Tradition / Region: Irish Mythology
Alternative names: Fionnghuala, Fionnuala, Finola, Fenella, Nuala
Category: Bird
The Myth
Finnguala was the daughter of Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the eldest of the four Children of Lir. Out of jealousy, their stepmother Aoife cursed Finnguala and her brothers—Fiachra, Conn, and Aodh—transforming them into swans.
The curse condemned the four siblings to wander the lakes, rivers, and seas of Ireland for nine hundred years. Though they retained their human minds and voices, they were forced to live as swans, enduring loneliness, harsh winters, and the passing of kingdoms and generations while singing mournful songs.
At the end of the long exile, the curse could only be broken by the marriage of Lairgren, son of Colman, and Deoch, daughter of Finghin. When the prophecy was fulfilled, the swans regained their human forms, but they had become ancient with age. After receiving Christian baptism, Finnguala and her brothers peacefully died, bringing their centuries of suffering to an end.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Fionnuala. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fionnuala.