When Fionn was a boy he went to an old poet called Finneigeas to learn about
poetry. One day the old poet caught a very special fish. It was the Salmon of
Knowledge and the first person to taste the salmon would get the gift of wisdom.
Finneigeas gave the Salmon to Fionn to cook and warned him not to taste it.
Fionn put the Salmon on a spit over the fire. It was cooking nicely when Fionn
saw a bubble on the fish which he burst with his thumb. But it burnt his thumb
and to cool it he put his thumb in his mouth. He had tasted the Salmon of
Knowledge! The gift of wisdom was his.
Fionn told Finneigeas what had happened. Finneigeas told him to go to Tara
(seat of the High Kings of Ireland) and become the leader of the Fianna.
When Fionn got to Tara he found the people terrified of a fiery monster that
appeared every year at Samhain and burned the Palace to the ground. Fionn
offered to kill the monster in return for being Leader of the Fianna. They all
agreed as they knew that only the best warrior would beat the monster.
The monster came. He sent out long tongues of flame.
Fionn took off his cloak and beat out the fire
before it reached the palace walls. When the monster saw this he turned and fled
but Fionn followed him and cut off his head and brought the head back to the
High King on his spear.
“You have killed the monster” said the King. “You are the best warrior
in Ireland. From now on you shall be the leader of the Fianna.”
