Dia dhuit to all of you this fine day!
Well, the month of March is here again, so that can only mean one thing: it's time
for a video on Irish mythology!
For those who weren't here the last time I did this, Irish March was a special occasion
that I organized last year in celebration of discovering how strongly Irish my family
background was, thanks to some record-digging and a couple of DNA tests.
I always had a vested interest in learning more about Ireland since I was about 12 or
so, though it was something I had merely chalked up to general curiosity.
With this knowledge in mind, it's become something of a personal quest of mine since
receiving that news last February to learn more about the history and cultural background
of the Emerald Isle, perhaps one day being lucky enough to visit or study.
And since March has Saint Patrick's Day as an (ironically secular) outlet for people
to celebrate all things Irish, I figured I'd take the whole month instead of a single day
to have some fun with it.
So what direction are we taking this year?
Well, what a time for the next chapter of Fate/Grand Order to be released on the English
servers.
And what a time for it to be the chapter which involves several of the characters from Irish
mythology.
And what a time to talk about the character I teased in the last episode of Character
Development, because she's the primary villain of this story chapter.
It's time we talk about Queen Medb of Connacht.
While I realize that I've discussed Type-Moon's Fate series a lot on this channel, including
one of the videos from March last year, this is one occasion where I'd be quite a fool
to overlook an opportunity like this.
There aren't very many video games that really look to Celtic folklore for inspiration;
usually, if it is used, it's something pretty minor, like a character or generic enemy borrowing
a name without going much further.
Fate, on the other hand, offers six Heroic Spirits from Irish mythology and counting,
with each of them boasting impressive callbacks to their points of origin.
I'm happy to say that Medb has quite a bit going for her; there's some pretty neat
and also bizarre lore attached to her, and I've been ready for a while to go into detail
about it.
I'm the Kitsune Hawk, and today, we'll be going back to the Ulster Cycle, but this
time, to talk about one if its main antagonists, Queen Medb of Connacht, and how Fate's interpretation
of her follows the epic!
So get out your pencils, trivia enthusiasts, because this is Character Development!
Naturally, because I have to talk about an Irish myth that is very heavy on the exposition,
I need to first explain some groundwork of sorts before I can start drawing the parallels
between Fate and the source material from Irish folklore.
The Ulster Cycle is one of the four major sagas of Irish mythology, detailing the heroic
deeds of the demigod Cú Chulainn, including his battle against Queen Medb and the army
of Connacht, the definite climax of the epic.
Despite being set in the 1st century BCE, when Ireland was still a Pagan society operating
on traditional Celtic laws, the actual origins of the story don't seem to go any earlier
than the 7th century CE.
From whatever point it was conceived, the epic was passed down orally until the High
Middle Ages, when it was written down in sources such as the Book of the Dun Cow and the Book
of Leinster, both from the 12th century.
In the grand scheme of the Ulster Cycle, Medb doesn't become a major character until the
epic's last and most famous arc, the Táin Bó Cúailnge, a name which translates to
"Driving off the Cows of Cooley" or "The Cattle Raid of Cooley," if you want something
that rolls off the tongue more easily.
The great climax to the Ulster Cycle, this arc involves a war being fought between two
of Ireland's great kingdoms, Ulster and Connacht.
The cattle raid begins by establishing Medb's background through an aside set in her domain.
It's stated that Medb was one of the six daughters of the High King of Ireland Eochaid
Feidlech.
Through a series of bold political moves and regional rivalries, she rose up to rule as
the Queen of Connacht, a large and powerful kingdom in western Ireland.
Under Brehon Law, she was allowed to rule, own property, command an army, and have multiple
marriages within her lifetime, but of all her recognized husbands, the most important
to the Táin Bó Cúailnge is Ailill mac Máta, the chief of her appointed bodyguards.
Through marriage to Medb, he became King of Connacht, but because of his lesser background
prior to marriage, it could be reasonably debated that Medb was the dominant monarch
of Connacht.
