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Macgnímartha Finn
''The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn'' () is a medieval Irish narrative belonging to the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. As its title implies, it recounts the boyhood exploits of Fionn mac Cumhaill, the cycle's central figure. Origin and development The most important manuscript is Laud 610: folio 118Rb-121Va, which is missing the ending; Kuno Meyer and Gerard Murphy assigned the text to the 12th century. The Laud 610 manuscript text was edited and translated by John O'Donovan as "The Boyish Exploits of Finn mac Cumhaill" in 1859, but only partly with some deficiencies according to Kuno Meyer. Meyer published an 1881 edition followed by a 1904 translation entitled "The Boyish Exploits of Finn". A more recent translation appeared in Joseph Falaky Nagy, ''The Wisdom of the Outlaw: Boyhood Deeds of Finn in Gaelic Narrative Tradition'' (1985). The text breaks off while Fionn investigates a '' sídhe'' or fairy mound, before his trip to Tara. Scholars have pointed out similarities between ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelanda sovereign state covering five-sixths of the island) and Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdomcovering the remaining sixth). It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the List of islands of the British Isles, second-largest island of the British Isles, the List of European islands by area, third-largest in Europe, and the List of islands by area, twentieth-largest in the world. As of 2022, the Irish population analysis, population of the entire island is just over 7 million, with 5.1 million in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland, ranking it the List of European islands by population, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muirne
Muirne or Muireann Muncháem ("beautiful neck") was the sister of Uirne and the mother of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. She had many suitors, but her father, the druid Tadg mac Nuadat, had foreseen that her marriage would lead to the loss of his home on the hill of Almu, so he refused them all. But one of them, Cumhal, leader of the fianna, abducted her. Tadg appealed to the High King, Conn of the Hundred Battles, who outlawed and pursued Cumhal. Cumhal was killed in the Battle of Cnucha, but Muirne was already pregnant, so her father rejected her and told his followers to burn her. Conn prevented this, and sent Muirne into the protection of Fiacal mac Conchinn and his wife, the druidess Bodhmall Bodhmall (or bodhmann, Bómall,''Dóiteoir na Samhna'', by Darach Ó Scalaí, Bodmall, or Bodbmall) is one of Fionn mac Cumhaill's childhood foster mothers in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology and the daughter of Tréanmór mac Suailt. She is ..., wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ceridwen
Ceridwen or Cerridwen ( ''Ke-RID-wen'') was an enchantress in Welsh medieval legend. She was the mother of a hideous son, Morfran, and a beautiful daughter, Creirwy. Her husband was Tegid Foel and they lived near Bala Lake () in north Wales. Medieval Welsh poetry refers to her as possessing the cauldron of poetic inspiration (Awen) and the Tale of Taliesin recounts her swallowing her servant Gwion Bach who is then reborn through her as the poet Taliesin. Ceridwen is regarded by many modern pagans as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration. Etymology Marged Haycock catalogues various forms of the name in the early texts, and in less detail in her edition of the Taliesin poems. These mainly occur in manuscripts which have been dated to the 13th century, though they may, of course, be using earlier forms or 13th century adaptations of earlier forms. ''The Black Book of Carmarthen'' gives ‘’. ''Peniarth 3'' gives ‘’, ''The Book of Taliesin'' va ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cath Cnucha
Cumhall (; ) or Cumhall mac Trénmhoir ("son of Trénmór/Tréanmór" meaning "strong-great") is a figure in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, a leader of the fianna and the father of Fionn mac Cumhaill. Genealogy The most important text regarding the family of Finn (son of Cumaill) is ''Fotha Catha Chnucha'' ("The Cause of the Battle of Cnucha"), as it is contained in the ancient parchment ''Lebor na hUidre'' (LU), dated to the 12th century. Otherwise, the next most important tract is the '' Macgnímartha Finn'' ("The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn") copied in a 15th-century manuscript. According to the ''Fotha Catha Chnucha'', Cumhall mac Trénmhoir was son of a petty king, and served the High King Conn Cet-Chathach "of the Hundred Battles". Cumhall was also Conn's half-uncle, his mother being the mother of Conn's father,. Cumhall became suitor for the hand of Muirne Muncaim "of the fair neck", daughter of the druid Tadg mac Nuadat, but Tadg refused him, so Cumhall forcibly car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland. The Tuath Dé Danann are often depicted as kings, queens, druids, bards, warriors, heroes, healers and craftsmen who have supernatural powers. They dwell in the Otherworld but interact with humans and the human world. They are associated with the ''sídhe'': prominent ancient burial mounds such as Brú na Bóinne, which are entrances to Otherworld realms. Their traditional rivals are the Fomorians (Fomoire), who might represent the destructive powers of nature, and whom the Tuatha Dé Danann defeat in the Battle of Mag Tuired. Prominent members include the Dagda ("the great god"); The Morrígan ("the great queen" or "phantom queen"); Lugh; Nuada; Aengus; Brigid; Manannán; Dian Cecht the healer; and Goibniu the smith ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aillén
