Oisin's Mother* rom The Fionn Cycle. It happened one time when Fionn and his men were coming back from the hunt. A beautiful fawn leapt up before them, and they followed after it, men and dogs, until at last they were all tired and fell back. All but Fionn himself, that is, along with Bran and Sceolan, his favourite hunting dogs. As they were going through a valley, the fawn suddenly stopped and lay down on the smooth grass. Bran and Sceolan scamped up to it, and they did not haw it all, but went playing about the fawn, licking its face. Fionn was amazed when he saw his fierce hunting dogs frolicking with the deer, and when he went in for the kill his own dogs turned and growled at him. So the great leader of the Fianna had no choice but to return to Almhain, his home, with the fawn and his hounds following close behind. When Fionn was alone that evening, a beautiful young woman approached him. She was dressed in a costly green gown and wore a torque of purest gold around her neck. "I am the fawn that you were hunting today," she said simply. "What do you mean?" asked Fionn. "For refusing the love of Fear Doiche (the Dark Druid), I was put into that shape. And for three years I have lived the life of a wild deer in a far part of this land, and I was hunted like a wild deer. But I learned that if I could reach the dun of Fianna, the Druid would have no more power over me. So I made away, and I never stopped until I saw Bran and Sceolan, who have human hearts. I was safe with them, for the knew my nature to be like their own." Fionn gave the enchanted woman his love, and took her as his wife, and she stayed at Almhuin. So great was his love for her that he gave up hunting and all things he used to take pleasure in, and he gave his mind and heart to no other but herself. *From Celtic Folklore and Cooking by Joanne Asala. Llewellyn Publications. 2001. Page last updated 29 Dec 2005 Myths & Magic logo by Míchealín Ní Dhochartaigh   Copyright © 2005 Ireland's OWN. All Rights Reserved.