As a couple, Medb and Ailill were quite alike in having prideful personalities, which incurs
a spousal competition that soon spirals into international provocation and, inevitably,
war.
NARRATION: "It still remains," Medb said, "that my fortune is greater than yours."
"You amaze me," Ailill said.
"No one has more property or jewels or precious things than I have, and I know it."
Then the lowliest of their possessions were brought out, to see who had more property
and jewels and precious things… they were found to be the same in numbers and size.
But there was one great bull in Ailill's
herd … Medb couldn't find in her herd the equal of this bull, and her spirits dropped
as though she didn't have a single penny.
KIT: Queen Medb is alerted that a bull of similar quality exists, owned by a vassal
of the Kingdom of Ulster.
Initially, with several offers of money, land, and sexual pleasures, the vassal lord agrees
to lend the bull to Queen Medb, but when he learns that Medb was planning on taking the
bull by force, he retracts his consent.
Angered, Medb began to prepare her chariot and army for an invasion of Ulster, knowing
well that they would be unable to resist, for they had fallen under the curse of the
sorceress Macha, causing all the adult men to feel the sharp pains of childbirth for
five days straight.
The only person capable of standing in Medb's way would be the demigod Cú Chulainn, and
fortune did not seem to initially favor the Queen of Connacht.
NARRATION: "Look into the future," said Medb, "and tell me what lies ahead for my
army."
Fedelm replied; "I see it crimson, I see it red."
"But that can't be," said Medb.
"I have heard that Conchobar and all the warriors of Ulster are laid low by the curse
of Macha.
They are defenseless.
My spies have told me this.
Now look again and tell me what lies ahead."
Fedelm closed her eyes and looked into the future once more.
"I see it crimson, I see it red."
KIT: Queen Medb's march forward also offers an opportunity to elaborate on her personality
and style of rule.
More specifically, Medb is quite a lustful person, and she has a number of lovers outside
of marriage.
All the more ironic when you consider that she has her husband and king, Ailill mac Máta,
killed for cheating on her just once.
The most notable of Medb's extramarital partners is Fergus mac Róich, a former King
of Ulster who defected to Connacht, and also the foster father of Cú Chulainn.
As you could imagine, this relationship becomes a real quandary for Medb; on one hand, Fergus
is one of the few who can fully satisfy her carnal desires, but… on the other hand,
Fergus still has sympathy for the men of Ulster and interferes with the invasion plans.
NARRATION: So Fergus was made leader of the whole army; but as they went on, a great love
for his own province and his home came to him, and instead of going on northwards he
turned to the south.
And while he was delaying the army like that, he sent messengers into Ulster to give warning
and news of their coming.
But Medb was keeping a watch on him, and when she saw what had happened, she went to him
and said: "Why is it, Fergus, that we have turned again to the south?"
Then Fergus knew it was no use to try and deceive her, and they turned again…
KIT: So how does Fate/Grand Order take in all of this?
Well, quite a bit of her design choices have to do with her journey northward.
Medb's actions during the E Pluribus Unum Singularity are loosely based on her campaign
to Ulster, just with her trying to take over the United States instead of Ireland.
… I swear, it makes more sense in context.
Additionally, her classification as a Rider-class Servant is no doubt related to the chariot
she took to her war with Ulster.
She even calls forth her famous transport for her Noble Phantasm, the aptly-named Chariot
My Love: My Dear Iron Chariot.
Looking more closely at the animation for Medb's Noble Phantasm, it's worth noting
that her chariot is being pulled by two bulls, rather than horses, as mentioned in the Ulster
Cycle.
This was probably meant to reference her husband's prized bovine, as well as the bull of equal
quality that she looted from Ulster.
As for the second half of her Noble Phantasm, ah, that rather obviously references Queen
Medb's unmistakable libido.
Yes, indeed, after running over the target enemy with her chariot of bulls, Queen Medb
finishes the attack by… having her way with them, if you know what I mean.
And it does bonus damage to male targets specifically.
Bloody brilliant, that.
Another point of note with Fate's version of Queen Medb is her fixation on Cú Chulainn,
the one warrior she deeply wanted, but never would fall under her control.
