Texts

Ferchuitred Medba ‘Medb's husband allowance’

  • Late Middle Irish
  • prose
  • Ulster Cycle
Title
Ferchuitred Medba
‘Medb's husband allowance’
Also entitled Cath Bóinde (The battle of the Boyne)
Language
  • Late Middle Irish
  • late Middle Irish (O'Neill)
Form
prose (primary)

Classification

Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
id. 1797

Subjects

Medb Chrúachna
Medb of Crúachan
(time-frame ass. with Ulster Cycle)
Queen of the Connachta, co-ruler with her husband Ailill mac Máta, in the Ulster Cycle. She is said to have a daughter, Findabair, and seven sons known as the seven Maines. Her lover is Fergus mac Róich.

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Eochaid Feidlech
Eochaid Feidlech
in Irish legendary history, high-king of Ireland, descendant of Labraid Lorc and father of multiple daughters and sons, including Medb ruler of Connacht, Clothru and the triplets known as the three Findemna.

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The three Findemna
The three Findemna
(time-frame ass. with Ulster Cycle)
In Irish legendary history, three triplet sons of Eochu Feidlech, who  slept with their sister Clothru on the night before the battle of Druim Criaich.

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Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa
(time-frame ass. with Ulster Cycle)
king of the Ulaid in tales of the Ulster Cycle; son either of Cathbad or Fachtna Fáthach (father) and Ness (mother); husband of Mugain; father of Cormac Cond Longas, Cúscraid Mend Macha, Furbaide Fer Bend and Fedelm Noíchrothach; fosterfather of Cú Chulainn.

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Tinde mac ConnrachTinde mac Connrach
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

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Eochaid Dála
Eochaid Dála
No short description available

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Ailill mac Máta
Ailill mac Máta
(time-frame ass. with Ulster Cycle)
king of Connacht, husband of Medb of Connacht

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The seven Maines
The seven Maines
(time-frame ass. with Ulster Cycle, Conaire Mór, Conchobar mac Nessa)
In the Ulster Cycle, the seven Maines (na secht Maine) are a collective designation for the seven, or eight, sons of Medb and Ailill, all of whom are named Maine: Maine Máithremail and Maine Aithremail, Maine Míngor and Maine Mórgor, Maine Andóe, Maine Milscothach and/or Maine Mó Epert, and Maine Conda(s)gaib/Cotagaib Uile.

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Sources

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] [tr.] OʼNeill, Joseph [ed. and tr.], “Cath Boinde”, Ériu 2 (1905): 173–185.
TLH – edition: <link> TLH – translation: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
Based on the Book of Lecan version, with variants from Rawlinson B 512 in the footnotes
[ed.] Meyer, Kuno [ed.], “Ferchuitred Medba”, in: Osborn Bergin, R. I. Best, Kuno Meyer, and J. G. OʼKeeffe (eds), Anecdota from Irish manuscripts, vol. 5, Halle and Dublin, 1913. 17–22.
CELT – edition: <link> Celtic Digital Initiative – PDF: <link> Internet Archive – vols 1-5: <link> Internet Archive – vols. 3-5: <link>
Edition from Rawlinson B 512

Secondary sources (select)

Thurneysen, Rudolf, Die irische Helden- und Königsage bis zum siebzehnten Jahrhundert, Halle: Niemeyer, 1921.  

Contents: Part 1 (chapters 1-23): Allgemeines; Part 2 (chapters 1-85): Die Ulter Sage.

Internet Archive: <link>
531–534 [‘Ferchuitred Medba oder Cath Boinne’]
Dumézil, Georges, The destiny of a king, tr. Alf Hiltebeitel, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1973.
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
April 2011, last updated: January 2024