The High Deeds of Finn Mac Cool is a children's novel by
Rosemary Sutcliff and was first published in 1967. It is a retelling of the stories of
Fionn mac Cumhaill and the
Fenian Cycle.[1] According to her own statements in the introduction, these stories are closer to
Folklore and
Fairytale, being timeless and contradictory, having organically grown from generations of storytellers; she contrasts them to the
Ulster Cycle stories of
Cuchulainn, which belong to the
Heroic Epic, and compare with the
Iliad and the
Odyssey.[2]
Plot summary
The story begins with the explanation of
Cormac mac Art's formation of the
Fianna as a defense force for Ireland, which was originally led by Finn's father,
Cumhal. Cumhal is killed by
Goll mac Morna, who takes over leadership of the Fianna, and Cumhal's wife
Muirne flees to give birth to Finn. The boy grows up strong in the manner of his father, studies under the poet
Finn Eces, accidentally tasting the
Salmon of Knowledge and thereby gaining magical powers, and ultimately regaining leadership of the Fianna by defeating the
Fairy that haunts the Court of
Tara,
Aillén mac Midgna. Goll swears loyalty to him, and Finn rules the Fianna successfully thereafter.
Similar to Sutcliff's Arthurian Novel
The Sword and the Circle, most of the chapters in this novel are nearly stand-alone tales, covering many of the stories and characters associated with the Fenian Cycle. Some of these include: Finn's courtship of
Sadhbh and the birth of
Oisín; the tales of
Diarmuid and Grainne;
Niamh of the Golden Hair; the Giolla Dacker; multiple encounters with the
Fair Folk;
and ultimately ending with
Cath Gabhra and the downfall of the Fianna.
The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff (1987), illus. Charles Keeping—omnibus edition of Warrior Scarlet, The Mark of the Horse Lord, and Knight's Fee (1958–1965)