Fintan was the first person to land on Ireland before the flood. His wives and children are drowned when the flood arrives but he survives in the form of a salmon, he remains in this shape for many years and then he turns into an eagle and then a hawk then he turns back to human form again and becomes a great advisor to the peoples of Ireland being known as Fintan the Wise.
In this capacity he gives advice to the Fir Bolg king Eochaid Mac Eirc when the Tuatha Dé Danann invade and even joins in the fight at the First battle of Moytura. He lives on into the time of Cúchulainn, and all the great heroes such as Fionn and Oisín. He is the repository of all knowledge of Ireland and all history along with a magical hawk who was born at the same time as him. They meet up at the end of their lives and recount their stories to each other. They decide to leave the mortal realm together sometime in the fifth century after the invasion of the christians to Ireland which I think is rather fitting.
The reason why he has so many wives is explained by the fact that he and two other males were shipwrecked on the shores of Ireland with fifty women and so they share the women between themselves.
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So there. |
