Fand facts for kids
Fand is a special woman from Irish mythology. Her name can mean "tear" or "teardrop of beauty." It can also mean "weak, helpless person." People still discuss which meaning is correct. She is often seen as someone from another world, like a fairy.
Fand in The Sickbed of Cúchulainn
Fand appears most famously in an old Irish story called Serglige Con Culainn. This means "The Sickbed of Cúchulainn." In this tale, Fand is the daughter of Áed Abrat. She is also the sister of Lí Ban and a man named Angus. Fand is married to Manannán, who is a powerful sea god.
Fand first shows up in the story as a magical sea bird. She flies with a group of enchanted birds. Each pair of birds is linked together by a silver chain. But Fand and her sister Lí Ban are different. They are connected by a special gold chain.
The famous hero Cúchulainn throws stones at these birds. One stone hits Fand's wing feathers. Later, Fand and Lí Ban return as "Otherworldly women." They meet Cúchulainn by a lake. They hit Cúchulainn with horsewhips. This makes him very sick, and he stays in bed for a whole year.
Cúchulainn eventually gets better with Fand's help. Fand's sister, Lí Ban, and Cúchulainn's charioteer, Láeg, help them talk. Cúchulainn agrees to go to Fand's magical island. There, he helps her fight against her enemies. After the battle, Cúchulainn and Fand become lovers.
Their relationship does not last long. Cúchulainn's wife, Emer, becomes very jealous. She comes to attack Fand and Cúchulainn with a group of women carrying knives. Fand sees that Emer is a good match for Cúchulainn. Fand is also sad about their affair. So, Fand decides to leave Cúchulainn. She sings a poem and then goes back to her husband, Manannán. Manannán shakes his magical cloak of mists between Fand and Cúchulainn. This makes sure they can never meet again. Then, Cúchulainn and Emer drink a special drink from the druids. This drink helps them forget what happened.
Other Stories About Fand
Sometimes, Fand's mother is said to be Flidais. Flidais is a goddess of the woodlands. In some versions of stories, Fand is also described as the wife of Eochaid Iúil. He was one of Labraid's enemies. Cúchulainn defeated these enemies.
The goddess Niamh of the Golden Hair is said to be a daughter of Manannán. Niamh and Fand share some similar traits. Because of this, some people think Niamh might also be Fand's daughter. Another possible daughter of Manannán is Cliodna. However, Manannán had many partners. So, Cliodna's connection to Fand is not very clear.
Fand in Modern Works
Fand has inspired many modern artists and writers. William Larminie wrote a book of poems called Fand and Other Poems in 1892. Arnold Bax created a piece of music called The Garden of Fand in 1916.
Fand has also appeared in books by Kevin Hearne. She is a character in his The Iron Druid Chronicles series.
See also
- Irish mythology in popular culture
