View source for Cumhall

{{Short description|Figure in Irish mythology}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Cumhall''' ({{IPA|ga|kuːl̪ˠ}}; {{langx|sga|'''Cumall'''}}) or '''Cumhall mac Trénmhoir''' ("son of Trénmór/Tréanmór" meaning "strong-great") is a figure in the [[Fenian Cycle]] of [[Irish mythology]], a leader of the [[fianna]] and the father of [[Fionn mac Cumhaill]].

== Genealogy ==

The most important text regarding the family of Finn (son of Cumaill) is ''Fotha Catha Chnucha'' ("The Cause of the Battle of Cnucha"), as it is contained in the ancient parchment ''[[Lebor na hUidre]]'' (LU), dated to the 12th century.{{sfnp|Mackillop|1985|pp=19–20}}  Otherwise, the next most important tract is the ''[[The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn|Macgnímartha Finn]]'' ("The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn") copied in a 15th-century manuscript.{{sfnp|Hennessy|1875|p=87}}

According to the ''Fotha Catha Chnucha'', Cumhall mac Trénmhoir{{efn|cummal mac trenmóir LU}} was son of a petty king, and served the [[High King of Ireland|High King]] [[Conn Cet-Chathach]] "of the Hundred Battles". Cumhall was also Conn's half-uncle, his mother being the mother of Conn's father,.{{efn|King [[Fedlimid Rechtmar|Fedelmid rechtaid]] LU being Conn's father.}}<ref name=hennessy-fotha-p88-89/>

Cumhall became suitor for the hand of [[Muirne]] Muncaim "of the fair neck",{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|or Muirne Muincháem "of the Lovely Neck";{{sfnp|Dooley|Roe|1999|p=184}} Cf. Windisch.<ref>{{harvp|Windisch|1879|p=142}}: mun-caim 'die Schönhalsige'.</ref>}} daughter of the [[druid]] [[Tadg mac Nuadat]], but Tadg refused him, so Cumhall forcibly carried away Muirne in elopement.<ref name=hennessy-fotha-p88-89/><ref name=acallm-cumall-marriage/>

;In-laws<ref>{{harvp|Hennessy|1875|pp=86–89}}</ref>
In ''Fotha Catha Chnucha'' Cumhall's wife was the granddaughter to Nuadat who was a druid to king [[Cathair Mór]], but she was granddaughter to Núadu of the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]] according to a passage in the ''[[Acallamh na Senorach]]''.<ref name=acallam-cumall-genealogy>{{harvp|O'Grady|1892b}} tr. p. 245:{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsdFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA245|2=Cumall son of Tredhorn son of Cairbre}}</ref> Also where the former work gives Almu daughter of Becan as Nuadat's wife,<ref name=hennessy-fotha-p88-89/> the latter treats Almha the daughter of Brecan as a virgin daughter who bore Cumall a son then died in childbirth.<ref name=acallam-almha-genealogy>{{harvp|O'Grady|1892b}} tr. p. 131:{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsdFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA245|2=Cumall son of Trénmór}}, Almha daughter of Bracan.</ref>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Note that the name is corrupted to "Cumall son of Tredhorn son of Cairbre" in the one passage of ''Acallmh na Sénorach'',<ref name=acallam-cumall-genealogy/> but is "Cumall son of Trénmór" in the other.<ref name=acallam-almha-genealogy/>}}

;Siblings
Cumhall had a brother, Crimmal mac Trénmhoir, who was an ally of Fionn.{{sfnp|Meyer|1904|p=185}}

== Battle and death ==

Tadg, slighted by Cumall's sweeping away his daughter, appealed to Cumall's lord, Conn of the Hundred Battles, and Conn gave choice of either relinquishing the daughter or suffer banishment. Cumall refused to give up his wife, and Conn made war against Cumhall, and Cumhall was killed by [[Goll mac Morna]] in this Battle of Cnucha,<ref name=hennessy-fotha-p88-91>{{harvp|Hennessy|1875|pp=88–91}}</ref> located at what is today [[Castleknock (barony)|Castleknock]].<ref>{{harvp|Meyer|1904}}, p. 180, note 3.</ref> Goll then took over leadership of the [[Fianna]], as explained in the ''Magnímartha Finn''.<ref>{{harvp|Meyer|1904}}, pp. 180–181 and verse: "'Tis for the chieftancy of Erin's fian / That they waged the stout battle".</ref>

