Deirdre of the Sorrows, Part II of III

As I vowed, this is my dark continuation of that melancholy Irish legend that fires the soul and steals the heart. This, my dear readers, is Deirdre of the Sorrows Part II of III as I know it to be:

Needless to say, by the tone of the poem posted in the last entry that Deirdre was less than thrilled to return to Ireland. Unlike her lover, she held no illusions about what might await them on the shores of their beloved Ireland.  It is even said that she had a vision of the fate they would receive should they set foot on their beloved Irish shore again. But Noise was determined so to Ireland they went, led by Fergus mac Róich, who was the messenger that sent word of King Conor’s pardon. It is said that for some reason halfway through the journey, Fergus could not continue and the group went ahead without him.

When Deirdre, Naoise, and his two brother’s reached Ireland, the story becomes blurred and the following events vary greatly from retelling to retelling. The most prominent of the versions I have heard is that King Conor wished them not to come straight to the castle but to stay elsewhere until the King was ready and able to extend his hospitality.  

However, extend his hospitality was the last thing the king was going to do. He was still angry about Deirdre and wanted her back and had no intention to abide by his pardon. However, before he did anything, he wanted to ensure that Deirdre was still beautiful. So the first thing he did was that he sent Deirdre’s old nursemaid to check on her and report back to him the state of her beauty. When she came back she told King Conor that Deirdre had lost her looks and he would do well to forget all about her. She was lying, of course- an attempt to protect her king and country from the events that would follow, no doubt.

King Conor felt quite sure she was lying, so he sent another person to report back to him on her beauty. The man was caught spying on them by Naoise and he ended up blinding the man by most accounts of the story. Yet the man returned to King Conor and told the king of Deirdre’s exquisite beauty, beauty so extravagantly rare that nothing had captured his eyes quite like the sight of her.

This only added to King Conor’s rage and jealously, along with his obvious need to have her. He called for a war. Now, this is where the story gets extremely complicated (if it wasn’t already!). As far I can tell, the brothers and Deirdre were warned of the doom awaiting them and was able to fight and kill all of their attackers on a plain. Because of this King Conor had his prophet (who forewarned of Deirdre's birth) set up a string of hardships which eventually killed Naoise and his brothers. 

In other versions a fight breaks out on the plain and the brothers die in the attack. Naoise, during the attack is killed by Éogan mac Durthacht (with a spear, on the plain!)

In both versions the three brothers are put to rest in the plain on which they all died and Deirdre is imprisoned. Either way it goes, the fact remains that Naoise and his brother die. This causes Fergus, who again brought them the peace treaty to begin with, to exile himself from Ireland and starts a war with King Conor because of King Conor's treachery. Later in the Red Branch Cycle is it made known that Fergus sides with King Conor's greatest enemy, Queen Medb against him-King Conor- during the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which I will supply as a link to the full text of that epic rather than making it an entry in this series.

Now with the fate of Deirdre again, the story diverges. In one version she pines away to death in her chamber within months of her lover’s passing. The other states that she was locked away for a year, and was forced to be his wife. However after a year of mourning in her room, King Conor could take no more. It is said he then sold her to the man he knew she hated most, Éogan, the one who killed Naoise. In this version, she throws herself off the back of a chariot and hits her head on a rock on her way to the man who killed her lover. She, of course, died.

Now, this is truly a romantic part. When Deirdre died, she was buried next to Naoise on the plain. From their bodies grow two large trees which merged together until the two trees became one and these trees are, according to some sources, still exist in Ireland today. In my next entry, (Dierdre of the Sorrows Part III of III) I will review my own thoughts on this legend, but until then…

Anyone care to join me on a pilgrimage of legendary proportions?

Another poem by Flann Fionn recounts Deirdre’s anguish at the loss of Naoise and his brothers. This one, like the other, was translated by Samuel Fergeson and the poem can vary vastly depending on the translation. However, this is my favorite translation of the poem, so without further introduction, I present:

Deirdre’s Lament For The Sons Of Usnagh

The lions of the hills are gone,

And I am left alone- alone-

Dig the grave both wide and deep,

For I am sick, and fain would sleep!

The falcons of the wood are flown,

And I am left alone- alone-

Dig the grave both deep and wide,

And let us slumber side by side.

The dragons of the rock are sleeping,

Sleep that wakes not for our weeping:

Dig the grave and make it ready;

Lay me on my true-love’s body.

Lay their spears and buckler’s bright

By the warriors’ side aright;

Many a day and three before me

On their linked bucklers bore me.

Lay upon the low grave floor,

‘Neath each head, the blue claymore;

Many a time the noble three

Reddened these blue blades for me.

Lay the collars, as is meet

Of their greyhounds at their feet;

Many a time for me have they

Brought the tall red deer to bay.

In the flacon’s jesses throw

Hook and arrow, line and bow;

Never again by stream or plain

Shall the gentle woodmen go.

Sweet companions ye were ever-

Harsh to me- your sister, never;

Woods and wilds and misty valleys

Were with you, as good’s a palace

Oh! To hear my true love singing,

Sweet as sound of trumpets ringing;

Like the sway of ocean’s swelling

Rolled his deep voice round our dwelling

Oh! To hear the echoes pealing

Round our green and fairy sheeling,

When the three, with soaring chorus,

Passed the silent skylark o’er us.

Echo, now sleep, mourn and even-

Lark alone enchant the heaven!-

Ardan’s lips are scant of breath,

Neesa’s tongue is cold in death.

Stag, exult on glen and mountain-

Salmon, leap from loch to fountain-

Heron, in the free air warm ye-

Usnagh’s sons no more will harm ye!

Erin’s stay no more you are,

Rulers of the ridge of war;

Never more ‘twill be your fate

To keep the beam of battle straight.

Woe is me! By fraud and wrong-

Traitors false and tyrants strong-

Fell clan Usnagh, bought and sold,

For Barach’s feast and Conor’s gold!

Woe to Eman, roof and wall!-

Woe to Red Branch, hearth and hall!-

Tenfold woe and black dishonor

To the foul and false clan Conor!

Dig the grave both wipe and deep,

Sick I am, and fain would sleep!

Dig the grave and make it ready,

Lay me on my true love’s body!

ADDED NOTES: By the way, Naoise and his brothers who by the way were called Ardan and Aindle (variant spelling: Ainli) were known as the Sons of Usnagh. For further clarification of the poem Eman was place which housed King Conor and where he ruled his kingdom. Eman is also reportedly where the plain was that the the brothers and Deirdre was buried in (and refuttedly where the couple met). According to a page I linked below, Barach works for the Red Branch (as did Fergus; Red Branch Knights is known to have been an order of men/warriors who served the King) and helps King Conor to get Deirdre back. It was mentioned in the second link below that he is the reason Fergus is not able to continue the journey back home.Lastly, Erin is an old name for Ireland.

(For more information on poem, please see Dierdre of the Sorrows Part I of III)

Links: 

The Cattle Raid of Cooley: http://adminstaff.vassar.edu/sttaylor/Cooley/

Poems of Deirdre and quite a fascinating summary of events: http://pybertra.free.fr/ceol/usneach.htm

Disclaimer: As with any retelling, this version may not be wholly accurate!