Famous for picking a fight with someone much bigger than himself, Finn McCool, a mythical warrior of Irish mythology is said to be responsible for what is known as the Giant Causeway in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, an area of around forty thousand interlocking columns in the shape of hexagonal dark stone steps of alternating size.
http://yvonnegilbert.com/
In reality, though, the scientists among us know that the Giants Causeway is made of volcanic lava that is described as being flanked by the wild North Atlantic Ocean on one side and a landscape of dramatic cliffs on the other, it is a World Heritage Site.
It was also listed in 1986 as a natural heritage site and contains
"superlative natural phenomena, formations or features, outstanding examples of the most important ecosystems, areas of exceptional natural beauty or exceptional combinations of natural and cultural elements and an outstanding example representing the major stages of the earth’s revolutionary history."
Truly an inspiration for artists and storytellers alike, it is quite a sight to behold. A natural phenomenon it is, but it's nice to think that Finn McCool had something to do with it.
It was also listed in 1986 as a natural heritage site and contains
"superlative natural phenomena, formations or features, outstanding examples of the most important ecosystems, areas of exceptional natural beauty or exceptional combinations of natural and cultural elements and an outstanding example representing the major stages of the earth’s revolutionary history."
Truly an inspiration for artists and storytellers alike, it is quite a sight to behold. A natural phenomenon it is, but it's nice to think that Finn McCool had something to do with it.
Finn McCool's Irish name was Fionn McCumhaill, in mythology is a warrior, but in some stories, he appears as a giant or a hero with a magic thumb which when sucked allows him to see anything going on. Wouldn't you just love one of those?
Fionn's father was Cumhaill, the leader of a small group of Irish warriors named the Fianna and his mother was Muirne, daughter of a druid whom Cumhaill had abducted. Later, left in the care of a warrior woman in a secret forest he was taught hunting and the art of war and it was during Fionn's boyhood and early adulthood that most of his adventures occur.
There are two versions of his most famous adventure, in both he is depicted as a giant who challenges the Scottish giant Benandonner to a fight, building the causeway across the water so the two giants can meet.
In one of the tales, Fionn hides in a cave because he sees that Benandonner is way bigger than him and the second has Fionn disguised as a baby by his wife. When Benandonner sees the size of the baby he naturally thinks that Fionn, as the father, is more of a giant than he and returns to Scotland without a fight. Either way, not a punch is struck, and depending on which story you read either Fionn or Benandonner suffers from an attack of pre-match nerves. In another adventure, Fionn comes to the aid of Fianna, this time the tale involves a rather nasty fire-breathing fairy called Aillen, a magic bag and a self-induced headache!
Fionn's father was Cumhaill, the leader of a small group of Irish warriors named the Fianna and his mother was Muirne, daughter of a druid whom Cumhaill had abducted. Later, left in the care of a warrior woman in a secret forest he was taught hunting and the art of war and it was during Fionn's boyhood and early adulthood that most of his adventures occur.
There are two versions of his most famous adventure, in both he is depicted as a giant who challenges the Scottish giant Benandonner to a fight, building the causeway across the water so the two giants can meet.
In one of the tales, Fionn hides in a cave because he sees that Benandonner is way bigger than him and the second has Fionn disguised as a baby by his wife. When Benandonner sees the size of the baby he naturally thinks that Fionn, as the father, is more of a giant than he and returns to Scotland without a fight. Either way, not a punch is struck, and depending on which story you read either Fionn or Benandonner suffers from an attack of pre-match nerves. In another adventure, Fionn comes to the aid of Fianna, this time the tale involves a rather nasty fire-breathing fairy called Aillen, a magic bag and a self-induced headache!
Aillen, for reasons only known to himself, every twenty three years lures all the men away from the village of Tara, a settlement thought to have been on the River Boyne, and burns it to the ground. The warriors of the Fianna were unable help, but on hearing of the plight of the village Fionn turns up with his fathers crane-skin magic bag, but is sleepy from his exhausting adventures with Leprechauns and giants. Fionn keeps nodding off and is frightened he will miss the wicked Aillen, to keep himself awake Fionn resorts to continually jabbing the point of his own sword into his forehead. Eventually, Aillen turns up, and thank goodness for that, Fionn kills him with one swoop of same sword.
What of the Fionn in his later years? Some say he is not dead but sleeps in a cave somewhere beneath Ireland waking to defend his country when she needs him the most.
RSS Feed
