The Violent Death of Bresail mac Diarmata
Irish and Celtic myths and legends, Irish folklore and Irish fairy tales from the Historical Cycle
Aided Bresail
Díarmata mac Cerbaill was the last pagan High King of Ireland, who made his seat at Temair and followed the ancient rituals of inauguration, including the ban-feis or marriage to goddess of the land. His reign was a strange one where the mysteries of ancient Ireland vied with the light of Christianity and many powers rose and fell, often by violence and treachery.
Díarmata was also the last High King to observe the ancient pagan Feis Temrach or Assembly of Tara which took place on Samhain every three years. During these festivals the druids and nobles of Ireland would pass or renew laws, as well as approving annals and records.
It was a great event, and so Díarmata's son Bresail was determined to impress his father by holding one of the greatest feasts Ireland had ever seen to honour the High King. All was in readiness, but he was lacking one essential. Nothing would do but he brought a cow with a tallowed or fatty liver to the feast. Some murmur that the druids intended to use the cow's liver to predict the future after the manner of their sorcery, which would be a very useful gift indeed for any ruler!
Searching high and low, Bresail could find no beast of the sort he needed in all of Ireland. Across forest and field, through bog and over mountain he sent his men on fleet horses, but every one returned empty handed.
Until, at last, a fast runner came panting to his door and announced that the very cow he sought had been found! It was in the ownership of a nun called Luchair of Cell Elgraigem, who lived in the fabled Christian sanctuary of Kells.
Full of confidence, Bresail went forth to Kells and made what he felt was a most handsome offer to buy the cow - seven kine and a bull! But the keen-eyed nun had some sense of the blasphemous magical use to which the prince intended to put her animal, and so she refused to sell it to him.
Greatly frustrated, he left in a sullen cloud of anger, but he was of no mood to be thwarted after all his efforts. He returned later that evening when he knew the nun would be at her prayers, and painting himself with light and dark he crept into the cattle enclosure and led the tallow-livered cow out and away up the road!
The cow was duly brought and slaughtered before the High King at the feast, and happy was the carousing and merry the feasting as the druids began to read its entrails. But gloom and silence descended as most terrible the prophecy they recounted with ashen faces - just as the hall doors burst open! Who should be standing there but the outraged nun.
She screamed and told High King Díarmata her complaint, and thunderous was his voice when he heard what his wayward son had done.
"You have acted with great injustice, Bresail, in taking what belonged to this nun and putting it to a use she found repugnant as she prayed to her god in the church! Not alone have you violated the laws of hospitality but you have defied my discipline, my upbringing, and my name!"
Díarmata descended from his throne, face as white as snow with fury, and thrusting his blade into his son's heart he declared "and so you shall die for your deed".
The next day the High King brooded upon the events of the feast and the dark omens revealed by the druids, and he was suddenly overcome by sorrow and repentance. Too swiftly had he struck and in striking caused the prophecies to come true almost before their echoes had faded!
Wracked now with pain, he turned in desperation to Saint Colmcille and begged him for some help or way out of what he had done.
"There is one thing you can do," said the Saint after praying on the question, "you can take yourself to the one called Becan of the Ulaid, who was once a terrible warrior and hundred-fighter, slayer of wife and mother, he who pronged the meat of his enemies on his flesh-fork and consumed them!"
Díarmata was much afraid upon hearing this and begged for an alternative, saying he could not go to the island whereon Becan dwelt, but Colmcille said he would accompany the High King to ease his fears, for he knew that Becan had become a Christian and had turned his whole soul over to God's keeping.
That very day they set out on a small coracle and reached the island before the sun had set. They found Becan building a stone wall for a cell, wearing a wet sheet in the cold as penance, and praying aloud for forgiveness.
Well, when Becan set eyes on the High King he let a roar out of him and said
"Under the earth with you, you parricide!"
for he knew the way of looking into the souls of men. With that, Díarmata started sinking into the earth and was in past his knees before Colmcille intervened.
"The High King is under our protection still oh Becan," he said "he has come to ask your forgiveness and to restore his son to life".
The sun began to set in a saffron blaze as Becan raised his right hand and spoke three times the prayer to give life back to Bresail son of Díarmata, but a strange thing happened, for with each prayer the earth opened and fifty men came climbing out, howling and patting the fires of hell off themselves! For each one had been called Bresail while he still walked the earth.
But on the third prayer Bresail son of Díarmata came forth from the pit and bade his father a glad greeting.
Kells is marked on the map below!
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