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In early Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
, fianna (singular fian) were small, semi-independent warrior bands who lived apart from society in the forests as mercenaries, bandits and hunters, but could be called upon by kings in times of war. They appear in 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 branches of Celtic mythology....
, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle
Fenian Cycle

The Fenian Cycle or Fiannaidheacht , also known as the Fionn Cycle, Finn Cycle, Fianna Cycle, Finnian Tales, Fian Tales, F?inne Cycle, Feinn? Cycle and Ossianic Cycle, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna...
, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill

Fionn mac Cumhaill was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or Fiannaidheacht,much of it supposedly narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Ois?n....
. In more recent history, the name Fianna Éireann
Fianna Éireann

The name Fianna ?ireann , also rendered as Fianna na h?ireann and Na Fianna ?ireann , named after the Irish mythology Fianna), has been used by various Irish Republicanism youth movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries....
 has been used by a number of Irish Republican
Irish Republicanism

Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union 1800, the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland....
 scouting organisations.






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In early Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
, fianna (singular fian) were small, semi-independent warrior bands who lived apart from society in the forests as mercenaries, bandits and hunters, but could be called upon by kings in times of war. They appear in 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 branches of Celtic mythology....
, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle
Fenian Cycle

The Fenian Cycle or Fiannaidheacht , also known as the Fionn Cycle, Finn Cycle, Fianna Cycle, Finnian Tales, Fian Tales, F?inne Cycle, Feinn? Cycle and Ossianic Cycle, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna...
, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill

Fionn mac Cumhaill was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or Fiannaidheacht,much of it supposedly narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Ois?n....
. In more recent history, the name Fianna Éireann
Fianna Éireann

The name Fianna ?ireann , also rendered as Fianna na h?ireann and Na Fianna ?ireann , named after the Irish mythology Fianna), has been used by various Irish Republicanism youth movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries....
 has been used by a number of Irish Republican
Irish Republicanism

Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union 1800, the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland....
 scouting organisations. Fianna Fáil ("the Fianna of Ireland"; sometimes rendered "the soldiers of destiny") has been used as a sobriquet for the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers

The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalism. Its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland", in other words, the safeguarding of Irish Home Rule Bill....
; on the cap badge of the Irish Army
Irish Army

The Irish Army is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces . It was first formed in 1922 after the implementation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the subsequent foundation of the Irish Free State....
; in the opening line of the Irish-language version of the Irish national anthem
Amhrán na bhFiann

is the national anthem of Republic of Ireland. The song is also known by its English language title, The Soldier's Song, and as The National Anthem of Ireland ....
; and as the name of the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil

Fianna F?il ? The Republican Party , shortened to Fianna F?il is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the leading party in a coalition government with the Green Party , which also has the support of five Independent Teachta D?la including two former Progressive Democrats ....
 political party, the largest in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
.

The historical institution of the fian is known from references in early medieval Irish law tracts
Brehon Laws

Early Irish law refers to the statutes that governed everyday life and politics in Ireland during the Gaelic Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of Ireland of 1169, but underwent a resurgence in the 13th century, and survived in parallel to English law over the majority of the island until the 17th century....
. A fian was made up of landless young men, often young aristocrats who had not yet come into their inheritance
Inheritance

Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, Title s, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies....
 of land. A member of a fian was called a fénnid; the leader of a fian was a rígfénnid (literally "king-fénnid). Geoffrey Keating
Geoffrey Keating

Seathr?n C?itinn, known in English language as Geoffrey Keating, was a 17th century Ireland Roman Catholic Church priest, poet and historian....
, in his 17th century History of Ireland, says that during the winter the fianna were quartered and fed by the nobility, during which time they would keep order on their behalf, but during the summer, from Beltaine to Samhain
Samhain

Samhain is a festival on the end of the harvest season in Gaels and Britons cultures, with aspects of a festival of the dead. Many scholars believe that it was the beginning of the Celtic year....
, they were obliged to live by hunting for food and for pelts to sell. Keating's History is more a compilation of traditions than a reliable history, but in this case scholars point to references in early Irish poetry and the existence of a closed hunting season for deer and wild boar between Samhain and Beltaine in medieval Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 as corroboration.

Some legendary depictions of fianna seem to conform to this historical reality: for example, in the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle

The Ulster Cycle, formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties County Armagh, County Down and County Louth....
 the druid Cathbad
Cathbad

Cathbad is the chief druid in the court of Conchobar mac Nessa in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology.In his younger days he was a warrior, leading a landless band of twenty-seven men....
 leads a fian of twenty-seven men which fights against other fianna and kills the twelve foster-fathers of the Ulster
Ulaid

The Ulaid were a people of early north-eastern Ireland, who gave their name to the modern Provinces of Ireland of Ulster: modern Irish C?ige Uladh , "Province" "of the Ulaid"; English language "Ulster" derives from Ulaid plus Old Norse stadr, "place" or "territory"....
 princess Ness
Ness (Irish mythology)

Ness is a princess of the Ulaid and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her father is Eochaid S?lbuide, king of the Ulaid....
. Ness, in response, leads her own fian of twenty-seven in pursuit of Cathbad.

