Fionn mac Cumhaill, Finn/Find mac Cumhaill/mac Cumhail [OIr.], Finn MacCool [anglicized], Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Feunn Mac Cüail [ScG], Finn McCooil [Manx]; also Fingal, Finn Mac Cumhal, Finn mac Cumal, Find mac Umaill. Hunter-warrior-seer of Old and Modern Irish literatures, central hero of the
Fenian Cycle where he heads the Clan
Baiscne and the
Fianna Éireann, and subject of innumerable portrayals in thousands of narratives from both learned manuscript and later oral traditions. First known as
Demne Máel, he acquires the name Fionn [fair, light-haired] while still a youth. Fionn is usually seen as brave and admirable, especially in stories told in Ossianic frame (i.e. conventionally narrated by Fionn's son
Oisín or compatriot
Caílte), where he is a paragon of pagan Irish nobility: courageous and generous. Elsewhere, particularly in folk-tales from oral tradition, Fionn may become a crude, buffoonish bumbler. In the widely known story from manuscript tradition,
Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne [The Pursuit of Diarmait and Gráinne], he is an ageing cuckold and jealous avenger. Long thought a historical personage, Fionn was ascribed the death date of AD 283 by chroniclers; his historicity was sanctioned by Geoffrey
Keating (
c.1570–
c.1650) and survived in popular perception until the 20th century. Fionn's stories are known in all parts of Ireland, Gaelic Scotland, the Isle of
Man, and Gaelic-speaking
Nova Scotia, and have migrated into the oral traditions and literatures of English-speaking peoples in North America and Australia. Internal references imply a base in
Leinster or eastern Ireland; Fionn's customary fortress or ‘palace’ is the Hill of
Allen [OIr.
Almu; ModIr.
Almhain] in Co. Kildare.
The glossing of Fionn as ‘fair’ implies links to a Continental Celtic divinity,
Vindonnus, whose name is commemorated in place-names from the Roman occupation. Gaulish vindos [white] and vindonos [fair] are employed in the several Vindonissas and Vindabonas; a Vindabona along the Danube lay on the site of modern Vienna. This same Continental divinity may explain the origin of the two other great Irish heroes,
Lug Lámfhota and
Cúchulainn, as well as Fionn's inexact counterpart in Welsh tradition,
Gwyn ap Nudd. Within Irish tradition, Fionn appears to have been anticipated by
Find, the ancient personification of wisdom implied by
Ptolemy (2nd cent. AD). Dáithí Ó hÓgáin has argued (1988) that Fionn's characteristic persona arose when Leinstermen revering Find in the
Boyne valley were driven from their homeland by the
Uí Néill of
Ulster. These families, especially the Uí Fháilghe, created Fionn the poet-warrior-seer who resides in the countryside and is ready to defend his people while not ruling them, out of the continuing enmity with the Uí Néill. Complete as early as the 6th century, Fionn was accommodated to Leinster genealogies by the 7th century. Informed commentators reject the assertion first put forth by Heinrich Zimmer (1891) that Fionn is of foreign, specifically Norse, origin.
Although Fionn's pedigree may have been fabricated, the names within it remain fixed even when the personalities behind them are thin. Fionn's father, always cited in the ubiquitous patronymic, is reported as having been killed before his son's birth, but the names of the perpetrators vary; (
a)
Conn Cétchathach [of the Hundred Battles], protector of
Tadg (or Bracan) mac Nuadat, for Cumhall's having abducted Tadg's daughter Muirenn Muncháem [of the white neck] and getting her with child; (
b)
Goll mac Morna of the rival Clan Morna launching an ongoing clan rivalry, according to
Fotha Catha Chnucha [The Cause of the Battle of Cnucha], the most widely known version; (
c)
Liath Luachra, the keeper of the
crane bag [
corrbolg]; or (
d) the villainous
Arca Dubh, as in Scottish Gaelic folk-tales. Cumhall's death and his son's birth should take place during the reign of
Cathaír Mór. Cumhall's pedigree consists of little more than ciphers; he is the son of Trénmór [strong and big], the son of Sualt, the son of Ealtan, son of Baíscne. Through his maternal side Fionn claims his more important ancestor,
Nuadu Airgetlám, a king of the
Tuatha Dé Danann; or this may have been
Nuadu Necht, a Leinster manifestation of Nuadu Airgetlám. Nuadu's ‘son’ Tadg mac Nuadat may be but an alias for Nuadu himself; but Tadg taken as an entity is thought to be father of Muirenn. After Cumhall's death, Muirenn was unable to raise the baby and so had him nursed by her sister
Bodhmall, a
druidess.
Fiacclach mac Conchinn fostered Fionn, giving him a spear that never misses its mark; Fiacclach's son Moling Lúath is conventionally named as Fionn's foster-brother. Fionn's two named brothers are
Fíthel and
Féinnidh. Fionn's aunt (sometimes sister) is
Uirne, wife of
Illann (2), and mother of
Bran and
Sceolang. In lesser-known variant texts Fionn's mother's name is given as
Fuinche or Torba.
