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The tale of Derdriu once again begins with a prophecy of a woman’s birth being the catalyst for the destruction of men and the envy of woman. Prior to her birth, an ominous scream came from her mother’s womb, arousing suspicion and fear in all those who heard it. The druid Cathbad was called upon to adjudicate and provide answers as to what this fierce scream could mean, he poetically described how her stunning appearance would wreak havoc on the land of Ulster, “There is a girl there. Derdriu shall be her name. She will bring evil” he said (Kinsella,9). This depiction continues the sexist trend we’ve already encountered in our study of Mythology, whereby woman, especially beautiful ones are made to be the scapegoats for dishonorable men. Upon hearing the omen described by Cathbad, the so-called warriors immediately call for her death, presumably for the greater good but realistically, in my opinion, out of cowardice. Conchobor’s lust for this beautiful woman is all that kept her alive, he wanted to have her raised in secret so that he might marry her when she came of age, thereby, once again self-fulfilling the prophecies of Cathbad and furthermore, this continues the trend where powerful men abuse their power and treat woman like a prize to be claimed.
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