James Stephens

"The Birth of Bran." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 93-108.

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:05:11 +0000

"The Birth of Bran." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 93-108. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/13/2022 - 13:05

Tale Summary

This story begins with a description of Fergus Fionnliath, a man known for hating dogs more than anyone else in Ireland. However, Fionn, whom Fergus is loyal to, has always been a lover of dogs. His two most favorite dogs are Bran and Sceolan, and the rest of the story explains why he is so connected to them.

Fionn’s Aunt Tuiren visits him and decides to wed an Ulster man named Iollan. Fionn does not know Ulster very well, so he wearily consents to this marriage. Iollan and Tuiren are happy in their new marriage, but soon Iollan’s past comes back to haunt him. His old lover, Uct Dealv, a lady of the Shi, has been waiting for him to return to her whilst he has already moved on.

When Uct Dealv hears of his new marriage, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She visits Tuiren in Ireland and transforms her into a hound upon meeting her. Uct Dealv then decides to take her to Fergus Fionnliath, who she believes will cause Tuiren suffering or even death.

Fergus hates dogs very much, so at first he refuses to take in the hound. However, he is persuaded to watch it in debt to Fionn, who he is loyal to. At first, Fergus avoids the dog who is shivering in fear, but eventually realizes he should help so Fionn will not be upset with him. He orders his servant to take care of her, but Tuirenn, the dog, refuses their help. Fergus realizes that she is only comforted by him, and as he grows closer to her, his hatred of dogs disappears.

Iollan and Fionn are desperately searching for Tuiren. Iollan knows that Uct Dealv must have had something to do with her disappearance, so he offers his life to her in exchange for returning Tuiren to her human state. Uct Dealv does this, and Tuiren marries Lugaidh now that her husband must remain with Uct Dealv. Tuiren left behind two puppies she had birthed as a hound named Bran and Sceolan. This is how they came to be Fionn’s most beloved dogs, for they were also his cousins.

Fairy Tale Title

The Birth of Bran

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

James Stephens

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Arthur Rackham

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 93-108

Full Citation of Tale

"The Birth of Bran." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 93-108.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

There are only a few illustrations in this story. One depicts Fergus in a grotesque way as he chases after a dog with a stone, and the other portrays Iollan and Uct Dealv while they are in love. “The Birth of Bran” tells the importance of not judging something before you truly know about it, as Fergus claims to hate dogs without ever having interacted with them. Uct Dealv also blames Iollan and Tuiren for wanting to hurt her, without stopping to notice that they truly loved each other.

Research and Curation

Stephanie Virts, 2022

Book Title

Irish Fairy Tales

Book Author/Editor(s)

James Stephens

Illustrator(s)

Arthur Rackham

Publisher

Macmillan

Date Published

1920

Decade Published

1920-1929

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White

"The Boyhood of Fionn." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 37-90.

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 18:49:37 +0000

"The Boyhood of Fionn." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 37-90. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/13/2022 - 12:49

James Stephens

Tale Summary

Fionn is the son of Muirne and Uail, the captain of the Fianna of Ireland, While he is young, the sons of Morna kill his father, so his mother hides him with some trusted druids in a forest who take care of him. He meets his mother only a few times over his childhood, but learns all about the animals and forest around him until it is like his home. He stays with the druids, learning tales of his father and the sons of Morna on top of how to fish and swim until their location is no longer safe from the clan Morna.

Fionn runs away from the druids with a group of poets until these friends are murdered. He discovers that Fiacuil, the murderer, is his uncle and goes to live in his den. He learns things about the marshes and how to fight from Fiacuil, but ultimately leaves to make a name for himself in Ireland. He travels around proving his wit, and his skills as a hunter across the country. Fionn’s one greatest desire is to obtain true knowledge. To do this he visits Finegas the poet. Finegas catches the Salmon of Knowledge then gives it to Fionn to eat.

After obtaining this gift of knowledge, Fionn goes on his final journey to Tara of the Kings. Here, he is welcomed as a friend. During a feast, Fionn volunteers to protect the King from Aillen, whom no one has ever been able to escape from. As he awaits this villain in the forest, Fiacuil visits him to give him the knowledge and a spear which Fionn ultimately needs to kill Aillen. By killing Aillen, he finally has made a name for himself in Ireland and gained lasting respect. The story ends with Fionn becoming a powerful champion of Ireland.

Fairy Tale Title

The Boyhood of Fionn

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

James Stephens

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Arthur Rackham

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 37-90

Full Citation of Tale

"The Boyhood of Fionn." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 37-90.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

There are only a few illustrations in this tale, which depict Fionn as a young boy and as he discovers Ireland. The illustrations are realistically portrayed, but the subjects of them such as the animals coming up to interact with Fionn are not entirely realistic. The Boyhood of Fionn describes the importance of knowledge to one’s life, as well as the importance of making friends. The lesson of the story is that one should always strive to learn as much as possible about everything in their life.

Research and Curation

Stephanie Virts, 2022

Book Title

Irish Fairy Tales

Book Author/Editor(s)

James Stephens

Illustrator(s)

Arthur Rackham

Publisher

Macmillan

Date Published

1920

Decade Published

1920-1929

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White

"The Story of Tuan MacCairill." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 3-31.

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 17:44:11 +0000

"The Story of Tuan MacCairill." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 3-31. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/13/2022 - 11:44

James Stephens

Tale Summary

Finnian, the Abbot of Moville, discovers one day that someone in his province still believes in gods, rather than the Christian God. He sets off to change this person’s mind because he finds this appalling. Tuan, the man who believes in gods, does not wish to speak to Finnian and refuses him entrance. Finnian remains determined so he fasts outside of Tuan’s home in order that Tuan will have to offer him hospitality and food. This works, and once Finnian enters his home, Tuan begins telling his story to explain why he believes in gods.

Tuan describes how he was alive when people first moved to inhabit Ireland, which shocks Finnian, as he has grown up hearing stories of these ancient times. Tuan came to Ireland many years before with a famous man named Partholon who had numerous offspring there. A plague came upon his offspring and everyone except for Tuan passed away. After this, Tuan was destined by the gods to inhabit the body of many creatures such as a stag, hawk, boar, and a salmon.

Finally, after living as various animals, Tuan is caught and eaten by the queen when he is in the body of a salmon. He is then born as her child, thus explaining how he came to be the person Finnian was conversing with. The story ends with Tuan being reborn once again in the name of the Lord. After this, it is unclear whether he finally passes away or remains in Ireland where he has always lived.

Fairy Tale Title

The Story of Tuan MacCairill

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

James Stephens

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Arthur Rackham

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 3-31

Full Citation of Tale

"The Story of Tuan MacCairill." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 3-31.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

There are five illustrations in this tale which vary in their style and depictions. Some are very intricate and realistic while others depict people as almost grotesque caricatures. It is written towards an audience of any age and gives a historical account through the lens of a fairy tale of part of the history of Ireland. The Story of Tuan MacCairill depicts the historical differences over time of Irish religion. Overall, the lesson is that one’s ultimate path in life is to find God and be born again just as Tuan is.

Research and Curation

Stephanie Virts, 2022

Book Title

Irish Fairy Tales

Book Author/Editor(s)

James Stephens

Illustrator(s)

Arthur Rackham

Publisher

Macmillan

Date Published

1920

Decade Published

1920-1929

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White