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Queen Medb depicted on the Series B Irish pound note.
Queen Medb depicted on the Series B Irish pound note. The Series B Banknotes of the Republic of Ireland replaced the Series A Banknotes. The Irish pound ( English) or punt Éireannach ( Irish) was the Currency of Ireland until 2002

Medb (Meḋḃ, Medhbh, Meadhbh, Meab°, Meabh, Maeve, Maev; pronounced /mæðv/ in Irish, usually pronounced /meɪv/ in English) is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. List of current queens regnant A queen regnant (plural "queens regnant" is qualifying reference to a female Monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchal Texts in translation Most of the important Ulster Cycle tales can be found in the following publications Thomas Kinsella, The Táin, Oxford University The Mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved shorn of its religious meanings As recounted in The Cattle Raid of Cooley, she started war with Ulster. [1]

Her father was Eochaid Feidlech, the High King of Ireland. Eochu or Eochaid Feidlech ("the enduring" son of Finn, was according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions a High King of Ireland A High King of Ireland ( Ard Rí na hÉireann) is a historical or legendary figure who claimed lordship over the whole of Ireland. Her best-known husband was Ailill mac Máta, although she had several husbands before him, all of whom were kings of Connacht while they were married to her. A husband is a Male spouse (participant in a Marriage, Civil union or Civil partnership. Ailill ( Aillell, Oilioll) mac Máta was king of Connacht and husband of Medb in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Her palace stood at Cruachan (now Rathcroghan, County Roscommon). A palace is a grand residence especially the home of a Head of state or some other high-ranking Public figure. Cruachan ( Cruachu, Cruachain, Ráth Cruachain) is the ancient capital of the kingdom of Connacht, and the seat of Medb and her Not to be confused with Roscommon County Michigan, United States County Roscommon (Contae Ros Comáin is a County located in central Ireland She was probably originally a "sovereignty goddess", whom a king would ritually marry as part of his inauguration. A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities Hieros Gamos ( Greek ιερός γάμος, "holy wedding" or Hierogamy (Greek ιερογαμία, again "holy wedding" A separate character, Medb Lethderg, performs a similar function in Tara. In Irish mythology Medb Lethderg ("red-side" (not to be confused with queen Medb of Connacht) was a Goddess of sovereignty associated The Hill of Tara ( Irish Teamhair na Rí, "Hill of the Kings" located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs Her name is said to mean 'she who intoxicates', and is cognate with the English word 'mead'; it is likely that the sacred marriage ceremony between the king and the goddess would involve a shared drink. Cognates in Linguistics are words that have a common origin They may occur within a language such as shirt and skirt as two English words descended from Mead (ˈmiːd is a fermented Alcoholic beverage made of Honey, Water, and Yeast.

The name "Connacht" in the Ulster Cycle appears to be an anachronism. An anachronism (from the Greek "ana" " ανά " "against anti-" and "chronos" " χρόνος " Connacht took its name from the Connachta, the descendants of Conn Cétchathach, who is supposed to have lived several centuries later than the events of the Ulster Cycle. The Connachta were a group of Irish dynasties who claimed descent from Conn Cétchathach. Conn Cétchathach ("of the Hundred Battles" pron /kɒn 'keːdxəθax son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition Cóiced Ol nEchmacht is sometimes given as an earlier name of the province. Cóiced Ol nEchmacht, ancient name for the province of Connacht, Ireland.

Medb's first husband was Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster, but that marriage didn't last. Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster She then murdered Conchobar's next wife, her own sister Eithne, while she was pregnant. Eithne's son, Furbaide, was born by posthumous caesarian section. Furbaide Ferbend (or Ferbenn) is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. A Caesarean section (or Cesarean section in American English) also known as C-section, is a form of Childbirth in which a surgical

Her father installed her as queen of Connacht, driving out the then king, Tinni mac Conri; however, Tinni regained a share of the throne when he and Medb later became lovers. Conchobar later raped Medb after an assembly at Tara. The Hill of Tara ( Irish Teamhair na Rí, "Hill of the Kings" located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs War ensued between the High King and Ulster. Tinni challenged Conchobar to single combat, and lost. Eochaid Dála of the Fir Domnann, who had been Tinni's rival for the kingship, protected the Connacht army as it retreated, and became Medb's next husband and king of Connacht. Fir Domnann was an ancient Irish tribe or people located in the west of Connacht, in what is now the Erris Peninsula in County Mayo.

