Macha

[manicfairy19]

I just read today about Macha, some people say she is involved with the morrighan but in this book of Irish folklore she is a woman who is the fastest woman in the kingdom, and the king challenges her to a race against his chariot, but she doesnt want to because she's pregnant. But the king threatens to kill her husband if she doesnt so she races and wins the race and at the end of the race she gives birth to twins whom she says will curse the land. One will bring power, and one will give weakness when one needs strength. Has anyone heard this.
I got the book from an irish friend. (Hes an international student from ireland)

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

Originally Posted by manicfairy19

I just read today about Macha, some people say she is involved with the morrighan but in this book of Irish folklore she is a woman who is the fastest woman in the kingdom, and the king challenges her to a race against his chariot, but she doesnt want to because she's pregnant. But the king threatens to kill her husband if she doesnt so she races and wins the race and at the end of the race she gives birth to twins whom she says will curse the land. One will bring power, and one will give weakness when one needs strength. Has anyone heard this.
I got the book from an irish friend. (Hes an international student from ireland)

Yes. That is the most common myth associated with Macha in Irish lore. However it is not the only myth associated with her. In the Second Battle of Maigh Tuirread she is killed by Balor. Though, I myself have pondered whether these are in fact the same Machas. The myth you give occurs much later in the 'history' of Ireland then the Second Battle of Maigh Tuirread, and she is obviously quite alive in it. Futhermore, in the myth you listed, Macha appears as a queen not necessarily as a member of the Tuatha de Dannan. On the other hand, the monastic scribes who first wrote down the myths between the 9th and 12th centuries tended to get things very confused, so this could explain the discontinuity of the timeline.

The reason it is given that she is involved with the Morrighan, is because the myths state that they have the same father, Ernmass, which makes them sisters. This fits the normal form for triple goddess' in Celtic lore, which does not follow the modern neo-pagan idea of MMC, instead naming them sisters.

[manicfairy19]

oh. lol at least I know Im not crazy.

[Seren_]

She's associated with the Morrigan according to this verse of the Lebor Gabala Erenn:

Badb and Macha, greatness of wealth, Morrigu - springs of
craftiness, sources of bitter fighting were the three
daughters of Ernmas.

As Morag says, there are several Macha's that appear in the Irish manuscripts. Partholan, one of the first settlers in Ireland, is said to have had a daughter called Macha as well. It's unlikely this is the same Macha found in the other tales.

The story about her being forced to race by king Conchobar is probably the best known tale, but there's also another where she is said to have been one of the queen's of Ireland, and it's a bit more bloody . Both tales suggest the reason of how Emain Macha (a royal site in Ireland) got it's name - Emain is thought to relate to either the word for "twin" as detailed in the first tale where Macha gives birth to twins there; or else it means a brooch, which Macha used to draw the boundary of Emain Macha:

This story tells us that Macha was the daughter of Red Hugh. He had two sons as well, and they all agreed that they would share the sovereignty of Ireland in their turn; but on Hugh's death Macha seized power and refused to relinquish it to her brothers. She fought and killed one brother, Dithorba, and his five sons took the wise decision to make themselves scarce for a while and plotted against her at a distance. In the meantime, Macha managed to persuade her brother Cimbaeth to marry her in order to legitimate her position.

Well aware of her nephews plans, she sought them out one by one, seducing them home. To each one she appeared "red all over, terrible and hideous as war itself but with bright flashing eyes"; and despite the horror of her appearance, they could not resist her and willingly went with her. Once they were all home, Macha took her brooch and marked out the boundaries in order to keep her nephews safely locked away, and it is suggested that the great brooch can be likened to the circular ramparts of the fort itself, with the "cloak" in this instance being Macha's territory.

[Zophael]

According to my sources, it appears that the two Machas are different, but this confusion is apparently not uncommon.

[blackroseivy]

As she's in reality a goddess, I wonder if the monks mixed things up on account of Christianizing the myth - this would be only 1 of *many* examples!