Folklore: Hazelnuts to the Celts represented both wisdom and inspiration. There are many variations on an ancient tale that told of nine hazel trees which grew around a sacred pool, each year its nuts fell into the water and were eaten by the salmon (a fish sacred to the Druids), they absorbed the wisdom. A Druid teacher, in his bid to become enlightened, caught one of these special salmon and asked his student to cook, but not to eat it. While it was cooking, a blister formed upon the fish and the pupil used his thumb to burst it, so causing some of its juices to splash over his thumb. Not being able to resist the urge, the student sucked it, and absorbed the fish’s wisdom. This boy was called Fionn Mac Cumhail (Fin McCool) and went on to become one of the most heroic leaders in Gaelic mythology.