Bláthnat ("Little flower"), sometimes Bláthíne, is a character in

early Irish literature Early Irish literature is one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe, though inscriptions utilising Irish and Latin are found on Ogham stones dating from the 4th century, indicating simultaneous usage of both languages by this per ...

, a king's daughter, wife of the warrior

Cú Roí Cú Roí mac Dáire (Cú Ruí, Cú Raoi) is a king of Munster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is usually portrayed as a warrior with superhuman abilities and a master of disguise possessed of magical powers. His name probably means "ho ...

and the lover of his rival

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, ...

Love triangle

Her father is either Mend of Inis Fer Falga (identified as the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

), Iuchna,

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, ...

, or

Midir In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir (Old Irish) or Midhir (Modern Irish) was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith (believed ...

, the fairy king of Brí Léith (from

Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

). Her father's kingdom was invaded by warriors of the

Red Branch The Red Branch (; alternatively, ) is the name of two of the three royal houses of the king of Ulster, Conchobar mac Nessa, at his capital Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh), in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. In modern retellings it is s ...

of Ulster, led by

and

. The raid led to her capture, along with several

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

and a magic

cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...

. Despite being in love with Cú Chulainn, she was chosen by Cú Roí as his spoil and married him, leading to a dispute between the two warriors. This ended with Cú Chulainn being shaved and humiliated by Cú Roí. Later, she betrayed her husband to his enemies, pouring milk into the River Finglas (Finnglas), supposedly at the Caherconree Fort, as a signal he was at home. Subsequent to this action, Cú Roí was slain by Cú Chulainn. In revenge for this, Cú Roí's poet Ferchertne, threw both himself and Blathnát from a cliff. Bláthnat's floral name and the story of her conspiracy have been compared to those of ''

Blodeuwedd Blodeuwedd (), (Welsh "Flower-Faced", a composite name from ''blodau'' "flowers" + ''gwedd'' "face"), is the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes in Welsh mythology. She was made from the flowers of broom, meadowsweet and oak by the magicians Math and Gwydio ...

'' in the Fourth Branch of the

Mabinogi The ''Mabinogion'' () are the earliest Welsh prose stories, and belong to the Matter of Britain. The stories were compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, create ...

, ''

Math fab Mathonwy In Welsh mythology, Math fab Mathonwy (), also called Math ap Mathonwy (Math, son of Mathonwy) was a king of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who needed to rest his feet in the lap of a virgin unless he was at war, or he would die. The story of Math is ...

''.

''Fled Bricrenn''

Blathnat makes an appearance in the ''

Fled Bricrenn ''Fled Bricrenn'' (Old Irish "Bricriu's Feast") is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Bricriu, an inveterate troublemaker, invites the nobles of the Ulaid to a feast at his new ''bruiden'' (hostel, banquet hall) at Dún Rudraige ( ...

'' (Feast of Bricriu) as the wife of the absent Cú Roí. She tells each of the three heroes to guard the fort on different nights, however only Cú Chulainn is able to defeat the force. Because of this, Cú Roí gives Cú Chulainn the Champion's Portion that he had been quarreling with the other heroes for, however the other two demand a rematch.

References

Ulster Cycle {{Europe-myth-stub