The Fians or Stories, Poems and Traditions of Fionn and His Warrior Band

1891. The stories, poems and traditions in this book were gathered entirely from oral sources as opportunities arose and follow the legendary exploits of Fionn and his warrior band. The warrior-bands called Fianna were composed of people who had cut themselves off from mainstream society and created a counterculture of their own. They renounced allegiance to their relatives, retaining allegiance only to each other. They served as mercenaries for tribal rulers, but for much of the year they lived by hunting and gathering in the wilderness. Their disregard for boundaries meant that they often interacted with creatures from the Otherworld, and could assume the shapes of the animals they hunted. Most of the surviving stories are about Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his band of Fenians. Fionn Mac Cumhaill's men are all drawn as individuals: Oisin the poet and mystic, Diarmuid the lover, Caoilte the conciliator, Conan the boastful but cowardly bully, the scrupulously fair Oscar, and so on. Part of the delight of the stories is how these diverse and contrasting personalities manage to cooperate in order to ensure the group's survival. They are also known for their generosity and hospitality. See the other works by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.