Two episodes dominate Fionn's childhood, the gaining of divine
knowledge and the earning of his usual name. When the boy was but 7 years old, he became a pupil of the
druid or seer
Finnéces, who had been waiting seven years to find the
salmon of knowledge at
Linn Féic [Fiac's Pool] along the Boyne (or in later tradition, the falls of
Assaroe in Co. Donegal). The name Finnéces means ‘Finn the Seer’ and may imply the old Find, or a double of Fionn himself. Finnéces caught the salmon and was roasting it on a spit when the boy touched the hot flesh; he then thrust his burnt thumb into his mouth, bestowing upon himself the divine knowledge that Finnéces sought. An alternate, less well-known version dating from the 8th century has Fionn gain knowledge when he catches his thumb in the door to an other-worldly house on
Sliab na mBan [Slievenamon], Co. Tipperary. The boy's name from birth was Demne Máel, implying shorn hair and associations with druids, poets, and craftsmen. After Demne Máel had won an athletic contest and killed a rival who challenged his victory, a spectator called out, ‘Who is the fair boy?’ [ModIr.
Cé hé an giolla fionn?]; and thus he became Fionn the son of Cumhall.
Despite many shifts in portrayals of Fionn's character, certain aspects of his physical person remain constant. He is always tall, fair-haired, and conventionally handsome, with broad shoulders and a broad brow. No portraits of Fionn survive from Irish or Scottish Gaelic tradition, nor has he been the subject of any notable modern work of art. His usual residence is the Hill of Allen, Co. Kildare, a site associated with the families thought to have created his persona; but he is sometimes linked to
Dind Ríg, Co. Carlow. Fionn's favourite animal is the
dog; his companion dogs Bran and Sceolang are his transformed nephews. His standard, as recorded in later literature, is the likeness of the golden sun half-risen from the blue floor of the sea.
Like
Cúchulainn, Fionn benefited from an amazonian tutor,
Búanann, but he also learned from the male
Cethern mac Fintain. Along with his spear that never misses its mark, Fionn wields a famous sword, Mac an Lúin. In military and athletic prowess, Fionn excels at what all men must do. He is a superb runner and jumper, significantly in a milieu lacking cavalry or chariots. Along with other members of the fianna, Fionn sings out the war cry of
Dord Fian. His notable superhuman power is in
divination, specifically
díchetal do chennaib, of which he is a great practitioner; names for his special
knowledge are
fios and
imbas forosnai. Some commentators see Fionn's characteristic light, even shining hair as testimony to this unique luminous wisdom.
Encounters with a succession of females allowed Fionn to father innumerable progeny. The imposition of Christian monogamy may class some women as ‘wives’ and others as ‘lovers’, but Fionn lacks a constant mate, unlike Cúchulainn with
Emer. The most alluring woman in Fionn's life is the magical
Sadb, who first appeared as a
fawn and gave birth to his most notable son,
Oisín. Cormac mac Airt's daughter
Ailbe Chrúadbrecc ranks high among the hero's wives and Fionn is often described as the king's son-in-law. Other women listed as Fionn's wives are:
Berrach, often called his ‘third wife’;
Cruithne (1), daughter of Lochán the smith; Daolach, cited only in
Duanaire Finn (16th cent.);
Maigneis, who was unfaithful;
Smirgat (or Smirnat), daughter of
Fothad Canainne;
Taise and Téite. Fionn was betrothed to
Gráinne, who betrayed him for
Diarmait. Women who sought Fionn's love are the ‘Daughter of the King of Greece’ and Máer, a married woman.
Áine (2) would sleep with no man in Ireland except Fionn. Along with the oft-cited Oisín, the hero's sons include:
Cairell, a son killed by Goll;
Dáire (3);
Fáelán mac Finn; Fergus Fínbél;
Fiachra (3); and
Fiachna (5). Among Fionn's daughters are
Aí Arduallach the arrogant,
Cainche, the mother of
Goll's children, and
Lugach; additionally, Fionn is the protector of the beautiful
Bébinn. Fionn's celebrated grandson is
Oscar, son of Oisín, and the ‘Galahad’ of the Fenian Cycle. Key members of Fionn's household are:
Duanach mac Morna, his
bard or
druid;
Cnú Deireóil, his harper; Lomna, his fool or jester; and the servant
Ferdia (2), murdered by
Cairbre Lifechair.
Decisive patterns emerge in the thousands of stories of Fionn as a hunter and warrior. Always a superb athlete, Fionn excells as a runner and swimmer, as well as in combat with a sword or spear. His favourite quarries are wild
boar and
deer. He is described as slaying a serpent in virtually every body of water in Ireland, as well as many in Scotland and the Isle of Man, but more place-names are cited from Leinster than elsewhere.
