Naoise

In Irish mythology, Noíse or Noisiu (modern spelling: Naoise; Irish pronunciation: [ˈn̪ˠiːʃə]) was the nephew of King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster, and a son of Usnech (or Uisliu), in the Ulster Cycle.

When Deirdre (Derdriu) was born, Cathbad the druid prophesied that she would be beautiful, "a woman with twisted yellow tresses, green-irised eyes of great beauty and cheeks flushed like the foxglove," but that kings and lords would go to war over her. Conchobar decided to have her brought up in seclusion, and that when she was old enough, he would marry her. However, one day when she saw her foster father skinning a calf in the snow she told her nurse that she desired a man who had hair like the raven drinking the blood of the calf, cheeks like the blood, and skin like the snow. She said she would be ill until she met the man with this description. Naoise fit her description of the man she would love and when she met him alone in a field she fell in love with him. He was a handsome and talented young warrior, hunter and singer. Naoise knew that Deirdre belonged to Conchobar and tried to reject her, but eventually gave in and they eloped.