The Wandering of the Déise
The Wandering of theDéise
The Déise were one ofthe first tribes to settle in Waterford, but their journey to the county was along and arduous one, filled with warfare and magic. It was first documented inthe 12th century manuscript, The Book of Leinster, under the titleof ‘Tairired na nDésse’ (The Wandering of the Déise).
The story of the Déisetribe begins in 3rd century County Meath where they owned a lot ofland near Tara, which was the capital of Ireland at the time. One of theirleaders was called Óengus of the Dread Spear because he owned the Spear ofLugh, one of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann. It was a magicalweapon which, once thrown, never missed its mark. It had a life of its own andhad to be chained inside a cauldron for safe keeping. The cauldron had to befilled with blood to stop the spear from going on fire. The weapon made Óengusa powerful and much feared leader.
For years, the Déiselived in peace beside the high king of Ireland, but that ended when one of the highking’s sons, Cellach, fell in love with Óengus’s niece. She had no interest in him,and rejected his advances, but Cellach was a prince who was used to getting whathe wanted, so he kidnapped the girl and took her to Tara.
When Óengus heard whathad happened to his niece, he was angry and went to Tara to get her back. Hewas accompanied by a small band of men carrying a large cauldron with Lugh'sdreaded spear inside, just in case. At the gates of Tara, Óengus called out forthe release of his niece, but Cellach refused.
Enraged, Óengus orderedthat his spear be released. He put on a thick pair of leather gloves and whenhis men had loosened the spear’s chains, he reached into the cauldron of blood.As soon as his fingers wrapped themselves around the shaft of the weapon, hefelt the energy pulsing inside it. He lifted it out, dripping with blood and convulsingrestlessly. It took all his strength to hold onto the spear because it had alreadyread the holder’s mind and knew who its target was. But still, Óengus waited.The spear vibrated so much that it started to glow red, getting hotter andhotter, until it burst into flames. Only then, did Óengus release it.
The burning lance shot upinto the air with its three chains flailing at its sides, scorching a trail of fireover the gates of the high king and into his royal fort. It weaved in and outbetween the king’s soldiers, making a beeline for Cellach. As it reached theprince, the king himself tried to stop it, but the weapon swerved to avoid him.In doing so, one of its trailing chains, caught the king in the eye, blindinghim, which meant he didn’t have to witness the weapon fly straight through hisson, leaving a burning hole in his chest. By the time Cellach hit the ground,dead, the spear had returned to its thrower and was being rechained once again insideits cauldron.
In fear of another attack,the high king released Óengus’s niece. It was only when the Déise were gonethat the king realised that he had just lost more than a son and an eye,because the law stated that the high king had to be without blemishes. In otherwords, a man with only one eye could not be the high king of Ireland. Angeredby all that he had lost, he rallied an army and went after Óengus.
After seven greatbattles, the Déise were defeated and driven out of County Meath. They headedsouth into County Laois where they fought the Uí Bairriche clan and drove themoff their land. They stayed there for thirty years but the Uí Bairriche regroupedand grew in strength until they could retaliate. After a lot of fighting, theDéise were defeated and again, driven off their land.
Homeless, they wandered furthersouth to Ard Ladrann, which is now the parish of Ardamine, near Gorey in CountyWexford. There, they were given land by the king of Leinster in exchange forhis marriage to a Déise woman. When this woman got pregnant, a druid called Bríprophesised that the child would be a girl and that ‘all the men of Ireland shallknow her, and her mother’s kindred will seize the land on which they dwell.’ Inother words, this girl would end the wandering of the Déise and would finallyfind them a home.
Because of this prophecy,the child was treated with the greatest of care when she was born. She was evenfed the flesh of little boys so that she might grow up strong. She became knownas Eithne the Terrible, because little boys were terrified of her.
Meanwhile, the new high kingof Ireland felt bad about how the Déise had been banished from their land andinvited them back but they refused, putting all their hopes into the prophecythat Eithne the Terrible would find them a new home.
When Eithne’s father,the king of Leinster died, his sons took over and wanted the Déise off theirland so they drove them into the Kingdom of Ossory, which is modern day CountyKilkenny. The Déise were not welcomed there and were driven into the Kingdom ofMunster. It was here that Eithne the Terrible, now a grown woman of greatbeauty, would fulfil the prophecy of her birth.
She was so alluring thatwhen the king of Munster saw her, he asked her to marry him, but Eithne wasmore interested in finding a home for her people than becoming a queen so sheasked the king what he was willing to offer for her hand in marriage. The kingwas so taken with Eithne that he said she could have three wishes.
‘And I can ask foranything?’ she clarified.
The king nodded.
‘For my first wish,’said Eithne, ‘I ask for revenge upon the Kingdom of Ossory, for they treated mypeople very badly.’
The king agreed, and thenext day, he sent his soldiers into Ossory. A great battle raged, but the Ossorytroops held firm against the invaders.
‘Has my wish beengranted?’ Eithne asked the king.
He shook his head. ‘Wecannot defeat them.’
‘Perhaps the wand cansucceed where the sword has failed,’ said Eithne, bringing the king to meet Brí,the druid who had prophesised her greatness.
When they asked for hishelp to defeat the Ossory army, the druid mixed up a brew of leaves and herbs,before swallowing it and going into a deep trance. Eithne and the king waiteduntil he snapped out of it.
Finally opening hiseyes, Brí said, ‘The battle shall be lost in the morning by the side that firstspills their enemy’s blood.’
‘So, we have to makesure that one of our warriors gets wounded first?’ the king, said to Eithne.
She nodded.
‘I can tell one of mymen to walk into the ranks of the enemy and not defend himself,’ suggested the king.
‘That might work,’ saidEithne, ‘but can we know for sure that he won’t lift his blade to defendhimself? When faced with death, a man’s instinct is to survive.’
The king agreed. ‘Wecould send him without weapons.’
‘The enemy might grow suspicious,’Eithne said, turning to her druid. ‘Is there another way?’
‘There is always anotherway,’ said Brí.
The next morning, thedruid conjured up a powerful magic spell to turn one of the king of Munster’ssoldiers into a red cow. The animal was then sent into the enemy’s camp. Assoon as the Ossory soldiers saw it, they killed it, spilling the first blood ofthe day.
‘Now you may attack,’declared the druid.
The king of Munster’sarmy charged and easily defeated their enemy.
The king, pleased to beone step closer to marrying Eithne, said, ‘And what shall your second wish be?’
Eithne didn’t have tothink about this, for she’d had this wish her whole life. ‘All I’ve ever wantedis land for my people and an end to their wandering. I wish for a home for theDéise.’
After much consideration,the king of Munster granted the Déise land which stretched from Inchinleama inthe West to Creadon Head in the East, and from the River Suir in the North tothe sea in the South. This territory would eventually be named Waterford, buteven today, the county is still widely known as the Déise county.
‘And what of your finalwish?’ the king asked Eithne.
‘That the Déise be declared a free people and thatour name live long in the minds of men.’
The king held his handout to his bride to be and nodded. ‘Your wish shall be granted.’
Eithne smiled and tookhis hand. ‘Time will tell.’
Though Ireland would seemany changes over the next two millennia, including the arrival ofChristianity, the Vikings, the Normans and the English, you only have to attenda Waterford hurling match and hear the crowd roar ‘Up the Déise!’ to know thatEithne’s final wish came true. The spirit of the Déise lives on in CountyWaterford.
