F

Fagus: A Gaulish / Pyrenean god of beech trees.

Fand: In Celtic myth Fand is a faery queen, who was once married to the sea god Manannan. After he left her she was preyed upon by three Fomorian warriors in a battle for control of the Irish Sea. Her only hope in winning the battle was to send for the hero Cuchulainn who would only agree to come, if she would marry him. She reluctantly acquiesced to his wishes, though when she met him, she fell as deeply in love with him as he was with her. Manannan knew that the relationship between the human world and the world of the faery could not continue without in eventually destroying the faeries. He erased the memory of one from the other by drawing his magical mantle between the two lovers. Fand was also a minor sea goddess who made her home both in the Otherworld and on the Islands of Man. With her sister, Liban, she was one of the twin goddesses of health and earthly pleasures. She was also known as "Pearl of Beauty". Some scholars believe she was a native Manx deity who was absorbed in the Irish mythology.

Ferdiad: A hero of Irish legend who was persuaded to fight for Queen Maeve against Cuchulainn, his dearest friend. After a struggle lasting three days he was killed, to Cuchulainn's bitter grief.

Fergus: The Celtic/Irish hero and king, one of the warlike lovers of queen Medb. Fergus ("virility") is also referred to as "the great horse", and many (phallic) marvels are ascribed to him.

Fergus mac Roich: The heroic tutor of Cuchulainn, who left Conchobar's court after the treacherous murder of the sons of Usnech.

Fianna: Also known as the Champions of the Red Branch, Fianna Eiriann, and the Fenians. The Fianna were a legendary army of Irish warriors serving under the Ard Righ, or "High King", of Ireland. Many of their exploits are documented throughout the Fenian Cycle which took place circa the 3rd century AD. One of two Celtic classes of fighters, they lived in the borderlands, fighting in large groups. They obeyed only their own laws and those of the High King. Their last and greatest leader was Finn mac Cumhail, also know as Finn mac Cool, who was later glorified as an Irish hero.

Finn mac Cumhail: Also Finn mac Coul. Finn was the legendary Irish hero and leader of the Fianna. Tales of Finn and the Fianna were widely documented in the 3rd century AD during what is now referred to as the Fenian Cycle, although much earlier written accounts have also been found in ancient Irish manuscripts. The legend of Finn mac Cumhail is varied at best. What follows is a generally agreed upon synopsis: •Finn's father Cumhail, a Fianna chieftain, was mortally wounded and killed in battle by Goal mac Morn, the leader of a rival clan, before Finn's birth. •Terrified for her new baby's survival, Finn's mother sent him away intrusting him to two of her closest colleagues - a druidess named Bodbal and a woman warrior named Fiachel. •Together these women successfully raised Finn in secret hidden deep within the mountains of Erinn (Ireland). During this time they taught him all the lessons and skills he would need to survive he set out to avenge his father's murder. •When it was time Finn ventured out and served under several kings who immediately sent him away, in fear of a retaliation from mac Morna, after they discovered who he was. •Discouraged, Finn wandered throughout Ireland until he met an old poet living near the river Boyne whom he ended up studying under for seven years. •At the end of these seven years Finn fulfilled a prophecy when he ate the Salmon of Knowledge and gained the wisdom he would need to challenge mac Morna. •Gathering 150 of the bravest and best of the Fianna, Finn sought revenge on Goll mac Morna. The battle was long, lasting a few days, but in the end mac Morna's men were no match for the Fianna and Goll mac Morna died on Finn's sword. Finn and the Fianna continued to fight in great battles and were acknowledged figures in Celtic history. It was said that in the fields of daring, courageousness, and skill the Fianna were unequaled and that no man could hope to be better in magic, poetry, or wisdom then Finn mac Cumhail.

Fionnuala: In Irish legend, the daughter of Lir, who was transformed into a swan and condemned to wander over the lakes and rivers until Christianity came to Ireland.

Firbolg (Fir Bholg): The Firbolg people are primordial inhabitants, or early gods, of Ireland. The third wave of invaders, they conquered Ireland and defeated the Fomorians. The name can be translated as 'Men of the Bags'. Fodla: Fodla is one of the three goddesses who ruled Ireland before the first Gaels, led by Amergin, came to the island. She was given the honor of naming Ireland. Her husband is king MacCecht. See also Banba and Eriu.

Fomorians (Fomors): In Irish-Celtic mythology, the Fomorians are a race of demonic giants, the original occupants of Ireland (or sometimes mentioned as a mythical, prehistoric people who raided and pillaged Ireland from the sea). The first to invade Ireland were the Partholons, but after many battles the Fomorians afflicted them all with plague. After them came the Nemeds, who in their very first battle were defeated and enslaved. The third wave of invaders, the Firbolgs, were more successful and they subdued the Fomorians and managed to live peacefully with them. After a period of peace, the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Irish race of gods, arrived. They conquered the Firbolgs, but dealt more subtly with the Fomorians, although they destroyed their hegemony over Ireland for good in the second battle of Mag Tuireadh. The Fomorians were given the province of Connacht, and were even allowed to marry some of the Tuatha Dé. The king of the Fomorians is the one-eyed Balor. Other prominent members are: Bres, Eriu, and Tethra. The Fomorians are sometimes mythologically associated with the powers of nature which challenge man: fog, storm, winter, disease, crop-blight. The name comes from fomó, "giant", "pirate".