Finnegas and Fionn

FINNEGAS AND FIONN: The Salmon of Knowledge

In this retelling of an ancient Irish legend, RUBY CARMEN explores the mysterious ways knowledge finds its rightful keeper.

A long, long time ago in Ireland or Éire in Irish, there was an old sage—a poet and a druid—by the name of Finnegas.1 It was believed that he was one of the wisest men in all of Ireland. Later in his life, he had come to the River Boyne, where he lived alone in a small house that he had built. 

You may be wondering why Finnegas was living by the riverbank. Well, he was in search of the magical salmon, known as the “salmon of knowledge.” Unfortunately, although a learned man, Finnegas was not a particularly skilled fisherman. Still, he patiently waited and waited to find this magical salmon, for he longed to have all the knowledge of the world, even of the other worlds.

Now, Finnegas had an apprentice named Fionn, who was a young warrior. Let me tell you about what I know of Fionn MacCumhail. He was fondly called Deimne in his boyhood and had been raised in secret to protect him from a rival clan who had been in a longstanding feud with his family. To learn from the wise old sage, Fionn was sent to live with Finnegas.

Fionn would help around the house, and all the while listen to the stories of all Finnegas’s adventures and experiences. With a curious mind and an open heart, Fionn listened and asked probing, insightful questions of the wise sage.

One day in the springtime, while sitting by the riverbank, Finnegas spotted a beautiful salmon, gleaming like silver, and he knew in his heart that this was the magical salmon of knowledge! He struggled as the salmon slipped in and out of the net and in and out of his calloused and aged hands. The old sage looked upwards to the skies above, with a silent prayer on his lips, for if this indeed was the salmon of knowledge, he was so close to obtaining it.

Now, it is said that one could not look directly at the salmon, for to do so would cause the person to fall asleep instantly, so Finnegas had to wear a blindfold made from the hem of his cloak. The struggle with the salmon went on for what felt like eternity, and then finally, he had the salmon in his hands, and Finnegas knew what he must do to gain the magic knowledge from the fish. 

With Fionn’s help, as by this time Finnegas was exhausted, they lit a fire by the side of the mighty river to cook the magical salmon. Both the old sage and the apprentice sat side by side in anticipation, waiting somewhat impatiently.

Before closing his eyes for a short nap, Finnegas asked Fionn to take care of the salmon and advised him not to taste the fish and to wake him once it was cooked. “Listen, my dear lad, whatever you do, don’t taste the salmon,” he said kindly and firmly. With a smile, Fionn nodded in agreement.

Fionn sat by the fire, watching over the salmon, when suddenly he noticed that the skin of the fish had begun to split. So without hesitation, he took his knife and placed it on the fish, and by mistake, Fionn burned his thumb. Taking an intake of breath, Fionn put his thumb in his mouth to ease the burn. 

Can you guess what happened now?

The old sage Finnegas softly opened his eyes and looked directly at Fionn. And he knew. Standing in front of him was Fionn, his blue-green eyes shining like a thousand suns, his face radiating like the full moon. Fionn, not Finnegas, had acquired the world’s knowledge, this great wisdom. It was as clear as the river to the old sage.

Yet, he asked the young warrior, “Lad, did you taste the salmon of knowledge?” And Fionn replied sincerely, “Sir, I did not.” Then Fionn paused and answered thoughtfully, “I did burn my thumb when I pressed my knife against it,” and realization dawned on Fionn that he had accidentally obtained the world’s knowledge from this magical salmon.

The old sage smiled. In spite of his own longing to acquire this deep knowledge and wisdom, he found that Fionn, his apprentice, was indeed worthy of it. It is said that throughout his life, Fionn would draw on the world’s knowledge by biting on his thumb. 

Fionn went on to become one of the greatest heroes, a great warrior, and the leader of the Fianna in ancient Ireland.²

References:

¹ A Druid is a member of the learned class among the ancient Celts. Druids acted as priests, teachers, and judges. The earliest known records of the Druids come from the 3rd century BCE. Their name may have come from a Celtic word meaning “knower of the oak tree.”

² The Fianna were a warrior band of ancient Ireland.

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