Last week I got a special order for a silver salmon tie pin. The tie pin was to be made in the shape of a salmon for a customer who's uncle was a keen fisherman. Having finished the tie pin this week I wanted to include it in the blog and thought the Irish story of the Salmon of Knowledge would be the perfect accompaniment to my silver salmon!
The Salmon of Knowledge is the story of how Fionn Mac Cumhall, one of the heroes in Irish mythology, gained his wisdom. The story is told in The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn which recounts the early years of his life. Fionn went to study with the poet and wise man Finnegas who knew of the salmon of knowledge and spent his life trying to catch it. The salmon was so named as it was said to have eaten nine hazelnuts, then fell into the Well of Wisdom and in doing so the salmon gained all the knowledge in the world. The first person to eat this salmon would in turn gain this knowledge.
Finnegas was living on the banks of the river Boyne attempting to catch the salmon and gain its wisdom. It happened one day not long after Fionn had come to study under him. Finnegas caught the salmon, and eager to acquire its knowledge he asked Fionn to cook the salmon but not to taste it. When he went to eat the salmon he noticed a change in Fionn. He asked Fionn had he tasted the fish, but he replied that he had not. Fionn then remembered while cooking the salmon he had burnt his thumb and put his thumb in his mouth to ease the pain. Finnegas realized that Fionn, having accidentally tasted the salmon, now possessed all the knowledge of the world. Fionn left Finnegas and went on to become a wise poet, warrior and leader. He was the leader of the Fianna, the famed warriors of Irish mythology. If you have something you would like made in silver just email us at info@claddaghdesign.com