The first great chief of the Fenians was Cool. He was a mighty warrior
and splendid hero. He it was who organized these men into an army of
strength, which he governed wisely but sternly.
Over Cool was Conn, the High King, known as Conn the Hundred Fighter,
because he had been victorious in a hundred battles. It was Conn whom
Cool and his men had to swear to honor and defend. Conn’s principal
city, the one in which he held his court, was known as Tara. These facts
it is necessary to know before we can understand the story which
follows.
In one part of the kingdom, in the castle of Alma, dwelt an old chief
and his beautiful daughter, Murna. The girl was kept within the castle
under heavy guard and no man was allowed to see or speak to her. There
was a reason for this harsh treatment. When she was born a prophet told
her father that her son would take his land and title from him. As the
old chief was very fond of his castle he thought he would make a
grandson impossible by never allowing his daughter to marry.
One day Cool rode by the castle and saw Murna at the upper window. He
was greatly struck by her beauty.
“Who is the maiden?” he asked one of his advisers.
“It will do you little good to know,” replied the man. “Her father has
forbidden any man to wed her.”
“The men of this district must have little spirit to allow such a prize
to go unwon,” remarked Cool.
“You would not think so if you saw the number of guards always in place
to make such a thing impossible,” was the reply.
Cool said no more. That evening he went back to the castle, overpowered
the guards and climbed to the window at which he had seen the girl. When
she saw this mighty hero at her window, she let him in and they talked
together. Cool was already in love with her from having seen her
beautiful face, but after he had talked with her and found her as gentle
and sweet as she was beautiful, he vowed that he would have no one but
her for a wife. Any girl of Ireland would have been proud to be wooed by
such a splendid hero. The maiden was sure that she could never love any
one else, so Cool took her away. They were married that very night.
You can imagine how the old chief felt about this theft of his daughter
and her marriage. He saw now that the prophecy might come true. He
hastened to the High King and told his story.
This put Conn in a puzzling position. As a man he sympathized with Cool,
but as a King he saw that the chief was justified in complaining. He
ordered Cool to appear before him.
“Do you deny that you stole the chief’s daughter for your wife?” he
asked.
“I do not,” said Cool stoutly.
“Do you think that the proper conduct for a Fenian?” asked the King.
“Is it not the rule of the Fenians to help the weak who are oppressed?”
asked Cool in answer.
“This maiden was not oppressed,” said the old chief. “She was my
daughter and under my protection.”
“Any maiden is oppressed who is not allowed to love and be loved by the
man of her choice,” said Cool. “If you had permitted anyone to seek her
in marriage she would not have been taken from you by force.”
King Conn hated to decide. He did not wish to offend the leader of his
army, nor could he afford to make an enemy of the old chief and lose his
fealty. He finally decided that he could replace his leader more easily,
so he ruled that Cool must give back the maiden.
Now Cool had been greatly in love with Murna when he took her from the
castle, but having her for his wife had made her more dear to him. He
decided that life would not be worth living without her. He defied Conn
to take her from him.
[Illustration:
The hermit killed Cool and took his head to Gaul
From Birth of Finn]
With his beautiful bride and those Fenians who were more loyal to him
than to the High King, Cool fled to the forest. There he defended
himself and for some time kept at bay the forces of Conn.
After Cool fled the leadership of the Fenians was given to Gaul of
Morna, another brave warrior. In the course of the battle Cool and the
new leader met in single combat. All day long they fought fiercely and
bravely; Gaul to show himself brave enough to lead the army and Cool for
his wife and his happiness. In the evening Cool weakened and he received
a wound which made it impossible to fight on. Gaul thought too much of
his old leader to kill him while he lay wounded, so he withdrew.
It so happened that another witnessed this battle. It was an old hermit
who lived by himself in the forest. This man was reputed to have great
knowledge. It proved that he had also a great desire to make himself
popular with the High King. He did what Gaul would not do—he killed the
wounded Cool and took his head to Gaul.
In place of receiving the praise he wanted, he found Gaul greatly
displeased. The hermit was driven out of the camp as a coward, with
sticks and stones hurled after him as a reward.
With the defeat of their leader the rebel Fenians surrendered, and the
young widow was left without protection. She must either go back to her
father or hide in the forest. The latter course was the one she chose.
Poor girl, she was not used to such treatment. She became very weak and
ill. At last she gave up and approached an old hut in the forest. Here
she was taken in by an old woman, who fed her and nursed her.
It was in this hut that the baby, who was to become such a great hero,
was born. Murna stayed in the hut until the baby could be left, fearful
that each day would bring the searchers sent out by her father, who
would kill her child. She finally decided that the baby would be safer
if she went back to the castle of Alma. She pledged the old woman to
raise the child but to tell no one who he was. The woman promised and
Murna went back to her father.