Finn MacCool leader of the Fian ( Fenians ) in the time of Cormac MacArt, is the great central figure of these tales.
Fionn and Fian were not figments of the ancient poets' fancy - as think some who know of this lore only by hearsay. The man Fionn lived and died in the third century of the Christian Era. The Four Masters chronicle his death on the Boyne, under AD 283 - though he must have died some years earlier. Fions father Cumal, was chief of the Fian in his day; and his grandfather, Treun-Mor, chief before that. In contrast to the Red Branch which was Ulster, the Fian was of Munster and Leinster origin ( Fionn's clan, Clan na Baoiscne, which was the heart of Fian, belonged in North Munster ) Connaught with its Clan na Morna, contributed largely to the body, later. It was in the reign of Conn, at the very end of the second. or beginning of the third century that was found the Fian - a great standing army of picked and specially trained, daring warriors, whose duty was to carry out the mandates of the high King - " To uphold justice and put down injustice, on the part of the Kings and Lords of Ireland - and to guard the harbors from foreign invaders. " From this latter we might conjecture that an expected Roman invasion first called the Fian into existence.
They were soldiers in the time of war, and a national police in time of peace. We are told that they prevented robberies, exacted fines and tributes, put down public enemies and every kind of evil that might afflict the country. Moreover they moved about from place to place, all over the island. During the summer and harvest, from Beltinne to Samain -May first till November first- they camped in the open, and lived by the chase. During the winter half year, they were quartered upon the people. But Fionn, being a Chieftan himself, in his own right, had a residence on the Hill of Allen ( Almuin ) in Kildare. An old poem pictures it as a very palatial residence.
I feasted in the hall of Fionn
And at each banquet there, I saw
A thousand rich cups on his board,
Whose rims were bound with purest gold.
And twelve great buildings once stood there,
The dwellings of those mighty hosts,
Ruled by Tadg's daughter's warlike son.
At Alma of the noble Fian.
And constantly there burned twelve fires,
Within each princely house of these,
And round each flaming hearth there sat
A hundred warriors of the Fian.
And at each banquet there, I saw
A thousand rich cups on his board,
Whose rims were bound with purest gold.
And twelve great buildings once stood there,
The dwellings of those mighty hosts,
Ruled by Tadg's daughter's warlike son.
At Alma of the noble Fian.
And constantly there burned twelve fires,
Within each princely house of these,
And round each flaming hearth there sat
A hundred warriors of the Fian.
The Fianna recruited at the great fairs, especially at Tara, Uisnech and Taillte. The greatest discrimination was used in choosing the eligible ones from amongst the candidate throng - which throng included in plenty sons of Chieftans and Princes. But no candidate would be considered unless he, his family, and clan, were prepared philosophically to accept for him life or death, all the daily hazards of a hazardous career - and that his family and his clan should, from the day he joined the Fian, renounce all claims to satisfaction or vengeance for his injuring or ending. His comrades must henceforth be his moral heirs and executors, who would seek and get the satisfaction due if he were wounded or killed by any means that violated the code of honour and justice. And it should here be remarked that the high ethical code of the Red Branch Knights in the days of Christ was not any more admirable than the code of justice and of honour observed now, two centuries after the Fian.
Many and hard were the tests for him who sought to be of the noble body.
One of the first tests was literally: for no candidate was possible who had not mastered the 12 books of poetry. With this condition in mind one will no longer wonder that the Fian bequeathed to posterity ten thousand fragrant tales:
In a trench, the depth of a knee, the candidate, with a shield and hazel staff only, must protect himself from nine warriors, casting javelins at him from nine ridges away:
Given the start of a single tree, in a thick wood, he has to escape unwounded from fleet pursuers:
So skilful must he be in wood-running, and so agile, that in the flight, no single braid of hair is loosed by a hanging branch:
His step must be so light that underfoot he breaks no withered branch:
In his course he must bound over branches the height of his forehead, and stoop under others the height of his knee, without delaying, or leaving a trembling branch behind:
Without pausing in his flight he must pick from his foot the thorn that it has taken up:
In facing the greatest odds the weapon must not shake in his hand: When the candidate had passed the tests, and was approved as fit fot this heroic band, there were four ' geasa ' ( vows of chivalry ) laid upon him, as the final condition of his admission:
1/ He shall marry his wife without portion - choosing her for her manners and her virtues.
2/ He shall be gentle with all women.
3/ He shall never reserve to himself anything which another person stands in need of.
4/ He shall stand and fight to all odds, as far as nine to one.
Hard then was the task of him who entered the ranks of the noble Fian. They left a lasting impression on every hill, vale and stream from North to South, from East to West of the Island. They hung rare tales of themselves on every rowan-tree, and ten thousand great rocks that stud the Island's face, are monuments immortal, proclaiming to the wondering generations " Here passed Fionn and his Fian. "
There were three Cathas ( battalions ) of the Fian. Three thousand warriors in each Catha. This in the time of peace. In the time of war the quota was seven Cathas. And twenty-one thousand such men trained in agility and in strength, and in marvellous feats of arms by their mode of life hardened against all hardships, accustomed to reckless daring, and familiar with death, must have been a formidable weapon on the hands of the High King, who insured respect for him, for his laws and his commandes, in the hearts of all men in the remotest corners of the country.
