Editing Medb (section)

{{Short description|Legendary Irish queen}}
{{Redirect|Queen Maeve|the comic book character|List of The Boys characters#Queen Maeve|the book and video game character Queen Meve|Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Medb
| series = [[Ulster Cycle]]
| image = Maev.jpg
| image_upright = 
| alt = 
| caption = Queen Maev by [[J. C. Leyendecker]]
| first = 
| last = 
| creator = 
| portrayer = 
| voice = 
| lbl1 = 
| data1 = 
| lbl2 = 
| data2 = 
| lbl3 = 
| data3 = 
| info-hdr = 
| noinfo = 
| full_name = 
| nickname = 
| alias = 
| species = <!-- for non-humans only -->
| gender = <!-- if not obvious -->
| occupation = Queen
| affiliation = 
| title = 
| family = 
| spouse = [[Ailill mac Máta]]
| significant_other = 
| children = 
| relatives = 
| religion = 
| nationality = Irish
| lbl21 = 
| data21 = 
| lbl22 = 
| data22 = 
| lbl23 = 
| data23 = 
| extra-hdr = 
| lbl31 = 
| data31 = 
| lbl32 = 
| data32 = 
| lbl33 = 
| data33 = 
}}

'''Medb''' ({{IPA|sga|mʲeðv|lang}}), later spelled '''Meadhbh''' ({{IPA|mga|mʲɛɣv|lang}}), '''Méabh'''('''a''') ({{IPA|ga|ˈmʲeːw(ə)|lang}}) and '''Méibh''' ({{IPA|ga|mʲeːvʲ|lang}}),<ref>{{cite book| last=Ua Laoghaire| first=Peadar| title=Táin Bó Cuailnge|pages=2| year=1915}}</ref> and often anglicised as '''Maeve''' ({{IPAc-en|m|eɪ|v}} {{respell|MAYV}}), is [[Queen regnant|queen]] of [[Connacht]] in the [[Ulster Cycle]] of [[Irish mythology]]. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is [[Ailill mac Máta]], although she had several husbands before him who were also [[List of kings of Connacht|kings of Connacht]]. She rules from Cruachan (now [[Rathcroghan]], [[County Roscommon]]). She is the enemy (and former wife) of [[Conchobar mac Nessa]], king of [[Ulster]], and is best known for starting the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'' ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley") to steal Ulster's prize stud bull [[Donn Cúailnge]].

Medb is strong-willed, ambitious, cunning and promiscuous, and is an archetypal warrior queen.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Warrior Queens|last=Fraser|first=Antonia|publisher=Penguin books|year=1990|isbn=0-1400-8517-3|location=Canada Ltd, 20801 John Street, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B4: Penguin Books|pages=15, 16, 17}}</ref> She is believed by some to be a manifestation of the [[sovereignty goddess]].<ref name="o hogain">Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. pp. 294–295</ref><ref name="monaghan">Monaghan, Patricia. ''The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore''. Infobase Publishing, 2004. p.319</ref><ref name="koch">Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia''. ABC-CLIO, 2006. p.1282</ref> Medb of Connacht is probably identical with [[Medb Lethderg]], the sovereignty goddess of [[Kingship of Tara|Tara]].<ref name="monaghan" />