hero · ulster cycle

Medb

MAYV

The warrior-queen of Connacht whose jealousy over a prize bull sets the entire Táin Bó Cúailnge in motion.

Medb ("she who intoxicates") rules Connacht from Cruachan, and insists on equal wealth with her husband Ailill down to the last animal — a boast that unravels when it turns out Ailill owns one bull, Finnbennach, with no equal in her own herds. Learning of an even greater bull, Donn Cúailnge, kept in Ulster, she raises an army to take it by force, and that campaign is the Táin Bó Cúailnge itself. She is no distant instigator: Medb personally leads the invasion, negotiates single combats, and orchestrates the sorcery and broken taboos that eventually bring down Cú Chulainn, who alone holds Ulster's border against her while the rest of Ulster's warriors lie incapacitated under a curse. Medb survives the Táin's failure and appears in later tales as well, one of Irish mythology's most consistently formidable figures rather than a one-story villain.

As a name: Maeve is still given to children today. See its meaning, pronunciation and popularity on NameCipher →

Connections

enemy Cú Chulainn Medb leads the invasion of Ulster during the Táin, held off by Cú Chulainn alone at the border.
ally Ailill mac Máta Co-rulers of Connacht and husband and wife, though the Táin makes clear the campaign is hers more than his.
located at Cruachan (Rathcroghan)

Referenced by

ally (from) Ferdiad Pressures Ferdiad into single combat against Cú Chulainn with promises of land and status.

The Four Cycles of Irish mythology
Cycle	Entries here	Focus
The Mythological Cycle	17	The oldest of the four cycles, telling of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the successive invasions of Ireland.
The Fenian Cycle	6	Tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill and his band of warriors, the Fianna, set generations after the Ulster Cycle in a world of hunting, romance, and roaming adventure.
The Ulster Cycle	12	The heroic tales of Conchobar mac Nessa's court at Emain Macha, centered on Cú Chulainn and the great cattle raid of the Táin Bó Cúailnge.
The Historical Cycle	1	Also the Cycle of the Kings — legendary and semi-legendary tales of Ireland's High Kings, treated by medieval scribes as genuine national history.

Sources

Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley)

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Medb?

Medb (Maeve) is the powerful Queen of Connacht whose refusal to be outmatched in wealth by her husband Ailill triggers the Táin Bó Cúailnge, Ireland's central heroic epic.

Why does Medb invade Ulster?

An argument with Ailill over which of them is wealthier reveals she is short exactly one prize bull to match his herd; when its owner in Ulster refuses to sell it, Medb raises an army to simply take it by force.

Why is Medb able to invade Ulster so easily at first?

The Ulster warriors are disabled by ces noínden, a curse laid on the men of Ulster that strikes them with birth-pain-like weakness at their moment of greatest need, leaving only the young Cú Chulainn (who is exempt) to hold off Medb's forces alone.