THE
BIRTH OF FIN MACCUMHAIL
AND THE
FOUNDING OF THE FENIANS
Cumhal Macart was a great
champion in the west of Erin, and it was
prophesied of him that if ever he married he
would meet death in the next battle he fought.
For this reason he had no wife, and knew no woman
for a long time; till one day he saw the
kings daughter, who was so beautiful that
he forgot all fear and married her in secret.
Next day after the marriage, news came that a
battle had to be fought.
Now
a Druid had told the king that his
daughters son would take the kingdom from
him; so he made up his mind to look after the
daughter, and not let any man come near her.
Before he went to the battle, Cumhal told his
mother everything,-- told her of his relations
with the kings daughter. He said, " I
shall be killed in battle today, according to the
prophecy of the Druid, and Im afraid if his
daughter has a son the king will kill the child,
for the prophecy is that he will lose the kingdom
by the son of his own daughter. Now, if the
kings daughter has a son you must hide and
rear him, if you can; you will be his only hope
and stay."
Cumhal
was killed in the battle, and within that year
the kings daughter had a son. By command of
his grandfather, the boy was thrown out of the
castle window into a loch, to be drowned, on the
day of his birth. The boy sank from sight; but
after remaining a while under the water, he rose
again to the surface, and came to land holding a
live salmon in his hand.
The
grandmother of the boy, Cumhals mother,
stood watching on the shore, and said to herself
as she saw this: "He is my grandson, the
true son of my own child," and seizing the
boy, she rushed away with him, and vanished,
before the kings people could stop her.
When
the king heard that the old woman had escaped
with his daughters son, he fell into a
terrible rage, and ordered all the male children
born that day in the kingdom to be put to death,
hoping in this way to kill his own grandson, and
save the crown for himself.
After
she had disappeared from the bank of the loch,
the old woman, Cumhals mother, made her way
to a thick forest, where she spent that night as
best she could. Next day she came to a great oak
tree. Then she hired a man to cut out a chamber
in the tree.
When
all was finished, and there was a nice room in
the oak for herself and her grandson, and a whelp
of the same age as the boy, and which she had
brought with her from the castle. She said to the
man: "Give me the ax which you have in your
hand, there is something here that I want to
fix." The man gave the ax into her hand, and
that minute she swept the head off him, saying:
"Youll never tell any man about this
place now."
One
day the whelp ate some of the fine chipping left
cut by the carpenter from the inside of the tree.
The old woman said: "Youll be called
Bran from this out." All three lived in the
tree together, and the old woman did not take her
grandson out till the end of five years; and then
he couldn't walk, he had been sitting so long
inside. When the old grandmother had taught the
boy to walk, she brought him one day to the brow
of a hill from which there was a long slope. She
took a switch and said: "Now, run down this
place. I will follow and strike you with this
switch, and coming up I will run ahead, and you
strike me as often as you can."
The
first time they ran down, his grandmother struck
him many times. In coming up the first time, he
did not strike her at all. Every time they ran
down she struck him less, and every time they ran
up he struck her more. They ran up and down for
three days; and at the end of that time she could
not strike him once, and he struck her at every
step she took. He had now become a great runner.
When he was fifteen years
of age, the old woman went with him to a hurling
match between the forces of his grandfather and
those of a neighboring king. Both sides were
equal in skill; and neither was able to win, till
the youth opposed his grandfathers people.
Then, he won every game. When the ball was thrown
in the air, he struck it coming down, and so
again and again, never letting the ball touch the
ground till he had driven it through the barrier.
The
old king, who was very angry and greatly
mortified at the defeat of his people, exclaimed,
as he saw the youth who was very fair and had
white hair: "Who is that fin cumhal {white
cap}?" The punning resemblance suggested the
proper name for the boy: " Ah, that is it;
Fin will be his name, and Fin MacCumhail he
is," said the old woman. The king ordered
his people to seize and put the young man to
death, on the spot.
The
old woman hurried to the side of her grandson.
They slipped from the crowd and away they went, a
hill at a leap, a glen at a step, and thirty-two
miles at a running-leap. They ran a long
distance, till Fin grew tired; then the old
grandmother took him on her back, putting his
feet into two pockets which were in her dress,
one on each side, and ran on with the same
swiftness as before, a hill at a leap, a glen at
a step, and thirty-two miles at a running-leap.
