Fionn Barra, patron of Cork, is Fionn Mac Cumhaill. That was easy! Whether he was originally a form of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, or a closely related incarnation or regionalisation, his origin story and interactions make that much clear.

However, Fionn Barra's life doesn't add that much directly to Fionn's story. Instead, I'll go deep on Fionn as a god and incarnated demigod, his earlier guises, and what we can say about his names, parentage, calendrical associations, and cosmic role.

Some Meta: Length, Subscriptions

Two changes, this issue: for one thing, Buttondown seems to now be reporting smaller email-size per word-count, so I can apparently make this issue longer than previously. That’s good, because there’s an enormous amount to say about Fionn.

Secondly; from now on, I will be making the second and subsequent issue for any deity-type largely subscriber-only. So, given that this is my fourth email on the Fionn-type, sections of the below will be hidden to non-subscribers. They should render in the email version, and they should also be visible to anyone who signs up and views the page while logged-in.

Note that, for now, subscription is free - if I were to accrue an audience, then I might consider producing additional, more galaxy-brained issues or email-sections for paying subscribers.

Previously, on TGaTC:

In January, I covered Féichín ('Little Raven') of Fore, a destructive disease-bringing deity who inflicts a plague on Ireland. A fragmentary myth also resembles a classic deluge-myth. He showcases the sexual ambivalence of the Fionn-type, but broadly seems to be the extra-wrathful aspect. In this issue, I discussed some of the 'Fionn as Destroyer, Divider' patterns that Taliesin's Map has previously covered.

Subsequently, I covered Berach, née Fintan. There's a lot there worth reviewing and comparing to Fionn Barra, not least that "Ber-/Bar-" naming pattern..but also the early equipping by a forgConalle/smith character, and we got to see some of that recurring rivalry with the Diarmait/Donn group of characters.

Finally, there's Conall (AKA Corc/Cern-), who I consider the 'Summertime' face of Fionn. Conalls seem usually to represent this archetype as secondary characters in thematically Day/Summer settings - I foreshadowed in Berach's issue how a 'Ber-/Bar-' cluster appears here in September..

Fionn as Rudra

My basis for modelling Fionn comes from J.Dolan of Taliesin's Map, whose aligns Fionn (& co) with Norse Óðinn, Hindu Rudra/Shiva, and Greco-Roman Apollo. Dolan's model for Fionn is informed by Kershaw's "The One Eyed God" and Kramrisch's "The Presence of Shiva". I recommend his shorter summary video if you're unfamiliar with this model. There are plenty of deeper-dive videos, particularly the 2 'Mythstream' videos on the 'Rudra-Type' in the 'Live' pane on Youtube. Kudos to Dolan for this body of work.

In essence, the Fionn-type looks like an attacker-destroyer deity, but one who's necessary and celebrated. He’s the part of the 'Pre-Cosmic Unity' that didn't want to divide and differentiate into 'Creation', and attempted to stop that from happening.. but subsequently he becomes a key part of the succession myths that lead to a habitable cosmos, and one of the recurring protagonist-gods. Ultimately he never sheds his nature, as a god that prefers everything to be Spiritually Unified - in ecstatic forgetting or in death and dissolution if necessary. His nature continues to be destructive, reductive, consumptive.

I could be flippant and say, to use a Gardening metaphor, that the Fionn-type is a god of Blight and Drought and Death, but also of the positive processes of Pruning, Winter Dormancy/Stratification, and Composting. He represents a reluctance to leave the dormant, undifferentiated, maximum-potential state, and he's also the forces that push back towards this state. Provided he's not pushing too hard, or his counter-deities push equally hard, then the balance with the Creative forces of the universe creates a healthy, dynamic Cosmos.

In the Gaelic context at least, Fionn also seems to have a role as guardian of the border with the Otherworld. I've explored this pattern previously in Berach's issue, linked above. This may have a parallel in how Gwynn and Shiva both seem to keep control over demons, malevolent spirits, or the restless dead in their respective realms. They’re very comfortable in the afterlife domains, more so than most Gods/Heroes who travel there. Though, none of these Fionn-type gods seem to be permanent residents of the Afterlife realm either, unlike the Death God.

We Gonna Talk About Fionn Barra?

A bit, here and there. Unfortunately, Fionn Barra's 'Vitae' (there are many versions) mostly follow the least interesting format of Saintly Vitae. A lot of the story is accounts of how all the various Saints of his area got their establishments or various items of equipment from him, and therefore everyone owes him. This was probably used by the orders that claimed his legacy as part of a propaganda exercise, and may have little bearing on the original folklore and mythology that they used to build their character.