Within the E Pluribus Unum chapter of Grand Order's story, we do indeed see what may
have happened if Cú Chulainn succumbed to Medb's temptation, in the form of Cú Alter.
Granted, Fate takes several creative liberties with Cú Alter, but the Ulster Cycle does
mention some form of attraction from Queen Medb toward Cú Chulainn.
During the invasion of Ulster, Cú Chulainn stood at a ford, demanding that the army of
Connacht take him on in single combat.
Queen Medb and King Ailill, who had divided the army in half between them, spent several
days assigning different warriors to go forth and challenge Cú Chulainn, but each champion
gets cut down effortlessly.
The hero of Ulster goes for a victory lap, and it is here where Medb catches a glimpse
of the demigod.
NARRATION: No man in Medb's army escaped without some kind of wound, but Cú Chulainn
remained untouched.
The next morning Cú Chulainn rose up from his camp and put on his best clothing to display
himself to the women of Connacht among the army.
The day before he had seemed a monster in his spasm, but now he was the handsomest man
in Ireland, with loose-flowing golden hair spreading over his shoulders.
The women climbed on top of their own husbands to catch a glimpse of Cú Chulainn as he rode
past their camp in his chariot.
"This is a nuisance," said Medb.
"The women are crowding so close that I can't even see this man."
Then she climbed onto the backs of her own men to see Cú Chulainn and was awed by his
beauty.
KIT: But perhaps the most peculiar element to Fate's interpretation of Queen Medb is
her aversion to... cheese, most notably in her updated attack animations, where some manner
of cheese-related item is tossed at Medb, only for her to sense the oncoming projectile
and deflect it toward an enemy with a well-timed kick.
And yes, as quite frankly bizarre as this all looks and sounds, this is cleverly related
to the Ulster Cycle, or rather, a tale attached to it.
In an epilogue of sorts to the Táin Bó Cúailnge, the later life and death of Queen Medb are
explained.
Following the success of her invasion of Ulster, as well as the death of Cú Chulainn, Medb
continued to rule as Queen of Connacht into her old age, with her reign lasting around
60 years total.
The elderly Medb began to retire to a secluded spring on an island out on Loch Rí, a lake
right in the heart of Ireland, but it was here that the sins of her past were ready
to catch up with her.
Furbaide Ferbend, the son of King Conchobar of Ulster, managed to discover Medb's secret
spring.
Wishing to avenge the death of his mother at Medb's hands, Furbaide measured the distance
between where he stood and where Medb was bathing, and he fashioned a sling of appropriate
length.
After perfecting his aim with targets placed at the same distance, he returned to the spring,
and picked up the nearest missile he could find—a piece of cheese.
In his fury, Furbaide slung the cheese at Medb, striking the crown of her head with
enough force to kill her instantly.
Perhaps Medb's embarrassing demise was meant to contrast with her reputation as Queen of
Connacht.
Or maybe with the heroic death of Cú Chulainn?
Either way, yeah… death by cheese.
Lastly, let's wrap up our discussion of Queen Medb by going over her skill set in
Fate/Grand Order.
The discussion here will mainly be on her active in-battle skills, as there isn't
much of note to her passive skills; Magic Resistance B is a standard perk for Rider-class
Servants, as is Riding A, though given the way that Medb acts, I'm sure plenty of dirty
jokes can be made about that, too.
The first of Medb's active skills is Golden Rule (Body) A, which restores a pinch of HP,
prevents status ailments, and charges up her Noble Phantasm gauge.
In Medb's statistics, it's mentioned that she has a "goddess-like perfect body,"
which is quite an interesting detail to simply leave as a footnote.
There's a fair amount of debate on the actual identity of the Medb presented in the Ulster
Cycle; some question if she was an actual, historically documented queen who ruled in
Western Ireland, while others ask if she was something beyond a normal human being.
More specifically, there are theories positing that Medb might have been a goddess of sovereignty,
one whom a king would ritually marry via consumption of a sacred beverage, thus earning his title
and authority.
