Emer

Emer, or in modern Irish Eimear, daughter of Forgall Monach, is the wife of the hero Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.

Legend

The Wooing of Emer

The Ulstermen searched all over Ireland for a suitable wife for Cúchulainn, but he would have none but Emer. He visited her at Forgall's house at Lusk, County Dublin, and wooed her by trading cryptic riddles with her. Emer would accept Cúchulainn as a husband, but only when his deeds justified it.

However, Forgall was opposed to the match. He came to Ulster in disguise and suggested that Cúchulainn should train in arms with the renowned warrior-woman Scáthach in Scotland, hoping the ordeal would be too much for him and he would be killed. Cúchulainn took up the challenge. He learned all the arts of war from Scáthach, and while he was there slept with her rival Aoife, or Aífe, leaving her pregnant.

In the meantime, Forgall offered Emer to Lugaid mac Nóis, a king of Munster. However, when he heard that Emer loved Cúchulainn, Lugaid refused her hand.

Cúchulainn returned from Scotland fully trained, but Forgall still refused to let him marry Emer. Cúchulainn stormed Forgall's fortress, killing twenty-four of Forgall's men, abducted Emer and stole Forgall's treasure. Forgall himself fell from the ramparts to his death. An ally of Forgall's, Scenn Menn, tried to stop the fleeing couple, but Cúchulainn killed him in single combat at a ford. Having proved his prowess, Emer now agreed to marry him.

Conchobar mac Nessa, the king of Ulster, had the "right of the first night" over all marriages of his subjects. He was afraid of Cúchulainn's reaction if he exercised it in this case, but would lose his authority if he didn't. A solution was found - Conchobar would sleep with Emer on the night of the wedding, but Cathbad the druid would sleep between them.

Emer's only jealousy

Though Cúchulainn had many lovers, Emer's only jealousy came when he was entranced into love with Fand, wife of Manannán mac Lir, the king of the great sea, as recounted in the narrative "The Sickbed of Cúchulainn". She decided to kill her rival, but when she saw the strength of Fand's love for Cúchulainn she decided to give him up to her. Fand, touched by Emer's magnanimity, decided to return to her own husband. Manannán shook his cloak between Cúchulainn and Fand, ensuring the two would never meet again, and Cúchulainn and Emer drank a potion to wipe the whole affair from their memories.

Other stories

When Aoífe's son Connla came to Ireland in search of his father, Emer realised who he was and tried to persuade Cúchulainn not to kill him, but to no avail.

Emer was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, a gentle voice, sweet words, wisdom, skill at needlework and chastity.

Cultural references

Literature

Emer is the subject of William Butler Yeats' play, "The Only Jealousy of Emer". This play is one of his five famous Cuchulain pieces and is written with heavy stylistic influences from the Japanese Noh theatre. The story is taken with some liberty from Lady Augusta Gregory's saga-story of the same name in her collection, "Cuchulain of Muirthemne"(1902). "Jealousy" premiered in 1922 in Amsterdam under the direction of Albert van Dalsum with masks created by the sculptor Hildo Krop. It did not play on the Irish stage until May 1926, when it was staged by the Dublin Drama League at the Abbey Theatre.

Other references

The LÉ Emer (P21), a ship in the Irish Naval Service, is named after her.

The character of Emer appeared in the dramatic musical program Celtic Hero, which was based on events from the Tochmarc Emire, or the “Wooing of Emer” story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. The program was produced by the Radio Tales series for National Public Radio.

External links

* [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G301021/index.html Tochmarc Emire la Coinculaind (Irish) at CELT]
* [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301021/index.html The Wooing of Emer (English)]
* [http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4191 The Only Jealousy of Emer (Play) at Cornell University Press]