To make matters worse, I get a 'vibe' that a lot of the stories of Fionn Barra meeting other 'saints' were originally conflict-encounters, but were re-written so that Fionn and the other character just praise one another profusely and part ways.

There are interesting details about Fionn Barra that could be informative to the wider Fionn tradition, however. For example, Fionn Barra's childhood name is 'Lóchán', and this opens up the possibility that this name is a minor Fionn-type name, as explored below. Fionn Barra's father is named 'Amergin', and combined with a near identical conception myth to Fionn Mac Cumhaill, this lets me do some cross-identifications and speculate about the theology of Amergin and Cumhall themselves. Finally, his 'glowing hand' motif can be compared to the recurring 'Hand' related mythemes of Nuada and Lugh, the two most classic sovereign-type deities among the Tuatha Dé.

So, Fionn Barra might be slightly boring as Fionn-saints go, but stay with me, let's dive deep into Fionn's Cosmogonic roles, his bynames, his recurring myths, his parentage.

The Two Sequential Strikes

Part of Dolan's model is that the 'Rudra' type (meaning 'Fionn'; Dolan models upon a Vedic/Hindu template) performs two characteristic primordial attacks. The first is an attack against the Cosmogonic Process, which comes too late (clearly, because here we are). The second attack divides the Sky from the Earth, creating a space in which the world may exist. Both of the attacks are often presented as an attack upon a sexual or marital union of the victims.

I think once we know what to look for, we can find both of these myths, in the expected order, in the Leabhar Gabhála Éireann (hereafter 'LGÉ'), the Christianised pseudohistory of Ireland that situates native origin myth on a biblical foundation. This is pretty exciting; this book is generally considered an out-of-order mess of poorly stitched-together myths. But maybe it's actually an in-order mess of poorly stitched-together myths!

The Fionn-type myths we're looking for take place across three 'waves' of invasion: firstly, the Cessarians and Partholónians, and later the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Fionn's First Anti-Cosmogonic Attack

At the Pre-Cosmic Scene, they Fionn-types appear to try and prevent the Creation, often rendered as a sexual act. In Gaelic myth, there are two of them: they’re Fintan and Partholón.

The rest of this section is only visible to Subscribers. It considers Fintan and Partholón as Fionn-types, and how they attempt to avoid and prevent the Generative act (symbolically a sexual act) - yet they fail.

Fionn's Second Strike, Dividing the World

Subsequently, Nemhed seems to establish the Sky. Recall; the purpose of the Sky-Earth-Dome or 'Firmament' in Bronze/Iron age cosmology is to keep the Cosmic Sea out. The whole world was understood to exist in a bubble, afloat in an infinite sea of Ocean. The Dome, and the Earth beneath it, creates a ‘material shell’ of the cosmos, to borrow Dolan’s phrasing. So, the establishment of the sky is a driving-back of the Ocean. Nemhed wars with the Fomhoire, a word plausibly meaning something based on 'In/Under Sea', which may encode a 'war' with the Cosmic Ocean itself.

The rest of this section is only visible to Subscribers. It explains the role of Nemhed and Eochaid mac Eirc as Sky-Gods, and Nuada’s role as the Fionn (or Cronus) type, in dividing the Earth and Sky.

Fionn as a Demonic Incumbent

This section only for the email newsletter. It considers the possibility that Balor may represent a demonised form of the Fionn-type, as a proxy for the incumbent king against Lugh.

The Paternity of Fionn/Nuada

Note that the attackers who actually kill Eochaid are 3 'sons of Nemheid' - as if coding that it's the Sky-God's own son(s) who divide him from his Earth-wife, which would exactly match the Greek/Roman version and some versions of the Hindu one, too. Oddly, the king of the Tuatha Dé, Nuada, is one of the only characters not to receive a genealogy in the LGÉ; even in the chapter 'Genealogies of the Tuatha Dé'!

The rest of this section is only visible to Subscribers. It considers some fathers of the Fionn-type, and their probable types, and posits the likelihood that Amergin is a name of the Sky-God group, and that Cumhall belongs to the same group.

The Maternity of Fionn

The mother of Fionn is harder to pin down. A few possibilities present themselves. At the Cosmogonic Scene, we have the feminine participle of the "Upper, Heavenly" deities - which is probably the same as the later Dawn Goddess, Brighid. After all, Brighid's name seems to come from the same P.I.E. root as Breoghan and Brahma, high-level celestial-aspected creator gods.

