Hello. My name is Oisín Ó Dubhshláine and welcome to the sixth part of our six part series on Life and DEath. This week, we’ll take a look at the death of Áine. Now, there are a couple of women named Áine in the legends of Ireland but this is not the goddess and member of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Instead of the mythological cycle, this story comes from the historical cycle. Áine was the daughter-in-law to Laoghaire Lorc and the mother of Labhraidh Loingseach.
Long ago, Laoghaire Lorc stood as the High King of Ireland. He had a son named Aillel. Aillel was married to Áine and they had a son together. For a time, they were happy together.
The High King had a brother named Cobhthach. He was the King of Leinster. Although he was already a king, Cobhthach was jealous of his brother. He was a paranoid man and saw every action his brother made as a slight against him. Cobhthach craved the Highthrone, so much so that it corrupted his body. He grew tall and thin, with only greasy wisps of hair left on his head. Nothing satisfied him. And so, he was called Cobhthach Caol, which loosely translates to miserable Cobhthach.
The High King heard about Cobhthach Caol’s sickness and came to visit. By accident, Laoghaire Lorc stood on Cobhthach’s chicken, killing it. This was the last insult Cobhthach would suffer because of his brother. After the visit, Cobhthach Caol ordered his servents to spread the word that he had died. The High King came to mourn and when he threw himself down on Cobhthach Caol’s body to weep, he never saw the knife in Cobhthach Caol’s hands.
Cobhthach Caol killed his brother, Laoghaire Lorc, and his nephew Aillel. He traumatised Aillel’s son, so much so that he couldn’t speak after it. He made a mute out of him. As well as this, he banished this young boy and as such the boy was called Maol Loingseach, meaning the Mute who was Exiled.
Áine searched the country from top to bottom looking for a way to treat her son but she never came on a solution, until the pair of them went to a game of iománaíocht or hurling. Maol Loigseach grew very excited with the game and in the end, when the game was won, he roared with the crowd and the people around him were shocked.
“Labhraidh sé,” they said together, which means “he spoke.” After that, the boy was called Labhraidh Loingseach.
Now, since he could speak again Labhraidh Loingseach was eligible to stand as the High King. This ability put him in danger. And son, he escaped to France with Áine. Labhraidh Loingseach grew up here and fought in the French army, rising through the ranks.
At last, with the army of France and the army of Munster on his side, Labhraidh Loingseach attacked Leinster and his great uncle. When he had won Leinster, he sent a message to Cobhthach Caol, inviting him to sit with him in a feast, to settle the peace.
Obviously, Cobhthach Caol was wary of this invitation. He took his entire army with him and they met Labhraidh Loingseach at a strange fort. Before the feast, Labhraidh Loingseach had ordered the Munster army to build an iron fort. Every piece of it was made of iron. The walls, the roof, even the nails they used. They covered the entire fort with wood and hid every piece of iron. Cobhthach Caol nor his army did not recognise that there was anything strange about the fort, and yet, Cobhthach Caol didn’t have much faith in his great-nephew.
“You’re welcome inside, my High King,” Labhraidh Loingseach said, extending his arm to the fort.
“My nephew, I will not put a person or even a foot inside the fort until I see you walk in there before me,” Cobhthach Caol said.
Labhraidh Loingseach was stunned. He did not think this would happen. He knew neither he nor anyone in his army could set foot inside of the fort.
“If you’re afraid, High King, I’ll go in, in front of you,” Áine said.
Labhraidh Loingseach locked eyes with his mother.
“Don’t you understand what this fort is?” he thought.
But he said that she understood exactly what she said.
With that, she walked into the iron fort. Cobhthach Caol was satisfied with this and he followed her, as well as his entire army.
With a heavy heart, Labhraidh Loingseach gave the order and the only door to the fort was closed. The lock was turned and the Munster Army threw more wood on the iron fort. When there was enough wood, they lit it on fire and everyone inside was cooked. It’s said that Labhraidh Loingseach heard his mother inside of the fort, urging him to take his revenge, for himself and for her, against the man who had killed his grandfather and his father.
Labhraidh Loingseach then became the High King after this and it’s certain he would not have achieved this status without his mother.
This is a recurring theme in the legends of Ireland, of women, especially mothers, dying for their communities.
To take a look at Cessair and Tailte. Cessair died after bring the first people to Ireland on three ships which she built herself. It’s said that she was the prime reason for the survival of these people and that she died of a broken heart after taking care of them for so long. As well as this, Tailte died after clearing twelve plains in one night. This isn’t to say that she took all the dirt from them but that she cleared it of trees. This was done, plains were cleared so that a society could live on that land.
As such, we see the significance women had on the survival of the People of Ireland and the sacrifices they made for us.
This is our story on the Death of Áine.
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