The Women In Sweeney Astray

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The Women in Sweeney Astray Sweeney Astray which was written in thirteenth century begins with a woman who is Sweeney's wife called Eorann. This woman tries to save Sweeney from the curse he is falling into and it ends with a women who is the cause for Sweeney's death through her jealous husband. The women in Sweeney Astray have substantial magical powers such as; seeing the future etc. but they play silent yet powerful figures as it is the femmes fatales that change the sanity and fate of Sweeney's life. We first met with Sweeney's wife Eorann, where she tries to save him that is to prevent him from attacking the cleric Ronan. However, from the beginning of the course of Sweeney Astray she changes towards her husband and in the end rejects his insanity and bird-like appearance. The women had a gradual domestication being attached to their husband and home, unlike the women in the Celtic Pagan traditions which are the opposite of them. Eorann was a woman of gradual domestication but we see a disturbance in the relationship right at the beginning when she tries to hold Sweeney back from fighting for what he supposedly believed in. Before being cursed, he was a rich Pagan king who was living in a life of luxury. His wife also liked this sort of living however we see her favor for Christianity and conflict towards her husband when she pulls him back from wanting to kill the priest. Later, we see Eorann living with another man and finally rejecting the mind, love and Sweeney himself. This is ironic because it is as if Eorann turns from the spiritual Christian faith and falls in love with the materialistic form of life (being part of the Pagan tradition), the way she detaches herself from the love and faith of her husband and continues to lead the rich, powerful, and mentally focused life. There is also another switch in religion as Sweeney himself turns away

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