Who is the single greatest hero in Celtic mythology and were they real people?
http://www.ancientsites.com/aw/Post/448024 Recently I’ve become fascinated by the evolution of Fionn MacCumhaill. It is obvious that he is a mythical Irish super-hero of the highest degree. Where did he come from, though? I can’t think of another mythical figure who has so many different faces and still retains his awesome image. Were the legends based on a real person? Several different chroniclers cite the year 283 as his death but solid evidence of his actual existence is flimsy. There are some theories that he is a composite of deities that go back to even more ancient times. One of these is Find, who is also thought to be the root source of the legend of Fintan. Other sources trace Fionn through the meaning of the Irish word “fion” to denote fair or bright, which in turn leads to a continental Celtic deity Vindonnus. (“Vindos”= white/fair)
