Lad of the Skins

Family: Fianna · Role: servant · First appears: The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 1

One time, Lad of the Skins came to Finn at Almhuin with his wife and asked to serve him. He took the cauldron of plenty from the King of the Floods, fought the king’s army, and carried the cauldron to Finn, who thanked him.

Later, Finn agreed to watch Lad of the Skins’s wife through the night so that her husband could go with him. At the dun of the King of the Floods, Lad of the Skins and Finn defeated the king and his armies and recovered the never-empty cauldron. Lad of the Skins and his old enemy fought in the shape of birds and killed one another; his wife revived him with healing leaves, and Finn welcomed him at Almhuin and paid his wages. After that, Lad of the Skins left with his wife for his own country.

Relationship record

Life events

The Lad of the Skins came to Finn with his wife and asked to serve him.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 1 · 📍 Almhuin)
- With: Finn
- “One time a young man wearing a dress of skins came to Finn's house at Almhuin, and his wife along with him, and he asked to take service with Finn.”
The Lad of the Skins took the cauldron of plenty from the King of the Floods and fought his army.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 1)
- With: King of the Floods
- “So his people did that, and no sooner did the Lad of the Skins get a hold of the cauldron than he made away to the ship and put it safe into it. But when he had done that he said: ‘There is no use in taking the pot by my swiftness, if I do not take it by my strength.’ And with that he turned and went to land again. And the whole of the men of the army of the King of the Floods were ready to fight; but if they were, so was the Lad of the Skins, and he went through them and over them all till the whole place was quiet.”
The Lad of the Skins brought the cauldron of plenty to Finn, who thanked him.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 1 · 📍 Almhuin)
- With: Finn
- “And he took up the cauldron on his back, and brought it to Finn, son of Cumhal, at Almhuin. And Finn gave him his thanks for the work he had done.”
Finn agrees to watch the Lad of the Skins' wife so the Lad of the Skins can serve him.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2)
- With: Finn
- “But if you want me to go with you,” he said, “let you watch my wife, that is Manannan's daughter, through the night;”
Finn's request leads Manannan's daughter to permit her husband to go with him, on the promise he will return him alive or dead.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2)
- With: Finn
- “I have no power to refuse you,” she said; “but you must promise me one thing, to bring my husband back to me, alive or dead.”
Finn and the Lad of the Skins defeat the king and his armies and take the never-empty cauldron.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2 · 📍 the dun of the King of the Floods)
- With: Finn
- “But the Lad of the Skins made for them and overthrew them, and he went into the king's dun, and Finn with him, and they overcame him and brought away again the cauldron that was never empty.”
The Lad of the Skins and his old enemy kill one another while fighting in the shape of birds.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2)
- “And then they began to fight in the shape of birds, and it is in that shape they killed one another at the last.”
Finn raises a red flag to signal that the Lad of the Skins is dead.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2)
- With: Finn
- “And when he came in sight of Ireland, he raised a red flag as he had promised the woman.”
The Lad of the Skins revives after Manannan's daughter places healing leaves around him.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2 · 📍 an island)
- “And on that moment he stood up as well and as sound as ever he was.”
Finn welcomes the Lad of the Skins and pays him his wages.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2 · 📍 Almhuin)
- With: Finn
- “So Finn rose up and saw him, and gave him a great welcome, and paid him his wages.”
The Lad of the Skins leaves with his wife for his own country.(The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2)
- “And after that he went away and his wife with him to wherever his own country was;”

The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 1

employer: Finn “One time a young man wearing a dress of skins came to Finn's house at Almhuin, and his wife along with him, and he asked to take service with Finn.”
patron: King of the Floods “‘That is true,’ said the king; ‘and give the cauldron of plenty now to this stranger,’ he said, ‘till he eats his fill.’”
enemies with King of the Floods “And the whole of the men of the army of the King of the Floods were ready to fight; but if they were, so was the Lad of the Skins, and he went through them and over them all till the whole place was quiet.”

The Fianna · Finn's Helpers · The Lad of the Skins · Part 2

employer: Finn (Finn acknowledges the Lad of the Skins as his wage-earning servant.) “‘There is no man, living or dead, has wages on me but the Lad of the Skins,’ said Finn; ‘and I would sooner see him here to-night,’ he said, ‘than the wages of three men.’”

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Extracted from the original text of Gods and Fighting Men. Made with Rho MD.