Mugain, daughter of Eochaid Feidlech, () (sugg. pron. /Moógen Ait-en-hai-rech/ (Leahy)Leahy, Courtship of Ferb, pronunciation guide, p.xxvi; mod. pron. /MOO-in/{{Citation needed, date=January 2012), is a legendary queen in the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle (), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Do ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...

; characterized as the "Strumpet wife of

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories ...

", the king of

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

. Also styled Mumain, she had a son with him named Glaisne. She was also a sister of Medb by paternity. Her epithet, ''Aitinchairchech'', literally means "having gorse-like body hair", or perhaps more specifically

pubic hair Pubic hair (or pubes , ) is terminal hair, terminal body hair that is found in the sex organ, genital area and pubic region of adolescent and adult humans. The hair is located on and around the sex organs, and sometimes at the top of the inside ...

. When Cúchulainn returned to Emain Macha after his first foray, his fury was so great the Ulstermen feared he would destroy them. Mugain led her maidens out, and they bared their

breasts The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryology, embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is ...

in front of him. Cúchulainn averted his eyes, and the Ulstermen were able to wrestle him into a barrel of cold water, which exploded from the heat of his body. They put him in a second barrel, and the water boiled; and finally a third barrel, which merely warmed up to a pleasant temperature. Her affair with Áed, Conchobar's poet, led to the death of

Lóegaire Búadach In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Lóegaire Búadach (Lóegaire the Victorious) is a hapless Ulaid, Ulster warrior who mainly functions as comic relief. When he, Cúchulainn and Conall Cernach contend for the champion's portion at Briccriu' ...

. The Ulstermen took her life, out of the love of her, though they seldom engaged in femicide."The host of Emania, the host of Ulster, Have never committed woman-slaughter, Excepting in the case of Mughain, through love of her, And the hateful, but illustrious Medhbh." (''The Banquet of Dun na n-Gedh'', inserted verse, O'Donovan ed., p.213)

References

Footnotes

Primary Sources

* Joseph O'Neill, "Cath Boinde"
Ériu 2 (1905), pp. 173-185
* Tochmarc Ferbe (remscél to the TBC) ** Windisch ed., tr.(German), "Tochmarc Ferbe", Irische Texte III/2, 1897, pp. 445–556
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** Leahy, A. H. tr., The courtship of Ferbe, (ills. by Caroline Watts), David Nutt, London 1902 pp. XXXII + 102, (p.xxvi pron. guide; appears in p. 12). From Windisch's tr
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* Macgnimrada Conculainn "The boyhood deeds of Cú Chulainn" (this remscél is incorporated into TBC proper) ** Kinsella, tr., chapter headed "Cúchulainn's Boyhood Deeds", ''The Táin'' (1969), pp. 76–92; (Mugain appears on p. 92) * Aided Loegairi ** Meyer, Kuno, ed., tr. "The Death of Lóegaire Búadach" in: ''The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes'',''Todd Lecture Series'' 14 (1906)

Secondary Sources

* Thurneysen, R., Irische Helden- und Konigsage (Halle, 1921), p. 93 * Quiggin, A Dialect of Donegal (1906)

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Ulster Cycle