Cathbad (Old Irish pronunciation:[ˈkaθvað]) orCathbhadh (modern spelling) is the chiefdruid in the court of KingConchobar mac Nessa in theUlster Cycle ofIrish Mythology.
He features in both accounts of Conchobar's birth, in one of which he is the king's father. In the first,Nessa, daughter ofEochaid Sálbuide, the then king of Ulster, asks the druid what it is an auspicious time for (as he had the ability to foretell the future). Cathbad replies, "for begetting a king on a queen". There were no other men around, so Ness takes Cathbad to bed and conceives a son.[1][2]
In the second version,[3][4] Cathbad, who is a leader of a band offianna (landless warriors) as well as a druid, attacks Ness's foster-fathers' house, killing all 12 of them. Because the culprit cannot be identified, Eochaid is powerless to do anything about it, so Ness forms her own band of 27fianna to track him down. However, one day, when she goes off on her own to bathe, Cathbad comes upon her alone and unarmed, and demands her as his wife. She has no choice but to agree, and Cathbad rapes her.[5] However, in this version, Ness's child is the son of her lover,High KingFachtna Fáthach, not Cathbad's. Ness goes into labour, and Cathbad tells her if she can manage not to give birth until the following day, her son will be a great king and have everlasting fame. Ness sits on a flagstone by the river Conchobar and the following morning gives birth. The baby falls into the river, but Cathbad lifts him out, names him Conchobar after the river, and brings him up as his own son.[6][7]
The druid was also present at the birth ofDeirdre and prophesied her tragic fate, but Conchobar ignored him.[8] On another occasion, the youngCú Chulainn overheard Cathbad prophesies that anyone who took arms on that day would have everlasting fame but a short life; he immediately ran to Conchobar and asked to be armed.
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