The Irish myth of Diarmuid’s betrayal - Iseult Gillespie

739,826 views ・ 2022-05-05

TED-Ed


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Gráinne, daughter of King Cormac mac Airt, princess of Tara, and bride-to-be,
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was furious.
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Fionn Mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna,
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Ireland’s most celebrated band of warriors,
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had just arrived at her castle.
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Gráinne had believed she was betrothed to a young soldier,
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bold and brilliant enough to be her equal.
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Yet upon their arrival, it became clear she was expected to marry Fionn himself;
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who, while once a legend, was far past his prime.
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Gráinne would not suffer this insult.
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Before the wedding, the King held a great banquet.
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As the warriors told tales of Fionn’s strength and magical healing hands,
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Gráinne waited to enact her revenge.
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But while scanning the room, her eyes locked on to one of the guests.
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Diarmuid, one of Fionn’s bravest soldiers
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and foster child of the God of Love himself,
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was renowned for his stunning beauty.
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Perhaps this was the bold warrior the princess had imagined?
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Only one way to find out.
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Gráinne swept into action,
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slipping a sleeping draught into the partygoers’ goblets.
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Soon the hall fell silent— save for two unenchanted guests.
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The pair immediately felt a powerful connection.
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But Diarmuid hesitated.
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He’d never put his interests before the Fianna’s.
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Seeing Diarmuid waver between duty and desire,
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Gráinne took the decision out of his hands.
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With a light kiss, she placed a geas on his brow—
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an ancient spell that bound them together, for better or worse.
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As the pair escaped, Diarmuid’s heart was racing.
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Had he really betrayed Fionn for a woman he’d just met?
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To answer his son’s questions, Angus Óg appeared beside them.
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The God of Love blessed their union and eased his son’s concern.
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But he also warned that endless difficulties lay ahead.
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At the palace, Fionn awoke full of wrath.
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He rallied an epic war band that quickly caught up to the lovers.
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To buy time, Diarmuid and Gráinne conjured a massive enclosure with seven doors.
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While Gráinne escaped with Angus Óg, Diarmuid went door to door seeking Fionn.
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Some of the Fianna sought peaceful surrender, others itched for combat.
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Diarmuid gave neither.
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But when he finally heard his leader’s voice calling for blood,
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he knew there was no turning back.
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Launching himself over the barricade, Diarmuid leapt to Gráinne’s side.
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The chase was on.
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The pair ventured west, where they soon encountered the giant Modan.
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Eager to help the lovers, he guarded them at night and carried them by day.
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And once the pair had crossed countless rivers and hills,
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their fear began to ease.
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They left the forest’s cover, laughing, flirting, and growing bolder each day.
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But Fionn saw their contentment was an opportunity.
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He enlisted three sea chiefs to capture the wandering lovers.
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Diarmuid scared them off with mystifying sword tricks—
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only for Fionn to send poisonous hounds.
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Diarmuid and Gráinne fled yet again into an even more tangled forest—
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a sight which filled the Fianna with exhaustion.
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They implored Fionn to give up the hunt, and at this, their leader grew quiet.
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He’d already lost a dear friend—
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now it seemed his wrath had cost him the respect of his men as well.
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Swallowing his rage, he called off the chase.
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For years, Gráinne and Diarmuid lived in peace.
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In time, Angus Óg even brokered an agreement between the warriors,
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and their conflict faded into memory.
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But Gráinne never forgot the love god’s warning.
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One day, Fionn invited Diarmuid on a boar hunt high in the mountains.
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While the two were riding, a venomous boar charged them
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and mortally wounded Diarmuid.
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As he bled, the old warrior begged his friend for water,
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as all the Fianna knew drinking from the hands of Fionn Mac Cumhaill
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could save their lives.
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But as Fionn turned to aid Diarmuid, his old resentments came rushing back.
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For just a moment, his fingers parted, letting the water trickle to the ground.
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And by the time Fionn realized his mistake,
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it was too late.
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And the embers of rage that long burned inside him were finally quenched by tears.
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