Fianna a great generosity was characteristic of them all. Of Fionn especially it is said he was so generous that:
Were but the brown leaf that the wood sheds from it gold,
Were but the white billow silver,
Fionn would have given it all away.
Though from the legendary accounts Fionn and his Fians appear to have spent a great portion of their time in hunting, yet they had a very definite work to perform, for they were appointed by the high king to be the keepers of peace in the land, and to repel the invaders who often came from over sea to make war on Ireland. It is for that reason they had so many camping-places on the coast, and kept watch and ward both over sea and land.
For six months in the year, from May to November, they lived in camps, hunting and supporting themselves, and moving from one province to another as they chose. From November to May some of the Fianna were quartered on the people throughout Ireland; but there was always a standing army of Fianna at Tara as a guard to the high king—
