Queen Maeve: Strong enough for a man but made for a Woman by Kevin Wikse.

The following is my original blog post (updated with better grammar and sentence structure) reflecting my unique early work on "pagan" mythology and strength training.

My interaction inspired Heroic Evolution's Queen Maeve program with strongwoman Robin Coleman (who took 3rd place in the 2001 World's Strongest Woman in Zambia, Africa). Unfortunately, my presently defunct Heroic Evolution never produced this strength program, and it remains an unrealized dream. 

 

Queen Maeve: Strong enough for a man but made for a woman.

8/16/11

Hail Queen Maeve!

In all of Ireland, only one woman held the keys to real power—a force of nature that made men tremble with both fear and desire.

Her name is Queen Maeve.

Queen Maeve is a woman second to no man. She is drop-dead gorgeous, strong as a bull, and said to have slain whole legions of men on the battlefield and in the bed chamber. Queen Maeve is unquestionably the alpha female.

In Irish myth, she is a Queen and a goddess of sovereignty to whom all kings of Ireland were symbolically married. Queen Maeve is a "Kingmaker" able to elevate a man to his highest potential. Her skills are many and great. She is a woman unto herself—a Queen who needs no King to be complete but knows Ireland is best ruled with a combined front of King and Queen.

Queen Maeve's sexual prowess is legendary. She could readily exhaust thirty men a night and be ready for more (now that is cardio). Her stubborn "bullish" nature is also legendary. Queen Maeve knows what she wants and lets nothing stand in her way. 

Her one-time husband, King Ailill, once remarked that he technically ruled over her because he brought more wealth to their marriage. Furious, Queen Maeve ordered each of their accountants to compare all their wealth, coin for coin, and bauble for bauble. In all ways, they were equal, save one. King Ailill had a mighty stud bull in his stable that none of Queen Maeve's cattle could match. King Ailill had brought more to the table.

Not to be outdone, Queen Maeve sought a bull that surpassed her husband's, putting her back on top. She found such a beast, the great bull of Ulster. To her credit, Queen Maeve at least tried to buy the bull first. However, when told the beast was not for sale, she came to take it with force.

There are several recountings of what happened next in the war that followed. Queen Maeve took to the battlefield in all her glory, riding her magical chariot and dressed to kill (literally). Queen Maeve, fearlessly and ruthlessly, bests many of Ireland's heroes in that battle.

In some versions, she fights Ireland's most celebrated hero, Cuchulain, to a stalemate. Other variations state Queen Maeve begged Cuchulain to spare her life. That is a Christianized version. While the Christian clergy despised Cuchulain, they could use him to weaken what they hated more: a powerful woman who did not submit to a man in Queen Maeve. 

Regardless of which telling, the end is the same. Queen Maeve's army is driven back, but only after securing the great bull of Ulster as her prize, including the heads of numerous heroes she took in battle. For Queen Maeve, this is victory.

When the great bull of Ulster and the bull of King Ailill meet, they tear each other to shreds, both dying from their injuries. Queen Maeve was left without a bull, but so was her husband, King Ailill. The loss of her husband's bull and her recently acquired spoils of war put Queen Maeve back in a dominant position.

It is likely the battle between the two bulls signified an ancient martial ritual where two men fought to the death for the hand of Queen Maeve and the Kingship of Ireland. Perhaps it wasn't uncommon for both men to sustain mortal wounds in the battle. Queen Maeve, as the Sovereign goddess of Ireland, is eternal. She is linked to the Lady of the Lake, who repaired the sword of King Arthur, Excalibur. She bestows the authority to rule and bends the land to the rightful king's will. 

Queen Maeve exemplifies the saying, "Behind a successful man is a strong woman." She demonstrates that you must learn to control yourself, or someone else will do it for you.

The ancient Irish women held tremendous power. They ruled and fought alongside their men and did it with great skill, strength, and courage. A weak woman was useless to a wild and adventurous bunch that was the ancient Irish.

Queen Maeve's steely resolve might be what women need to reclaim their power and raise a generation of strong masculine men ready to lead the charge against tyranny, lead others from the front, restore rightful kings to the throne, and elect good leaders to uphold the will and freedoms of the people who voted for them. It is a seemingly tall order, but Queen Maeve is never one to run from a challenge.

Queen Maeve's program may only appeal to some women. However, certain women will gravitate towards an opportunity to toss weights around, usually reserved for men, and play as rough, if not rougher, than the boys.

-Kevin Wikse