Eochaid became Maine Andoe (“the swift”).Cairbre became Maine Máthramail (“like his mother”).Fedlimid became Maine Athramail (“like his father”).A little bit concerned that she didn’t have a son called Maine, she decided to rename all her sons as follows: Well, they weren’t, not originally, but Maedbh and Ailill did end up with seven sons, all called Maine.īack when they all had other names, Maedbh asked a druid which of her sons would kill Conchobar (king of Ulster), and he replied, “Maine”. The reason that the High-King of Ireland gave these daughters to Conchobar was that it was by Eochaid Feidleach that Fachtna Fathach had fallen in the battle of Lettir-ruad in the Corann, so that it was as his eric these were given to him, together with the forcible seizure of the kingship of Ulster, over Clan Rudraidhe: and the first cause of the stirring up of the Cattle-raid of Cuailnge was the desertion of Conchobar by Meadb against his will. Meadb of Cruachan, daughter of Eochaid Feidleach, another of Conchobar’s wives, mother of Amalgad, Conchobar’s son, so that Conchobar was Meadb’s first husband, and Meadb forsook Conchobar through pride of mind, and went to Tara, where was the High-King of Ireland. And that is the question – was she real?Ī queen, or a Goddess of the land? A priestess of a sovereignty Goddess, who rose to power? An archetypal figure, representing… what? These are some of the riddles of Queen Maedbh. Historically, she would have lived sometime around the years 0 – 100AD, if she existed as a real flesh and blood queen. Maeve appears in much of the literature of the Ulster saga tales, and our most famous epic literary tale, the Táin Bó Cuailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) features her strongly as the protagonist. She had many husbands, and ruled for many years. It is said that her father gifted her with Connacht, and no king could rule here unless they were married to Queen Maedbh. Most notably, the warrior priestess queen of Connacht, the western province of Ireland.
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