Red Branch
Encyclopedia
The Red Branch is the name of two of the three royal houses of the king of Ulster
, Conchobar mac Nessa
, at his capital Emain Macha
(Navan Fort, near Armagh
), in the Ulster Cycle
of Irish mythology
. In modern retellings it is sometimes used as the name of an order of warriors, the Red Branch Knights.
The names of two of Conchobar's houses can be translated as "Red Branch", as Old Irish had two words for "red": derg, bright red, the colour of fresh blood, flame or gold; and ruad, dull or brownish red, used for the colour of dried blood or red hair. The Cróeb Ruad (modern Irish Craobh Rua, "dull red branch") was where the king sat; its name has survived as the townland
of Creeveroe
in County Armagh
. The Cróeb Derg (modern Irish Craobh Dearg, "bright red branch") was where the severed heads and other trophies of battle were kept. His third house was called the Téite Brec or "speckled hoard", where the heroes' weapons were stored.
paramilitary
group from Northern Ireland
in September 1992 to claim responsibility for incendiary devices and a blast bomb
left in a Dublin- based bank in Newtownabbey
. Statements were sent to the media threatening action against anyone with political or economic links with the Republic of Ireland
. They are not known to have been responsible for any casualties during the Troubles
.
There is a Hurling
team in Brussels
, Belgium
, called Croabh Rua.
The name "Knights of the Red Branch" was also used by an Irish Catholic fraternal organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and San Francisco, California in the 19th and early to mid 20th centuries.
is the title of a Morgan Llewellyn book written in 1989. The book's story centers around Cúchulainn but takes place largely within the ranks of the Red Branch.
In The Wheel of Time
, a fantasy series by Robert Jordan
, the Band of the Red Hand
that resembles the Red Branch Knights makes its appearance.
The Red Branch warriors, including Cúchulainn and the sons of Usnech, appear as main characters in The Swan Maiden (2009), a novel by Jules Watson about the life of Deirdre
.
In Cormac McCarthy's debut novel The Orchard Keeper
, Red Branch is the name of the town where the majority of the narrative's events take place. Themes of paternity, heroism and pastoralism abound in the novel and several of the characters make oblique references to the poetry of William Butler Yeats
, himself an advocate of the mythic tales of the Ulster Cycle.
Ulaid
The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
, Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa was the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha .-Birth:...
, at his capital Emain Macha
Emain Macha
]Navan Fort – known in Old Irish as Eṁaın Ṁacha and in Modern Irish as Eamhain Mhacha – is an ancient monument in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to Irish legend, it was one of the major power centers of pre-Christian Ireland...
(Navan Fort, near Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
), in the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
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...
. In modern retellings it is sometimes used as the name of an order of warriors, the Red Branch Knights.
The names of two of Conchobar's houses can be translated as "Red Branch", as Old Irish had two words for "red": derg, bright red, the colour of fresh blood, flame or gold; and ruad, dull or brownish red, used for the colour of dried blood or red hair. The Cróeb Ruad (modern Irish Craobh Rua, "dull red branch") was where the king sat; its name has survived as the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Creeveroe
Creeveroe
Creeveroe is a townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, about three-and-a-half miles west of Armagh. The townland derives its name from the Cróeb Ruad, one of the three royal houses of Conchobar mac Nessa, legendary king of the Ulaid, at nearby Eamhain Mhacha.Creeveroe neighbours the townland...
in County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
. The Cróeb Derg (modern Irish Craobh Dearg, "bright red branch") was where the severed heads and other trophies of battle were kept. His third house was called the Téite Brec or "speckled hoard", where the heroes' weapons were stored.
Modern usage
The name Red Branch Knights was used by a loyalistUlster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
group from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in September 1992 to claim responsibility for incendiary devices and a blast bomb
Blast bomb
Blast bomb is a term used in Northern Ireland for a type of improvised explosive device. More specifically, these devices are usually a form of homemade grenade, which is thrown at a target. These devices have been used in a number of public order situations, and in attacks on the Royal Ulster...
left in a Dublin- based bank in Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a large town north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sometimes considered to be a suburb of Belfast, it is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course...
. Statements were sent to the media threatening action against anyone with political or economic links with the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. They are not known to have been responsible for any casualties during the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
.
There is a Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
team in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, called Croabh Rua.
The name "Knights of the Red Branch" was also used by an Irish Catholic fraternal organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and San Francisco, California in the 19th and early to mid 20th centuries.
Appearance in fiction
Red BranchRed Branch (novel)
Red Branch , by the Irish-American author Morgan Llewellyn, is a novel about the life of the Irish hero Cuchulainn. Red Branch novelizes several stories from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, including the well-known Táin Bó Cúailnge and Deirdre ....
is the title of a Morgan Llewellyn book written in 1989. The book's story centers around Cúchulainn but takes place largely within the ranks of the Red Branch.
In The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
, a fantasy series by Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
, the Band of the Red Hand
Band of the Red Hand
In The Wheel of Time series of fantasy fiction books by the late Robert Jordan, the Band of the Red Hand is a military group named after a legendary band of heroes who died in the defense of Manetheren.-History:...
that resembles the Red Branch Knights makes its appearance.
The Red Branch warriors, including Cúchulainn and the sons of Usnech, appear as main characters in The Swan Maiden (2009), a novel by Jules Watson about the life of 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...
.
In Cormac McCarthy's debut novel The Orchard Keeper
The Orchard Keeper
The Orchard Keeper is the first novel by the American novelist Cormac McCarthy.The novel is set in a small, isolated community in Tennessee, during the inter-war period...
, Red Branch is the name of the town where the majority of the narrative's events take place. Themes of paternity, heroism and pastoralism abound in the novel and several of the characters make oblique references to the poetry of William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, himself an advocate of the mythic tales of the Ulster Cycle.