Cattle Raid of Cooley

(Táin Bó Cúailnge)

Medb, also spelled Medhbh, legendary queen of Connaught (Connacht) in Ireland.

In the epic tale Táin bó Cuailnge (“The Cattle Raid of Cooley”), Medb instigates the eponymous raid, leading her forces against those of Ulster. Whereas other war goddesses influence the outcome of the battle through their magical powers, Medb fights using weapons. She is depicted as a fierce and libidinous goddess: at the time of the battle against Ulster, the king Ailill is her mate, but she also has an affair with the mighty hero Fergus, distinguished for his prodigious virility. Medb had a sacred tree, bile Medb, and was often represented with a squirrel and a bird sitting on her shoulders.

Medb insisted that she be equal in wealth with her husband, and started the Cattle Raid of Cooley when she discovered that Ailill was one powerful stud bull richer than her.

#CelticMythology