The tale I'm about to spin to you is one of love, loss, tragedy and of wars of men over something as simple as the beauty of a woman. It was a story passed down by the Bards to the villagers and duns all over Ireland and therefore passed down through generations. The main body of the story seems to be in tact but much of it has obviously be elaborated and romanticized.
This is one of the Three Sorrows of Ireland.
The other two being: The Children of Lir
And: Táin Bó Cualnge or The Cattle Raid of Cooley
The name Deirdre alone means sorrow an accursed. From this we can see that it is possible that it's just another one of those old words that converted into a name much like a Merlyn. It is speculated that this is actually a story of the weakness of man, and the cruel sense of humor of the Gods to create such a creature in the first place. (like another tale of Temptation if you will)
The tale takes place in Emain Macha in northern Ireland...home of the infamous Ulster warriors of the Red Branch and King Conor Mac Nessa.
It begins with Fedlimid mac Daill, Conor’s storyteller. Fedlimid was hosting a feast for the men of Ulster, and his wife, who was heavily pregnant, was looking after them all. When the feasting was near end, the men returned to their sleeping quarters and drifted off to sleep. Shortly they were awakened by a piercing screech that everyone in Emain Macha heard.
Armed for war, they all followed the sound to Fedlimid's wife's chambers. But to their surprise, it was not her scream...but the scream of the unborn child in her womb.
Cathabad the King's Druid and advisor, walked over to the woman and placed his hand upon her belly. He gave a prophesy over the unborn child and foresaw a beautiful woman, with blonde hair, green eyes, cheeks like foxglove, snow-white teeth and parthian-red lips.
"It is the screech of an unborn baby girl, who will bring sorrow to the Red Branch, setting brother against brother. Heroes and kings will go to war over her, and Ulster will suffer heavy casualties.. There will be rivers of red blood from the Red Branch. The girl's name will be Deirdre."
The men of the Red Branch upon hearing this shouted to kill the child once it was born for they could not bare to see the destruction of Emain Macha over a woman. But the King protested remembering the curse that was upon Emain Macha. Instead he decided that once she was born, she would be raised alone, far away from the men... in the forests with only a nurse, Levorcham, to attend her. She would be raised here until she was of marrying age whereby he would marry her himself. And so it was done and know one knew of Conor's secret.
Deirdre grew up to be the most beautiful girl in Ireland, but no one saw her except for her nurse. During the years in solitude, Deirdre had grown resentful of Conor for caging her up like this. She longed to be free like the other women to come and go as they please.
One winter's day, Deirdre watched a man who had tended to their livestock skin a calf in the snow. A raven drank the blood from the ground.
‘That’s the kind of man I want,’ said Deirdre. ‘Hair like the raven, lips as red as blood, and skin like snow.’
Levorcham announced she knew just the man, Naoise mac Uisliu, a warrior of the Red Branch. Deirdre insisted that she meet him right away but Levorcham protested and told her that she should concern herself only with Conor Mac Nessa. Frustrated, Deirdre went off into the woods for a walk.
Meanwhile, Naoise [nee-sheh] and his brothers, Aedán and Ainle, were hunting in the forest. They spotted movement in the distance and paused to take their positions for what they thought would be a large kill.
When Deidre walked right out in front of them and only stared. She was taken aback by Naoise likeness to her vision and Naoise and his brothers were overwhelmed with Deirdre's radiant beauty.
Then Naoise spoke:
"The heifers grow large in this forest."
Deirdre answered: "Perhaps that is because they have no bulls to look after them."
Naoise realized that this was the King's Deirdre:
"But you have the Bull of Ulster to look after you."
"Perhaps I would prefer a younger bull like yourself," Deirdre answered.
Instantly it seemed, they fell in love.
Deirdre couldn't hold back any longer and insisted that Naoise take her away from Ulster and away from Conor. He was torn between his loyalty to the Red Branch and the King and this beautiful that stood before him with pleading eyes. His next actions, though, he justified by claiming Conor was a cruel man to keep such a beauty to himself, secluded out here against her will. And so he agreed and his brothers vowed to go with him for protection when the Red Branch came looking for them.
