The Giant’s Causeway
A STORY FROM THE FENIAN CYCLE
In the far north of Ulster near the small town of Bushmills, a jagged promontory of basalt slabs and columns slopes down from the edge of the Antrim plateau and extends like a finger into the sea, before gradually disappearing beneath the waves. Further north still, across a narrow reach of the Atlantic Ocean, the tightly packed stone pillars re-emerge from the deep and continue onward to a place called Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa, just off the western coast of Scotland. Known as the Giant’s Causeway, it is, according to legend, the work of Finn macCual, one of Ireland’s most celebrated heroes.
During the reign of the renowned Irish King Cormac macArt, the invincible Finn macCual was leader of the loyal soldiers of the Fianna, and the most powerful warrior in all of Ireland. He had reached the middle age of his life by then, and lived happily with his fourth wife, Oonagh, in a great house overlooking the rugged coast of Antrim. Indeed, the chimney stacks of his fireplaces can still be seen there to this day.
One fine morning, as Finn was strolling along the coast near his home, he spied a large man, dressed all in red, rowing a boat far off in the sea. It was Benandonner, the Red Man of Scotland. When he saw Finn, Benandonner stood up in his boat and began shouting at him. “Finn macCual! Is that ye? Is that the coward of Ireland, of whom I've heard tell?”
Finn was enraged by the insult. He looked around and saw a large stone embedded in the grassy earth nearby. Reaching down, he scooped the stone out of the ground, lifted it over his head and hurled it at the Scotsman. But his aim was a wee bit off, and he missed his mark. The giant rock crashed into the sea, creating an enormous wave that carried Benandonner’s boat all the way back to Scotland, where it foundered on the shore, and he barely escaped with his life.
The boulder Finn threw into the sea is now known as the Isle of Man, and the place from which he pulled it eventually filled with water and became known as Lough Neagh, the largest lake in Ireland. And from that moment on there was a deep animosity between Finn macCual and Benandonner.
The next morning, before the cock crowed, Finn was awakened by an unusual sound. When he went to his window to investigate, he heard shouting from far across the sea. It was Benandonner, hurling insults at Finn once again. Amidst the unending invective, Finn clearly heard the Red Man say, “I would come and beat ye to dust meself! But I cannay swim and ye wrecked me boat yesterday!”
Even as Finn’s blood began to boil, he thought better of it, and chose to ignore the angry noises, since nothing could become of them anyway. But Benandonner did not let up. Such was his anger with Finn that every day thereafter, from morning until night, the shouting from across the sea continued unceasingly.
Eventually, despite his best intentions, Finn could bear no more of it. He flew into a rage and determined to fight Benandonner and quiet him once and for all. He began pulling stone pilings from the Antrim cliffs and hurled them into the sea. One by one he placed them, forming a bridge that extended the whole way to Scotland.
When Finn approached the Scottish coast, he saw Benandonner standing on a hill, with his hands cupped around his mouth, shouting in a booming voice toward Ireland. That’s when Finn realized his plan may have been a rash one. This was no ordinary opponent; Benandonner was an enormous giant! Choosing discretion over valor, Finn turned and ran back home. It was at that moment that Benandonner saw Finn, but only for an instant, as he disappeared in the distance.
Benandonner made chase, but swift Finn enjoyed a head start, and he reached Ireland well before the angry giant. As he set foot on the shore, he lost one of his boots, which remains even now, a petrified relic, at the spot where it fell. Finn raced on to his castle, and at once told his wife of the predicament he was in. Oonagh quickly devised a plan.
As the sound of Benandonner’s pounding footsteps grew louder, Oonagh filled a large washtub with blankets, and bade Finn lie down in it. She covered him with more bedclothes, and placed a bonnet upon his head, instructing him to feign sleep. She then took all of Finn’s weapons and scattered them around the newly fashioned “cradle.” After that, Oonagh went to the hearth and began preparing oat cakes. In some of the cakes she placed iron nails, and set them over the fire.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Oonagh welcomed the Red Man graciously, explaining that her husband was out hunting in Donegal, but would return soon. She invited him in and offered him some oat cakes, fresh from the fire. When Benandonner took his first bite, five of his teeth broke off at the gums. "Lady, these are the hardest oat cakes that e'er I've eaten!" cried Benandonner, spitting broken teeth and blood. Oonagh pretended embarrassment, explaining that these were the oat cakes of which her husband was most fond. "He must have a jaw of iron," replied the giant with amazement, wiping the blood from his lips.
Finn's wife then led Benandonner on a tour of the home, asking only that he not wake their "baby." When he laid eyes on the supposed sleeping child, the giant wondered to himself how formidable the father of such a huge baby must be! Seeing the weapons strewn about, Benandonner asked if it was wise to leave such dangerous implement so near to a child. Oonagh dismissed his concern with the back of her hand, explaining those were not weapons, but merely her child’s toys.
