According to Irish mythology, the first people in Ireland were Bith the son of Noah, his daughter Ceasair with her husband Fintan mac Bóchra, and Ladhra who had piloted their vessel to the island. They had also 50 virgins. As time passed the pilot Ladhra left to find his own path and Bith died leaving Fintain with Cesair and the 50 women. This was all too much for Fintan so he left the women and moved away on his own. Grief at the loss of her men caused Cesair to fall into a deep melancholy and she died.
Not long after the death of Cesair a great flood, the Deluge, came about. It wiped the world clean with only Noah and his family safe in their ark. However, God is merciful and he felt a feeling of sorrow for Fintan. Instead of condemning him to die in the raging waters he allowed Fintan to become a salmon and in this form, he survived the terrible event.
After the waters receded, Fintan the salmon swam up to the Boyne River from the sea. He eventually found a deep quiet pool in which he could regain his strength. Now around this pool, God had allowed nine hazel trees to grow and on each tree he allowed nine nuts to grow. These nuts were filled with all the knowledge of the world.
As the seasons passed and autumn approached, the nuts of wisdom
matured and fell, one after the other into the pool where Fintan was
swimming. He devoured each nut as it touched the water and so all the
wisdom was passed onto him. From this, he was known as “ An Bradán
Feasa” or “Bradán an Eolais” which mean the Salmon of Knowledge....<<<Read More>>>....
