The Faerie Queen Maeve is an Irish goddess. She is strong willed and glamorous deity! Maeve is often described by other name such as Medb. In poetry and plays she is often simply called Mab. Percy Shelley and William Shakespeare have both utilized the name Mab for Faerie Queens.
Legends about the Faerie Queen Maeve state that no male, human or divine, could look upon her without succumbing to their lust! She used her irresistible beauty to seduce kings and alter the course of Irish history. She was very present in the Ulster saga of Irish myths.
Her abilities as a seductress and Faerie Queen make her incredibly powerful. Faeries are very known to be sexual and sensual beings. There are even those that would say that faeries are attracted to humans that are sexually open! This queen of faeries, like many others, has inspired many works of art and literature. She is a great and powerful deity in her own right. Maeve can sometimes be seen as an aspect of other goddesses. I have even heard of Maeve being seen as connected to the Morrigan. The Morrigan is a powerful war goddess, often seen to be the first banshee!
This Faerie Queen has an important connection to bulls and birds, particularly ravens. The connection to ravens further shows a similarity to the Morrigan, as she is a crow goddess. She had dominion over the earth and her fruitfulness. She is said to have been able to run faster than any horse, and is known to have taken part in the merrymaking of the faeries. Maeve is said to have had a fondness for gold and other forms of riches. Her passionate nature also shows her as a possibly warrior deity! There is a tradition of depicting her wearing red dresses to symbolize her passion!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Queen Titania by John Simmons. I found it on britishfairies.wordpress.com.
Further Reading
- Your Goddess Year by Skye Alexander
- The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens by Morgan Daimler
White Rose of Avalon 