Bláthnat ("Little flower"), sometimes Bláthíne, is a character in

early Irish literature Early Irish literature, is commonly dated from the 8th or 9th to the 15th century, a period during which modern literature in Irish began to emerge. It stands as one of the oldest vernacular literature in Western Europe, with its roots extendin ...

, a king's daughter, wife of the warrior Cú Roí and the lover of his rival

Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), is an Irish warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, who is also his father. His mother is the ...

Love triangle

Her father is either Mend of Inis Fer Falga (identified as the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

), Iuchna,

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories ...

, or

Midir In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir (Old Irish), Midhir (Modern Irish) or Mider was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith ...

, the fairy king of Brí Léith (from

Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...

). Her father's kingdom was invaded by warriors of the

Red Branch The Red Branch (; alternatively, ) 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 so ...

of Ulster, led by Cú Roí and

. The raid led to her capture, along with several

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

and a magic

cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large cookware and bakeware, pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in r ...

. Despite being in love with Cú Chulainn, she was chosen by Cú Roí as his spoil and married him, leading to a dispute between the two warriors. This ended with Cú Chulainn being shaved and humiliated by Cú Roí. Later, she betrayed her husband to his enemies, pouring milk into the River Finglas (Finnglas), supposedly at the Caherconree Fort, as a signal he was at home. Subsequent to this action, Cú Roí was slain by Cú Chulainn. In revenge for this, Cú Roí's poet Ferchertne, threw both himself and Blathnát from a cliff. Bláthnat's floral name and the story of her conspiracy have been compared to those of '' Blodeuwedd'' in the Fourth Branch of the

Mabinogi The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...

, '' Math fab Mathonwy''.

''Fled Bricrenn''

Blathnat makes an appearance in the ''

Fled Bricrenn ''Fled Bricrenn'' (Old Irish "Bricriu's Feast") is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Bricriu, an inveterate troublemaker, invites the nobles of the Ulaid to a feast at his new ''bruiden'' (hostel, banquet hall) at Dún Rudraige ( ...

'' (Feast of Bricriu) as the wife of the absent Cú Roí. She tells each of the three heroes to guard the fort on different nights, however only Cú Chulainn is able to defeat the force. Because of this, Cú Roí gives Cú Chulainn the Champion's Portion that he had been quarreling with the other heroes for, however the other two demand a rematch.

References

Ulster Cycle Women in Irish mythology {{Europe-myth-stub