Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...

, Deichtine or Deichtire was the sister of

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulaid, Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King of Ireland, High King Fachtna Fáthach, ...

and the mother of

Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster (Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, ...

. Her husband was Sualtam, but Cú Chulainn's real father may have been

Lugh Lugh or Lug (; ga, label=Modern Irish, Lú ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The God ...

of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish goddess), Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deity, ...

. In one version of the story she was Conchobar's charioteer. When a flock of birds descended on

Emain Macha Navan Fort ( sga, Emain Macha ; ga, Eamhain Mhacha, label=Modern Irish ) is an ancient ceremonial monument near Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to tradition it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the cap ...

and ate all the grass, the Ulstermen decided to hunt them, and they set off after them in their chariots. They chased them until night fell, and it began to snow, so they decided to seek shelter. They found a house and were welcomed in by the young man who lived there. His wife was in labour at the time, but he showed them hospitality and served them food and drink. His wife gave birth to a baby boy, and at the same time a horse outside the house gave birth to two colts. The Ulstermen went to sleep, but when they woke up they found themselves at the '' Brug na Bóinne'' (

Newgrange Newgrange ( ga, Sí an Bhrú) is a prehistoric monument in County Meath in Ireland, located on a rise overlooking the River Boyne, west of Drogheda. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic Period, around 3200 BC, ...

). The house, the man and his wife had vanished, but the baby and the two colts remained. Deichtine took the boy as her foster-son and they returned to Emain. Soon after the boy fell ill and died. Deichtine took a drink, and a tiny creature leaped from the cup into her mouth. When she fell asleep, Lug appeared to her and told her it was his house they had stayed in that night, and that his child was in her womb. While the Ulstermen whispered that it was actually Conchobar's son, the latter betrothed Deichtine to Sualtam mac Roich, who owed him a great favor. Deichtine married Sualtam, and on her wedding night, ashamed to carry another's child, "crushed the child within her until she was again like a virgin. Then she slept with her husband and was made pregnant by him and bore a son". In another version, Deichtine disappeared from

. As before, a flock of birds came to Emain and led the Ulstermen to Lug's house, but the wife in labour wife was Deichtine. They woke up at the Brug na Bóinne, Lug and the house had vanished, but Deichtine and the baby remained. They returned to Emain and Deichtine married Sualtam.

Genealogy

Deichtine's ancestry and kin: Deichtine's mother was Maga, daughter of Oengus Og, and her father was Cathbad the Druid. Her sisters were Finchoem, mother of Conall the Victorious, and the mother of Naiose and his brothers. Although Conall the Victorious was a bitter enemy of Anluan and Cet mac Maga, they were his maternal uncles. Cet even protected the pregnant Finchoem until she gave birth and it was prophesied that Conall would be his slayer.

Primary sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deichtine Ulster Cycle