She then reminded the Red Man that her husband should be returning very soon, causing a cold fear to consume Benandonner. He assumed Finn macCual must indeed be a massive giant, far more powerful than himself. And in a fit of panic, he fled back to Scotland, pulling up the pillars of Finn’s causeway behind him and tossing them aside into the sea, so that the hero of Ireland could not follow him. That is why it is only the two ends of Finn’s causeway that can still be seen today.
During the reign of the renowned Irish King Cormac macArt, the invincible Finn macCual was leader of the loyal soldiers of the Fianna, and the most powerful warrior in all of Ireland. He had reached the middle age of his life by then, and lived happily with his fourth wife, Oonagh, in a great house overlooking the rugged coast of Antrim. Indeed, the chimney stacks of his fireplaces can still be seen there to this day.
One fine morning, as Finn was strolling along the coast near his home, he spied a large man, dressed all in red, rowing a boat far off in the sea. It was Benandonner, the Red Man of Scotland. When he saw Finn, Benandonner stood up in his boat and began shouting at him. “Finn macCual! Is that ye? Is that the coward of Ireland, of whom I've heard tell?”
Finn was enraged by the insult. He looked around and saw a large stone embedded in the grassy earth nearby. Reaching down, he scooped the stone out of the ground, lifted it over his head and hurled it at the Scotsman. But his aim was a wee bit off, and he missed his mark. The giant rock crashed into the sea, creating an enormous wave that carried Benandonner’s boat all the way back to Scotland, where it foundered on the shore, and he barely escaped with his life.
The boulder Finn threw into the sea is now known as the Isle of Man, and the place from which he pulled it eventually filled with water and became known as Lough Neagh, the largest lake in Ireland. And from that moment on there was a deep animosity between Finn macCual and Benandonner.
The next morning, before the cock crowed, Finn was awakened by an unusual sound. When he went to his window to investigate, he heard shouting from far across the sea. It was Benandonner, hurling insults at Finn once again. Amidst the unending invective, Finn clearly heard the Red Man say, “I would come and beat ye to dust meself! But I cannay swim and ye wrecked me boat yesterday!”
Even as Finn’s blood began to boil, he thought better of it, and chose to ignore the angry noises, since nothing could become of them anyway. But Benandonner did not let up. Such was his anger with Finn that every day thereafter, from morning until night, the shouting from across the sea continued unceasingly.
Eventually, despite his best intentions, Finn could bear no more of it. He flew into a rage and determined to fight Benandonner and quiet him once and for all. He began pulling stone pilings from the Antrim cliffs and hurled them into the sea. One by one he placed them, forming a bridge that extended the whole way to Scotland.
When Finn approached the Scottish coast, he saw Benandonner standing on a hill, with his hands cupped around his mouth, shouting in a booming voice toward Ireland. That’s when Finn realized his plan may have been a rash one. This was no ordinary opponent; Benandonner was an enormous giant! Choosing discretion over valor, Finn turned and ran back home. It was at that moment that Benandonner saw Finn, but only for an instant, as he disappeared in the distance.
Benandonner made chase, but swift Finn enjoyed a head start, and he reached Ireland well before the angry giant. As he set foot on the shore, he lost one of his boots, which remains even now, a petrified relic, at the spot where it fell. Finn raced on to his castle, and at once told his wife of the predicament he was in. Oonagh quickly devised a plan.
As the sound of Benandonner’s pounding footsteps grew louder, Oonagh filled a large washtub with blankets, and bade Finn lie down in it. She covered him with more bedclothes, and placed a bonnet upon his head, instructing him to feign sleep. She then took all of Finn’s weapons and scattered them around the newly fashioned “cradle.” After that, Oonagh went to the hearth and began preparing oat cakes. In some of the cakes she placed iron nails, and set them over the fire.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Oonagh welcomed the Red Man graciously, explaining that her husband was out hunting in Donegal, but would return soon. She invited him in and offered him some oat cakes, fresh from the fire. When Benandonner took his first bite, five of his teeth broke off at the gums. "Lady, these are the hardest oat cakes that e'er I've eaten!" cried Benandonner, spitting broken teeth and blood. Oonagh pretended embarrassment, explaining that these were the oat cakes of which her husband was most fond. "He must have a jaw of iron," replied the giant with amazement, wiping the blood from his lips.
Finn's wife then led Benandonner on a tour of the home, asking only that he not wake their "baby." When he laid eyes on the supposed sleeping child, the giant wondered to himself how formidable the father of such a huge baby must be! Seeing the weapons strewn about, Benandonner asked if it was wise to leave such dangerous implement so near to a child. Oonagh dismissed his concern with the back of her hand, explaining those were not weapons, but merely her child’s toys.
She then reminded the Red Man that her husband should be returning very soon, causing a cold fear to consume Benandonner. He assumed Finn macCual must indeed be a massive giant, far more powerful than himself. And in a fit of panic, he fled back to Scotland, pulling up the pillars of Finn’s causeway behind him and tossing them aside into the sea, so that the hero of Ireland could not follow him. That is why it is only the two ends of Finn’s causeway that can still be seen today.
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