These same theories also point toward the etymology of Medb's name, which, in Old
Irish, means "intoxicating," and is related in origin to the English word "mead".
Of course, the real truth behind Medb's identity has more than likely been lost to
history, given strong Christian missionary efforts to either purge Irish Paganism entirely
or alter its records and stories to better align with Biblical canon.
Next, after that… cheery note, is Charisma B, which becomes Queen's Discipline A after
finishing Medb's personal side-story.
This skill boosts the attack power of Medb and her allies, and after being upgraded,
it further boosts the attack of male allies and restores some of Medb's health.
If I had to reckon a guess here, I'd presume this skill is meant as a nod to Medb's leadership
as a queen and military leader.
Medb's own subjects regard her as an effective leader, and her army is noticeably well-disciplined,
but much of this success does stem from Medb offering sex slaves and other such enticing
propositions to not only coerce more men into her army, but also motivate them to seek further
glory in war.
Toward her enemies and anyone who refuses her offers for servitude, however, Medb is
anything but merciful and good-natured.
Her potential for cruelty extends to her own allies, something which startles even her
own husband.
NARRATION: Medb came back from inspecting the armies and said it would be foolish to
go on if they let the troop of three thousand Galeóin, from north Leinster, come with them.
"What fault have you found with them?"
Ailill said.
"I find no fault with them," Medb said.
"They are fine soldiers.
While the others were making a space for their camp they had roofed theirs and were making
a meal.
While the others were eating they had finished their meal and had their harpers playing.
So it would be foolish to take them," Medb said.
"They would get all the credit for our army's triumph."
"But they are fighting on our side," Ailill said.
"They can't come," Medb said.
"Let them stay, then," Ailill said.
"No, they can't stay, either," Medb said.
"They would only come and seize our lands when we are gone."
"Well, what are we going to do with them," Ailill said, "if they can neither stay nor
come?"
"Kill them," Medb said.
"That is a woman's thinking and no mistake!"
Ailill said.
"A wicked thing to say."
KIT: And finally, Medb's third in-battle skill is Siren Song C, which has a high chance
of charming a male enemy and preventing them from moving for one turn, no doubt playing
to Medb's seductive nature.
Yet, in the Ulster Cycle, despite how often Queen Medb gives away women as methods of
coercion or has lovers outside of marriage, she herself states that she has a strict code
when it comes to intimate relationships.
NARRATION: "…It is what I asked as a marriage portion, a man without stinginess, without
jealousy, without fear…
It would not be fitting for me to be with a man that would be close-handed, for my own
hand is open in wage-paying and in free-giving…
It would not be fitting for me to be with a man that would be cowardly, for I myself
go into struggles and fights and battles and gain the victory…
And it would not be fitting for me to be with a husband that would be jealous, for I was
never without one man being with me in the shadow of another."
KIT: And that will probably do for a comparison of Queen Medb in Fate/Grand Order to the figure
from Irish folklore which she's based on; I feel like I've covered most of the essential
information and rambled on long enough.
Admittedly, after seeing how well the video on Scáthach was received, I was very much
eager to talk about Queen Medb next.
Of all the characters in the Ulster Cycle, I'd say that she fascinates me the most,
despite being a villain whose ego and competitive nature lead her to spark an international
war over a bull, something that sounds petty to contemporary readers.
As a matriarchal figure, Medb was fully aware of the authority at her disposal, and though
she wielded it as she pleased to get what she wanted, she eventually gets brought down
in an ironic—if not embarrassing—death.
While the Fate franchise takes its creative liberties with its portrayal of Queen Medb,
as it does with other historical and mythological figures, the core of its incarnation of the
warrior queen of Connacht retains all the needed elements, such as her elevated self-image,
penchant for lustful thinking, and plenty of callbacks to her great expedition against
Cú Chulainn and the warriors of Ulster.
Sure, it's easy to write her off as nothing but cheese and "thot" jokes, but knowing
the context behind the character at least instills some form of increased respect, right?
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