Grim's Hall

Happy Halloween:

How about a little Irish legendry appropriate to the Feast of Samhain?

Fionn decided that he was ready to become a warrior and he went to the High King Cormac Mac Art at his hall in Tara, Co. Meath and announced that he was Fionn son of Cumhail and that he had come to take his place among the Fianna and to serve Cormac. Cormac took Fionn into the Fianna although Goll Mac Morna and his brothers murmured against this particularly Goll who was now the captain of the Fianna having helped to kill Cumhail, Fionn's father.

It was nearing Samhain and every year for the past nine years a warrior from the Sidhe Finnachaidh of the Tuatha De Danann by the name of Aillen Mac Midhna came to Tara to cause havoc among the Fianna. He had burned the roof of Tara with his magic and had caused all the warriors to fall into a deep sleep with his Faery music.

When he heard this Fionn went before Cormac Mac Art and promised to rid him of this nuisance providing that his right of inheritance to the title of captain be honoured. Cormac swore to fulfill this request on the surety of all the tributary kings of Ireland and all his royal Druids.

The night before the warrior of the sidhe was going to appear, one of Cormac's men Fiacha Mac Conga, who had served with Fionn's father and was therefore protective towards him, came to Fionn and offered his help. He gave Fionn a magical spear which made the sound of battle when it was unsheathed and when it was laid on the forehead of the warrior who carried it he would be protected from evil magic.

So Fionn took the magical spear and went out against Aillen Mac Midhna and killed him. He struck off his head and carried it back to Tara and put it up on a pole for all to see.

When dawn broke and the High King and all his retinue awoke from their enchanted sleep, Cormac called Fionn before him and invested him with the captaincy of the Fianna in accordance with his promise.

Not every encounter with the faery is reported to have gone badly. Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene was the lady who held St. George's service and fealty; and she did well by him, the poet tells us.