Ferdiad (; also ''Fer Diad'', ''Ferdia'', ''Fear Diadh''), son of Damán, son of Dáire, of the

Fir Domnann The Fir Domnann were a people named in Irish legendary history. The name ''Fir Domnann'' is based on the root ''dumno''-, which means both 'deep' and 'the world'. The suffix -''on''- often occurs in Gaulish and British divine names. The tribal n ...

, is a warrior of

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

in the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle (), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Do ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...

. In the ''

Táin Bó Cúailnge (Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "the Irish ''Iliad''", although like most other earl ...

'', Ferdiad finds himself on the side of the war opposite to that taken by his best friend and foster-brother

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 ...

, with whom he had trained in arms under the renowned warrior woman Scáthach. He and Cú Chulainn are equal in all martial feats, with two exceptions: the '' Gáe Bulg'', a barbed spear which Scáthach has taught only Cú Chulainn to use; and Ferdiad's horn skin, which no weapon can pierce. When Ailill and

Medb Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méabh(a) () and Méibh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had ...

, king and queen of Connacht, invade

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

to steal the bull

Donn Cúailnge In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Donn Cúailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought. Prologue A ninth century ''rémscéla'' or foretale recou ...

, their progress is held up by Cú Chulainn, who demands single combat. After Cú Chulainn has defeated a series of Connacht champions, Medb sends for Ferdiad, but he only agrees to fight Cú Chulainn after

Findabair Findabair or Finnabair (Modern , ) was a daughter of Ailill mac Máta, Ailill and Queen Medb of Connacht in Irish mythology. The meaning of the name is "white phantom" (etymology, etymologically cognate with ''Gwenhwyfar'', the original Welsh lang ...

, Ailill and Medb's daughter, has seductively plied him with alcohol, and Medb has variously bribed, shamed and goaded him to do so. They fight in the ford for three days, first fighting with eight swords, darts, and spears, then fighting with "throwing-spears" and lances, and finally moving on to "heavy, hard-smiting swords." It is on the third day that Ferdiad starts to gain the upper hand. At this point, Cú Chulainn calls to his charioteer, Laeg, for the ''Gáe Bolga'', which he floats down the river to him. Cú Chulainn throws a light spear at Ferdiad's chest, causing him to raise his shield, and then picks up the ''Gáe Bolga'' between his toes and thrusts it through his

anus In mammals, invertebrates and most fish, the anus (: anuses or ani; from Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is the external body orifice at the ''exit'' end of the digestive tract (bowel), i.e. the opposite end from the mouth. Its function is to facil ...

, upon which the barbs spread throughout his body, killing him. The ''Gáe Bolga'' is then removed from Ferdiad's body by Laeg, and Cú Chulainn mourns Ferdiad's death, praising his strength and bravery: :"Ah, Ferdiad, betrayed to death." :"Our last meeting, oh, how sad!" :"Thou to die I to remain." :"Ever sad our long farewell!" Scholars believe that the fight between Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad is a late addition to the ''Táin'', originating not earlier than the eleventh century and drawing on earlier episodes in the story.Micheál Ó Flaithearta, "The Etymologies of (Fer) Diad", in Ruairi Ó hUiginn and Brian Ó Catháin (eds), ''Ulidia 2: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on the Ulster Cycle of Tales'', An Sagard, 2009, pp. 218–225 Ferdiad's name has been interpreted as meaning "man of smoke", "man of the pair" or "man of two feet", and may be a back-formation from the placename ''Áth Fhir Diad'' ( Ardee,

County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...

) which is supposedly named after him. Some modern scholars see his relationship with Cú Chulainn, and his death, as having homoerotic undertones.

Legacy

The ford on which he died is named ''Áth Fhirdiad'' (Ferdiad's ford in Irish) Ardee,

is named after him (''Baile Átha Fhirdhia''). A bronze statue stands in Bridge Street, Ardee depicting the battle and the death of Ferdiad.Ross. Noel (2011). "The Walled Town of Ardee: Selected Extracts." ''Journal of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society,'' 27 339–365.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdiad Ulster Cycle Characters in Táin Bó Cúailnge LGBTQ themes in mythology

Legacy

See also

References

External links