Editing Ferdiad

{{Short description|Character in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology}}
{{Other uses|Ferdia (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[Image:Ferdiafalls.jpg|thumb|200px|"Ferdia Falls by the Hand of Cuchulain", illustration by [[Stephen Reid (artist)|Stephen Reid]] from [[Eleanor Hull]]'s ''The Boys' Cuchulain'', 1904]]
'''Ferdiad''' ({{IPA|sga|ˈfʲerðʲiað|pron}}; also ''Fer Diad'', ''Ferdia'', ''Fear Diadh''), son of Damán, son of Dáire, of the [[Fir Domnann]], is a warrior of [[Connacht]] in the [[Ulster Cycle]] of [[Irish mythology]]. In the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'', Ferdiad finds himself on the side of the war opposite to that taken by his best friend and foster-brother [[Cú Chulainn]], with whom he had trained in arms under the renowned warrior woman [[Scáthach]]. He and Cú Chulainn are equal in all martial feats, with two exceptions: the ''[[Gáe Bulg]]'', a barbed spear which Scáthach has taught only Cú Chulainn to use; and Ferdiad's horn skin, which no weapon can pierce.

When [[Ailill mac Máta|Ailill]] and [[Medb]], king and queen of Connacht, invade [[Ulaid|Ulster]] to steal the bull [[Donn Cúailnge]], their progress is held up by Cú Chulainn, who demands single combat. After Cú Chulainn has defeated a series of Connacht champions, Medb sends for Ferdiad, but he only agrees to fight Cú Chulainn after [[Findabair]], Ailill and Medb's daughter, has seductively plied him with alcohol, and Medb has variously bribed, shamed and goaded him to do so. They fight in the ford for three days, first fighting with eight swords, darts, and spears, then fighting with "throwing-spears" and lances, and finally moving on to "heavy, hard-smiting swords." It is on the third day that Ferdiad starts to gain the upper hand. At this point, Cú Chulainn calls to his charioteer, Laeg, for the ''Gáe Bolga'', which he floats down the river to him. Cú Chulainn throws a light spear at Ferdiad's chest, causing him to raise his shield, and then picks up the ''Gáe Bolga'' between his toes and thrusts it through his [[human anus|anus]], upon which the barbs spread throughout his body, killing him. The ''Gáe Bolga'' is then removed from Ferdiad's body by Laeg, and Cú Chulainn mourns Ferdiad's death, praising his strength and bravery:

:"Ah, Ferdiad, betrayed to death."
:"Our last meeting, oh, how sad!"
:"Thou to die I to remain."
:"Ever sad our long farewell!"<ref>Joseph Dunn, "The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge", London: David Nutt, 1914 [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/cool/cool20.htm]</ref><ref>Ciarán Carson, ''The Táin'', p. 151</ref>

Scholars believe that the fight between Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad is a late addition to the ''Táin'', originating not earlier than the eleventh century and drawing on earlier episodes in the story.<ref name=etym>Micheál Ó Flaithearta, "The Etymologies of (Fer) Diad", in Ruairi Ó hUiginn and Brian Ó Catháin (eds), ''Ulidia 2: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on the Ulster Cycle of Tales'', An Sagard, 2009, pp. 218–225</ref>

Ferdiad's name has been interpreted as meaning "man of smoke", "man of the pair" or "man of two feet", and may be a back-formation from the placename ''Áth Fhir Diad'' ([[Ardee]], [[County Louth]]) which is supposedly named after him.<ref name=etym />

Some modern scholars see his relationship with Cú Chulainn, and his death, as having homoerotic undertones.<ref>Sarah Sheehan, "Fer Diad De-flowered: Homoerotics and Masculimity in ''Comrac Fir Diad''", in Ruairi Ó hUiginn and Brian Ó Catháin (eds), ''Ulidia 2: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on the Ulster Cycle of Tales'', An Sagard, 2009, pp. 54-65</ref><ref>{{cite book |title= Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit|last= Conner |first= Randy P. |year=1998 |publisher=Cassell |location=UK |isbn=0304704237 |page=116 "Cú Chulainn and Fer diadh"}}</ref><ref>Cat Mount, "The Three Loves of Cúchulainn: The Impact of Warrior Relationships in The Táin", in T. E. Kinsella (ed.), ''Ulster Rising: Ten Essays on the Ulster Cycle'', 2012, pp. 36-47</ref><ref>Ciarán Carson, ''The Táin'', Penguin Classics, 2007, p. 212-213</ref>

== Legacy ==
[[File:Cuchulainn and Ferdia Statue.jpg|thumb|A Statue of Cuchulainn and Ferdia in [[Ardee|Ardee, Co. Louth]], Ireland.]]
The ford on which he died is named ''Áth Fhirdiad'' (Ferdiad's ford in Irish) [[Ardee]], [[County Louth]] is named after him (''Baile Átha Fhirdhia'').<ref>Cecile O'Rahilly, ''Táin Bó Cúailnge Recension 1'', Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1976, pp. 195–208 [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301012/index.html]</ref><ref>Cecile O'Rahilly, ''Táin Bó Cúalnge from the Book of Leinster'', Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1967, pp. 211–234 [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301035/index.html]</ref>

A bronze statue stands in Bridge Street, [[Ardee]] depicting the battle and the death of Ferdiad.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|date=Summer 2016|title=Where Ferdia fell: Ardee, Co Louth|url=https://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Services/Heritage/Publications/Ardee%20Heritage%20GUide.pdf|journal=Archaeology Ireland Heritage Guide|volume=73|page=6}}</ref><ref>Ross. Noel (2011). "The Walled Town of Ardee: Selected Extracts." ''Journal of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society,'' '''27''' 339–365. </ref>

==See also==
* [[Impalement]]
* [[Dragon of Wantley]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Ferdiad}}

{{Celtic mythology (Ulster)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdiad}}
[[Category:Ulster Cycle]]
[[Category:Characters in Táin Bó Cúailnge]]
[[Category:LGBTQ themes in mythology]]