The woman stood on the bank, watching the silver fish flash past, their tails flicking like quick silver. Her red hair blew in the wind and her green eyes shone with the light of battle. Her spear was poised over the clear water and her body quivered with expectation. The day was perfectly still and the air was thick with suspense, and not even the birds trilled in the leafy boughs. Everything waited with bated breath as, with a sudden thrust of her arm, the woman plunged her spear into the hearth of a huge salmon. Drawing from the ripples she inspected it closely. Then with a scream of frustration she flung it on to the growing pile behind her. She collapsed into a heap on the muddy bank. Suddenly a beautiful trilling voice, laced with menace spoke from the air. "So, another failure. You have no hope of beating me to the salmon! I will have the supreme knowledge!" The red-haired woman stood up and shook her fist at the sky. "You have not found it yet", she replied, "our wager lasts until the stirring of the seasons. I have three moons left, do not underestimate me" The evil laughter faded away, and her green eyes glared even more fiercely, fuelled by the light of hatred.

Across the river and a few hundred miles away, a blonde haired woman opened her eyes and smiled. But it was not a ‘real’ smile, it was more a smirk filled with gloating malice. It had been her voice echoing through the trees. For months now, the two Goddesses had been locked in a fierce race to find and eat the Salmon of knowledge. Each had driven herself into complete solitude, searching each river in Ireland. Now they were both at their final destinations. Boann, the red-haired was at this very moment standing at the banks of the River Lug, and Sionnan was poised on a rocky outcrop looking out at the River Bru. But all her evil gloating had been in vain. She knew Boann's location was where the salmon would be found. She would have to leave tonight if she were to reach the River Lug by first light.

In a cave, a silver backed salmon, almost as large as a small dog, hid himself from the world. With its vast knowledge it was able to sense the presence of the two minds. Their thoughts were focused on catching him, but the salmon knew it was not his destiny to be caught by a woman, not even a Goddess. The salmon concentrated on setting the minds of Boann and Sionnan against each other, not that it took a lot of work. With their magical powers, their battle would be a titanic struggle, but the Salmon of Knowledge knew who would emerge victorious. His flat eyes glinted, and with a flick of his tail he vanished into the water.

By first light Sionnan had reached Boann's place of solitude. She had tried to kill Boann under the cover of darkness, for one God can only be killed by another immortal being. But the fierce red-haired Goddess of war had awoken and flown into a rage and had inflicted a number of deep gashes on Sionnan's arms before the blonde-haired girl had managed to escape. Now she was preparing her spells, as was Boann, for their last battle.

At noon, with the sun at its zenith, the two Goddesses faced one another across the river. Each was dressed in full battle attire, with gilded shields and spears with poisoned tips. Each woman’s mind buzzed with magical spells, some which would control the elements, some to render their opponent helpless and so on. With the terms of battle announced, the battle commenced. Boann threw a poisoned spear at Sionnan, who reacted with the spell of protection, which sent the spear whistling back at Boann. It hit Boann on the leg, and drew blood, something Boann had not seen coming from her own body in centuries, which seeped and littered the ground with dark red spatters, like paint on an artists smock. The battle raged on, spell and counter spell were traded amongst the two goddesses, until finally Boann called up a mighty tempest which swept Sionnan off her feet and towards the River Bru. Just before Sionnan reached the River Bru she put another spell on Boann, rendering her helpless. They both crashed into the icy water and drowned, their hair splaying out like choking weeds in the water. Water filled their mouths and noses and they could not breathe, but neither struggled, held by evil forces that were the result of their jealousy ad greed. Once again the Salmon of Knowledge, and emerged the victor.

The next morning, after the storms died away, the Dannan people came out to lament the loss of their Goddesses. In their honour the Dannan chief named the two greatest rivers after the two Goddess.

Over time, these names were changed to become what they are known as today, the River Boyne and the River Shannon.

Kate Gillen – Form II - 1998.