After
a time the old woman felt the approach of
pursuit, and said to Fin: "Look behind, and
tell me what you see." "I see,"
said he, " a white horse with a champion on
his back." "Oh, no fear," said
she; "a white horse has no endurance; he can
never catch us, we are safe from him." And
on they sped. A second time she felt the approach
of pursuit, and again she said: "Look back,
and see who is coming." "I see, a
warrior riding on a brown horse."
"Never fear," said the old woman;
"There is never a brown horse but is giddy,
he cannot overtake us." She rushed on as
before. A third time she said: "Look around
and see who is coming now." Fin looked and
said: " I see a black warrior on a black
horse, following fast." "There is no
horse so tough as a black horse," said the
grandmother. "There is no escape from this
one. My grandson, one or both of us must die. I
am old, my time has nearly come. I will die and
you and Bran save yourselves. (Bran had been with
them all the time.) right here ahead is a deep
bog; you jump off my back, and escape as best you
can. Ill jump into the bog up to my neck:
and when the kings men come, Ill say
that you are in the bog before me, sunk out of
sight, and Im trying to find you. As my
hair and yours are the same color, they will cut
it off, and take it in place of yours, and show
it to the king; that will satisfy his
anger."
Fin
slipped down, took farewell of his grandmother,
and hurried on with Bran. The old woman came to
the bog, jumped in, and sank to her neck. The
kings men were soon at the edge of the bog,
and the black rider called out to the old woman:
"Where is Fin?" "He is here in the
bog before me, and Im trying can I find
him" lamented the old woman. As the horse
man could not find Fin, and thought the old
womans head would do to carry back, they
cut it off, and took it with them, saying:
"This will satisfy the king."
Fin
and Bran went on till they came to a great cave,
in which they found a herd of goats. At the
further end of the cave was a smoldering fire.
The two lay down to rest. A couple of hours
later, in came a giant with a salmon in his hand.
This giant was of awful height, he had but one
eye, and that in the middle of his forehead, as
large as the sun in heaven. When he saw Fin, he
called out: "Here, take this salmon and
roast it: but be careful, for if you raise a
single blister on it Ill cut the head off
you. Ive followed this salmon for three
days and three nights without stopping, and I
never let it out of my sight, for it is the most
wonderful salmon in the world."
The
giant lay down to sleep in the middle of the
cave. Fin spitted the salmon, and held it over
the fire. The minute the giant closed the one eye
in his head, he began to snore. Every time he
drew breath into his body, he dragged Fin, the
spit, the salmon, Bran, and all the goats to his
mouth; and every time he drove a breath out of
himself, he threw them back to the places they
were in before. Fin was drawn time after time to
the mouth of the giant with such force, that he
was in dread of going down his throat.
When
partly cooked, a blister rose on the salmon, Fin
pressed the place with his thumb, to know could
he bread the blister, and hide from the giant the
harm that was done. But he burned his thumb, and
, to ease the pain, put it between his teeth, and
gnawed the skin to the flesh, the flesh to the
bone, the bone to the marrow; and having tasted
the marrow, he received the knowledge of all
things. Next moment, he was drawn by the breath
of the giant right up to his face, and knowing
from his thumb what to do, he plunged the hot
spit into the sleeping eye of the giant and
destroyed it. That instant the giant with a
single bound was at the low entrance of the cave,
and , standing with his back to the wall and a
foot on each side of the opening, roared out:
" Youll not leave this place
alive."
Now Fin killed the largest
goat, skinned him as quickly as he could, then
putting the skin on himself he drove the herd to
where the giant stood; the goats passed out one
by one between his legs. When the great goat came
the giant took him by the horns. Fin slipped from
the skin, and ran out. "Oh, youve
escaped," said the giant, " but before
we part let me make you a present."
"Im
afraid to go near you," said Fin; "if
you wish to give me a present, put it out this
way, and then go back." The giant placed a
ring on the ground, then went back. Fin took up
the ring and put it on the end of his little
finger above the first joint. It clung so firmly
that no man in the world could have taken it off.
