The legend of Deirdre

This is my favorite Irish legend...

Conchobhar mac Neasa and the Ulstermen were drinking one day at the house of a famous storyteller named Feidhlimidh. During the celebrations, an unborn baby cried out from the womb of Feidhlimidh’s wife. The woman later gave birth to a baby girl, named Deirdre, who it was foretold would cause great slaughter to many people. Because of this, the Ulstermen called for the child’s death. However, Conchobhar mac Neasa stepped forward and said that he would take the child to have her raised in a faraway place under the care of the nurse Leabharcham.

Deirdre grew up to be the most beautiful woman in Ireland. One day, as she watched her foster-father flay a calf in the snow, a raven came down to drink the blood. She remarked that the man of her dreams should have hair as black as the raven, cheeks as red as blood and skin as white as the snow. Leabharcham told her that there was indeed such a man, and he was Naoise, one of the Red Branch Knights.

Soon after that, Deirdre managed to meet Naoise, and threatened him with shame and derision if he refused to take her away. Naoise took his two brothers Aindle and Ardan and went with Deirdre to Scotland to escape the vengance of Conchobhar in Ireland. However, when the king of Scotland saw Deirdre and how beautiful she was, he became jealous of Naoise, and they were forced to flee to a lonely island.

Naoise and Deirdre loved each other, but the island was small and miserable. The Ulstermen eventually took pity on them and begged Conchobhar to allow them to return to Ireland. Conchobhar agreed, and sent three warriors to escort Deirdre and the brothers back to Ireland.

On their arrival at Eamhain Mhacha, however, the king had Naoise, Aindle and Ardan slain by mercenaries, and Deirdre taken captive. The three warriors who had escorted them from Scotland were furious at this, and ravaged the whole province before going to join Queen Meadhbh in Connaught.

Conchobhar forced Deirdre to live with him for a year, and at the end of the year he asked her who she hated most in the world. Deirdre answered Eoghan mac Durthacht, for it was Eoghan who had killed Naoise. With this Conchobhar announced that she was to now live with Eoghan and the next day she was forced to travel in a chariot with Conchobhar on one side and Eoghan on the other. Because of the situation she was in, the king mockingly remarked that she looked like a sheep between two rams.

At this, Deirdre, who could take no more, jumped out of the chariot and ran towards a rosk head first. She died instantly upon colliding with the rock and was buried in the same graveyard as Naoise.

Legend has it that a trees grew out of each of their graves and in time, the branches of the two trees intertwined, showing that even death could not kill their great love for one another.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-6-10/42751.html