Crimthann mac Fidaig

Crimthann Mór, son of Fidach (simplified pron. /'kri:vən mo:r mak 'fi:əi/), also written Crimthand Mór, was a semi-mythological king of Munster and High King of Ireland of the 4th century. He gained territory in Britain and Gaul, but died tragically, poisoned by his sister, Mongfind. It is possible that he was also recognized as king of Scotland or Alba. As his Gaelic name means fox, Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig becomes Great Fox, son of Woodsman (Fidach) in English. This Crimthann is to be distinguished from two previous High Kings of Ireland of the same name, two Kings of Leinster, and another King of Munster, among others. Importantly, he is included in the Baile Chuinn Chétchathaig (summary), and is thus the last High King of Ireland from Munster until Brian Bóruma, over six hundred years later.

In addition to having his reign described by Geoffrey Keating and mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig also plays a major role in many stories belonging to the Cycles of the Kings.^[1] In these he is typically succeeded by Niall of the Nine Hostages as High King of Ireland and by Conall Corc as King of Munster, while his sister Mongfind, the first wife of Eochaid Mugmedón, becomes the ancestor of the Three Connachta. Thus this otherwise obscure kindred is central in the mythologies of most of the great medieval Irish dynasties.

According to Geoffrey Keating, Fidheang, daughter of an unnamed king of Connacht, was the wife of Crimthand Mór.^[2] She is not mentioned in other sources.

A Cornish harbour of a sort the Irish kings may have utilized.

Dind Traduí

According to the Sanas Cormaic,^[3] Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig built a great fortress in Cornwall known as Dind Traduí or Dinn Tradui (Dun Tredui/e, fortress of the three ramparts).^[4] There appears to be little doubt that it existed,^[5] and British archaeologists and linguists have attempted to identify it with a number of sites in Cornwall and in Wales as well, for example Din Draithou,^[6] which is phonetically similar. Din Draithou is widely thought to be the modern Dunster, or the nearby Iron Age hillfort Bat's Castle.^[7] It may also be associated with Dind map Letháin, a colonial fortress constructed by the related Uí Liatháin, earlier form Létháin,^[8] kingdom of Munster, who are known to have been active in Britain for centuries. They may have retreated to South Wales or Cornwall after being expelled from North Wales by Cunedda, as mentioned in the Historia Brittonum.^[9]

In a 1926 paper, Eoin MacNeill discusses the movements of the Uí Liatháin at considerable length, arguing their leadership in the South Irish conquests and founding of the later dynasty of Brycheiniog, the Welsh genealogies matching Uí Liatháin dynasts in the Irish genealogies. He argues any possible settlement of the Déisi in Wales would have been subordinate until the ousting of the Uí Liatháin by the sons of Cunedda. The founder of Brycheiniog, Brychan, is in all probability the early Uí Liatháin dynast Macc Brocc, while the name Braccan also occurs early in the pedigrees of the Uí Fidgenti and Uí Dedaid, close kindred of the Uí Liatháin. MacNeill further associates this with the sovereignty in Ireland and conquests in Britain of their cousin germane, the monarch Crimthann mac Fidaig.^[10]

Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig and the early Uí Liatháin may have belonged to the historical Attacotti (circa 368). Note the correspondence of dates.

Ancestry

As grandchildren of Dáire Cerbba (Cearba, Cearb) in most sources (e.g. Rawlinson B 502), also an ancestor of the Uí Liatháin and Uí Fidgenti, the brother and sister are sometimes regarded as belonging to an early branch of the Eóganachta which later became peripheral or went extinct, although it is more likely that all descendants of Dáire Cerbba belong to a distinct people, possibly the Dáirine, which may be hinted at in an obsure Old Irish poem by Flann mac Lonáin,^[11] although in the Banshenchus Mongfind is called "Mongfind of the Érnai" (Érainn),^[12] a people in any case related to the Dáirine. It should be noted that a passage in Rawlinson B 502 declares that Dáire Cerbba was born in Mag Breg (Brega), Mide,^[13] much of which probably remained Érainn or Dáirine territory at the time of his supposed floruit. Later political genealogies may remove this generation in order to make the monarch appear closer to the historical Eóganachta, his natural kindred having mostly fallen into obscurity. Byrne reproduces one of these (2001), and does not give his source, probably Laud 610, in which the father of Crimthand Mór is a certain Láre Fidach, son of Ailill Flann Bec. Possibly this is a mistake, or an attempt by the Eóganachta literati, well known for their political fables, to more closely associate the brother and sister with the new Munster dynasty. Mongfind is simply called the daughter of Dáire (Cerbba?), not of Fidach, in the Book of Lismore, and there Dáire's father is called Findchad, while Crimthand Mór is not mentioned at all.^[14]

But oddly enough, the Uí Fidgenti-Liatháin, together with the Eóganacht Raithlind and Eóganacht Locha Léin, are referred to as the Three Eóganacht of Munster in the ancient story known as The Expulsion of the Déisi.^[15] This is somewhat strange because the Eóganacht Locha Léin and Eóganacht Raithlind were supposedly descended from Conall Corc, unless the grouping is simply meant to illustrate that these were all free tribes in comparison with the rent-paying Déisi. All three (four?) sea kingdoms are elsewhere called peripheral in the newly Cashel-centric Munster. The proto-Eóganachta, from the time of Mug Nuadat, are sometimes referred to as the Deirgtine (or Clanna Dergthened) in early sources.

Because his line did not survive, the related O'Donovan family, descending from Fiachu Fidgenid, an uncle or first cousin of Crimthand Mór, has long counted him an ancestor.^[16] In this manner, Michael Collins, belonging to the Ó Coileáin (of Uí Chonaill) sept descending from Fiachu Fidgenid, is a descendant as well,^[17] as is Daniel O'Connell, The Liberator.^[18] Fid-genid probably means Wood Person in the mystical sense of elf or fairy,^[19] and so the Uí Fidgenti are the Wood People. The association with Fidach is obvious. See also Viducasses. The Uí Liatháin, and thus many Lyons and Lehanes, descend from Eochu Liathán, another brother of Fidach.

Below a possible and simplified pedigree for Crimthann mac Fidaig, based on Rawlinson B 502:

Mug Nuadat
|
|
Ailill Aulomm
|
|
Eógan Mór
|
|
Fiachu Muillethan
|
|
Ailill Flann Bec
|
|____________________________ ???
|                              |
|                              |
Lugaid                    Dáire Cerbba
|                              |
|                              |__________________________
|                              |                          |
|                              |                          |
|                         Fidach              Uí Fidgenti & Uí Liatháin
|                         |
|                         |__________________________
|                         |                          |
|                         |                          |
|               Crimthann mac Fidaig             Mongfind = Eochaid Mugmedón = Cairenn
|                                                         |                  |
|                                                         |                  |
Conall Corc                                           Connachta         Niall Noígiallach

See also

• Irish nobility
• Kingdoms of Ireland
• List of Celtic tribes
• O'Rahilly's historical model
• Iverni
• Attacotti
• Scoti
• Petty kingdom
• Túathal Techtmar

Notes

References

External links

• eDIL: electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Mumu
• Tuadmumu
• Aided Chrimthainn meic Fhidaig 7 Trí Mac Echach Muigmedóin
• Echtra Mac nEchach Muigmedóin
• Conall Corc 7 Ríge Caisil
• Genemain Chuirc meic Luigdech
• Baile Chuinn Cétchathaigh
• Irish Kings
• High Kings of Ireland
• Viducasses (French)

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