batch.motif.celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg-l4405-l4561
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg-l4405-l4561
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
passage_locator:
label: BOOK OF LEINSTER VERSION / THE LAMENT OF DEIRDRE OVER THE SONS OF USNACH
/ ACCORDING TO THE GLENN MASAIN VERSION / ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE FROM
THE SAME VERSION; lines 4405-4561
start: '4405'
end: '4561'
translation: Heroic Romances of Ireland
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Deirdre laments the deaths of the three sons of Usnach, especially Naisi,
praises their heroic qualities, blames treachery and a druidic spell, asks for
room in the grave, and says she cannot long survive them. After the lament she
sits in the tomb and kisses Naisi. Cathbad curses Emain Macha. Fergus returns,
finds his pledge dishonoured, attacks Conor's household with allies, destroys
and burns Emain Macha, and then goes to Connaught, from where raids against Ulster
continue for years.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Deirdre mourns the three sons of Usnach and repeatedly describes them as heroic
animals and supports in battle.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Deirdre says she left the king of Ulster in order to find Naisi's love.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Deirdre asks the grave-digger to make the tomb wide because she wants room
beside her hero.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Deirdre says the sons died while trying to save her life and that treachery
crushed them.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: After the lament, Deirdre seats herself in the tomb and gives three kisses
to Naisi before he is laid in the grave.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: Cathbad the Druid curses Emain Macha because of the treachery, saying Conor
and his race should not hold that burg.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: Fergus returns, finds the sons of Usnach slain and his pledge dishonoured,
and joins allies in battle against Conor's household.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: Emain Macha is destroyed and burned, Conor's women are slain, and Fergus's
side gathers a host.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: Fergus, Cormac, and their warriors go to Connaught, receive welcome from Ailill
and Maev, and continue raiding Ulster for seven or ten years without truce.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Deirdre
description: Speaker of the lament; she mourns the sons of Usnach, especially Naisi,
and enters the tomb after the lament.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Sons of Usnach
description: The three slain heroes mourned by Deirdre; named in the lament through
Naisi, Ardan, and Ainnle.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Naisi
description: One of the sons of Usnach and Deirdre's beloved; Deirdre kisses him
before burial.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Ardan
description: One of the sons of Usnach whose death Deirdre mentions.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Ainnle
description: One of the sons of Usnach whose death Deirdre mentions.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Cathbad the Druid
description: He is cursed by Deirdre in the lament and later curses Emain Macha.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Cuchulain
description: He departs for Dun Delga in heaviness and grief after Deirdre's act
at the tomb.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Fergus son of Rossa the Red
description: His pledge has been dishonoured; he attacks Conor's household and later
raids Ulster from Connaught.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Conor
description: King whose household is attacked; his son Maine and many of his people
are slain, and his burg is cursed and destroyed.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Cormac the Partner of Exile
description: Conor's son who joins Fergus and Dubhtach against Conor's household
and later goes to Connaught.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Dubhtach, the Beetle of Ulster
description: An ally who joins Fergus and Cormac in battle against Conor's household.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Ailill the Great and Maev of Croghan
description: Rulers in Connaught who give welcome and support to Fergus, Cormac,
and their warriors.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: lamenting survivor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Deirdre voices the lament and says her lonely life will soon end.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: slain heroic kin-group
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: The three sons of Usnach are repeatedly praised as dead heroes and battle
leaders.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: dead beloved
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Deirdre says she left the king of Ulster for Naisi's love and asks for place
beside her hero.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: beloved seeking the grave
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Deirdre asks for room in the tomb and later seats herself there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: druidic curser
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Cathbad is named as a druid who lays a curse on Emain Macha.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: avenging allies
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:10
- fig:11
basis: They give battle to Conor's household after the sons of Usnach are slain
and Fergus's pledge is dishonoured.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:7
label: grieving witness
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Cuchulain goes to Dun Delga with heaviness and grief after the tomb scene.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: exiled raiders
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:10
basis: They go to Connaught and their warriors repeatedly harry and burn Ulster.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:9
label: dishonoured ruler opposed by rebels
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Conor's household is attacked, his people are slain, and his line is cursed
not to hold Emain Macha.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: hosts and supporters
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: Ailill and Maev welcome and support Fergus, Cormac, and their warriors in
Connaught.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: the number three
literal_form: Three sons, three kisses, repeated triadic descriptions
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: grave or tomb
literal_form: The grave or tomb made for the sons of Usnach, with Deirdre asking
for room and sitting inside it
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: heroic animal comparisons
literal_form: Lions, dragons, hawks, bears, and billows used in Deirdre's praise
of the sons
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: hounds and hawks without masters
literal_form: The hounds and hawks of the three dead heroes lack their masters
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:5
label: fire of destruction
literal_form: Emain Macha is burned, and Ulster is later harried and burned
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: sym:6
label: dishonoured pledge
literal_form: Fergus's pledge is said to have been dishonoured
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Deirdre's lament over the dead heroes
summary: Deirdre praises the sons of Usnach as royal, martial, and beloved heroes
and mourns that she remains alive after their deaths.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:10
- id: scene:2
label: Request for burial beside Naisi
summary: Deirdre addresses the grave-digger, asks for a wide tomb, says she seeks
her hero's side, and later sits in the tomb and kisses Naisi three times.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Curse on Emain Macha
summary: Cathbad lays a curse on Emain Macha in vengeance for the treachery, declaring
that Conor and his race should not hold the burg.