They then fled for the mountains of Alba where they lived for 10 years. The three brothers herded sheep and completed odd jobs for the King of Alba in exchange for a safe haven. But the kings steward came around one morning and saw Naoise and Deirdre asleep together, and he went straight to the king to tell him of this gorgeous creature that was with the three brothers.
The king didn't want to kill Naoise so that he could rightfully claim Deirdre but instead he sent the steward to make secret overtures to Deirdre, little knowing that she would tell Naoise all about it. Eventually the kings patience ran out, and he gathered his men together to kill the sons of Uisliu. They fled to an island for safety.
The news of their whereabouts found its way to Ulster. The men of the Red Branch missed the three brothers very much and told the King that it would be shameful if Ulster warriors such as these three should be killed by foreigners over a ‘bad woman’, and they urged Conor to forgive them and bring them home. He agreed, and messengers were sent. But unbeknownst to the others, Conor secretly planned to have the brothers killed anyway.
Conor sent Fergus Mac Roy, a well respected man who was known to be very trustworthy as well as a loyal friend to Naoise. Accompanying him would be Fergus's sons, Fiacha and Dubthach and Conor’s son Cormac. Conor's plan was to have Fergus delaying on his way back with an invitation to an ale-feast from a local king thus leaving the brothers and Deirdre vulnerable without their warrior for protection. Everyone knew Fergus could not refuse an ale-feast as there was a gess upon him that he would suffer if he did.
When Fergus reached the home of the exiles with the news of Conor's willing to forgive them if they return home, the brothers were excited. The three had all been so homesick for Emain Macha since their first departure.
But Deirdre refused to go. "I had a dream last night of blood pouring from Emain Macha....going back would mean our deaths. It's a trick I tell you!"
But the men wouldn't listen..too eager to return home once more.
Naoise pleaded with Deirdre, "But it's Fergus who was sent with the message. Who better can we trust be he?"
Fergus interrupted, "If it would make you feel better, I vow by Earth, Air, Fire and Sea to protect you on your journey and stay there. You will be safe as long as I am with you."
"There now woman, that should make you feel better," the three brothers chimed.
"So long as you are with us, I will go" she replied.
Deirdre then went along, unwillingly with the group back to Emain Macha.
When they arrived back on the northeast coast of Ireland, Fergus was greeted by a messenger from the local king, inviting him to an ale-feast. Knowing he could not refuse, he accepted the invitation. But the brothers did not want to hesitate any longer and said that they would not eat until they feasted with Conor in Emain Macha.
Deirdre protested, "You see! It is a trick! This man vowed to protect us and yet he deserts us now for an ale-feast!"
"My son Fiacha can hold my vow for you. He will accompany you back to Emain Macha and protect you there. I cannot refuse this invitation due to a gess upon me. Go now and I will catch up with you."
So the men rode on and Deirdre wept all the way knowing the fate that lay before her.
When the party reached the gates of Emain Macha, the guards looked uneasy. From the distance they could see that Conor was entertaining someone. The brothers questioned him as to what was going on. The guard replied that Conor had invited Eoghan mac Durthacht, king of Fernmag, (an old enemy of Conor's) to a feast as a means of a peace between them. Unsure as to what was about to occur, they were ushered into the House of the Red Branch.
When the guard told Conor of their arrival, he sent Deirdre's old nurse, Levorcham, to report back to him on Deirdre's condition after 10 years in the wilderness. When Levorcham went inside the House of the Red Branch with Deirdre, she told her that this was a ploy of Conor's to get her back and that they were all in grave danger. She told them that the meeting with Emain's enemies was all to gain their trust so they would fight against you. The men all rose and took their places at the doors and windows to secure the groups safety.
Levorcham didn't trust Conor, and after seeing that Deirdre was even more beautiful in spite of her rough living, she told Conor: "Ach, the poor thing, she's all skin and bone and aged 40 years. You wouldn't recognize her."
