Hello, my name is Oisín Ó Dubhshláine and welcome to the first part of our series on the Women of Ireland. In this series, we’ll look at the goddesses who ruled and were worshipped here long ago. This week, we’ll share the story of the most famous woman to sit in Ireland. This is the story of Queen Medb.
Medb’s stories come from the Ulster Cycle. It is she who is the driver fo the Táin, the Cattle-Raid, and this is the story of its cause.
One night, Medb lay with her husband Aillel in their bed, talking to one another when Aillel said something strange.
“Well, it’s true that it’s a good woman who marries a good man,” he said.
“That’s true enough,” she answered. “Why do you say so?”
“Well, I was just thinking that you’re much better off now than before we were married.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, sure. Before I came to Cruachan, the people only had a woman as a queen. Plunderers came day and night and as a woman, you sat on your hands and did nothing to protect your people.”
“Do you understand who you’re talking to? I am Medb of Cruachan. My father is the King of Ireland, Eochaidh Feidleach son of Finn, son of Fionnoman, son of Finnen, son of Fingall, son of Roth, son of Rigéon, son of Blathacht, son of Beothacht, son of Ena Agneach, son of Oengus Turbech. He had six daughters, Deirbriú, Eithne, Éle, Clothru, Muguin, and Meb, and I was the most beautiful. I was the noblest and the msot celebrated. I was the most generous daughter in my gifts. And it’s certain that my sisters were nowhere near as strong when it came to warfare, strife, or combat.
My father gave me Cruachan and I am the queen of these people. I hired fifteen hundred mercenaries, the sons of exiles. And the same amount of freeborn men. And that is just to protect the rath.
I was proposed to many a time. By men like your brothers, the King of Leinster, Finn son of Ross Ruadh, and the King of Tara, Cairbre son of Niafra. I denied them, just as I denied the King of Ulster, Conchobar son of Ness. I wanted a wedding gift that none of these men could satisfy. I wanted a man without meanness, without jealousy, and without cowardice.
I couldn’t be with a man who was mean because I am a generous person and it wouldn't be right for me to be more generous than my husband. I couldn’t be with a jealous man as it’s often for me to be with a man while another waits in his shadow. And it’s sure that I couldn’t be with a cowardly man and him hiding behind me during a battle.
This is why you are perfect for me Aillel. You are a generous, trusting, brave man. And this is why I gave you the best bride-price. I gave you outfits that would satisfy twelve men, as well as a chariot worth three times seven bondmaids. I gave you the breadth of your face in red gold as well as the weight of your left arm in white bronze. You are a man dependent on a woman’s wealth.”
“That much is all true, my love, except that I am not dependent on you. It’s true that my brothers are the King of Leinster and the King of Tara but I allowed them that status purely for reasons of seniority. Not because of reasons of generosity. I’d never heard of a province being dependent on a woman’s wealth until I heard about you. That’s why I married you and why I came here to Cruachan. Máta Muiresc, the daughter of Mágach was my mother. There’s no woman better suited to me than the daughter of a King of Ireland.
“And yet, my love, I am the wealthy party of this marriage.”
When Aillel would not agree with her, Medb threw the becovers from them and she rose from the bed. She called the servants and ordered them to take out every valuable and reckon them. Buckets, cauldrons, pots, tubs, basins and porringers were all taken out. Then the gold artefacts, like rings, bracelets, and thumb-rings. They looked at the outfits they had, purple and blue and black and green and yellow, multi-coloured, plaid, checked and striped. The sheep and the rams were taken from the green fields. The horses and steeds were taken from the pasture and paddock. The swine were brought from the glenns,the woods and the wastelands. At every step, Medb and Aillel were evenly matched.
It wasn’t until they reached the cows and the cattle that the matter was settled. Theyw ere the most important and most valuable things in the country and unfortunately, Aillel had a prize bull. Finnbhennach was the name of this bull and even though he had been born to Medb’s cow, it’s clear that he wasn’t satisfied having a woman as an owner sinc ehe moved to Aillel’s field. Medb was outraged.
All of that wealth but not more wealth than Aillel, it was as if she had nothing. And so, she called Mac Roth, the son of the wheel, the messenger of the country and she told him to go searching for a bull of the same kind. Mac Roth came back with the story of the Brown Bull of Cooley, the Donn Cuailgne. Finnbhennach and the Donn Cuailgne were equals and he belonged to Daire Mac Fiachna. Medb ordered Mac Roth to go to Daire Mac Fiachna in Cooley and offer him fifty heifers in exchange for a year loan of the Donn Cuailgne. As well as that, Medb offered him land in Cruachan, of equal size to what he had in Cooley and a chariot worth three times seven bondmaids. At last, Medb offered him a sign of affection.
Mac Roth did as she asked and Daire Mac Fiachna was delighted to accept this offer. Unfortunately, this agreement did not last long. That night, Daire’s headbutler heard the messenger speaking together, bragging that if Daire had not given the Donn willingly, Medb’s forces would have taken him by force. When Daire heard this, he was outraged and he ruined the agreement. He sent the messengers home empty-handed.
Now, you’d think that Medb wouldn’t be happy with this at all and that the messenger would suffer a cruel punishment. But she was resolved. When Mac Roth shared the story with her, she turned to him and said.
“There is no issue. The men were right in their statements. I’ll take the Donn Cuailgne by force.”
And that is how the Táin, the Cattle-Raid began.
This was our story on Queen Medb. Join us next week for our next story.
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