Cumhall's wife Muirne was already pregnant with his son, Fionn, and Muirne's furious father Tadg not only refused to accept her back, but ordered her burnt to death.<ref>{{harvp|Hennessy|1875|pp=90–91}} and commentary, p. 87.</ref> Cumhall's wife however seeks Conn's protection, and in exile she delivers a child which she names Demni.<ref>{{harvp|Hennessy|1875|pp=90–91}}</ref>{{sfnp|Mackillop|1985|p=20}} Demni (Demne) later became Finn.<ref>{{harvp|Meyer|1904}}, p. 183: "Demne shall be named Finn (the Fair)".</ref>

Cumhall is reputed to be buried within the grounds of [[Castleknock College]], supposedly under a hill upon which an old water tower now stands.

==Explanatory notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
;Citations
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=acallm-cumall-marriage>{{harvp|O'Grady|1892a}} ed. ''[[Acallam na Senórach]]'', p. 216, {{harvp|O'Grady|1892b}} tr., p. 245, {{harvp|Stokes|1900}} ed. 6546–6562; {{harvp|Dooley|Roe|1999|p=183–184}}</ref>
<ref name=hennessy-fotha-p88-89>{{harvp|Hennessy|1875|pp=}}, ''Fotha Catha Chnucha'', pp. 88–89 and notes.</ref>
}}

;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
*''[[Acallam na Senórach]]''
** {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Dooley|Roe|1999}}|translator-last=Dooley |translator-first=Ann |translator-link=Ann Dooley |translator-last2=Roe |translator-first2=Harry |translator-link2=<!--Harry Roe--> |title=Tales of the Elders of Ireland |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |url=https://archive.org/details/talesofeldersofi00roeh |url-access=registration|pages=[https://archive.org/details/talesofeldersofi00roeh/page/152 152]–154, 155–158, 174–176 (and endnote) p.&nbsp;171ff |isbn=978-0-192-83918-3}}
**{{citation|editor-last=O'Grady |editor-first=Standish H. |editor-link=Standish Hayes O'Grady |title=Agallamh na Senórach |work=[[Silva Gadelica]] |publisher=Williams and Norgate |year=1892a |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gmkEAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA99 |pages=94–232}}
**{{citation|editor-last=O'Grady |editor-first=Standish H. |editor-link=Standish Hayes O'Grady |title=The Colloquy with the Ancients |work=[[Silva Gadelica]], translation and notes |publisher=Williams and Norgate |year=1892b |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsdFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA101 |pages=101–265}}
** {{citation|editor-last=Stokes |editor-first=Whitley |editor-link=Whitley Stokes (Celtic scholar) |others=<!--series co-edited by Ernst Windisch--> |title=Acallamh na Seanórach; Tales of the Elders |series=Irische Texte IV |year=1900 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SKsOAQAAMAAJ }}. [https://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G303000/index.html e-text] via CELT corpus.
*{{citation|last=Mackillop |first=James |author-link=<!--James Mackillop--> |title=Fionn mac Cumhail: Celtic Myth in English Literature |place=London |publisher=Syracuse University Press |date=1985 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MoKvGA2McVYC&pg=PA40|isbn=9780815623533}}
* {{citation|last=Meyer |first=Kuno |author-link=Kuno Meyer |title=The Boyish Exploits of Finn |trans-title=tr. of ''Macgnimartha Find'' |journal=Ériu |volume=1 |year=1904 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bvkq9UZUVkQC&pg=180 |pages=180–190}}
*{{citation|editor-last=Hennessy |editor-first=William Maunsell |editor-link=William Maunsell Hennessy |title=Battle of Cnucha |journal=Revue Celtique |volume=2 |date=<!--1873-->1875 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gtLJaPOknGQC&pg=PA86 |pages=86–93}} (ed. "''Fotha Catha Cnucha inso''" , tr. "The Cause of the Battle of Cnucha here"). [https://archive.org/details/revueceltiqu02pari/page/86 archived] via Internet Archive
*{{cite book|editor-last=Windisch |editor-first=Ernst |editor-link=Ernst Windisch |title=Fotha Catha Cnucha in so |work=Kurzgefasste irische Grammatik mit Lesestücken |place=Leipzig |publisher=S. Hirzel |date=1879 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_FciIzePd6MC&pg=PA121 |pages=121–123}}, with glossary.

{{refend}}

{{Celtic mythology (Fenian)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumhall}}
[[Category:Fenian Cycle]]