The Táin "Exile of the Sons of Uisliu"

by Alania

The "Exile of the Sons of Uisliu" in The Táin is a tale that deals with the birth and growth of Derdriu, the daughter of Fedlimid Mac Daill, and the destructive and fatal influence that she has over the land of Ulster and its inhabitants.

Derdriu was born to Fedlimid’s unnamed wife during a large feast at the Mac Daill compound. Fedlimid’s wife had the druid Cathbad prophesize the future of Derdriu as the child was born, telling how she would be beautiful, but bring nothing but death, destruction and jealousy to Ulster. Despite this, she was kept alive and reared for Conchobor, King of Ulster.

One winter day Derdriu slipped out to where Noisiu, one of the sons of Uisliu, was chanting, and flirted with him. Noisiu tried to resist, but could not. Hearing the noise of the struggle between Derdriu and Noisiu, the other sons of Uisliu went out to see what was going on. It was decided that they would leave Ulster with Derdriu and some others, as they knew Conchobor would be upset.

The Sons of Uisliu traveled all over Ireland and eventually crossed the water and to Alba and stayed there for a bit where they were eventually accepted as mercenaries by the king of Alba. However, The steward and the king of Alba became aware of Derdriu and tried to lure her from Noisiu unsuccessfully. Finally the king of Alba decided to have Noisiu killed. Derdriu warned Noisiu of this so he left Alba with his brothers.

Conchobor then invited the sons of Uisliu back to Ulster with guarantees of safety after hearing the news. The sons were willing to return, but only if escorted by Fergus, Dubthach, and Conchobor’s son Cormac. It was agreed. However, Fergus was stopped along the way by his oath to never refuse ale. As a result the sons of Uisliu were brought before Conchobor and his men without protection on the green at Emain and were slaughtered. After, Derdriu was brought back to Conchobor’s possession bound.

Upon hearing of what had happened, Fergus, Dubthach, and Cormac came to Emain enraged. They slaughtered a number of men and women, and burned Emain. They then went into exile to Connacht among a group of 3000.

Afterwards, Derdriu could not be cheered up by anyone. And when Conchobor asked her one day what she hated the most, she replied him and Eogan mac Durthacht (the man who had killed Noisiu at Emain). So Conchobor sent her to live with Eogan, but as she stood in his chariot to leave, she killed herself by smashing her head into a block of stone.

While only one of many tales in The Táin, "The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu" has several important and interesting components within it, some of which directly influence later events in the epic. Others do not have the same influence, but are worth examining because of the insight they give into social structure and customs.

Firstly, it is interesting to note that we are never given the name of Derdriu’s mother at any point throughout the tale, despite the fact that she even has poetic dialogue. She is only ever referred to as ‘woman’, ‘the woman’, or ‘Fedlimid’s wife’. We are however given the full name of her father; Fedlimid mac Daill. This trend apparently is common throughout this tale, as the only other woman who is named within it is Queen Medb of Connacht - others such as Derdriu’s foster mother and the women of Emain are left unnamed. This may have been done to place emphasis and focus on Derdriu, or possibly to assist listeners to this originally recited tale from getting bogged down with too many names. Also, the audience would have most likely been more interested in hearing about the male heroes and warriors, thus those would be the names made prominent in the tale as opposed to those of supporting and female characters.

As well, within this tale is a prophetic poem spoken by Cathbad that begins prior to, and goes on through and after the birth of Derdriu. The druid’s poem, a reply to Fedlimid’s wife who requests that he tell her and her husband what is going on with their child, is a pivotal piece of the tale. Along with being physically descriptive of Derdriu as a woman, it gives insight into the future of Ulster - a not-so-pleasant future with key events directly influenced by Derdriu. Part way through the druid’s poem, as he announces the child is evil, she is born. It is a rather anti-climactic event represented in a single understated sentence. It is used almost as a bridge for Cathbad to continue on with his prophetic recitation, and when he is finished all the warriors who call out for Derdriu to be killed so that none of what the druid prophesized can take place. However, the man who has control over all final decisions in Ulster, and who happened to be at the feast at Fedlimid’s – King Conchobor – wanted Derdriu alive for himself so that when she was old enough he could have her to take to bed, like she was some sort of prize.

As a result of the king’s wishes Derdriu was raised in seclusion by foster parents, having very little contact with other members of the Ulster community. This restricted lifestyle, along with the prodding suggestion of Leborcham the satirist one day, led to Derdriu and Noisiu’s elopement. It becomes even more obvious that Derdriu is irresistible, even by those who know of Cathbad’s warning. The audience is made to wonder though, if Derdriu is aware of her own situation, and if she is - is she aware of her own power over people, and also if she even cares what effect she has on others.

Another highly important moment in the book is when the sons of Uisliu agree to return from Alba to Ulster under the false pretences of safety. When Fergus was diverted by the trickery of Conchobor, who knew that Fergus had a geas that disallowed him from ever refusing ale when offered, it left the sons of Uisliu open Conchobor’s wrath and there was nothing they could do about it. Conchobor wished only for the death of the sons of Uisliu – three men lured by a cursed woman through no real fault of their own, and indeed through Conchobor’s fault and greed in letting her live as a child to keep as his own. The scene that describes the death of the sons of Uisliu at Emain is relatively brief but quite detailed. Great care is taken in the description of Noisiu in particular, an event that serves to commence the slaughter on the green at Emain. Noisiu and his brothers are described as heroes, and perhaps in his tragic death there was also seen a shadow of glory for the fame he would acquire – though it did not seem in his character to desire such a thing. This battle also played a roll in Fergus’ exile, as he came to it upon hearing what had happened and joined the slaughter himself, before leaving with his group in shame at what had happened.

The final major event within this tale is most likely the death of Derdriu. It is an abrupt, but graphic event right at the end of the tale where the inconsolable Derdriu smashes her head open on a large stone. This ending, though brutal and bloody, is like a great sigh of relief for all involved. No longer are the people of Ulster troubled by the negative effects of the existence of Derdriu, no longer is she held captive by the king of Ulster like some sort of pet animal, with the man she loved having been killed, and even the audience is given the impression that they are finally freed. Almost as abruptly as she was born and declared evil, the tale is over.

In conclusion, the above are some of the major influential events that occurred within the tale “The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu”, and a scrutiny of these events reveals many interesting things about the tale, The Táin, and the society depicted within the epic along with that one which the epic was created for.

Works Cited

The Táin. Trans. Thomas Kinsella. Oxford, UK. : Oxford University Press, 1969.