Meadhbh or earlier Medb was a mythical Irish queen and a very important character in the great Irish epic, Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley). Her name means, One who intoxicates. She was seen to be a goddess of sovereignty and the Queen of Connacht. Beautiful, manipulative, promiscuous and hard to satisfy. Former king of Ulster Fergus mac Róich was said to have been the man who could do just that, being apparently hung like a bull !
It begins one night during a little pillow talk. Queen Meadhbh and her husband were doing in inventory of their respective wealth. After a while it became clear that they were not equal in all possessions. Ailill had a white bull of great renown called Finnbhennach and Meadhbh had no bull. It became very important for Meadhbh to rectify the disparity and so she sent her men to Cooley in Ulster where Dáire mac Fiachna had a famous bull called The Donn Cúlainge (The Brown Bull of Cooley). Daire consented to loan Meadhbh the bull and even gave her men welcome with food and beer. However after many drinks Meadhbh’s men were heard saying, “She would have taken the bull whether he had said yes or no.” Because of this Dáire changed his mind, and so Meadhbh and her army marched to war for the Donn Cúailnge.
That is the beginning of the tale of Meadhbh. However there are many. Some regarding her daughter Findabair and how she was used as a pawn in the war. Some about her other love interests and how she had been married once to King Conchobar mac Neasa who she hated. Also since the men of Ulster were struck down by Macha’s curse (see Who is Macha in my blog), Cú Chulainn, immune to the curse (because of his youth and also because if his divine heritage as the son of the god Lugh) fought Meadhbh’s army in single combat. He defeated man after man until he in the end had to meet his best friend Ferdia. It is a tragic tale to say the least.
Meadhbh is woven throughout my book TÁIN : The Women’s Stories since her character is crucial to the whole tale.
painting by unknown
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