Deirdre

Deirdre, Derdriu, Deirdriu, Deirdri, Derdrend (gen.). Tragic heroine of the Ulster Cycle whose well-known narrative is one of the ‘Three Sorrows of Storytelling’ of Irish tradition. The Irish text of her story, Longas mac nUislenn [The Exile of the Sons of Uisnech], exists in many versions, including those in the 12th-century Book of Leinster and Yellow Book of Lecan, and is a prologue or foretale [OIr. rémscél; ModIr. réamhscéal] of the epic Táin Bó Cuailnge [Cattle Raid of Cooley]. The story remained popular in the oral traditions of later centuries in both Ireland and Scotland. Within the Ulster Cycle Deirdre is not simply tragic and beautiful but is also a catalyst, an occasion of misfortune, bringing vengeance and misfortune on the nobility and warriors of the province. The many retellings of Deirdre's story in Anglo-Irish literature in the 19th and 20th centuries (see below) have made her the best-known figure from Celtic mythology in the world at large.

The etymology of Deirdre remains in doubt, despite persistent speculation. The common gloss ‘troubler’ seems unsupportable. The name may only be a diminutive of der [daughter, girl]; cf. dér [tear].

When the men of Ulster are feasting at the house of Fedlimid mac Daill, chief storyteller to Conchobar mac Nessa, the host's wife gives birth to a daughter, Deirdre. Cathbad the druid at once prophesies that the girl-child will grow to be a woman of wonderful beauty, but that she will also cause great enmity, leading to the destruction of Ulster. The assembled warriors insist that she be put to death to avoid the curse. Conchobar orders that she be spared, and fostered at a distant stronghold under the care of Leborcham, a wise woman in the king's confidence. Conchobar adds that he intends to make the grown Deirdre his wife.

Deirdre's childhood is uneventful until one day she has a vision of her future. Her foster-father, a forester, is flaying a slaughtered calf outside in the snow when a raven lands to drink the blood. Deirdre turns to Leborcham and announces, ‘Fair would be a man upon whom these three colours should be: his hair like the raven, his cheek like the blood, and his body like the snow.’ In oral tradition the colours are sometimes attributed to the brow (black), lip (red), and teeth (white). (Cf. black, white, and red symbolism, folk motif Z65.1.) Leborcham answers that the colours evoked a young man living nearby, Noíse, a nephew of Conchobar and son of Uisnech. Deirdre says she will not be well until she sees Noíse, and so Leborcham arranges that they meet. When Noíse first sees Deirdre he remarks, ‘Fair is the heifer that goes past me.’ Deirdre responds, ‘Heifers are wont to be big where there is no bull.’ To which Noíse replies, ‘You have the bull of the province, the king of Ulster.’ And then Deirdre admits, ‘I will choose between the two of you, and I will choose a young bull like you.’ Shortly thereafter Deirdre and Noíse elope, fleeing first across Ireland with Conchobar in pursuit and later to Scotland. Noíse's brothers Ardan and Ainnle go with them, hence the title of the story in Irish, Longas mac nUislenn [The Exile of the Sons of Uisnech]. Although the brothers are always a part of the narrative, no doubt an instance of Celtic triplism, they are not usually given any character. In earlier texts of the story the exiles are accompanied by 150 warriors, 150 women, and 150 hounds.

For many years the lovers live happily together in the Scottish wilderness under the protection of a local king. In many stories they are thought to have lived near the shores of Loch Etive in north Strathclyde (until 1974, Argyllshire). In some versions they are attributed one of two children, a daughter, Aíbgréne, and, less often, a son, Gaiar. Noíse and his brothers build a house around Deirdre for safety. When a steward tells the local king of Deirdre's beauty he demands her for his wife, and the lovers and brothers have to flee to an island in the sea.

All the while Conchobar has been trying to retrieve the lovers with plots and treachery, but without success. He sends Gelbann (in some texts, Tréndorn) to see if Deirdre's beauty has faded, but Noíse puts out his eye with a fidchell piece. Pretending resignation, Conchobar invites Noíse and Deirdre back to Ulster, sending Fergus mac Róich, one of the great heroes of Ireland, as a surety. Though fearing deceit, Deirdre consents, singing the famous ‘Farewell to Alba’ before joining the others in the boat. When they land in Ulster Conchobar uses a ruse to separate Fergus from Deirdre, Noíse, and his brothers. The king's men then attack, killing Noíse, his brothers, and the sons of Fergus who have stayed behind, but sparing Deirdre. In a variant text, Conchobar convinces Maine (9), a Norse prince whose father has been killed by Noíse, that he should seek revenge by slaughtering the three brothers. In some later versions Deirdre is so moved by Noíse's death that she throws herself on his grave and dies. More often she is described as being captured and brought back to Conchobar, her hands tied behind her back. For the next year Conchobar keeps her with him at Emain Macha, but she never smiles or raises her head from her knee. She often rebukes Conchobar for killing what was dear to her. When asked what she hates most of what she sees, she answers Conchobar and Eógan mac Durthacht, a royal retainer. Hearing this, Conchobar gives Deirdre to Eógan. Later, while riding in Eógan's chariot, Deirdre leaps out and dashes her head against a stone. In other versions she stabs herself with a knife, throwing it into the sea so that no one will be blamed. In oral tradition the lovers are thought to be buried next to each other at Armagh; Conchobar drove two yew stakes through the graves that later grew and intertwined. As a result of Conchobar's perfidy, many of his best warriors desert him for Ailill and Medb of Connacht, and fight against him in the Táin Bó Cuailnge [Cattle Raid of Cooley], so bringing about Cathbad's prophecy at Deirdre's birth.

V. Hull edited Longes mac nUisnig (New York, 1949); cf. Whitley Stokes, ‘The Death of the Sons of Uisnech’, Irische Texte, ser. 2, 2 (1887), 109–84. See Raymond Cormier, ‘Remarks on the Tale of Deirdriu and Noisiu and the Tristan Legend’, Études Celtiques, 15 (1976–8), 303–15; Phillip O'Leary, ‘The Honour of Woman in Early Irish Literature’, Ériu, 38 (1987), 27–44. Deirdre's story has been especially popular with Anglo-Irish writers. Notable retellings of the narrative include: S. Ferguson, ‘Death of the Children of Usnach’ (1834) and Deirdre (1880); R. D. Joyce, Deirdre (1876); A. de Vere, Sons of Usnach (1882); W. Sharp, House of Usna (1900); H. Trench, Deirdre Wedded (1901); Lady Gregory, Cuchulain of Muirthemne (1902); George Russell, Deirdre (1906); W. B. Yeats, Deirdre (1906); J. M. Synge, Deirdre of the Sorrows (1909); J. Stephens, Deirdre (1923); John Coulter, Deirdre of the Sorrows (1944). Deirdre is transformed into a redeeming embodiment of love in Moireen Fox's [pseud. Móirín a Cheavasa] The Fire-Bringers (Dublin, 1920). See H. V. Fackler's study of this tradition, That Tragic Queen: The Deirdre Legend in Anglo-Irish Literature (Salzburg and Atlantic Highlands, NJ, 1978). Other popular treatments include: David Guard, Deirdre: A Celtic Legend (juvenile fiction) (Millbrae, Calif., 1977); Kevin McCaffrey, Deirdre (juvenile fiction) (Dublin, 1989).

A vitrified fort at Inverfarigaig on the eastern shore of Loch Ness was once known as Dún Dearduil [Deirdre's Fortress]. See also GRÁINNE; ISEULT.