Deirdre (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: James Stephens
- First Published: 1923
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Folklore
- Time of Work: The Heroic Age
- Setting: Ireland
- Genres: Long fiction, Folklore
- Subjects: Mythology or myths, Love or romance, Suicide, Escapes, Music or musicians, Kings, queens, or royalty, Legends, Kidnapping, Fate or fatalism, Heroes or heroism, Ireland or Irish people, Middle Ages, Battles, Celtic Twilight, Celts
- Locales: Ireland, Scotland
Characters Discussed
Conachur mac Nessa, king of Ulster, strong and willful, beloved by his people. Pride forces him to ignore a prophecy that the infant Deirdre will bring destruction upon Ulster. She is brought up as his ward. Seeing her, he determines to make her his queen. After her escape to Scotland, he resorts to treachery in an attempt to lure her back.
Nessa, the Ungentle, the mother of Conachur. Daughter of a king of Ulster, she was called Assa, the Gentle, until she set forth to seek vengeance on the murderer of her tutors.
Cathfa, a magician,...
[The entire page is 810 words long]
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