Aillen or Áillen is an incendiary being in Irish mythology. He played the harp or timpán and would lull his victims into a deep sleep with his music. Character Called "the burner", According to the most frequently repeated story, Aillén harasses Cormac's court at Tara every November 1 at Samhain. Deeds According to ''The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn'', he would burn Tara to the ground every year at Samhain with his fiery breath after lulling all the inhabitants to sleep with his music. This only ended with the arrival of Fionn mac Cumhaill, who inhaled the poison from his spear to keep himself awake and slew Aillen. The act won him the leadership of the Fianna. Names Áillen was also a popular personal name in ancient Ireland The prehistory of Ireland has been pieced together from Archaeology, archaeological evidence, which has grown at an increasing rate over recent decades. It begins with the first evidence of permanent human residence in Ireland around 10,500 BC ... and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samhain
Samhain ( , , , ) or () is a Gaels, Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the "Celtic calendar#Medieval Irish and Welsh calendars, darker half" of the year.Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p. 402. Quote: "The basic Irish division of the year was into two parts, the summer half beginning at Bealtaine (May 1st) and the winter half at Samhain (November 1st) ... The festivals properly began at sunset on the day before the actual date, evincing the Celtic tendency to regard the night as preceding the day". It is also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name for November. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic calendar#Medieval Irish and Welsh calendars, Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the September equinox, autumnal equinox and winter solstice. It is one of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hill Of Tara
The Hill of Tara ( or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Irish mythology. Tara consists of numerous monuments and earthworks—dating from the Neolithic Ireland, Neolithic to the Iron Age Ireland, Iron Age—including a passage tomb (the "Mound of the Hostages"), Tumulus, burial mounds, Enclosure (archaeology), round enclosures, a standing stone (believed to be the ''Lia Fáil'' or "Stone of Destiny"), and a ceremonial Avenue (archaeology), avenue. There is also a church and graveyard on the hill. Tara forms part of a larger ancient landscape and Tara itself is a protected National monument (Ireland), national monument under the care of the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Government of Ireland, Irish Government. Name The name ''Tara'' is an anglicization of the Irish name or ('hill of Tara'). It is al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Well Of Segais
The ''Dindsenchas'' of Irish mythology give the physical origins, and etymological source of several bodies of water – in these myth poems the sources of rivers and lakes is sometimes given as being from magical wells. Connla's Well is one of a number of wells in the Irish "Celtic Otherworld". It is also termed "The Well of Wisdom", or "The Well of Knowledge", and is the mythical source of the River Shannon. The epithet ''Connla's Well'' is known from the ''Dindsenchas''. Another well is described in the dindsenchas about Boann, in the text as ("Secret Well") mythologically given as the origin of the River Boyne. This well has also been referred to as Nechtan's Well, or the Well of Segais. Some writers conflate both Nechtan's and Connla's well, making it the source of both Shannon and Boyne. Loch Garman's mythological origin is also given in the dindsenchas – in some translations or interpretations of the text the source of the water is given as the Well of Coelrind, though ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salmon Of Wisdom
The Salmon of Knowledge () is a creature in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, sometimes identified with Fintan mac Bóchra, who was known as "The Wise" and was once transformed into a salmon. Fenian Cycle The Salmon story figures prominently in ''The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn'', which recounts the early adventures of Fionn mac Cumhaill. In the story, an ordinary salmon ate nine hazelnuts that fell into the Well of Wisdom (''an Tobar Segais'') from nine hazel trees that surrounded the well. By this act, the salmon gained all the world's knowledge. The first person to eat of its flesh would in turn gain this knowledge. The poet Finn Eces (or Finegas) spent seven years fishing for this salmon. Finally Finn caught the salmon and gave the fish to Fionn, his servant and son of Cumhaill, with instructions to cook it but on no account eat any of it. Fionn cooked the salmon, turning it over and over, but when he touched the fish with his thumb to see if it was cooked, he burnt his fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Finn Éces
Finn Eces (Finneces, Finegas, Finnegas) is a legendary Irish poet and sage, according to the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is the teacher of Fionn mac Cumhaill, according to the tale ''The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn''. For years he tries to catch the Salmon of Wisdom, a fish that will grant all the world's knowledge to whoever eats it. He is unsuccessful until he takes the young Fionn as his charge, but when Fionn cooks for him, he burns his thumb and puts it in his mouth. He therefore receives the fish's knowledge, which he can access by putting his thumb in his mouth again. Upon eating the salmon he recommends Finn take up the name Finn to fulfill the prophecy as to who will gain its wisdom, originally he was named Demne. Nuada is referred to in some sources as Nuadu Finn-Éces, and certain authors suggest that the story of Fionn Mac Cumhall and the salmon of knowledge is related to the cult of Nodens *''Nodens'' or *''Nodons'' ( reconstructed from the dative ''Nodenti'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
