Fingal

The work Fingal is an epic poem attributed to the Scottish poet James Macpherson in 1762. Macpherson claimed it was a translation of a 3rd-century Gaelic original by the warrior-poet Ossian. In reality, while based on existing Gaelic ballads, the poem was largely Macpherson's invention, blending elements of Homer, Milton, and the Bible.

Fingal and other "Ossian" poems were highly influential in the early Romantic movement across Europe. However, their authenticity was questioned by contemporaries like Samuel Johnson and later disproven, as Macpherson's "originals" were found to be poor Gaelic translations of his own English compositions. This led to the "Ossianic controversy," with Irish scholars particularly objecting to Macpherson's claim that the heroes were Scottish rather than Irish.12