Conor knew he couldn't rely on Levorcham, so he sent a trusted servant to spy on Deirdre. He climbed up a ladder to a window of the Red Branch house and looked in. Deirdre and Naoise were playing a game called fidchell when Naoise saw him. Naoise stood up and flung his sword at the man taking out his eye. The servant scrambled down the ladder and reported to Conor:
"I lost an eye, but it was worth it. Deirdre in the full bloom of womanhood is even more beautiful than before." Conor ordered the Red Branch to attack Naoise and his brothers in the Red Branch house.
But the warriors of the Red Branch were confused as to his orders.
Then Conor proclaimed that : "The Brothers of Uisliu have waged war upon us and despite our hospitality, they've taken out this poor man's eye."
Fergus's son, Fiacha remained loyal to his vow to protect the brothers and Deirdre but his other son, Dubthach betrayed his vow and went to side with Conor.
Some of the Red Branch remained loyal to Conor, others revolted. Brother fought brother.
When the group still hadn't come out of their hiding in the House of the Red Branch, Conor ordered that it be burnt down.
Meanwhile, Fergus Mac Roy was just coming up the slopes to see the burning blaze of the Red Branch. Fearing that invaders had somehow gotten inside Emain Macha, he sped to the scene ready for war. When he arrived he found a man with his sword to Conor's throat. He could not see his face as it was dark and his back was turned to him. Instinctively Fergus plunged his own sword through the man and when he fell to the ground, to Fergus's horror, it was Fiacha....his own son. Enraged and distraught with grief over what had taken place, Fergus found Conor's son Cormac and drove his sword through his chest;
"You have taken the life of my son, and now I have taken the life of yours!" Fergus shouted and then fled for the forests.
In the midst of the confusion, Naoise and his brothers and Deirdre managed to escape the building and also flee for the forests, with Red Branch warriors and Emain's new allies close behind.
Ainle and Aedan were captured first by the Red Branch when they attempted to stay behind to give Deirdre and Naoise their last moments together.
In a clearing, Naoise told Deirdre to hide in a fallen, hollowed out tree so she would not be found and so she would not see his death. After much arguing she agreed and took to her hiding place.
The warriors came upon Naoise alone and shoved his brothers to the ground beside him. Their last wish was to die a quick death. By which Eoghan mac Durthacht, king of Fernmag took up his sword and with one fallible swoop beheaded the three. Deirdre shrieked and came out of the tree to kneel down beside the her three protectors and wept. She yelled at the warriors and shamed them for what they had done.
Conor collected up the heartbroken girl and sent her to a chamber in Emain Macha with Levorcham. For years he tried to woo her, sending her expensive gifts and precious jewels. But nothing ever made Deirdre smile or even turn up her eyes, unless she spoke of Naoise and his brothers. Frustrated by this, Conor visited the girl in her chambers one morning and pleaded with her to warm up to him. But she just turned her head.
Enraged that a woman would be so stubborn to him...the King!...Conor said:
"Who do you hate most in the world besides me?"
"Eoghan Dubhtach," said Deirdre.
"Right," said Conor. "You'll spend the next year with Eoghan."
"NO!" she pleaded.
"I am freeborn and if I choose not, then I won't go!"
But she was forced to anyway and the next day arrangements were made with Eoghan to meet at Emain Macha for a special "peace treaty gift".
Tears streamed down Deirdre's face as she hoisted herself up into the chariot with Eoghan and Conor who had said he would ride with them to ensure her safe passage to her new home.
"You look like a sheep between two rams, between Eoghan and me." Conor jested.
As they were driving along a narrow road next to a cliff, Deirdre saw a rock projecting from the cliff ahead. Not wanting to face her twisted fate and wanting nothing more than to be with Naoise, she put her head out of the chariot and the rock dashed against her head and killed her.
Conor let out a yell and wept beside his beauty. He knew this was the only way he was meant to have his beloved Deirdre and that he had caused her death.
Conor had her buried in the courtyard but not long after Conor had found someone had dug up her body and moved it beside the brothers of Uisliu graves in the forest.
And so ends the tragic tale of Deirdre of the Sorrows.
~*~NEVER
AGAIN
THE
BURNING
TIMES~*~
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