By Dubhán Ó Longáin
Dr Dubhán Ó Longáin, from Fionn Folklore, discusses the historical context behind the male-dominated Fianna and presents the stories of notable female characters, including Niamh from Tír na nÓg, shapeshifting Sadhbh and the much-sought-after Gráinne.
Reading my previous articles for Irish Heritage News, especially the recent character biographies, one could be forgiven for concluding that the Fianna was a bit of a “boys’ club”. Given the historical roots of this mythological band, this presumption is not a bad one.
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To explain the lack of women in these tales, we should look at the historical basis of this group. Although Fionn mac Cumhaill and his band of heroes are legendary figures, groups similar to the Fianna did exist. In Ireland of over a millennium ago, the children of the noble classes were often sent to be raised by a foster parent until they were around 14. Girls would probably marry not long after this, but the sons of nobles would often spend five or so years in a fían – a group of young, unmarried, landless men who would hunt, fight and womanize until they acquired land (most commonly after the death of their father).
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Groups like this were common throughout Europe until Christianity gained a foothold. The Church, correctly by our modern understanding, found the practice of warring, free love, hunting and general wildness barbaric. This practice had mostly died out by the 9th century but was looked on with romantic interest by the storytellers who would create the stories of the Fianna in the following centuries.
Therefore, the reason for the lack of female members of the Fianna itself is simply because of the historical foundations of the folkloric tales that we now know and love. That said, a number of female characters pop up from time to time and we will discuss a few of them below.
Niamh (Cinn Óir)
Niamh appears in just a single tale, Oisín i dTír na nÓg, but the popularity of this tale, as well as its inclusion in the school curriculum, has made Niamh a household name in Ireland. Niamh is typically portrayed as the daughter of the king, although she is also sometimes seen to be the queen of Tír na nÓg. She appears to the Fianna on horseback and entices Oisín to return with her to her underwater kingdom.
As we know, Oisín spends 300 years in Tír na Óg as husband to Niamh before returning to Ireland on his ill-fated visit home.
Sadhbh
Sadhbh is Oisín’s mother and is frequently considered the one true love of Fionn. In stories discussing the birth and childhood of Oisín, we find Fionn hunting a deer that appears to him as a woman later that day and explains to him that a druid, whom she refused to marry, magically transformed her into a deer. Fionn and Sadhbh fall in love and marry, but one day when Fionn is gone, the druid returns and transforms her into a deer once more.
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Fionn searches all over for his beloved but is unable to find her. He eventually, however, discovers a young boy who claims that his mother was transformed into a deer. Fionn recognizes that this child is his and Sadhbh’s son and names him “Oisín”, which means “little deer”.
Although Sadhbh must remain as a deer, she does reappear in this form in other tales (often coming close to becoming quarry). In one tale, we see Sadhbh approach Oisín during a hunt and Oisín giving her advice on how to escape. In this tale, Oisín kills Bran (the supreme hound of the Fianna) in order to protect his mother.
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Gráinne
Gráinne is the daughter of Cormac mac Airt, described as a beautiful woman and a very complex character. Her actions in jilting Fionn for Diarmaid at their wedding feast, or perhaps using Fionn as a means to get to Diarmaid, have been subjected to much debate.
Tóraíocht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne sees Fionn looking to remarry and being matched to the much younger Gráinne. Gráinne, however, falls for the more age-appropriate Diarmaid. In many versions, Gráinne is absolved of guilt by having accidentally seen Diarmaid’s “love spot” (ball seirce), which would make any woman who sees it fall for him. Diarmaid is, in turn, sometimes absolved of guilt by Gráinne putting him under some kind of magical compulsion.
There are many different versions of this tale and many different resolutions. Some see Fionn attempt to forgive the lovers, for example, but more often, Diarmaid is mortally wounded by a boar after a long period of fleeing from Fionn.
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Gráinne’s fate also varies. Occasionally, she lives out her days as a widow. In other tales, she and Fionn have an unhappy marriage. Another ending sees Gráinne herself being killed, occasionally in what seems to be an accident, after Fionn lashes out at her in grief at Diarmaid’s death.
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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➤ The messenger, the romantic and the loyal hound: Fianna tales of Caoilte, Diarmaid and Bran
➤ St Patrick’s contribution to the legends of the Fianna
➤ Fionn Folklore: new oral heritage site showcases the Fianna’s lesser-known tales
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