figure_refs:
- fig:6
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Fergus's retaliation and destruction of Emain Macha
summary: Fergus learns that the sons of Usnach were slain and his pledge dishonoured,
then with Cormac, Dubhtach, and their armies attacks Conor's household, slays
many, and destroys and burns Emain Macha.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Exile to Connaught and prolonged raiding
summary: Fergus, Cormac, and their warriors go to Connaught, receive support from
Ailill and Maev, and conduct repeated raids against Ulster for years without truce.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
- fig:10
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: lamenting survivor beside slain beloved and kin
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Deirdre speaks an extended lament over the three sons of Usnach, especially
Naisi, and says survival is worse than death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: This is a passage-level motif label, not a supplied taxonomy family.
- id: motif:2
label: desire for union with the dead in the grave
taxonomy_refs:
- annihilation_union
basis: Deirdre asks that the tomb be made wide so she can seek her hero's side,
then seats herself in the tomb and kisses Naisi before burial.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage implies desire for death or burial beside Naisi, but does
not narrate Deirdre's death within this excerpt.
- id: motif:3
label: death in saving another
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: Deirdre states that the sons of Usnach would save her life and died for that
reason.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The statement comes from Deirdre's lament; the mechanics of their deaths
are not narrated in this passage.
- id: motif:4
label: broken pledge leading to vengeance
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: Fergus finds that his pledge has been dishonoured and then joins allies in
battle against Conor's household.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage uses the word pledge and shows retaliation, but does not provide
the original pledge terms.
- id: motif:5
label: curse on the royal stronghold after treachery
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Cathbad curses Emain Macha so that Conor and his race should not hold it
because treachery had been done.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: Cathbad is a druid, not explicitly a deity; the taxonomy fit is functional
rather than exact.
- id: motif:6
label: exile and retaliatory raiding between kingdoms
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: Fergus, Cormac, and their warriors leave for Connaught and raid Ulster for
seven or ten years without truce.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The departure is political exile or relocation rather than a quest departure.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4405-4440
quote_or_summary: Deirdre calls the sons of Usnach royal heroes and compares the
three to lions, dragons, hawks, bears, and battle-supporting rocks or props.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 4441-4458
quote_or_summary: Deirdre says that with Naisi dead and Ardan and Ainnle gone, her
own life would be short; she says the king of Ulster had won her hand but she
left him to find Naisi's love.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: lines 4465-4474
quote_or_summary: "“Make wide the tomb; its room I crave, / I come to seek my hero's
side.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 4501-4504
quote_or_summary: "“'Twas guile that crushed them: they would save my life / And
died therefor”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 4522-4527
quote_or_summary: After the lament Deirdre seats herself in the tomb, gives three
kisses to Naisi before he is laid in the grave, and Cuchulain goes to Dun Delga
in grief.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 4527-4531
quote_or_summary: Cathbad the Druid lays a curse on Emain Macha for the treachery,
saying neither Conor nor his race should hold that burg.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 4532-4539
quote_or_summary: Fergus comes to Emain Macha, finds the sons of Usnach slain and
his pledge dishonoured, and with Cormac, Dubhtach, and their armies battles Conor's
household.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 4539-4545
quote_or_summary: Maine son of Conor and three hundred of Conor's people are slain;
Emain Macha is destroyed and burned; Conor's women are slain; a host of three
thousand warriors gathers.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 4545-4561
quote_or_summary: Fergus, Cormac, and their warriors go to Connaught, are welcomed
by Ailill and Maev, and thereafter send reavers to harry and burn Ulster for seven
or ten years without truce.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 4475-4496
quote_or_summary: Deirdre remembers the heroes' shields, spears, and swords, and
says their hounds and hawks now lack their masters; seeing the hounds causes her
to wail.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is strong because the passage is explicit. Motif family
assignments are cautious, especially where supplied taxonomy labels are broader
than the episode.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly compare the episode to another tradition or corpus.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg__l4405-l4561
passage_sha256=08afcfed3cc350dd6de53db6639cdc897d202a76daf590be0869abc4b31cc2ec