Editing Deirdre (section)

==In legend==
Deirdre was the daughter of the royal storyteller [[Fedlimid mac Daill]]. Before she was born, [[Cathbad]], the chief [[druid]] at the court of [[Conchobar mac Nessa]], king of [[Ulster]], prophesied that Fedlimid's daughter would grow up to be very beautiful, but that kings and lords would go to war over her, much blood would be shed because of her, and Ulster's three greatest warriors would be forced into exile for her sake.<ref>{{cite web  |title=Deirdre of the Sorrows |date=11 June 2014 |url=http://bardmythologies.com/deirdre-of-the-sorrows/ |publisher=bardmythologies.com |access-date=13 April 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Hearing this, many urged Fedlimid to kill the baby at birth, but Conchobar, aroused by the description of her future beauty, decided to keep the child for himself. He took Deirdre away from her family and had her brought up in seclusion by [[Leabharcham]], a poet and wise woman, and planned to marry Deirdre when she was [[Gaelic Ireland#Marriage, women and children|old enough]]. As a young girl, living isolated in the woodlands, Deirdre told Leabharcham one snowy day that she would love a man with the colours she had seen when a raven landed in the snow with its prey: hair the color of the raven, skin as white as snow, and cheeks as red as blood.

Leabharcham told her she was describing [[Naoise|Naoise mac Uisneach]], a handsome young warrior, hunter and singer at Conchobar's court. With the collusion of Leabharcham, Deirdre met Naoise and they fell in love. Accompanied by his brothers Ardan and Ainnle (the other two sons of [[Uisneach]]), Naoise and Deirdre fled to Scotland. They lived a happy life there, hunting and fishing and living in beautiful places; one place associated with them is [[Loch Etive]]. Some versions of the story mention that Deirdre and Naoise had children, a son, Gaiar, and a daughter, Aebgreine,<ref>Monaghan, Patricia (2008), ''The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore''. Checkmark Books. p. 123.</ref> who were [[Fosterage|fostered]] by [[Manannan Mac Lir]].<ref>Hitt, J.G. (1908), ''Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach: A Scoto-Irish Romance of the First Century A.D.'' Marshall Brothers. p. 46.</ref>

[[Image:Deirdre lament Millar.jpg|thumb|''Deirdre's Lament'', drawing by [[John Henry Frederick Bacon|J. H. Bacon]], c. 1905]]

However, the furious, humiliated Conchobar tracked them down. He sent [[Fergus mac Róich]] to them with an invitation to return and Fergus's own promise of safe conduct home. On the way back to [[Emain Macha]], Conchobar had Fergus waylaid, forced by his personal [[geis]] (an obligation) to accept an invitation to a feast.

Fergus sent Deirdre and the sons of Uisneach on to [[Navan Fort|Emain Macha]] with his son to protect them. When they arrived, Conchobar sent Leabharcham to spy on Deirdre, to see if she had lost her beauty. Leabharcham, to protect Deirdre, told the king that Deirdre was now ugly and aged. Conchobar then sent another spy, Gelbann,<ref name=MacKillop /> who managed to catch a glimpse of Deirdre but was seen by Naoise, who threw a gold chess piece at him and put out his eye.

The spy managed to get back to Conchobar, and told him that Deirdre was as beautiful as ever. Conchobar called his warriors to attack the [[Red Branch]] house where Deirdre and the sons of Uisneach were lodging. Naoise and his brothers fought valiantly, aided by a few Red Branch warriors, before Conchobar invoked their oath of loyalty to him and had Deirdre dragged to his side. At this point, [[Éogan mac Durthacht]] threw a spear, killing Naoise, and his brothers were killed shortly afterward.

Fergus and his men arrived after the battle. Fergus was outraged by this betrayal of his word, and went into exile in [[Connacht]]. He later fought against Ulster for [[Ailill mac Máta|Ailill]] and [[Medb]] in the war of the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'' (the Cattle Raid of Cooley), sometimes referred to as "the Irish [[Iliad]]".

After the death of Naoise, Conchobar took Deirdre as his wife. After a year, angered by Deirdre's continuing coldness toward him, Conchobar asked her whom in the world she hated the most, besides himself. She answered "Éogan mac Durthacht", the man who had murdered Naoise. Conchobar said that he would give her to Éogan. As she was being taken to Éogan, Conchobar taunted her, saying she looked like a ewe between two rams. At this, Deirdre threw herself from the [[chariot]], dashing her head to pieces against a rock.