Celtic fairy traditions
Mongan
Mongan disputes his poet’s account of where a warrior died and risks losing his queen if he cannot prove his version. Cailte arrives from the Otherworld and supports the king with firsthand knowledge. The proof includes a weapon, grave, inscription, and ornaments found where Cailte says they should be. His testimony also reveals Mongan as Finn reborn, a truth the king would have kept secret.
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In the sources
Principal account
ReportedMongan disputes his poet’s account of where a warrior died and risks losing his queen if he cannot prove his version. Cailte arrives from the Otherworld and supports the king with firsthand knowledge.
Further detail
ReportedThe proof includes a weapon, grave, inscription, and ornaments found where Cailte says they should be. His testimony also reveals Mongan as Finn reborn, a truth the king would have kept secret.
Context & interpretation
Evans-Wentz combines named informants, manuscript narratives, and his own psychical theory in a 1911 survey. This entry preserves those distinctions: collected belief and literary tradition do not establish the physical existence of an Otherworld.
Original passages
Source 1
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
pass under the control of Forgoll. Mongan, however, had spoken truly and with certain secret knowledge, and felt sure of winning. When the third dayOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Celtic fairy traditions; active reader leaf 402
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0045-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0045-E001-P0402
- Original scan leaf
- 403
- Recorded leaf number
- 403
- Current Reader position
- 398
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
had • known was revealed — he was Find re-born ^ ; and Cailte, his i old pupil and warrior-companion, had come from theOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Celtic fairy traditions; active reader leaf 403
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0045-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0045-E001-P0403
- Original scan leaf
- 404
- Recorded leaf number
- 404
- Current Reader position
- 399
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
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Fenian hero whose return from Fairyland exposes the passage of centuries.