Cathbad- Celtic FigureMortal"Chief Druid of Ulster"

The Druid of Emain Macha

Cathbad was chief druid at Emain Macha, the royal seat of Ulster, serving under King Conchobar mac Nessa. A geis prevented any Ulster warrior from speaking before the king at assembly, and the king himself could not speak before Cathbad. He maintained a school where he trained pupils in druidic arts, and the texts describe him observing the stars to determine auspicious and inauspicious days.

The Prophecy of Deirdre

Cathbad's most consequential prophecy concerned the unborn child Deirdre. When the infant cried out from her mother's womb during a feast, the assembled warriors demanded to know what the omen meant. Cathbad pronounced that the child would grow to be a woman of extraordinary beauty, but that she would bring destruction upon Ulster and cause the death of three noble sons of Usnech. The warriors urged that the child be killed at birth, but Conchobar chose instead to have her raised in seclusion, intending to take her as his wife when she came of age.

The Naming of Cú Chulainn

Cathbad shaped the destiny of the hero Sétanta. The boy overheard Cathbad teaching his pupils and declaring that any young man who took up arms on that particular day would gain everlasting fame but would die young. Sétanta immediately went to Conchobar and demanded weapons, choosing glory over a long life.