Conchobar mac Nessa

This was the usual role of a geas in a story, to be broken as part of the inevitable march towards tragedy.

The best example of this is in the story of King Conchobar.

Conchobar, or Big Connor, was the High King of Ireland.

His story is told in Tógail Bruidne Dá Derga, The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel, an old Irish tragedy that was probably first told around 2,000 years ago.

In the story, Conchobar is the son of Nemdhann, a mysterious divine bird god who visits his mother.

No other sources mentioning Nemdhann survive, but here he does exactly what Zeus does in Greek mythology: conceives a son with another man's wife, then gives that son guidance towards glory.

In this case, Nemdhann visits the young Conchobar and lays several geasa upon him, then steers him towards Tara, where an ancient ritual has just been held to determine the new king.

In the ritual, a bull was killed and a man ate its meat.

She gathered all the tribes and clans of Eire apart from those in Ulster of course.

One day, Cro-Hur Mac Nessa, the King of Ulster, invited Cú Chulainn to a big feast at Awan Macca.

So Cú Chulainn and his best friend and charioteer Laigh, they yoked the horses, one of which including Cú Chulainn's magical horse Macca, and they hopped onto the chariot to make their way to Awan Macca, a journey Cú Chulainn had taken many times before.

At this point in his life, Cú Chulainn was only 21 years of age, still quite young, but life experience doesn't always reflect your age.

It was at Tara that King Lughaidh Mac Néill reportedly challenged Saint Patrick, defending his ancient pagan sovereignty.

At Rathcroghan, the formidable Queen Medb launched her legendary cattle raid, while at Navan, King Conchobar mac Nessa ruled Ulster through warrior codes and divine decree.

Yet, while surviving mythology paints a vivid picture of these rulers and their kingdoms, it reflects medieval tradition as much as Iron Age reality.

And behind the legends lie a fundamental debate, a question of how or even if Ireland became Celtic.

Let the babe live.

I, Conchobar, will be her guardian, and if ill befall, let it be upon me, your king." At these words arose a prince.

"It would be well, O King, but for the word spoken by the wise man, for hath he not said, 'Because of this fair child shall great sorrow come upon the King Conchobar.' If we let the babe live, then must thy people see thee in sore distress, for the word that the wise man speaketh, shall it not come to pass?" "Of that I am not unmindful.

Deep within the forest, beyond the Moor of Loneliness, shall her childish days be spent.

Gently tended shall she be, but the eye of man shall not behold her, and solitary shall she live as some unmated bird in distant wilderness." Then with one accord did the people cry, "Wilt thou indeed be guardian to this child, knowing the ill that the wise man hath foretold?" "Yea, truly, I will be guardian to the child, and when she be a woman, then shall she be my wedded wife.

And if with a maiden comes sorrow, then be that sorrow upon me and not upon the land." "What sayest thou, O Felim the Harper?" cried the people.

"It were better to slay the child than to let that come which hath been foretold." "And what sayest thou, O wise man?" "That which shall come shall come." At the same moment, there entered the hall a servant of Felim, and loudly did he proclaim that the girl babe who had been foretold was born.

"Right beautiful and strong is the child, most fair to look upon." "And Deirdre shall her name be," said the wise man, "Deirdre the Star-Eyed." And because of the words that the King Conchobar had spoken, the life of the babe was spared.