Goll mac Morna
Encyclopedia
Goll mac Morna was a member of the fianna
and an uneasy ally of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle
of Irish mythology
. He had killed Fionn's father, Cumhal
, and taken over the leadership of the fianna, but when Fionn grew up and proved his worth Goll willingly stepped aside in his favour.
His given name was Áed. He gained the name Goll ("one-eyed") when he lost an eye in his battle with Cumhal.
In the tale Cath Gabhra
, which describes the battle in which the fianna fight and are destroyed by the forces of the High King
Cairbre Lifechair
, Goll and those loyal to him defect to Cairbre's side and fight against Fionn.
"Thanks to Goll, he has killed his mother." was a saying used when a nuisance is got rid of by the action of the individual responsible for it. Goll killed his mother by mistake with a bone.
Fianna
Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....
and an uneasy ally of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle
Fenian Cycle
The Fenian Cycle , also referred to as the Ossianic Cycle after its narrator Oisín, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna. It is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology along with the Mythological Cycle,...
of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
. He had killed Fionn's father, Cumhal
Cumhal
Cumhall son of Trénmór is a figure in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, a leader of the fianna and the father of Fionn mac Cumhaill....
, and taken over the leadership of the fianna, but when Fionn grew up and proved his worth Goll willingly stepped aside in his favour.
His given name was Áed. He gained the name Goll ("one-eyed") when he lost an eye in his battle with Cumhal.
In the tale Cath Gabhra
Cath Gabhra
Cath Gabhra is a narrative of the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. It tells of the destruction of the fianna and the deaths of most of its warriors in a battle against the forces of High King Cairbre Lifechair...
, which describes the battle in which the fianna fight and are destroyed by the forces of the High King
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
Cairbre Lifechair
Cairbre Lifechair
Cairbre Lifechair , son of Cormac mac Airt, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to the throne after the death of Eochaid Gonnat...
, Goll and those loyal to him defect to Cairbre's side and fight against Fionn.
"Thanks to Goll, he has killed his mother." was a saying used when a nuisance is got rid of by the action of the individual responsible for it. Goll killed his mother by mistake with a bone.