The giant then called out, " Where are
you?" "On Fins finger,"
cried the ring. That instant the giant spring at
Fin and almost came down on his head, thinking in
this way to crush him to bits. Fin sprang to a
distance. Again the giant asked, "Where are
you?" "On Fins finger,"
answered the ring. Again the giant made a leap,
coming down just in front of Fin. Many times he
called and many times almost caught Fin, who
could not escape with the ring on his finger.
While in this terrible struggle, not knowing how
to escape, Bran ran up and asked: "Why
dont you chew your thumb?"
Fin
bit his thumb to the marrow, and then knew what
to do. He took the knife with which he had
skinned the goat, cut off his finger at the first
joint, and threw it, with the ring still on, into
a deep bog nearby. And again the giant called
out, "Where are you?" and the ring
answered, " On Fins finger."
Straightway the giant sprang towards the voice,
sank to his shoulders in the bog, and stayed
there.
Fin
with Bran now went on his way, and traveled till
he reached a deep and thick wood, where a
thousand horses were drawing timber, and men
felling and preparing it. "What is
this?" asked Fin of the overseer of the
workmen. "Oh, we are building a dun for the
king; we build one every day, and every night it
is burned to the ground. Our king has an only
daughter; he will give her to any man who will
save the dun, and hell leave him the
kingdom at his death. If any man undertakes to
save the dun and fails, his life must pay for it;
the king will cut his head off. The best
champions in Erin have tried and failed; they are
now in the kings dungeons, a whole army of
them, waiting the kings pleasure. Hes
going to cut the heads off them all in one
day." Why dont you chew your
thumb?" asked Bran.
Fin
chewed his thumb to the marrow, and then knew
that on the eastern side of the world there lived
an old hag with her three sons, and every evening
at nightfall she sent the youngest of these to
burn the kings dun. "I will save the
kings dun," said Fin.
"Well," said the overseer, "better
men than you have tried and lost their
lives." "Oh," says Fin,
"Im not afraid; Ill try for the
sake of the kings daughter."
Now
Fin, followed by Bran, went with the overseer to
the king. "I hear you will give your
daughter to the man who saves your dun,"
said Fin. "I will," said the king;
"but if he fails I must have his head."
"Well," says Fin, "Ill risk
my head for the sake of your daughter. If I fail
Im satisfied." The king gave Fin food
and drink; he supped, and after supper went to
the dun. "Why dont you chew your
thumb?" said Bran; "then youll
know what to do." He did. Then Bran took her
place on the roof, waiting for the old
womans son.
Now
the old woman in the east told her youngest son
to hurry on with his torches, burn the dun, and
come back without delay; for the stirabout was
boiling and he must not be too late for supper.
So he took the torches, and shot off through the
air with a wonderful speed. Soon he was in sight
of the kings dun, threw the torches upon
the thatched roof to set it on fire as usual.
That
moment Bran gave the torches such a push with her
shoulders, that they fell into the stream which
ran around the dun, and were put out. "Who
is this," cried the youngest son of the old
hag, "who has dared to put out my lights,
and interfere with my hereditary right?"
"I," said Fin, who stood in front of
him. Then began a terrible battle between Fin and
the old womans son. Bran came down from the
dun to help Fin; she bit and tore his
enemys back, striping the skin and flesh
from his head to his heels. After a terrible
struggle such as had not been in the world before
that night, Fin cut the head off his enemy. But
for Bran, Fin could never have conquered.
The time for the return of
her son had passed; supper was ready. The old
woman, impatient and angry, said, to the second
son: "You take torches and hurry on, see why
your brother loiters. Ill pay him for this
when he come home! But be careful and dont
do like him, or youll have your pay too.
Hurry back, for the stirabout is boiling and
ready for supper." He started off, was met
and killed exactly as his brother, except that he
was stronger and the battle fiercer. But for
Bran, Fin would have lost his life that night.
The
old woman was raging at the delay, and said to
her eldest son, who had not been out of the house
for years: ( It was only in case of the greatest
need that she sent him. He had a cats head,
and was called Pus an Chuine, "Puss of the
Corner;" he was the eldest and strongest of
all the brothers.) "Now take torches, go and
see what delays your brothers; Ill pay them
for this when they come home."
