| WOSAS : F976 |
WOSAS/CD301/track1 & WOSAS/CD302/track1 R1026.wav R1027.wav |
| an Irish Mythology story; Fionn MacCumhaill story | |
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| Sound recording, story; birth tale, transformation tale, and section of the epic cycle of Fionn MacCumhaill stories orginating from Irish mythology, from Ireland and Western Isles of Scotland, told by Ben Haggarty, in a public performance at the Ancient Technology Centre, 31st October in the early 1990s | |
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| Comment on the tradition of telling Fion MacCumhaill stories on the 31st of October, and an introduction to the performance, followed by a series of stories of Fionn MacCumhaill told by Ben Haggarty | |
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| The first section of story tells of the death of Fionn's father, Cumhaill, who had been immortal until he lost his virginity with a young women. Cumhaill is betrayed and killed by Arca Doubh who then steals his weapons. One-eyed Goll MacMorna takes leadership of the Fianna. The young women gives birth to a boy, after carrying it for 9 years in her womb. She dies in childbirth and the boy is rasied by two eldery women who name him Demne. Demne grows up, learns to fight and then is apprenticed to an elderly poet, who is obsessed with fishing for the salmon of knowledge on the banks of the River Boyne. When he does at last catch the salmon of knowledge, Demne accidentally is the first to taste the fish. Demne he is given second sight, and takes the name Fionn. Fionn finds his father's weapons and crane-skin bag at the grave of Arca Doubh, and vows to avenge his father's death. Fionn travels to Tarra and, ridding the fort of a curse, is rewarded by becoming head of the Fianna. | |
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| The story then tells of Fionn's encounters with women, and how he once bannished one of the Fianna to the woods to live as half-deer and half-man, on account of a false accusation of rape by a women Fionn had fallen for. This is followed by a story of Fionn's marriage to Sabha (Sava). Fionn is out hunting one day and his dogs find and protect a deer, which then follows Fionn back to his fort. That night the deer transforms itself into a beautiful women, Sabha, who has fallen in love with Fionn, but whose father has promised her to another man. Fionn and Sabha marry, but when Fionn is called to battle, Sabha is lured from the fort and returns to the wild living as a deer. Fionn returns to find Sabha gone, and bans hunting for three years. When at last the hunt for deer resumes, Fionn's dogs find a boy in the forest, Fionn's son by Sabha. Fionn names his son Oisin. | |
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| audience:- | adult |
| recording quality | |
| condition:- | good |
| completeness:- | complete |
| duration:- | 1 hour, 0 minutes, 9 seconds |
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| storytelling:- |
storyteller: Ben Haggarty male / British / born 30.11.1958 |
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| origin:- | Ireland Scotland, West |
| programming & administration:- |
programmer; administrator: Jake Keen |
| storytelling:- |
Cranbourne, Dorest, England: The Ancient Technology Centre
about 1990s public performance |
| gift from:- |
storyteller: Ben Haggarty |
email to The LCIS