Deirdre

Deirdre's story begins before she is even born: at her birth, the druid Cathbad prophesies that she will grow into great beauty, but that her beauty will bring war and ruin to Ulster and death to its finest warriors. Despite calls to have the infant killed to prevent the prophecy, King Conchobar mac Nessa instead decides to raise her in seclusion, intending to marry her himself once she comes of age, keeping her away from all other men in the meantime. As a young woman, Deirdre sees a raven drinking the blood of a calf slaughtered in the snow and tells her guardian she wants a husband with hair as black as the raven, skin as white as the snow, and cheeks as red as the blood — a description that leads her to Naoise, a young warrior of the Red Branch. The two fall in love, and despite knowing the danger of defying the king, Deirdre convinces Naoise and his brothers to flee with her, escaping Ulster and Conchobar's claim on her entirely, living for years in exile, often in Scotland. Conchobar eventually lures them back with a false promise of safety and forgiveness, guaranteed by Fergus mac Róich's own honor as surety — but has Naoise killed on arrival regardless, betraying both Deirdre and Fergus, whose fury at the broken guarantee drives him into open rebellion against Ulster (fueling the later events of the *Táin*). Deirdre herself is forced into Conchobar's household after Naoise's death, but in most versions of the tale, she never accepts him — some accounts have her die of grief within a year, others have her take her own life rather than remain in his power, fulfilling Cathbad's prophecy in full and giving the tale its common title, "The Exile of the Sons of Uisneach" or simply "Deirdre of the Sorrows."