By Dubhán Ó Longáin
What do you know about the legendary Fianna? Dr Dubhán Ó Longáin, from Fionn Folklore, delves into the tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill, his son Oisín and grandson Oscar, highlighting their heroic deeds, deep familial bonds and the legacy they left in the folkloric record.
The great hero Fionn mac Cumhaill has been a household name in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man for centuries. He is also known in other countries with diasporas from these Celtic-speaking nations, particularly the United States and Canada (there are currently around 20 tales collected west of the Atlantic in the Fionn Folklore Database).
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In an increasingly global world, with television and social media replacing the seanchaí, few of us recognize Fionn as anything more than a vague hero from our youth that we don’t actually know a lot about. And while most of us are still aware of Fionn, very few know much about the other members of the Fianna.
When asked about the Fianna, most people with an interest in Gaelic culture can mention Fionn, Oisín, Diarmaid and Gráinne, but many will struggle to name more. There are, however, almost 30 names mentioned in the character index and biography section of the Fionn Folklore Database. The aim of this series of articles is to give the reader a quick account of a number of both well-known and more obscure members of the Fianna.
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Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn is, at the time in which most Fiannaíocht tales are set, the leader of the Fianna. He is also the leader of Clann Bhaoiscne (his full name being Fionn mac Cumhaill ua Baoiscne).
Fionn’s father, Cumhall, was the leader of the Fianna until his death at Cath Cnucha (the Battle of Knock). Fionn then spends much of his childhood in hiding from his father’s enemies before tasting the salmon of knowledge.
Fionn takes his familial right as leader of the Fianna after the events of the story Loscadh na Teamhrach. In this tale, a monster (often referred to as a “burner”) sets fire to Tara annually on the eve of Samhain. Fionn decides to confront the creature and is successful in slaying this monster with the aid of a magic spear that was once owned by Cumhall. The king rewards Fionn with the leadership of the Fianna.
Although not very commonly portrayed as taking an active role in battle (he is more often characterized as a kind of tactician), Fionn owned a powerful sword known as Mac an Luin, which he once gifted to the pope before his grandson, Oscar, stole it back.
Various accounts of Fionn’s death exist but the most common in the oral tradition is that he died from a fall in old age. This story states that he was compelled to undertake a jump yearly, something that he was able to do easily as a youth but it became harder as the years went by. Other accounts suggest that he is not dead at all, merely asleep.
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Oisín
Oisín is not Fionn’s only son but is the most well-known of Fionn’s offspring. His name can be translated as “little deer” or “fawn”. This is on account of his mother, Sadhbh, being transformed into a deer. He is known to recognize his mother in her deer-like form and protect her on hunts.
Oisín appears in these tales as both a young hero and an old man. This is, of course, because of his trip to Tír na nÓg. He spent 300 years without ageing in this magical land and finds that all his former friends have died in the intervening centuries. This ultimately results in him meeting St Patrick and relaying all the adventures of the Fianna. It is for this reason that these tales have managed to pass down to us.
>>> RELATED: St Patrick’s contribution to the legends of the Fianna
Oscar
Oscar is the son of Oisín and is often portrayed as the chief hero of the Fianna. He was such a fine warrior, in fact, that his own wedding resulted in a significant battle. He frequently emerges as the hero to ultimately slay the enemy, as in many versions of Laoi na Mná Móire. He is killed, along with many of the Fianna, at the Battle of Gabhra.
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Oscar’s death, along with being portrayed as one of the only events to bring Fionn to tears, is often said to mark “the start of the end” for the Fianna.
Dr Dubhán Ó Longáin earned his PhD from Ulster University, having focused his doctoral research on the poetry of the Fenian cycle. He is interested in folklore, literature and the manuscript tradition, with a particular interest in how creative writers draw inspiration from folklore. He is currently working with the Fionn Folklore Database, creating learning materials to accompany the database. Read more from Dubhán here.
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