AN INTRODUCTION TO FÍANAIGECHT LITERATURE A fíanaigecht narrative is concerned with Finn mac Cumaill or fénnidi (members of a fían) associated with him. Finn is one of the great legendary heroes of medieval Irish literature. As well as being frequently depicted as a warrior of extraordinary skill, Finn is often portrayed as possessing the supernatural qualities associated with a poet in medieval Irish literature. As well as being able to compose verse, therefore, he is often depicted as a seer. As a result he can determine the truth, often identifying the murderers of corpses he encounters. He is often depicted as someone who experiences visions of the future as well. People familiar with modern folktales involving Finn may know the story of the salmon of knowledge which provides an explanation for Finn’s superhuman knowledge: this is a version of a story contained in the probably twelfth-century tale Macgnímartha Finn (‘The Boyhood Deeds of Finn’). The term fían (plural fíana)indicates refers to a peripatetic war-band. Although there is some evidence for the reality underpinning the literary depictions of these groups, it is with their literary incarnations only that this overview is concerned. Liminality is often seen to be key to the depiction of the fían: they are seen to dwell on the margins of society, both geographically, in that they inhabit the wilderness, and in terms of their behaviour, in that they are frequently associated with violence, plunder and the abduction of women in particular. However, a distinction can be made between depictions of blood-thirsty fíana in medieval Irish literature as a whole and of a more socially-acceptable fían within fíanaigecht proper. From at least the tenth century, Finn is depicted as an archetypal ‘good pagan’. Moreover, his ability to discern the truth and to foresee the future allows for depictions of him prophesying Ireland’s conversion and the arrival of several saints. This motif features prominently in Acallam na Senórach. There is a large number of fíanaigecht works. Medieval fíanaigecht tales are usually referred to as ‘early’ or ‘late’ works, with the late twelfth- / early thirteenth-century Acallam na Senórach marking the half-way point. Among the early works are a number of short tales including Macgnímartha Finn and Fotha Catha Cnucha which tell of Finn’s father’s death, his own boyhood and how he became the leader of the fían. There are several fine examples of fíanaigecht poetry celebrating nature among the early works. Although there are some references to Christianity in the early material (and the fían are consistently depicted as living lives compatible with the Christian ideal), Acallam na Senórach is our first full example of characteristic late fíanaigecht material which brings fénnid and saint into direct contact. The incorporation of the acallam tale-type into fíanaigecht is a significant development. At around the same time, a type of ballad poetry, known as a laíd (‘lay’) takes over from prose as the dominant medium of fíanaigecht. A compilation made in the seventeenth century of lays spoken by St Patrick and Oisín, the son of Finn, known as Duanaire Finn, is therefore exactly what we expect of late fíanaigecht. However, long narrative prose tales were still written, as is illustrated by Tóruigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne (‘The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne’) which tells how having agreed to become Finn’s wife, Gráinne eloped with one of his fían. In the post-medieval period, fíanaigecht continued to be popular in Irish and in Scots Gaelic story-telling. There is also a significant English-language fíanaigecht tradition, most notably that which developed via James Macpherson’s Ossianic ‘translations’. Click here for some suggestions for further reading on fíanaigecht literature |
