Fir Fálgae is an
Irish term of varying definition, but generally referring to the people of the
Isle of Man. It may have originated in the 10th century, and normally designated 'men of
he Isle ofMan'. However, British Library iii 755.22494 glosses it ("nowadays the
Hebrides"). This seems to denote changes in ethnic designation of the
Norse-Irish or the Gall Gaidel, perhaps in connection with the territorial changes of the
Kingdom of Mann and the Isles.
A number of
Ulster Cycle texts mention a raid on the Fir Fálgae involving the warriors
Cú Roí
Cú Roí mac Dáire (Cú Ruí, Cú Raoi) is a king of Munster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is usually portrayed as a warrior with superhuman abilities and a master of disguise possessed of magical powers. His name probably means "ho ...
and
Cú Chulainn. Works such as ''
Aided Con Roí'', ''
Forfess Fer Fálgae'', and ''
Síaburcharpat Con Culainn'' allude to a lost story in which the
Ulstermen
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label=Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
raid the Fir Fálgae and abduct their king's daughter
Bláthnat
Bláthnat ("Little flower"), sometimes Bláthíne, is a character in early Irish literature, a king's daughter, wife of the warrior Cú Roí and the lover of his rival Cú Chulainn.
Love triangle
Her father is either Mend of Inis Fer Falga (id ...
. Evidently, Cú Roí carries the girl off and humiliates Cú Chulainn in battle when he tries to stop him, causing enmity between the two heroes.
References
* ''Early Medieval Ireland, 400-1200'', London and New York, 1995.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fir Falgae
Historical geography of Ireland
History of the British Isles
History of the Isle of Man
Irish words and phrases