Ailill mac Máta- Celtic FigureMortal"King of Connacht"
Also known as: Ailill and Ailill mac Mata
Description
Lying in bed one night, Ailill matched his wife Medb possession for possession — land, gold, servants, cattle — until he named his great white-horned bull Finnbennach, and Medb had nothing to answer it. Her refusal to be surpassed launched the Táin Bó Cúailnge, Ireland's bloodiest cattle raid.
Mythology & Lore
King of Connacht
Ailill mac Máta was king of Connacht and husband of the formidable Queen Medb. In Irish tradition, Connacht's sovereignty was tied to Medb herself, and Ailill held his kingship through their marriage. Medb had demanded that any husband of hers be without fear, without jealousy, and without meanness. Ailill met these criteria, though his composure was tested repeatedly.
The Pillow Talk
The Táin Bó Cúailnge begins with a deceptively domestic scene. Ailill and Medb lie in bed, comparing their possessions to determine which of them brought more wealth to the marriage. They are matched in land, servants, gold, and livestock, until Ailill mentions his great white-horned bull, Finnbennach. This bull had originally been born to Medb's herd but had refused to remain the property of a woman and had crossed over to Ailill's cattle.
Medb could not bear to be surpassed. She learned that the only bull equal to Finnbennach was the Brown Bull of Cooley, Donn Cúailnge, in Ulster. She resolved to have it by any means necessary.
Ailill in the Táin
When Cú Chulainn single-handedly held the ford against their armies, killing champion after champion, it was often Ailill who counseled negotiation rather than further frontal assaults. He commanded troops, participated in war councils, and made tactical decisions.
When Medb took Fergus mac Róich as her lover during the campaign, Ailill responded with calculated restraint. He had Fergus's sword stolen and replaced with a wooden one, humiliating the great exile while avoiding a conflict he could not win. Later, he positioned his charioteer Cuillius to strike at Fergus during battle, a warning that his tolerance had limits.
Death
In the Táin, Ailill survives the campaign. Later traditions recorded in the cycles of Connacht kingship attribute his death to Conall Cernach, one of Ulster's greatest heroes.