Cumhal
Encyclopedia
Cumhall son of Trénmór ("strong-great") is a figure in the Fenian Cycle
of Irish mythology
, a leader of the fianna
and the father of Fionn mac Cumhaill
.
Cumhall was a suitor for the hand of Muirne
, daughter of the druid
Tadg mac Nuadat
, future mother of Fionn mac Cumhaill, but Tadg refused him, so he and Muirne eloped. Tadg appealed to the High King
, Conn of the Hundred Battles
, who made war against Cumhall. Cumhall was killed in the Battle of Cnucha, as recounted in the Middle Irish tale Cath Cnucha, by Goll mac Morna
, who took over leadership of the fian, but Muirne was already pregnant with his son, Fionn. Cumhall is reputed to be buried within the grounds of Castleknock College, (an all boys secondary school in Dublin 15), supposedly under a hill upon which an old water tower now stands.
Attempts to connect Cumhall with Camulos, a Celt
ic god
of war, are now largely rejected. Old Irish cumal means "female slave", and it is possible that a noble father was invented for Fionn to obscure an ignoble origin. Alternatively, some early texts call the hero "Fionn mac Umaill", which may indicate his father's name was originally Umall.
Cumhall had a brother, Crimmal, who was an ally of Fionn.
Fenian Cycle
The Fenian Cycle , also referred to as the Ossianic Cycle after its narrator Oisín, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna. It is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology along with the Mythological Cycle,...
of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, a leader of the fianna
Fianna
Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....
and the father of Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...
.
Cumhall was a suitor for the hand of Muirne
Muirne
Muirne or Muireann Muncháem was the mother of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology.She had many suitors, but her father, the druid Tadg mac Nuadat, had foreseen that her marriage would lead to the loss of his home on the hill of Almu, so he refused them all. But one of them,...
, daughter of the druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
Tadg mac Nuadat
Tadg mac Nuadat
Tadg, son of Nuada, was a druid and the maternal grandfather of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. It is unclear whether his father was the short-lived High King Nuada Necht, the god Nuada Airgetlam of the Tuatha Dé Danann, or another figure of a similar name...
, future mother of Fionn mac Cumhaill, but Tadg refused him, so he and Muirne eloped. Tadg appealed to the High King
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
, Conn of the Hundred Battles
Conn of the Hundred Battles
Conn Cétchathach , son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland, and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Ireland in the early middle ages, and...
, who made war against Cumhall. Cumhall was killed in the Battle of Cnucha, as recounted in the Middle Irish tale Cath Cnucha, by Goll mac Morna
Goll mac Morna
Goll mac Morna was a member of the fianna and an uneasy ally of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He had killed Fionn's father, Cumhal, and taken over the leadership of the fianna, but when Fionn grew up and proved his worth Goll willingly stepped aside in his favour.His...
, who took over leadership of the fian, but Muirne was already pregnant with his son, Fionn. Cumhall is reputed to be buried within the grounds of Castleknock College, (an all boys secondary school in Dublin 15), supposedly under a hill upon which an old water tower now stands.
Attempts to connect Cumhall with Camulos, a Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic god
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of war, are now largely rejected. Old Irish cumal means "female slave", and it is possible that a noble father was invented for Fionn to obscure an ignoble origin. Alternatively, some early texts call the hero "Fionn mac Umaill", which may indicate his father's name was originally Umall.
Cumhall had a brother, Crimmal, who was an ally of Fionn.