The Dearg Due (or Dearg Dar) is a lesser-known monster from Irish folklore. She is the red blood sucker or female vampire creature from Ireland. Although, her story will sound familiar to you due to a certain famous novel about her kind written by a famous Irishman.
Her catchphrase is: You should have chosen love!
Image from Nine Arrow
Dearg Due’s human tale is a tragic love story filled with the greed and cruelty of the men her life. The legend of her beauty traveled the lands and brought many suitors to her father’s door, but she had already given her heart to a local peasant who was as kind and fair as she was. Unfortunately, her father wanted a good match that would secure and increase the family fortune, so he married her off to a significantly older and infinitely crueler man. This man was a sadistic retch who mentally and physically abused her. He loved to cut her and see her red blood against her fair skin. He would bleed her often, and this treatment began to twist her human soul. She slowly starved herself to death to escape her tormentor.
The townsfolk put rocks on her grave as was the tradition to help the spirit pass to the next world. Many believed her to be damned because she killed herself. Only one lone man really grieved her, her sweet farm laborer who truly loved her. Now, the stories go that his love was not what brought her back, rather it was her thirst for vengeance. That part is not entirely true. The boy’s love is what allowed her to return to this world a monster. It’s what set her free from the damnation that the church tried to trap her in, just as they had trapped her in a violent and abusive marriage.
However, his love was not enough to quench her monster thirst for revenge. She didn’t search out her love when she climbed out from under the rocks atop her grave. Instead, she went directly to her father’s house and sucked the life from his lips, draining his body completely of blood. After that, she went to her husband’s house, found him in bed with several other women, and and drained the villain of every ounce of his blood, allowing the other women to flee with their lives, and tell the story of this new, ravenous monsters.
After that night of killing, she did not return to her peasant boy. She would never see him again, believing he could never love the beast society had all but forced her to become. She was now immortal but constantly hungered for human blood, but a very specific type of human’s blood. Despite what the stories say, she has never stolen or eaten a baby. She has never harmed an innocent or even a lustful young man. No, she prefers her blood to be male, aged, and cruel. She only goes after the heartless and the guilty.
It's hard to read her story and not think of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. There are definitely some similarities in the female characters of that book. Stoker was a sickly Irish lad and loved folklore, so it is likely he read of her. I will never know for sure but I like to think he was inspired by this tragic creature. I do prefer the female vampire from this tale - one with a righteous, feminist rage.
Do not feel despair, for her tale is not all blood and tears. Dearg Due does have a monster life outside of vengeance. She has a lair and has filled it with like-minded creatures. She has been known to transform others into her kind but they must be like she was once, trapped, tortured, twisted – lonely and broken. Those are the types she brings into her fold. The types who deserve to be made strong enough to deliver justice to the violent and horrible.
Philip Burne-Jones, ”Le Vampire”, 1897
The remains of Dearg Due are buried in Waterford in a place known as Strongbow’s Tree. The locals believe that she can only rise as a corpse bride on the night of her death each year, so they place stones atop her grave to keep her from rising. This accomplishes nothing, but seems like a fun and spooky tradition. She’s hasn’t been in that grave for centuries. She left that town that let her down and never returned.
Wicked Tree Press News:
Thanks to all of our loyal Kickstarter backers, our comic project had a wonderful week one! The Mary Shelley's School for Monsters: Origins #2 comic is 100% happening. In this next chapter, Shel, Frank, and Necro will confront the black hound and a legendary kitsune, monsters that partnered with Dr. M, in their quest to rid the world of their tormentor once and for all.
This is the last day to back and lock in your Week 1 Bonus Comic - Lucifer Licorice by Russell Nohelty (W) and Angela Oddling (A) published by Laguna Studios.
As we move toward Week 2 two of the campaign, we are only five backers away from unlocking the week 2 Backer Perk, Hospice - No Freedom in Texas by Travis Gibb (W) and David Swartz (A).
We're running two great cross promos - a Snow Paw/Barg sticker by Mark Mactal and The Ex-Wives of Frankenstein/Shel and Frank print by Richard Fairgray.
And, we’re still reeling from last week’s news that the hardcover graphic novel of this series is a Foreword INDIES finalist for graphic novel of the year. Thank you for all of you who have bought and read that book!
Until next time, safe travels!
This is one of my favorite Irish tales! My Witchy mentor introduced it to me through her storytelling workshop and I fell in love with it. She is one of the "female rage" icons that I cite when talking about how myths, folklore, fairytales can be gateways into understanding the human experience. Dearg Due and "The Madness of Mis" are two of my favorite ones to tell around the campfire, too. There's just something deliciously dark about rage-filled women ;) I'm new here, but I'm so excited to keep reading!
Do El Silbon next a really cool Venezuelan myth