Fand

First appears: The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 2

In The Sick-bed of Cuchulain, Fand was the daughter of Aed Abra and the wife of Manannan the Son of the Sea. When Manannan released her, she set her love on Cuchulain, and the two agreed to meet at the Strand of the Yew-Tree’s Head. Cuchulain stayed with her for a month, then came to bid her farewell.

Emer came to the tryst with fifty women and knives whetted to slay Fand. Fand said she had been Manannan’s equal spouse, and chose to leave with him rather than wait for Cuchulain: “yet, Manannan, it is with thee that I go”. Afterwards, the Druids gave Cuchulain a drink of forgetfulness, and Manannan placed his cloak between Fand and Cuchulain so they would never meet again.

Relationship record

Life events

• Manannan released Fand, and she set her love on Cuchulain.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 2)
  • With: Manannan the Son of the Sea Cuchulain
  • “her husband, Manannan the Son of the Sea, hath released her, and she hath thereon set her love on thee.”
• Cuchulain slept with Fand and stayed in her company for a month.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 4)
  • With: Cuchulain
  • “Now, after all these things had passed, Cuchulain slept with the lady, and he abode for a month in her company, and at the end of the month he came to bid her farewell.”
• Cuchulain and Fand agreed to meet at the Strand of the Yew-Tree's Head.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 4 · 📍 the Strand of the Yew-Tree's Head)
  • With: Cuchulain
  • “‘Tell me,’ she said, ‘to what place I may go for our tryst, and I will be there;’ and they made tryst at the strand that is known as the Strand of the Yew-Tree's Head.”
• Emer came to the tryst with knives whetted and fifty women accompanying her, intending to slay Fand.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 4 · 📍 the Strand of the Yew-Tree's Head)
  • With: Emer
  • “Now word was brought to Emer of that tryst, and knives were whetted by Emer to slay the lady; and she came to the place of the tryst, and fifty women were with her.”
• Fand said she had been Manannan's equal spouse and that he paid for her marriage vows.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 4)
  • With: Manannan the Son of the Sea
  • “When the comely Manannan my lord was made, When I was his equal spouse, This armlet of gold that I bear he paid As price for my marriage vows.”
• Fand chose to leave with Manannan rather than wait for Cuchulain.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 4)
  • With: Manannan the Son of the Sea
  • “By my troth,” answered Fand, “either of the two of ye were a fitting spouse to adhere to; and neither of you two is better than the other; yet, Manannan, it is with thee that I go, nor will I wait for Cuchulain, for he hath betrayed me;”
• Cuchulain drank a potion of forgetfulness and no longer remembered Fand or what he had done.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 5)
  • With: Cuchulain
  • “the Druids gave him a drink of forgetfulness, so that afterwards he had no more remembrance of Fand nor of anything else that he had then done;”
• Manannan placed his cloak between Cuchulain and Fand so they would never meet again.(The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 5)
  • With: Manannan the Son of the Sea Cuchulain
  • “And Manannan shook his cloak between Cuchulain and Fand, so that they might never meet together again throughout eternity.”

The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 2

• married with Manannan the Son of the Sea “her husband, Manannan the Son of the Sea, hath released her”
• parent: Aed Abra “Fand, the daughter of Aed Abra”
• courtship with Cuchulain “she hath thereon set her love on thee”
• admired: Cuchulain “I have come to greet thee,” she said, “from Fand, the daughter of Aed Abra; her husband, Manannan the Son of the Sea, hath released her, and she hath thereon set her love on thee.”

The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 3

• parent: Aed Abra (Fand is identified with Aed Abra's daughters in the passage.) “Great is the beauty of Aed Abra's daughters, Unfettered men before them conquered fall; Fand's beauty stuns, like sound of rushing waters,”

The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 4

• with Cuchulain (The passage describes their affair.) “Now, after all these things had passed, Cuchulain slept with the lady, and he abode for a month in her company, and at the end of the month he came to bid her farewell.”
• parent: Aed Abra “Now upon this it was discerned by Manannan that Fand the daughter of Aed Abra was engaged in unequal warfare with the women of Ulster, and that she was like to be left by Cuchulain.”
• married with Manannan the Son of the Sea “When the comely Manannan my lord was made, When I was his equal spouse,”
• courtship with Cuchulain (The lady is Fand.) “Now, after all these things had passed, Cuchulain slept with the lady, and he abode for a month in her company, and at the end of the month he came to bid her farewell.”
• rivals with Emer “Now word was brought to Emer of that tryst, and knives were whetted by Emer to slay the lady; and she came to the place of the tryst, and fifty women were with her.”

The Sick-bed of Cuchulain · Part 5

• with Manannan the Son of the Sea (Manannan separates Fand and Cuchulain.) “And Manannan shook his cloak between Cuchulain and Fand, so that they might never meet together again throughout eternity.”

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Extracted from the original text of Heroic Romances of Ireland. Made with Rho MD.