The rest of this section is only visible to Subscribers. It considers some guessable mothers of the Fionn-types, and also includes a few possibilities that don’t seem to appear.

Dawn Doggy Dam

Which one is Muirne of the Fair Neck, the mother who's threatened with burning? Well, there's an emphasis on her neck, a trait that suggests things like Norse Freyja's necklace Brisangamen, or the mantle of Greek Eos, or the cloak of St.Brigit - all Dawn Goddesses. And the Dawn Goddess (as the female part of the upper Primordial Air/Fire) is plausibly one of the mother-types for the Fionn-type in some forms.

The rest of this section is only visible to Subscribers. It goes into the evidence to read Muirne/Uirne as an expression of the Dawn Goddess in her Afterlife/Chthonic guise, including an exploration of the ways that this goddess and her associates are associated with Life, Death, Food, Sex, Magic, and Dogs in general - in Gaelic and other Mythologies.

Intermission

Alright, so Fionn is perhaps usually the son of the Air-Sky deity with the Dawn Goddess in some guise of hers. And this seems to be the case for Fionn Mac Cumhaill and Fionn Barra. But at other times, the parents may include the Fire God and Prophetic Waters Goddess instead.

From previous issues we know that Fionns can be half-brother to the ‘Young Son’ archetypes, whether the latter is a Daytime Warrior (Cúchulainn) or a Nocturnal Trickster (Aengus). It’s not clear to me yet whether there’s cross-over with a Daytime Trickster (Ailill) or a Nocturnal Warrior (?).

Theologically, Fionn is an anti-progenitive deity, who attacks the Union of the Creator-gods and also attacks the union of the Sky and Earth gods. He’s also a god of death, disease, perhaps ageing and decay. At times, he may be presented as a demon or antagonist, preventing the next generation, and needing to be overcome; like Cronus and Balor. But, he’s not presented in an exclusively negative light - being also a sovereign god, a god of healing, wisdom, and poetry.

We've also seen how he plays key roles in the Creation-Myth, and appears to be continuous with Fintan, Partholón, and Nuada. Between Partholón, Berach, and Fionn Barra, we can again see a pattern where the 'Ber-/Bar-/Par-' names (the latter as an import of 'Bartholomew'), seem to be nearly as tightly connected to this deity-type as the 'Fionn' name.

In fact, let's examine that name pattern some more.

Ber-/Bar-, and the Equinox

While 'Fionn' and 'Gwynn' are cognate names, that have been separated by linguistic drift between the P-type/Q-type Celtic languages, it seems that the Fionn/Gwynn types have another name-pattern that's remained fairly similar - the Ber-/Bar- names.

And it turns out that the Autumn Equinox seems to be surrounded with Fionn-type saints in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and perhaps Brittany, if we recognise this name-pattern.

The rest of this section is only visible to Subscribers. It details other Fionn-named, and Bar-/Bar- named saints, celebrated around this time, and speculates about the link to the Equinox, in opposition to Lugh’s connection to Spring Equinox.

The White/Silver/Luminous Hand

The rest of this section is only visible to Subscribers. It concerns ‘Hand’ related myths, and how they connect Fionn Bharra, Nuada, and Lugh/Lugh-type saints.

Culminator of Night

Some like to draw parallels between Lugh and Fionn, even going as far as claiming that they're the same deity. The two certainly have a lot in common. I hew closer to Dolan's interpretation that this is fundamentally incorrect - but I understand the confusion.

The following section is for Subscribers only. It develops on the idea that Lugh ‘gathers’ the divine powers of various other gods into himself as he becomes ‘Samildánach’, and suggests that Fionn might be seen as doing similarly in himself, and in the subordination of other God-characters as members of the Fianna.

The Mastery of Fire

Fans of Taliesin's Map will note that I seem to be at variance with Dolan on Goll being a 'Solar/Fire Warrior' rather than simply the fiercer face of Fionn. That's not exactly so - Dolan also recognises that Goll, aka Áed, is the Fire-god archetype. The difference is more subtle: Dolan regards the Áed-type as being essentially the same as the Fionn-type, whereas I would view Goll as being distinct from Fionn, until Fionn symbolically defeats and integrates him as a subordinate.

The following section is for subscribers only. It compares myths of Fionn’s arrival at Tara to Lludd from Welsh mythology, and posits that the mastery of personified Fire/Sun is the ‘clinching’ act that gives sovereignty to Fionn as leader of the Fianna.

