The best part is, I didn’t even make that title up. It’s a part of traditional Irish folklore, as my friend Christin shared with me earlier this week. (She’s also the one who first showed me the Irish Dirt website.) Here’s part of our instant message conversation:
CHRISTIN:
I just came across another great piece of folklore—the “Salmon of Knowledge”
ME:
lol
CHRISTIN:
“Long ago there was a famous salmon. Its skin shone like silver. The fish was called the Salmon of Knowledge. An old poet Finnegas said that the first person to taste it would see into the future.”
ME:
Oh my word. the Salmon of Knowledge. BRILLIANT. please send a link
CHRISTIN:
It’s on this page: http://www.squidoo.com/Irish-Myths-And-Legends
ME:
what I love is that it doesn’t even try to explain WHY there is a Salmon of Knowledge or HOW the poet knew it would give these powers. It just assumes this is normal. hahaha
CHRISTIN:
Are there multiple types of fish that have these powers? I would like to proclaim that there are Goldfish of Slightly Lesser Wisdom.
ME:
and the Tuna of Gracefulness
CHRISTIN:
YES! Herring of Red Herrings
ME:
haha. The Swordfish of Violence
CHRISTIN:
This is great. It’s almost like a chinese calendar—year of the swordfish of violence!
ME:
HAHA. I was born during the year of the Eel of Sneakiness, so you can’t trust me.
CHRISTIN:
hahaha. We should make a line of cheap placemats for Irish eateries.
ME:
BRILLIANT









