Description
About Gráinne
The famous tale in which she appears is known as the Tóraíocht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne (The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne).
The Tóraíocht tells the story of Gráinne’s betrothal to Fionn Mac Cumhaill. Though Fionn is a famous hero with many tales of his own, in this story he is very elderly.
The young and beautiful Gráinne is repulsed and terrified at the idea of marrying him. During their betrothal party, she falls in love with Fionn’s young warrior Diarmuid.
She begs Diarmuid to run away with her. At first he is hesitant, but when Gráinne threatens to put him faoi geasa (under a magical obligation) he agrees to help her. She slips a sleeping draught to the rest of the guests, and the couple flee.
When Fionn realises what has happened, he pursues them. Many adventures ensue, and with each one the couple fall more in love and eventually develop a strong and fierce bond.
In one memorable scene, Gráinne is frustrated with Diarmuid and his refusal to sleep with her out of residual loyalty to Fionn. As they are crossing a stream, some water splashes the inside of her thigh. She observes sarcastically that the water is more adventurous than Diarmuid. Emboldened by her words, he finally gives in to temptation.
Eventually, Diarmuid’s father negotiates peace with Fionn and the chase is ended. The couple settle down and have five children.
Over the years Gráinne has sometimes been portrayed as wicked, manipulative and shallow. Personally, I find her to be an example of a woman taking her destiny into her own hands in a time when this was not something most women could do.
This is an 8″ x 6″ high quality giclée print, printed on beautiful Hahnemühle William Turner paper and signed by Shelly Mooney.
