Bone of My Bone: Fionn and the Feinn

It is not known if Fionn was a real person whose actions have been overlaid with exaggerations and myths or if he is completely made up to form an epic tale, along the lines of the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Feinn are actually troops, literally translated. Fionn was the leader of one of the groups of the Feinn.

Fionn seems to be the third leader in a succession of leaders of a group of Feinn. First his father, Cumhal, then Goll of the Clan Morna whom was Cumhal's opponent, then later Fionn.

Fionn translates to mean "fair." His young boyhood tales are told in a narrative by the name of The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn. There are many, many tales concerning him.

One of the folktales attributed to Fionn is his gain of supernatural clairvoyance through burning his thumb and placing it in his mouth while cooking the salmon of knowledge meant for another. But because he unintentionally ate some of the salmon, Fionn gained the knowledge instead. This would happen whenever he would place his thumb against his tooth. This is a similar story found in many other places all over the world, even if slightly different.

One of the tales has Fionn as an Irish giant and the Giant's Causeway is attributed to him and a rival Scottish giant, Benandonner. The Isle of Man and Leogh Neagh are also attributed to Fionn (Finn McCool) as he scooped up dirt (forming the crater for Ireland's largest lake) and throwing it at Benandonner where it landed in the sea forming Isle of Man.

Here is a little video that may be of interest ..... VIDEO .... it's of a possible Finn (Fionn) McCool sighting. This may be the type of thing Mrs. Baird was referring to when she mentioned that she had been to see the Two Brothers stone. Or perhaps it was the Walking Stones of Orkney she was referencing since she said she had been up north to see them. For the stones referred to as brothers are the Sueno's Stone located in Forres, east of Inverness, and Brother's Stones south of Inverness near St. Boswells. And then there is the possibility that it is a made up spot as is Craigh na Dun! The Scottish Highlands Folklore itself lends to this possibility among fictional literature.

There are so many different variations and separate tales altogether concerning Fionn, that it is hard to sift through them all. If you have a great interest in learning more, please visit Celtic Culture Blog >> Celtic Mythology for an easier to read accounting of the various stories about Fionn and the Feinn and National Geographic's Giant's Causeway of County Antrim.

The Giant's Causeway

County Antrim, Ireland