The
eldest brother shot off through the air, came to
the kings dun and threw his torches upon
the roof. They had just singed the straw a
little, when Bran pushed them off with such force
that they fell into the stream and were quenched.
"Who is this," screamed Cat-head,
"who dares to interfere with my ancestral
right?" "I," shouted Fin. Then the
struggle began fiercer than with the second
brother. Bran helped from behind, tearing the
flesh from his head to his heels; but at length
Cat-head fastened his teeth into Fins
breast, biting and gnawing till Fin cut the head
off. The body fell to the ground, but the head
lived, gnawing as terribly as before. Do what
they could it was impossible to kill it. Fin
hacked and cut, but could neither kill nor pull
it off. When nearly exhausted, Bran said;
"Why dont you chew your thumb?"
Fin chewed thumb, and reaching the marrow knew
that the old woman in the east was ready to start
with torches to find her sons, and burn the dun
herself, and that she had a vial of liquid with
which she could bring the sons to life; and that
nothing could free him from Cat-head but the old
womans blood.
After
midnight the old hag, enraged at the delay of her
sons, started and shot through the air like
lightning, more swiftly than her sons. She threw
her torches from afar upon the roof of the dun;
but Bran as before hurled them into the stream.
Now the old woman circled around in the air
looking for her sons. Fin was getting very weak
from pain and loss of blood, for Cat-head was
biting at his breast all the time. Bran called
out; "Rouse yourself, oh Fin; use all your
power or we are lost! If the old hag gets a drop
from the vial upon the bodies of her sons, they
will come to life, and then were done
for."
Thus
roused, Fin with one spring reached the old woman
in the air, and swept the bottle from her grasp;
which falling upon the ground was emptied., The
old hag gave a scream which was heard all over
the world, came to the ground and closed with
Fin. Then followed a battle greater than the
world had ever known before that night, or has
ever seen since. Water sprang out of gray rocks,
and cows cast their calves even when they had
none, and hard rushes grew soft in the remotest
corner or Erin, so desperate was the fighting and
so awful, between Fin and the old hag. Fin would
have died that night but for Bran.
Just
as daylight was coming Fin swept the head off the
old woman, caught some of her blood, and rubbed
it around Cat-head, who fell off dead. He rubbed
his own wounds with the blood and was cured; then
rubbed some on Bran, who had been singed with the
torches, and she was as well as ever. Fin,
exhausted with fighting, dropped down and fell
asleep.
While
he was sleeping the chief steward of the king
came to the dun, found it standing safe and
sound, and seeing Fin lying there asleep knew
that he had saved it. Bran tried to waken Fin,
pulled and tugged, but could not rouse him. The
steward went to the king, and said: "I have
saved the dun, and I claim the reward."
"It shall be given you," answered the
king; and straightway the steward was recognized
as the kings son-in-law, and orders were
given to make ready for the wedding.
Bran
had listened to what was going on, and when her
master woke, exactly at midday, she told him of
all that was taking place in the castle of the
king. Fin went to the king, and said: "I
have saved your dun, and I claim the
reward." "Oh," said the king,
"my steward claimed the reward, and it has
been given to him." "He had nothing to
do with saving the dun; I saved it," said
Fin. "Well," answered the king,
"he is the first man who told me of its
safety and claimed the reward." "Bring
him here: let me look at him," said Fin.
He
was sent for, and came. "Did you save the
kings dun?" asked Fin. "I
did," said the steward. You did not, and
striking him with the edge of his open hand he
swept the head off his body, dashing it against
the other side of the room, flattening it like
paste on the wall. "You are the man,"
said the king to Fin, "who saved the dun;
yours is the reward. All the champions, and there
is many a man of them, who have failed to save it
are in the dungeons of my fortress; their heads
must be cut off before the wedding takes
place." Will you let me see them?"
asked Fin. "I will," said the king.
Fin
went down to the men, and found the first
champions of Erin in the dungeons, "Will you
obey me in all things if I save you from
death?" said Fin. " We will," said
they. Then he went back to the king and asked:
"Will you give me the lives of these
champions of Erin, in place of your
daughters hand?" "I will,"
said the king. All the champions were liberated,
and left the kings castle that day. Ever
after they followed the orders of Fin, and these
were the beginning of his forces and the first of
the Fenians of Erin.
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