Oscar (
oscara = 'deer friend') is a figure in the
Fenian Cycle of
Irish mythology. He is the warrior son of
Oisín and the
fairy woman
Niamh, who also bore his sister,
Plor na mBan. Oisín, in turn, was the son of the epic hero
Fionn mac Cumhail. Though a late addition to the cycle, Oscar was a popular character, and appeared prominently in several later Fenian tales, serving his grandfather as one of the
fianna. His death is described in the story
Cath Gabhra (
The Battle of Gabhra), which pits the increasingly corrupt fianna against the army of
High King Cairbre Lifechair. Cairbre, aided by defected Fianna warriors loyal to
Goll mac Morna, receives his death blow from Oscar, but mortally wounds him with his steel chains as his final act. Oscar's death causes Fionn to weep for the only time in his life, and serves as the final blow to the fianna's strength.