Éogan mac Durthacht
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Eógan mac Durthacht
Aggressive king of Fernmag[Farney] in several early Irish stories. He is best remembered as the killer of Noíse in Longas mac nUislenn[The Exile of the Sons of Uisnech], the Deirdre story. Although Eógan has long quarrelled with Deirdre's adversary Conchobar, he makes peace with the Ulster king and agrees to carry out his treachery. Eógan initially pretends to welcome Noíse back to Ireland, but his greeting includes a mortal spear-thrust. In an alternate version the Norse prince Maine is the killer. Later, when Deirdre admits that she hates Eógan equally with Conchobar, she is sent off in Eógan's chariot; from it she jumps, dashing her head against a stone. In Scéla Mucce meic Da Thó[The Story of Mac Dathó's Pig], Eógan mac Durthacht contests the right of the hero's portion. His family members include father Durthacht (also Darthacht), wife Findige, and daughter Lendabair, the wife of Conall Cernach.
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Éogan mac Durthacht
Éogan mac Durthacht is king of Fernmag (Farney, county Monaghan) in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.[1]. At the feast given by Mac Da Thó, Cet mac Magach relates how he blinded Eogan's eye by casting back the spear that struck his shield[2].
Eogan was an enemy of Ulster and its king, Conchobar mac Nessa, but later made his peace with them. He murdered Deirdre's husband, Naoise, on Conchobar's orders.[3]. Later the bereaved Deirdre is asked by Conchobar who she detetests the most, and she replies Conchobar himself and Eogan mac Durthacht, whereby Conchobar decided she should go live with Eogan for a year. But the heroine chooses death over this fate.[4]
Footnotes
- ^ Meyer 1894, pp. 51–64, The Story of Mac Dáthó's Pig and Hound, ¶14 "Eógan Mór mac Durtachta.. rí Fernmaighi"(p.53); tr. "Eogan Mór son of Durthacht,.. king of Fernmag" (p.61).
- ^ Meyer 1894 ¶14 (loc. cit.)
- ^ Kinsella 1969, "Chapter: Exile of the Sons of Uisliu", p.14-15 "Eogan mac Durthacht, king of Fernmag.. Eogan welcomed Noisiu with the hard thrust ofa great spear that broke his back"; and various other editions and versions
- ^ Kinsella 1969, p.19-20
References
- Meyer, Kuno, ed. (1894), "The Story of Mac Dáthó's Pig and Hound", Hibernica Minora, Anecdota Oxoniensa (Oxford: Clarendon Press): pp. 51–64 (ed. & tr.) [Rawl. B 512, f. 105v.-]
- Kinsella, Thomas (1969), "Chapter: Exile of the Sons of Uisliu", the Táin (Oxford: Oxford University Press): pp. 8–20, from text of V. Hull, Longes mac n-Uislenn (1949)
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Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Copyright © James MacKillop 1998, 2004. All rights reserved.
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