Furbaide Ferbend (Person)

**Furbaide Ferbend** is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Legend has it that Furbaide Ferbend was buried in a passage grave atop Carn Clonhugh, more commonly known as Corn Hill or Cairn Hill, north Longford, after the two passage graves that crown the summit.

Does he have horns on his head? Or does he have a beautiful helmet with Silver and Gold horns?

Could he have horns from being the spawn of incest?

The wizard of Ethne, daughter of Eochaid Feidlech, prophesied that the son of Ethne's sister Clothru would kill her (Ethne). Therefore Ethne fled to Cruachan in the East to give birth to her son, but Lugaid chased her there and drowned her; he then cut her son, **Furbaide Fer-benn** (described as having two horns on his temples) from her womb. Later at the age of 17 Furbaide sought revenge against Lugaid for his mother's death, and killed Clothru, for which Lugaid killed Furbaide on a mountain top called Sliab Uillean. Certain elements of this story bear a resemblance to the prophecy of Lugh Lamhfhada, son of Ethniu, who was predicted to kill his grandfather Balor of the Evil-Eye.

**Appears In**

**Family**

* Conchobar mac Nessa

Mother

* one of the daughters of Eochu Feidlech (Eithne or Clothru, meaning his mother might be Neasca, his own Grandmother)

Timeline of Actions
 Fights in Conchobar's Army
 Fights against the Erna

## Life

His father is Conchobar mac Nessa, king of the Ulaid. His mother is one of the daughters of Eochu Feidlech, the High King of Ireland: in the saga *Cath Boinde* ("the battle of the Boyne) and the *Dindsenchas* poem "Carn Furbaide" she is Eithne, in the saga *Aided Meidbe* ("the death of Medb") she is Clothru. Eochu gave several of his daughters to Conchobar in marriage in compensation for Conchobar's supposed father, the former High King Fachtna Fáthach, whom Eochu had killed in the Battle of Leitir Ruad. In the sagas Furbaide's mother is murdered by her sister Medb, Conchobar's former wife and the future queen of Connacht, in the poem by her nephew Lugaid Riab nDerg, and her child is born by posthumous Caesarian section.

*Cath Boinde* explains the name *Furbaide* as deriving from Old Irish *urbad*, "cutting", and says his original name was Diarmaid. According to the *Dindsenchas* Furbaide is described as smooth-skinned and bright of hue with two horns growing on his head, hence his epithet *ferbend*, "horned man". The glossary *Cóir Anmann* ("fitness of names") says the horns – two of silver and one of gold – were on his helmet.

At the age of seventeen he fights in Conchobar's army in the Battle of Gáirech and Ilgáirech at the end of the *Táin Bó Cúailnge* ("cattle raid of Cooley"). In the saga *Mesca Ulad* ("the intoxication of the Ulaid"), where he is said to be Cúchulainn's foster-son, he fights against the Erna, but he is so beautiful none of them can bring themselves to wound him. After Conchobar's death his son Cúscraid Mend Macha succeeds him as king of the Ulaid, and gives his brother Furbaide the regions of northern and southern Tethbae.

In later life, according to *Aided Meidbe*, he avenges his mother's death.

Medb had taken to bathing in a pool on the Shannon island of Inchcleraun. Furbaide measures the distance from the pool to the shore with a rope, and practices with his sling until he can hit an apple on top of a stake from that distance. The next time he sees Medb bathing, he shoots the nearest missile to hand – a piece of cheese **(ridiculous)**– at her, and kills her. **[This didn't happen, but it's an alternative version]**

In the *Dindsenchas* poem he kills the mother of Lugaid Riab nDerg, and Lugaid pursues and kills him in revenge. **[This makes far more sense, because 1. Medb had no reason to kill her sister, she wanted to kill Conchobar if anything. And, 2. there was a prophecy about Clothru's son Lugaid killing Eithn. Eithne is Clothru.]**