Bardsong PressThe Intoxicating Warrior Queen
Although
it was a legendary battle fought long ago in Ancient Celtic history, the
land still echoes with its memory. On a brisk overcast day in the
wilderness of Western Ireland, you may hear the ghostly clash of swords
and battle axes, the angry shouts of men as they fought, killed, and
died. From the corners of your eyes, you may momentarily glimpse
apparitions of swordsmen locked in combat. And deep within yourself you
may feel the frenzy of warfare, the passion in the hearts of warriors,
and the intoxicating power of their Warrior Queen. It was a war that
laid waste to most of the Western Irish countryside. Thousands of
soldiers lost their lives. And it was a battle that began...in bed!
Women of the ancient Celts were held in superior regard compared to
their counterparts throughout the rest of the Known World. In the Celtic
nations, women's rights equaled those of men. They owned property and
occupied powerful positions within the society. Whomever brought more
wealth and property into a marriage was considered the ruler of the
household, be it man or woman. In the Irish kingdom of Connaught,
sovereignty of the land passed to a woman, Queen Maeve. Her consort,
King Ailill, received his royal status only by marrying the queen.
Celtic women were also not bound by the confines of monogamy even within
marriage. Queen Maeve was infamous for her beauty and her sexual
prowess. She had an array of lovers, most of whom were officers in her
army...which thereby ensured the loyalty of her troops. Her bravest
warriors were granted sexual favors, so the men fought hard and
courageously on the battlefield for a chance to enjoy Maeve's "willing
thighs."
Though he had lovers of his own, Ailill continuously felt threatened by
his wife's sexual activities, both out of fear of losing his power to
another man and by being made a fool. One morning after he and Maeve lay
in bed basking in the afterglow of lovemaking, he began taunting her,
claiming that she was more fortunate now for marrying him because of the
power and wealth he brought into their partnership. Maeve laughed and
retorted by saying she possessed great wealth and power without him and
that he was nothing but a "kept" man. The quarrel escalated as they
began comparing their wealth, assets, and influence...matching one
another portion by portion, until Maeve discovered that Ailill had a
bull of superior breeding the likes of which she did not own...thus
making Ailill, technically, the ruler of their household.
As this was unacceptable to the proud warrior Queen, she quickly
investigated where she could acquire a bull of similar quality. There
was only one other like it in Ireland and it was owned by the King and
Queen of Ulster. When they refused to sell it, Queen Maeve rallied her
army and invaded their land with the intent of stealing the prized
beast. Her troops were met by the infamous red knights of Ulster and
their great hero, Cuchulainn, ready to defend the honor of their land,
and thus the infamous battle ensued. Several conclusions have been lent
to this story, making the real outcome unclear. One ending states that
both armies suffered great losses, but Maeve eventually attained the
bull of Ulster, and when it and Ailill's bull were penned together, the
two beasts killed each other. And so after all the death and decimation,
Queen Maeve and King Ailill finally had equal wealth...but not equal
power. Ailill eventually chose to leave Connaught rather than live in
the shadow of its infamous Queen.
Is this story fact or myth? The Celts loved embellishing their tales
with drama and magic. In versions of this legend, supernatural powers
were attributed to Maeve. She could outrun the swiftest of horses and
she rode at the head of her battalion, her presence and power making her
army seemingly invincible. Enemy soldiers would fall to the ground in
fits of desire at just the sight of this great Queen. Was Maeve (whose
name is also spelt Medb, meaning "intoxication") a mortal woman who was
exalted to the status of goddess, or was she a Goddess whose story was
watered down over the years, making her a mere mortal? Could it be both?
Perhaps Queen Maeve was given the namesake of an older Irish love and
war goddess whose powers also became associated with the mighty Queen.
Unfortunately, since the Celts did not keep written records of their
history and legends, we'll never know for certain.
What does the legend of Maeve mean for us? Numerous old world love
goddesses were also equally associated with war. Maeve, the goddess, is
the intoxicating power of passion...the passion we feel in love, desire,
sex, as well as in anger and battle. Perhaps there really is a thin line
between love and hate, sex and violence. If we lose control of that
passion and are not mindful of our intent, honorable in our actions, and
are we motivated by greed, power, control...we can easily cross that
line.
Keep your heart open to desire, but handle passion always with wisdom.
This
article first appeared in
Faces of the Goddess
magazine, Summer 2000
© 2000 Sharon Niman