An Odd Drove and a Deer-Mother: Nonhuman Animals in the Fionn Cycle of Irish Literature

The Fionn Cycle is a body of texts, lore and traditions dating from the seventh century to modern times and is centered around the hero and warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill and his followers known as the Fianna. Fionn and his Fianna spend a great deal of time in the wilderness and narratives of the Fionn Cycle are a rich source for depictions of nonhuman animals. In this article, the focus is on two narratives from the Fionn Cycle in which nonhuman animals are defamiliarised in ways that show them to be a source of strength and insight to humans. The narrative known as ‘Caoilte and the Animals’ is found to contain an undercurrent of reflections on freedom, captivity and differences between human and nonhuman animals, whilst a version of the Biography of Oisín son of Fionn mac Cumhaill, is read as challenging human exceptionalism and pointing to the intrinsic value of animal experiences.