THE 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
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