Numerous passes between mountains are thought to have been cut by his sword, and landmarks such as caves and ‘fingerstones’ (bare, vertical rocks) attributed to Fionn abound. At Glen Roy in Inverness-shire, Scotland, the ‘Parallel Roads’, horizontal markers from ancient glacial lakes, were attributed to Fionn. He is often seen as the victor in battles, but few are described in detail; the most extensive is the account of the repulsion of an invasion at Ventry Harbour, Co. Kerry, in
Cath Fionntrágha. Other invaders to be repulsed come from the north, the Norsemen or Vikings from
Lochlainn. Within Ireland, Fionn's mortal adversaries are often identified with
Connacht, perhaps an inheritance of his father Cumhall's contention with Conn Cétchathach [of the Hundred Battles]. Over the centuries this rivalry is embodied in
Goll mac Morna. Other opponents,
Arca Dubh,
Borba, or
Dealra Dubh, are not rooted geographically. More celebrated are Fionn's several supernatural adversaries, especially
Aillén mac Midna, the ‘burner’ of
Tara, whom he kills to great acclaim, and Cúldub mac Fidga, a food-thief. In the extensive series of tales of the
Bruidhean type, Fionn and his men are trapped in a magical dwelling and cannot get out without help; a representative example is
Bruidhean Chaorthainn [The Hostel of the Quicken Tree]. Some of Fionn's supernatural adventures are clearly allegories, as in the 15th-century story of an encounter with an old man, a
ram, and a beautiful young woman. The ram who butts their food from the table and cannot be restrained is the world. The beautiful woman who rejects Fionn's advances, telling him that he has had her already, is youth. And the old man who easily ties up the ram is age itself, which subdues all. Many Fenian tales display a coarse humour, and in some of them from oral tradition he is portrayed as a slapstick figure himself; but in the most popular of these, of the
Céadach or comic helper tales, of which at least 128 survive, Fionn recedes into the background and his men take the brunt of the raillery. Fionn is most unattractive in
Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne in which the old warrior is betrothed to the unwilling Gráinne, who runs off with the handsome young Diarmait, a member of the Fianna. Not only does Fionn's desire for Gráinne appear unsavoury, but he withholds use of his healing powers from her swain when he is gored by a
boar. Fionn appears at his most attractive in narratives that view him conventionally from some time after his passing; the longest and best-known of these is
Acallam na Senórach [The Colloquy of the Elders]. Those ‘elders’ are Fionn's son Oisín and his compatriot Caílte, who also serve as conventional narrators in an immense body of literature from oral tradition. Perhaps the most impressive Irish collection is the
Duanaire Finn, compiled at Louvain and Ostend in the 17th century.
Accounts vary concerning the manner of Fionn's death and also whether he was indeed mortal. Fionn's Fianna has worn out its welcome during the reign of Cormac's successor,
Cairbre Lifechair. Different factions begin to fight among themselves, and Cairbre provokes the climactic Battle of Gabhair/Gowra,
Cath Gabhra, by killing Fionn's servant Ferdia (2); in this text five men murder Fionn at Garristown, Co. Dublin. In
Aided Finn [The Violent Death of Fionn],
Aichlech mac Dubdrenn slays Fionn at Ath Brea, the Ford of Brea, on the Boyne; other stories have Fionn in mortal combat with Goll mac Morna at this same site. Scottish oral tradition places Fionn's death at Cill Fhinn, Perthshire. Rival Irish traditions have Fionn buried at
Ard Caille, north Co. Cork, or at Luachair Dedad, Co. Kerry. Fionn may have been reincarnated as
Mongán, or he may be a member of the Sleeping Army (Folk motif: E502), resting in a remote cave like
Arthur, Charlemagne, or Barbarossa, waiting until his people need him again.
See also:
BRUIDHEAN BHEAG NA HALMHAINE [The Little Brawl of the Hill of Allen];
CATH GABHRA [The Battle of Gabhair/Gowra];
DUANAIRE FINN;
EACHTRA AN AMADÁIN MHÓIR [The Adventure of the Great Fool];
FOTHA CATHA CHNUCHA[The Cause of the battle of Cnucha].
Fionn has been portrayed in English-language writing more than a hundred times from the 15th to the end of the 20th century in texts from the juvenile and popular to the most demanding. Among the most notable are: William Carleton, ‘A Legend of Knock many’ (1845, often reprinted); James Joyce,
Finnegans Wake (New York, 1939); Flann O'Brien,
At Swim-Two-Birds (London, 1939); Standish James O'Grady,
Finn and His Companions (London, 1892); Violet Russell,
Heroes of the Dawn (Dublin, 1913); Gordon Snell,
The Cool MacCool (Dublin, 1988); James Stephens,
Irish Fairy Tales (London, 1920); Ella Young,
The Tangle-Coated Horse (New York, 1929). Fionn is also the basis for James
Macpherson's Fingal in
The Poems of Ossian (1760–3).
Studies: Reidar Th. Christiansen,
The Vikings and the Viking Wars in Irish and Gaelic Traditions (Oslo, 1931); James MacKillop,
Fionn mac Cumhaill (Syracuse, NY, 1986); Gerard Murphy, ‘Introduction’,
Duanaire Finn III, Irish Texts Society No. 43 (Dublin, 1953), pp. x-cxxii; Gerard Murphy,
The Ossianic Lore and Romantic Tales of Medieval Ireland (Dublin, 1955); Joseph Falaky Nagy,
The Wisdom of the Outlaw (Berkeley, Calif., 1985); Dáithí Ó hÓgáin,
Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Dublin, 1988).
See also
FINGAL.