The Gathering of Fionn-ness

This section is for subscribers only. It specifically traces some of the other Fionn-types who get ‘rolled-into’ Fionn during his mythos, including Fintan, Finn-éces, Nuada (cryptically), and perhaps even An Dagda (very cryptically).

Fairy King Fionnbharr

This section is for subscribers only. It concerns the folkloric figure of Fionnbhar or ‘Finvarra’ of Tuam in Galway.

The Blue Demon-Warden

Lastly for this issue: Lóchán is the childhood name of Fionn Barra, this issue's saint. This isn't a name otherwise attested to a Fionn, so it'd be cool if this were an authentic association. A separate Lóchán appears as a supporter/sponsor of both Fionn Barra and Fionn Mac Cumhaill in their youths - which certainly looks like it follows the same pattern of visitation-amalgamation as other Fionn-types in his childhood.

Few other Lóch/án characters appear, but one in the Second Battle of Maigh Tuiread is the Fomhoire poet 'Lóch Lethghlas' - Lethghlas meaning half-(blue/green). He surrenders to Lugh and promises to keep the Fomhoire from ever returning; a curious border-guard or demon-controlling role that's associated with various other Fionn-types including Hindu Shiva and Gwyn ap Nudd. His 'half-blue/green' cognomen, is a colour-trait that Taliesin's Map has previously connected between Gaedhil Glas (interpreted as a Fionn-type character) and Hindu Shiva.

Closing

Many of Fionn's names are still in widespread use in Ireland and elsewhere. As Fionn, Fintan, Finbar, and Conall. Lóchán, if indeed a Fionn-name, is pretty cool and could do with a reboot. ‘Barra’ is an uncommon name these days, but ‘Barry’ is still widely used. Previously, I aligned with Taliesin's Map on viewing Amergin as a Fionn-name, but I now think this is not one of his - it could still do with a revival, though.

Places for Fionn include the sadly-dammed 'Assaroe' waterfall, which must have been viewed with deep reverence given how many myths in different cycles have their confluence there. The Boyne and Shannon both have myths connecting them to the origin of wisdom, and both rivers are relevant to Fionn's myths. The 'Hill of Almu' is of clear importance to the Fionn legendarium, but is currently licensed as a quarry by Kildare County Council to a private company. As Fionn Barra, of course, the best place to visit is Cork, Ireland’s best city.

Animal associations include Deer, Salmon, Ravens, Dogs, Hawks.

Musically, Fionn's legends were traditionally rendered as 'Fenian Lays', a type of song quite distinct in Gaelic tradition - sadly this tradition largely died out and most Lays were never recorded sung.

The Fianna were thought to be a limneal coming-of-age social institution for young Gaelic nobles. Thank goodness it's gone, because without the romanticism it was probably truly awful. Institutions like Scouting could be seen as sharing something with the Fianna; teaching kids the ways of resilience and social cohesion through the medium of outdoor activity and survival training. And in Ireland, Scouting is not gendered anymore, nor historically/currently associated with the military! What a concept. Now we just need to get the scouting orgs to teach the kids Fenian Lays and ecstatic mysticism..

Footnotes

1. Some give-aways here are: a) the way that Conall's secret liason is afterwards greeted enthusiastically, the father saying he'd have chosen Conall anyway (like Labraid); b) He then gives military support to Conall's return (like Labraid & Mac Con), and; c) Conall returns and lights a sovereignty-fire (like Lugaid mac Táil & Patrick).

2. There were some casualties when the Harp flew to the Dagda and killed some Fomhoire along the way..

3. Or, this might related to the idea I've floated before, that the end of the year always poses the risk of an end to the Age or Cosmos, but that it's battled-off each time by one of the young warrior-gods.

Bibliography

• Kershaw, Priscilla Kris (1997) 'The One-Eyed God - Odin and the Indo-Germanic Mannerbunde', Journal of Indo-European Studies Monograph Series, No.36, On Archive.org

• Kramrisch, Stella (1981) 'The Presence of Shiva', Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, On Archive.org

• Nagy, Joseph Falaky (1985) 'The Wisdom of the Outlaw - the boyhood deeds of Finn in Gaelic Narrative Tradition', University of California Press

Coming Up

• 12th Oct: Diarmait - the name of the God of Death, perhaps before his death. Probably AKA Bran, later Donn. Possibly the archetypical 'First King'

• 27th Oct: Abbán - a refreshingly 'honest' Saint who's transparently the God of the Waters: Ler, Nuada. The only weird part is how nice he is.

• 2nd Nov: Erc of Slane - where I may do a little extra on The Dagda as Sky, Wind, Thunder.