However, the stories of the Fiannaíocht
Fenian Cycle

The Fenian Cycle or Fiannaidheacht , also known as the Fionn Cycle, Finn Cycle, Fianna Cycle, Finnian Tales, Fian Tales, F?inne Cycle, Feinn? Cycle and Ossianic Cycle, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna...
, set around the time of Cormac mac Airt
Cormac mac Airt

Cormac mac Airt , also known as Cormac ua Cuinn or Cormac Ulfada , was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland....
, depict the fianna as a single standing army in the service of the High King
High King of Ireland

A High King of Ireland is a historical or legendary figure who claimed lordship over the whole of Ireland. The High-Kingship was never a political reality in Ireland, but has a strong literary and folkore tradition....
, although it contains two rival factions, the Clann Baíscne of Leinster
Leinster

Leinster , one of the Provinces of Ireland, lies in the east of Ireland and comprises the counties of County Carlow, County Dublin, County Kildare, County Kilkenny, County Laois, County Longford, County Louth, County Meath, County Offaly, County Westmeath, County Wexford and County Wicklow....
, led by Fionn mac Cumhaill, and the Clann Morna of Connacht
Connacht

Connacht is the western Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, comprising counties County Galway, County Leitrim, County Mayo, County Roscommon, County Sligo....
, led 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....
, and lives apart from society, surviving by hunting.

Membership was subject to rigorous tests. In one such test the applicant would stand in a waist-deep hole armed with a shield
Shield

A shield is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. The term often refers to a device that is held in the hand, as opposed to armour or a bullet proof vest....
 while nine warriors threw spear
Spear

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft, such as obsidian, iron or bronze....
s at him; if he was wounded, he failed. In another his hair would be braided, and he would be pursued through the forest
Forest

File:Stara planina suma.jpgA forest is an area with a high density of trees. There are many definitions of a forest, based on various criteria....
; he would fail if he was caught, if a branch cracked under his feet, or if the braids in his hair were disturbed. He would have to be able to leap over a branch the height of his forehead, pass under one as low as his knee, and pull a thorn from his foot without slowing down. He also needed to be a skilled poet
Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry....
.

They had three motto
Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used....
es:
  • Glaine ár gcroí (Pureness of heart)
  • Neart ár ngéag (Strength of limb)
  • Beart de réir ár mbriathar (Deeds to match words)


Members included:
  • Fionn mac Cumhaill
    Fionn mac Cumhaill

    Fionn mac Cumhaill was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or Fiannaidheacht,much of it supposedly narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Ois?n....
    : last leader of the Fianna
  • Cumhal
    Cumhal

    Cumhall son of Tr?nm?r 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....
    : Fionn's father, the former leader
  • 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....
  • Caílte mac Rónáin
    Caílte mac Rónáin

    Ca?lte mac R?n?in was a nephew of Fionn mac Cumhail and a member of the fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He could run at remarkable speed and communicate with animals, and was a great storyteller....
  • Conán mac Morna
    Conán mac Morna

    Con?n mac Morna, also known as Con?n Maol , is a member of the fianna and an ally of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology....
  • Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
    Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

    Diarmuid Ua Duibhne or Diarmid O'Dyna is a son of Donn and a warrior of the Fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is most famous as the lover of Gr?inne, the intended wife of Fianna leader Fionn mac Cumhaill in The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gr?inne....
    : a warrior of the Fianna who ran off with Fionn's intended bride Grainne
    Gráinne

    Gr?inne is the daughter of Cormac mac Airt in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. She is one of the central figures in the tale The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gr?inne, which tells of her betrothal to Fionn mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna, and her subsequent elopement with Fionn's warrior Diarmuid Ua Duibhne....
     and was finally killed by a giant boar
    Boar

    The wild boar , or colloquially simply called the boar, is an omnivorous, wikt:gregarious mammal of the family Suidae. It is native across much of Central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia, and has been introduced elsewhere....
     on the heath of Benn Gulbain. Foster son of Aengus
    Aengus

    In Irish mythology, Aengus aka Aengus ?g , Mac ind ?g , Maccan or Mac ?g is a member of the Tuatha D? Danann and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration....
    .
  • Lughaid Stronghand: sorcerous
    Magic (paranormal)

    Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
     warrior, nephew of Fionn mac Cumhaill
    Fionn mac Cumhaill

    Fionn mac Cumhaill was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or Fiannaidheacht,much of it supposedly narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Ois?n....
    , one of the four who could have untied the knots Diarmuid bound the seakings with, but refused to do so. Lover of Aife
    Aífe

    A?fe is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. The daughter of Ardgeimm, she is a female warrior frequently in conflict with Sc?thach, C?chulainn's teacher....
    , daughter of Manannan
  • Oisín
    Oisín

    Ois?n , son of Fionn mac Cumhail and of Sadb , was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, and a warrior of the fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology....
    , son of Fionn mac Cumhaill
    Fionn mac Cumhaill

    Fionn mac Cumhaill was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or Fiannaidheacht,much of it supposedly narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Ois?n....
    : (Macpherson's
    James Macpherson

    James Macpherson was a Scottish poet, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems....
     Ossian
    Ossian

    Ossian is the narrator, and supposed author, of a cycle of poems which the Scottish people poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scottish Gaelic language....
    )
  • Oscar
    Oscar (Irish mythology)

    Oscar is a figure in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is the warrior son of Ois?n and the fairy woman Niamh, who also bore his sister, Plor na mBan....
    , son of Oisín


In Popular Culture

  • Within the .Hack series, the legendary players Orca and Balmung are referred to as the 'Descendants of Fianna' possibly in reference to the Irish Fianna.
  • Within the White Wolf Gaming World of Darkness a Tribe of the Garou (werewolves) of Irish stock is known as the Fianna, well known for their bards and poison tolerance. In Werewolf: The Apocalypse Fianna are known to be weak to their passions and have the 'best temper' of all Garou. They rival with the Get of Fenris, a Germanic/Viking oriented Tribe based on historical rivalries between invading Normans and others into Ireland.