Salmon of Wisdom Earrings

In Irish legend, salmon are imbued with great age and are associated with the land of Ireland. One of the four oldest creatures of Irish lore is the Salmon of Assroe. In the stories of Finn McCoo, there is a particular tale that occurs at the source of the Boyne River. It says that the source of the Boyne is a peaceful pool surrounded by Hazel trees. An ancient salmon lived there and fed on hazelnuts as they fell into the pool. Nearby lived an old poet, who greatly desired to catch that salmon and have a fine feast of him, because a prophecy told that whosoever ate that ancient, wise salmon would gain all knowledge.

Finn, as a youth, came to apprentice with the poet. When the poet finally caught the salmon, he instructed Finn to cook it for him. But when he was cooking the salmon, he burned his thumb on the fish’s flank. He sucked on his thumb to ease the pain, and thus tasted of the fish before his master did. Ever after, whenever Finn needed special knowledge, he would suck on his thumb, and whatever knowledge was necessary in the current situation would come to him.

Like many of the magical beasts of Irish lore, the fish was renewed to be eaten again and again. This metaphor for gathering wisdom speaks of going to the quiet places within ourselves (the quiet pool), patiently gathering the tidbits of knowledge (the hazelnuts), patiently seeking understanding (the salmon), and distilling it into the wisdom we need and the inspiration to create (poetry).

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