Hildebrand- Fit for a Queen

If you know anything about Irish mythology, you know that Queen Medb is a badass, polyamorous, independent, queen bitch. Sure, she only came to power because her father married her off to Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, to make nice for killing his father, but Medb more than holds her own in the myths. When her marriage to Conchobar wasn't to her liking, Medb left him; her father gave Conchbar Medb's sister Clothru, who got pregnant and was then murdered by Medb. Because of her proven badassery, Medb's father removed the then-king of Connacht and put Medb in charge. This reign, however, was short lived due to the sexual relationship that formed between Medb and Tinni mac Conri, the former king. Sitting pretty on her throne wasn't a place of safety, though, and Conchobar raped Medb after an assembly at Tara. Naturally, Tinni challenged Conchbar to a duel and lost. Medb promptly married her late-husband's rival for the throne; she only demanded three things from him: he be without fear, meanness, and jealousy. The last part was important because she had a string of lovers.Husband number three didn't live up to Medb's rules; he challenged her newest lover to a fight, lost, and Medb married Ailill.

Her stories are always filled with murder, sex, and the changing of power; Medb's quite well known for offering her thighs as reward for soldiers to do her bidding.


In Sligo County, there is a large hill named Knocknarea. Situated on top of this monolithic piece of landscape is a mound of loose stones, a cairn. Legend says this stone tomb is where Queen Medb is buried, but no excavation has ventured into the grave. The climb up Knocknarea is painful if you've never done it before; the rocks are loose and slippery, and if you don't watch where you're walking you'll be knee-deep in cow shit. I thought I was going to die, or not make it, or fall and break myself, as is my nature. The cows were mocking me, moo-ing cheerily every time I tripped. My breathing was shallow and the thin air made my ears feel like they were concaving on my brain. Medb's cairn was worth the pain. A giant, prehistoric thing, most certainly a grave for a queen as fearsome as Medb. It looks out over the countryside and the beautiful bays of Sligo; it felt like the perfect place for a throne. The trek down was almost as frightening as the one up; falling was much easier and it began to rain lightly, taking slippery to a new level of cruel. But the pain wasn't there for me, I simply had no doubt that I was alive. My racing heart and aching lungs were drumming out, "don't be afraid, you are alive."