Medb demanded her husband satisfy her three criteria—that he be without fear, meanness, or jealousy. The last was particularly important, as she had many lovers. While married to Eochaid Dála, she took Ailill mac Máta, chief of her bodyguard, as her lover. Eochaid discovered the affair, challenged Ailill to single combat, and lost. Ailill then married Medb and became king of Connacht.

Medb and Ailill had a daughter, Findabair, and seven sons, all called Maine. In Irish mythology, Findabair or Finnabair (whose name means "fair eyebrows" was the daughter of Ailill and Medb of Connacht They originally all had other names, but when Medb asked a druid which of her sons would kill Conchobar, he replied, "Maine". A druid was a member of the priestly and learned class in the ancient Celtic societies She didn't have a son called Maine, so she renamed all her sons as follows:

Maine Andoe went on to kill Conchobar son of Arthur, son of the king of Britain, and the prophesy was fulfilled.

Medb also insisted that she be equal in wealth with her husband, and started the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) when she discovered that Ailill was one powerful stud bull richer than her. Fighting on her side in that campaign against the Ulster hero Cú Chulainn, was Fergus mac Róich, exiled former king of Ulster and one of Medb's lovers. Cúchulainn /kuːˈxʊlɪnʲ/ ( ( Irish for "Hound of Culann " also spelled Cú Chulainn, Cú Chulaind, Cúchulain, or Fergus mac Róich (son of Ró-ech or "great horse" also mac Róig, mac Rossa) is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish It is reported that it took seven men to satisfy her, or Fergus once. She had Conall Cernach kill Ailill after he had contrived Fergus's death. Conall Cernach is a heroic warrior of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. A different version of Medb's relationship with Fergus is found in the obscure poem Conailla Medb míchuru ("Medb has entered evil contracts") by Luccreth moccu Chiara (c. Luccreth moccu (or mocu) Chíara (or Cíara Chérrai Cheri Cerai Gerai, etc 600); it asserts that Medb wrongly seduced Fergus into turning against Ulster "because he preferred the buttocks of a woman to his own people"[2].

In her later years she often went to bathe in a pool on an island. Furbaide sought revenge for the death of his mother Eithne. He took a rope and measured the distance between the pool and the shore, and practiced with his sling until he could hit an apple on top of a stake Medb's height from that distance. A sling is a projectile Weapon typically used to throw a blunt Projectile such as a stone The next time he saw Medb bathing he put his practice to good use and killed her with a piece of cheese. She was succeeded to the throne of Connacht by her son Maine Athramail. This article is about royal thrones for the order of Angels by the same name see Thrones.

Medb's cairn at Knocknarea
Medb's cairn at Knocknarea

According to legend, Medb is buried in a 40 foot high stone cairn on the summit of Knocknarea (Cnoc na Ré in Irish) in county Sligo. A cairn ( carn in Irish is an artificial pile of stones often in a conical form Knocknarea, (nɒknæˈreɪ (' Cnoc na Rí' in Irish) mountain dominates the landscape to the west of Sligo town in County Sligo in Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish.

The LÉ Maev (02), a ship in the Irish Naval Service (now decommissioned), was named after her. The Irish Naval Service (in Irish: Seirbhís Chabhlaigh na hÉireann or just An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh for "the Naval Service" is the

Preceded by
Tinni mac Conri		 Queen of Connacht Succeeded by
Maine Aithreamhail mac Ailill Máta

Sources

Texts


References

  1. ^ Warrior queens and blind critics
  2. ^ New Methods in the Research of Epic, p.156
Dindsenchas (also dindshenchas, dinnsheanchas, other spellings Old / Middle Irish "tradition or lore of places" the
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