Finn Mac Cool and the Small Men of Deeds

The Irish hero leaves his sick bed to assist in a kidnapping case.

This is a saga of Finn Mac Cool (based on an old Gaelic figure, Finn MacCumaill) and the small men who follow him, either helping or hindering his efforts. Several staples of the heroic tale are turned upside down here. These warriors haven’t enough work to keep them busy, and spend much time on “picnics and bragging,” or heckling Norsemenwho taunt them back. But one day as Finn nurses a morning headache, a giant appears and begs for help: the giant queen’s newborn children are ever being stolen, and she wants Finn to guard them. He’s flattered and agrees, even though he’s temporarily without his men. So begins a picaresque adventure of comic deeds for garrulous Finn to brag aboutsometime in the future.