Tain Bo Cualinge is the story of Queen Medb and her ambition to capture Donn Cuallinge, a bull. Her desire to acquire Donn Cuallinge is due to an argument that occurs with her husband, King Ailil, over whom is wealthier. The acquisition of Donn Cuallinge would make her equal to King Ailill in terms of wealth and social status. It is also interesting that the difference between Queen Medb and King Ailill is that of a bull, as a bull in the Irish art is a symbol of virility and wealth. The theme of women in power and in pursuit of power is quite different from earlier text such as the Iliad, the Aeneid, and Beowulf. The Tain establishes Queen Medb as a strong independent woman who is in the pursuit of power but lacks the leadership skills of a man. …show more content…
In the earlier text, studied war is most often declared and lead by men who are in the pursuit of power. In the Tain, Queen Medb both declares and leads the war, and she is the one in pursuit of power. This is noticeable as Queen Medb visits the druid’s place to know her future. She states, “And if they do not come back safe and sound, they all will curse me, because I made the call to arms” (Tain 12). Medb fears failure in war because not only would she be cursed but as a woman, her leadership capabilities would be challenged. For this reason, Medb seeks the opinions of those possessing the second sight and her constant need to know the future can be viewed as a sense of