Fionn's father was killed before he was born, and fearing for his safety, his mother sent him away to be raised by foster-parents, a druidess and a warrior woman.

When he was six his mother came to find him. She wondered the hills for days, not knowing where his foster-parents had hidden him. She could only spend a short time with him. She left, instructing the foster-mothers to care for him until he was old enough to take up arms.

They did well and he grew in wisdom and strength. He went on wanderings until his foster-parents found him and took him back to the mountains.

He again went wandering again and found himself at a fort where he joined boys playing shinty. He defeated them one on one and all of them at once. They were defeated so badly that they went and complained to the chief of the household.

He decided to rename the boy Fionn, for he was fair in looks. Fionn never found his match among the boys playing shinty so he returned home.

There his hunting skills soon outstripped those of his foster-parents.

Eventually he moved on to work for a king, but his skills became known and so he had to move on for fear of being found by his father's enemies.

And so he moved around defeating monsters and robbers. But in those times being a hero did not only mean defeating evil but true heroes were also skilled in the art of poetry, so Fionn went to study under a poet, known as Finneces.

Finneces lived by a pool where it was said that the salmon of knowledge lived. The prophecy surrounding the salmon was that a man named Fionn would catch and eat the salmon and when he did he would become all knowing.

Finneces thought that his own name was close enough to the prophecy to mean him, for he knew not Fionn's name.

Not long after Fionn arrived, the old poet caught the salmon and instructed his pupils to cook it and he was not to eat any of it.

Fionn didn't eat any of it but he did suck his thumb after he had burnt it on the salmon. So the old poet asked his name and when he heard that he was called Fionn, Finneces gave him the salmon to eat, as it was his right.

Fionn ate it and became all knowing. He could see into the future when he sucked on his thumb.

Fionn joined a group of wandering warriors known as the Fenians. They roamed Ireland destroying monsters and clearing areas of thugs and marauders.

Fionn led the Fenians for many years. He even managed to kill his father's murderer.

There was a prophecy that Fionn would die during a certain year in Ireland. So when that year came he decided to go to Scotland.

The Fenians didn't want him to leave so they promised to keep him entertained in each of their homes for the year. He couldn't refuse their offer.

The first home he went to was that of Fer-tai, his father's murderer's son-in-law, and his son, Fer-li.

Fer-li wished for revenge against his grandfather's murderer.

Fionn was sitting at a great feat table when he heard an uproar. Fer-li accused Fionn's men of stealing livestock and killing the farmers. Fionn promised to replace two livestock for every one stolen, but Fer-li would hear nothing of it and fighting broke out.

Fer-tai tried to stop the battle and to protect Fionn but nothing could curb Fer-li until his mother came and threw him out, but not before he challenged Fionn to a battle.

The following morning Fionn tried to make peace and Fer-tai would have accepted them but his son lusted after revenge.

Eventually, after attempts at peace from Fionn, every thing degenerated into battle.

It took a long time, but the Fenians were defeated by the army of Fer-li, for the Fenians were a mere 150 while Fer-li's army was 3000 strong.

People from the Otherworld came and carried Fionn and his warriors to the sidh where they lie, sleeping with their weapons and horses, until the trumpets sound to signal that their country is in peril again.