Strong women of The Tain

“Probably the greatest achievement of the Tain and the Ulster cycle is the series of women, …on whose strong and diverse personalities the action continually turns…” (xv). Although the men are portrayed as the more powerful, domineering sex of the Irish oral epic Tain Bo Cuailnge, there are several women in The Tain who possess great emotional and physical power. However strong the male characters in the Tain are, they become weak under the women’s influence.
Medb, the main female character in the Tain, is equally if not more powerful than her husband Ailill, the King of Connacht. It is Medb who decides to take the Brown Bull of Cuailnge. It is Medb who seems to be more in command of the army instead of Aillill. Medb is the major instigator and cause of the battles of the Tain and she manipulates many men for selfish reasons of proving to her husband that she has greater wealth. She uses her power of persuasion on many warriors by promising them incredible wealt...