The Giant's Causeway: Bridge of Giants

Hello Friends!

I've recently returned from Ireland, where I've stood in the footsteps of Giants!  One of Ireland's biggest legends is Finn McCool or Fionn mac Cumhaill, a bigger than life hero!  Fionn has left his mark all over the Causeway! There's a camel that was given to him to ride home from a visit in the middle east, you can see his dear old Granny who is said to look out for Fionn (or scold him or drink a bit too much whiskey) and the chimney stacks of Fionn's house!  Fionn also plays the pipe organ, they say if you stand alone at 6 AM on Christmas Day you might be able to hear Fionn play!

But the greatest mark Fionn left was the Giant's Causeway itself, a bridge of basalt columns that stretched all the way to Scotland.  Finn built it to challange the Scottish giant Benandonner (in some versions of the tale in America say it's Cucullin and some say he's Scottish while some say he's Irish but to the people and literature in Ireland it's Benandonner and he's definitely Scottish).  Benandonner had a magic finger and kept a lightning-bolt that he'd flattened like a pancake in his back pocket!  Legend has it, Fionn challenged and challenged

Fionn's Shoe!

Benandonner but as Fionn got closer to Scotland and realized how big Benandonner was he high-tailed it back to Ireland and his home on Knockmany Hill.  He went so fast that he left his shoe behind!

Fionn took his troubles to his wife, Oona (Oonagh, Leona).  Oona consulted her fairy connections and came up with a plan.  She made Fionn get into the baby's bed and began making cakes, slipping some skillets into half of the cakes.  In the meantime, Benandonner had made his way to Knockmanny to challenge Fionn!  When he banged on the door Oona answered and told Benandonner that Fionn was out and wouldn't he have tea with her and the baby until he got back?  Benandonner agrees and Oona gives him some of the cakes she made.  As soon as Benandonner bit down, he screamed in pain (for he'd bitten into the skillets!).  What kind of cakes were these? Benandonner demanded to know.  Oona gave a the rest of the cakes (without skillets) to Fionn in the baby's bed, who swallowed them happily.  Now Benandonner got a good look at the baby, wondering nervously how big the father must be if the baby could be that big!  And what mighty teeth a baby must have to eat those tough cakes!  Benandonner wanted to get a look at those teeth so he peeked into the baby's mouth with his magic finger and Fionn bit down, pulling off the finger and robbing Benandonner of his magic!  Benandonner was so scared that he high-tailed it back to Scotland ripping up the causeway behind him.

The Giant's Causeway is still considered magic to this day! In the Giant's Gate you'll see many an old, worn and corroded coin embedded in the crags of the rocks.  People make wishes on the coins and then embed them in the rocks!  It's truly amazing, you can feel the magic in the air and the power of the wishes all lodged in the stones of the Giant's Gate.  I left two there, here's to seeing them come true!



Resources:

Jacobs, Joseph. "A Legend of Knockmany". Celtic Fairy Tales. Collector's Library: London, 2011. Print.

Pritchard, David. Haunted Ireland. Real Ireland Design: Kilcoole, Ireland, 2014. Print.