Finn Mac Cool

Most of his early adventures can be found in "The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn." He was the son of Cumhall, who was the leader of the Fianna, and Muirne, who was the daughter of the Druid Tadg mac Nuadat. It was prophesied that if Cumhall ever married, he would be killed in his next battle. He fell in love with Muirne, and even knowing of the prophecy, he wanted her. Cumhall stole Muirne after her father refused his offer of marriage for her. This caused Tadg to appeal to the High King, Conn of the Hundred Battles, who outlawed Cumhall. A great battle was then fought between Conn and Cumhall, later known as The Battle of Cnucha, and Cumhall was killed by Goll mac Morna who assumed leadership of the Fianna.

Muirne was already pregnant however, and thus her father rejected her. He ordered his people to burn her, but Conn would not allow this. He put her under the protection of Fiacal mac Conchinn, whose wife, Bodhmall the druidess, was Cumhall's sister.

After Fionn was born, Muirne left him in the care of Bodhmall and the warrior woman Liath Luachra. He was brought up in secret in the forest of Sliabh Bladma, and taught the arts of war and hunting.

Muirne eventually married a chieftan from Kerry named Gleor Lámderg. She only saw her son once. When he was six years old, she snuck away to see him in the woods, and after that meeting, he did not see her again for many years.

In order for him to grow up strong and healthy, Bodhmall and Liath taught him many things. Taking him to a field, he was given two hares and told not to let them escape the field before him. Whichever way they ran, he must be ahead of them. To teach him to swim, they would throw him in a river and let him make his own way out. His first kill was a mother duck. He saw her swimming with her young ones and cast at her, cutting her wings badly enough she could not fly.

When he was 15, he met some youths swimming on the banks of a river. Entering their contest, he managed to out swim them all, thus angering them. However they saw how fair he was in body and gave him the name of Fionn which means fair or bright.

As he grew, he entered the service of several local kings, hiding his identity. One of these told him that if Cumhall had had a son, he would have been very much like Fionn. This sparked Fionn's curiosity and he learned that Cumhall's widow had married a chieftan in Kerry. Upon reaching the place, he recognized his mother as the wife of that chieftan. There his mother told him of his people and how his father died. Gleor wouldn't let Fionn stay long however, as he was afraid Cumhall's enemies would learn of his presence and come to kill him. Thus making Gleor fight agaist them as well.

In his travels Fionn met an old woman who was crying because her son had been slain by a warrior who lived nearby. Fionn told her he would avenge the death. This was his first battle, made all the more important because the enemy turned out to be one of the ones who slew his father. One of the items recovered after the fight was a crane skin bag, this had belonged to his father and had magical weapons inside.

Fionn met the druid and poet Finn Eces (also known as Finnegas), near the river Boyne and studied under him for 7 years under the name of Deimne. Finn Eces had spent several years trying to catch the Salmon of Knowledge, there was a prophecy that he would catch it. It was said that whoever ate the salmon would gain all the knowledge in the world. Eventually he caught it, and told Fionn to cook it for him. While cooking, Fionn burned his thumb. Instinctively, he stuck it in his mouth to cool it. When he brought the Salmon to Finn Eces, he was asked if he had eaten any of it. Remembering how he burnt his thumb, he explained. Finn Eces then told him he was not Deimne but Fionn as the prophecy had stated that while Finn Eces would catch the Salmon, Fionn would eat it. Offering Fionn the entire Salmon, Fionn ate it and great knowledge. This showed him how to gain revenge on Goll, and in subsequent tales he was able to gain more knowledge from the salmon by chewing his thumb.

Once a year, for 23 years at Samhain, the fire-breathing Sidhe of the Tuatha De Danann named Aillen Mac Midhna would lull the men of Tara to sleep with his music. Then he would burn the place to the ground. Goll and the Fianna were powerless to prevent it. Fionn came to Tara with his father's crane-skin bag of magical weapons. Pledging to rid them of the menace, as long as he was promoted to Captain for doing so, he went out into the town. Keeping himself awake by using the point of his own spear, he then killed Aillen with the same spear. His heritage was then recognized and he was given command of the Fianna. Goll willingly stepped aside for him and became his loyal follower. Though in many stories after this, their alliance is uneasy and feuds do occur. Fionn demanded compensation for his father's death, threatening war or single combat if refused. And so Tadg offered him his home, the Hill of Alan, and Fionn accepted.

Once when Fionn was entertaining Arthyr the son of the King of Britain and his men, they went hunting together. Fionn was sitting on a hill listening to the sounds of his dogs, Bran and Sceolan, as they led the chase. Arthyr, was waiting at the head of the valley watching for their quarry. When he saw how much faster and better Fionn's two hounds were than any of the others, he decided he wanted them for himself. When the two reached Arthyr and his men, they were promptly caught with chains and carried off to their ship which sailed immediately so that none would know where they went. When Fionn realized they were gone, he put his thumb into his mouth and knew exactly where they went and who had stolen them. Gathering 8 men, they sailed to Britain's shores and found Arthyr and his men hunting on the lands of Lodan son of Llyr. Feigning friendship, Arthyr told Fionn it had been only a practical joke and invited him to dinner. Fighting soon broke out, and as the Fianna were outnumbered, it would have gone ill indeed if Oisín had not been able to grab Arthyr and use him as a human shield. Arthyr thus pled for peace and not only gave Fionn back his hounds, but two horses as well. A magnificent grey stallion and a chestnut mare, these became the foundation stock for the Fianna herds.

While out hunting near his home Allmu of the White Walls, his two hounds Bran and Sceolan gave chase to a deer that was so swift even they could not catch her. By the time they cornered the deer and Fionn caught up to them, he was amazed to see they were not attacking her but licking her gently as though she was a long lost relative. By this, Fionn knew she was no ordinary deer and called the rest of the Fianna off the hunt. The deer followed him around the house the rest of that day, and when he lay down to sleep, she slept beside him. When he awoke, instead of the deer there was a young woman with large dark eyes that reminded him of the deer. Her name was Sadbh and she was a fae from Tír na nÓg. One of her people wished to marry her and when she refused him, he struck her with a hazel rod turning her into a deer and drove her from her land. Fionn agreed to let her stay if she would marry him. They were happy for a year, and then Fionn was called away to repel an invader attack. Telling her to speak to no one outside the fortress and to stay inside, he left her. When he returned he was told Sadbh had left 2 days after he himself had. She had met someone who looked exactly like him, down to his two dogs, and when she approached was struck with a hazel rod and became a deer once more. Fionn searched for 7 years but never found a trace of her. In the seventh year however, he found a naked little boy who knew no human words wandering around in his woods. When he finally learned to speak, he told his story. He had lived in a cave with his mother who was a deer for many years until a man appeared one day. This man struck his mother with a hazel rod to make her follow him, and though the boy wished to go as well, he was frozen to the spot by some kind of magic until he heard Fionn's hounds. Fionn knew then that this was his son, and named him Oisín which means Little Deer. He never found a trace of Sadbh.