Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Encyclopedia
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne or Diarmid O'Dyna (also known as Diarmuid of the love spot) is a son of Donn
and a warrior of the Fianna
in the Fenian Cycle
of Irish mythology
. He is most famous as the lover of Gráinne
, the intended wife of Fianna leader Fionn mac Cumhaill
in The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne
. Aonghus Óg or Aengus
is Diarmuid's foster father and protector. Aengus owned a sword named Moralltach, the Great Fury, given to him by Manannán mac Lir
. He gave this sword to his foster-son Diarmuid. There was also a sword named the Little Fury and two spears of great power that he gave to Diarmuid. The thick-shafted spears, The Gae Buide (“Yellow Shaft”) and the Gae Derg (“Red Javelin”), could inflict wound that none can recover from.
Diarmuid, while hunting one night, met a woman who was the personification of youth. After sleeping with him she put a magical love spot on his forehead; any woman that looked at the love spot fell instantly in love with him.
Gráinne, intended bride of Fionn mac Cumhail, fell in love with Diarmuid when she saw him in the wedding party. She laid a geis upon him to run off with her, with their long flight from Fionn aided by Aonghus Óg.
Eventually, Fionn pardons Diarmuid after Aonghus Og intercedes on their behalf; the pair settle in Kerry and produce five children. Years later, however, Fionn invited Diarmuid on a boar hunt, and Diarmuid was badly gored by a giant boar
on the heath of Benn Gulbain. Water drunk from Fionn's hands had the power of healing, but when Fionn gathered water he would deliberately let it run through his fingers before he could bring it to Diarmuid. He had to be threatened by his son Oisín
and grandson Oscar
to play fair, but too late: Diarmuid had died. After Diarmuids death, Aengus took his body back to the Brugh where he breathed life into it whenever he wanted to have a chat.
The story of Diarmuid and Gráinne is one of a number of instances in Irish mythology of the eternal triangle of young man, young girl and aging suitor. This theme is seen in the tale of Naoise
, Deirdre
, and Conchobar
.
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne is said to be the founder of the Scottish clan Campbell. On the Campbell crest is a boarshead, a nod to how Diarmuid died.
In the 1999 Irish dance show, "Dancing on Dangerous Ground", Diarmuid was portrayed by former Riverdance lead, Colin Dunne.
Donn
According to Irish mythology, Donn, or the Dark One, is the Lord of the Dead and father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, whom he gave to Aengus Óg to be nurtured...
and a warrior of the Fianna
Fianna
Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....
in the Fenian Cycle
Fenian Cycle
The Fenian Cycle , also referred to as the Ossianic Cycle after its narrator Oisín, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna. It is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology along with the Mythological Cycle,...
of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
. He is most famous as the lover of Gráinne
Gráinne
Gráinne is the daughter of Cormac mac Airt in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. She is one of the central figures in the Middle Irish text Finn and Gráinne and most famously, in the 17th-century tale The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne, which tells of her betrothal to Fionn mac Cumhaill, leader...
, the intended wife of Fianna leader Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...
in The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne
The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne
The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne is an Irish prose narrative surviving in many variants...
. Aonghus Óg or Aengus
Aengus
In Irish mythology, Óengus , Áengus , or Aengus or Aonghus , is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration...
is Diarmuid's foster father and protector. Aengus owned a sword named Moralltach, the Great Fury, given to him by Manannán mac Lir
Manannán mac Lir
Manannán mac Lir is a sea deity in Irish mythology. He is the son of the obscure Lir . He is often seen as a psychopomp, and has strong affiliations with the Otherworld, the weather and the mists between the worlds...
. He gave this sword to his foster-son Diarmuid. There was also a sword named the Little Fury and two spears of great power that he gave to Diarmuid. The thick-shafted spears, The Gae Buide (“Yellow Shaft”) and the Gae Derg (“Red Javelin”), could inflict wound that none can recover from.
Diarmuid, while hunting one night, met a woman who was the personification of youth. After sleeping with him she put a magical love spot on his forehead; any woman that looked at the love spot fell instantly in love with him.
Gráinne, intended bride of Fionn mac Cumhail, fell in love with Diarmuid when she saw him in the wedding party. She laid a geis upon him to run off with her, with their long flight from Fionn aided by Aonghus Óg.
Eventually, Fionn pardons Diarmuid after Aonghus Og intercedes on their behalf; the pair settle in Kerry and produce five children. Years later, however, Fionn invited Diarmuid on a boar hunt, and Diarmuid was badly gored by a giant boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
on the heath of Benn Gulbain. Water drunk from Fionn's hands had the power of healing, but when Fionn gathered water he would deliberately let it run through his fingers before he could bring it to Diarmuid. He had to be threatened by his son Oisín
Oisín
Oisín , also spelt in English Ossian or Osheen, was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, and is a warrior of the fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology...
and grandson Oscar
Oscar (Irish mythology)
Oscar is a figure in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is the warrior son of Oisín and the fairy woman Niamh, who also bore his sister, Plor na mBan. Oisín, in turn, was the son of the epic hero Fionn mac Cumhail...
to play fair, but too late: Diarmuid had died. After Diarmuids death, Aengus took his body back to the Brugh where he breathed life into it whenever he wanted to have a chat.
The story of Diarmuid and Gráinne is one of a number of instances in Irish mythology of the eternal triangle of young man, young girl and aging suitor. This theme is seen in the tale of Naoise
Naoise
In Irish mythology, Noíse or Noisiu was the nephew of King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster, and a son of Usnech , in the Ulster Cycle....
, Deirdre
Deirdre
Deirdre or Derdriu is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish mythology and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is often called "Deirdre of the Sorrows." Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-known stories of pre-Christian Ireland.-Legendary Biography:Deirdre was the...
, and Conchobar
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa was the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha .-Birth:...
.
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne is said to be the founder of the Scottish clan Campbell. On the Campbell crest is a boarshead, a nod to how Diarmuid died.
In the 1999 Irish dance show, "Dancing on Dangerous Ground", Diarmuid was portrayed by former Riverdance lead, Colin Dunne.