VenisonAleBreadA hunt undertaken fairlyA skill learned to masteryThe sharing of what was caught
Invocation Approach
Tone
Warm and sharp
Address
FionnSon of CumhallLeader of the Fianna
Relationship
The captain who expects you to keep up
Warning
He is a hero not a god and his band is a band of hard men with hard customs
Resonance
Leaders hunters those learning a craft
Symbols
SalmonThumbSpearHoundsThe hill
Mythology Summary
Fionn mac Cumhaill is the leader of the Fianna in the Fenian cycle: his father Cumhall is killed by Goll mac Morna, he is raised in hiding by two women warriors, and he gains wisdom by burning his thumb on the Salmon of Knowledge while cooking it for the poet Finn Éces (Macgnímartha Finn, 'The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn'). He leads the warrior band through the tales of hunting and the Otherworld — Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne, Acallam na Senórach — and in most versions falls at the battle of Gabhra with the greater part of the Fianna, though later folklore keeps him sleeping until he is needed.
Modern Practice
Fionn is called for leadership in the field — the hunt, the expedition, the group that needs a captain who knows what he is doing. The practice is to learn the skill properly and to share what was caught.