Monday, August 22, 2005

 

UI's Celtic Mythology - The Fianna

The Fianna was the the famous band of warriors responsible for the safety of the High King of Ireland. Popularly called the Fenians, their greatest leader was Finn MacCool and the majority of their members came from one of two clans, the Bascna and the Morna. Many of the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table recall the exploits of the Fenians. To join, "no man was taken till in the ground a hole had been made, such as would reach the waist, and he put into it with his sheild and a forearms' length of a hazel stick. Then must nine warrirors, having nine spears, with a ten furrows' width between them and him, assail him and let fly at him. If he sustained injury, he was not received into the band."

As far as I know, joining the Irish army isn't as gruelling!

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