神话传说中的梅芙（1）
梅芙是爱尔兰神话里的人物，其在古爱尔兰语的读音（音近梅泽芙）与现在爱尔兰语读音（音近梅芙）差别较大。本文统一翻译为梅芙（实际上这基本上是公认的翻译）。
梅芙的形象应该有很多人知道，尤其是型月厨。总的来说，型月世界观的梅芙与神话传说里的梅芙在为人处世方面是相似的，不过对阿尔斯特战争的起因与传说中有别。传说中发动战争是为了得到最强的公牛，而在型月世界观改为了库丘林。
以下内容翻译自梅芙的wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medb
其他文献将在后续文章翻译
里面有些敏感词和谐了一下变成○
译者观点用（括号红字写出）
Medb 梅芙
Medb (Old Irish: [mɛðv]), later spelled Meadhbh (Middle Irish: [mɛɣv]), Méibh (Irish: [mʲeːvʲ]) and Méabh (Irish: [mʲeːvˠ]), and often anglicised as Maeve (/meɪv/ MAYV), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had several husbands before him who were also kings of Connacht. She rules from Cruachan (now Rathcroghan, County Roscommon). She is the enemy (and former wife) of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, and is best known for starting the Táin Bó Cúailnge ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley") to steal Ulster's prize stud bull Donn Cúailnge.
梅芙（古爱尔兰语： [mɛðv]），而后读 Meadhbh (中古爱尔兰语: [mɛɣv])，Méibh (爱尔兰语: [mʲeːvʲ])，并且经常英化成 Maeve (读音/meɪv/ MAYV)，在爱尔兰神话的阿尔斯特传说中，她是康纳特女王。在传说的核心故事里，她的丈夫是 Ailill mac Máta，尽管她在他之前有好几位丈夫，均为康纳特国王。
Medb is strong-willed, ambitious, cunning and promiscuous, and is an archetypal warrior queen. She is believed by some to be a manifestation of the sovereignty goddess. Medb of Connacht is probably identical with Medb Lethderg, the sovereignty goddess of Tara, and may also be linked with the Morrígan. She may be the inspiration for the fairy Queen Mab found in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and other media.
梅芙意志坚强，雄心勃勃，狡猾，滥交，是一位典型的主战派女王。有些人认为她是主权女神的化身。Connacht 的梅芙可能与塔拉（地区）的主权女神 Medb Lethderg 相同，也可能与 Morrígan 有联系。她可能是威廉·莎士比亚的《罗密欧与朱丽叶》和其他媒体中发现的童话女王 Mab 的灵感来源。
Name 名字
In Old Irish her name is Medb; in Middle Irish, Meḋḃ; in early modern Irish, Meadhbh or Meaḋḃ; and in modern Irish Méabh or Méibh. This is generally believed to come from the Proto-Celtic *medu- ("mead") or *medua ("intoxicating"), and the meaning of her name has thus been interpreted as "mead-woman" or "she who intoxicates". This is thought to reflect her role as sovereignty goddess. In ancient and medieval Ireland, the drinking of mead was a key part of a king's inauguration ceremony. In myth, a supernatural woman representing the sovereignty of the land chooses a king by offering him an alcoholic drink, thus bestowing sovereignty upon him. However, it is also suggested that the name comes from Proto-Celtic *medwa ("the ruler").
在古爱尔兰语中，她的名字是 Medb ；在中爱尔兰，是 Meḋḃ ; 在早期现代爱尔兰语，是 Meadhbh 或 Meaḋḃ ; 在现代爱尔兰语是 Méabh 或 Méibh。一般认为这是来自原凯尔特语的 medu（“蜂蜜酒”）或 medua（“令人陶醉人”），因此她的名字的含义被解释为“蜂蜜酒之女”或“令人陶醉的女人”。这被认为是反映了她作为主权女神的形象。在古代和中世纪的爱尔兰，喝蜂蜜酒是国王登基典礼的关键部分。在神话中，一位代表国家主权的超自然的女性通过向国王提供酒精饮料来选择国王，从而将主权授予他。然而，也有人认为这个名字来自原凯尔特语的medwa（“统治者”）。
The name has been Anglicised as Maeve, Maev, Mave or Maiv. There are several place names in Ireland containing the name Medb. According to Kay Muhr of the Ulster Place-Name Society, some of these names suggest Medb was also an earth and fertility goddess. They include Ballypitmave (Baile Phite Méabha, "townland of Medb's vulva") in County Antrim and Sawel Pitmave (Samhail Phite Méabha, "likeness to Medb's vulva") in County Tyrone, both in northern Ulster. Other placenames include Maeve's Cairn in County Sligo, Barnavave (Bearna Mhéabha, "Medb's gap") in County Louth, Boveva (Boith Mhéabha, "Medb's huts") in County Londonderry, Knockmaa (Cnoc Meá, "Medb's hill") in County Galway, Meskanmave (Meascán Mhéabha, "Medb's lump") in County Donegal, Milleen Meva (Millín Mhéabha, "Medb's knoll") at Rathcroghan in County Roscommon, and Rath Meave at Tara in County Meath.
这个名字被英化为 Maeve、Maev、Mave 或 Maiv。爱尔兰有几个地名包含了 Medb 这个名字。据阿尔斯特地名协会的 Kay Muhr 称，其中一些名字表明梅芙也是地球和生育女神。它们包括安特里姆郡的 Ballypitmave（Baile Phite Méabha，“梅芙的○镇”）和蒂龙郡的 Sawel Pitmave（Samhail Phite Máabha“与梅芙的○相似”），二者都在阿尔斯特北部。其他地名包括斯莱戈郡的梅芙的石冢、劳斯郡的 Barnavave （Bearna Mhéabha，“梅芙的裂口”），伦敦德里郡的 Boveva (Boith Mhéabha, "梅芙的小屋") 、戈尔韦郡的 Knockmaa（Cnoc Meá，“梅芙之丘”），多尼戈尔郡的 Meskanmave（Meascan Mpha，“梅芙之块”），罗斯科门郡的 Rathcroghan 的 Milleen Meva（Millen Meva，“梅芙的小丘”），以及米斯郡塔拉的 Rath Meave 。
Description 描述
Medb is described as a fair haired wolf queen, whose form was so beautiful that it robbed men of two-thirds of their valor upon seeing her.
梅芙被描述为一位金发狼皇后，她的外貌如此美丽，以至于男人们一见到她就丧失了三分之二的勇气。
Marriages and rise to power 婚姻和掌权
How Medb came to power in Connacht and married Ailill mac Máta is told in the tale Cath Bóinde ("The Battle of the Boyne"), also known as Ferchuitred Medba ("Medb's man-share"). Her father, Eochaid Feidlech, the High King of Ireland, married her to Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, because he had killed Conchobar's purported father, the former High King Fachtna Fáthach, in battle. She bore him a son, Glaisne, but the marriage was a bad one and she left him. Eochaid gave Conchobar another of his daughters, Eithne (or Clothru), but Medb murdered her while she was pregnant; her son Furbaide was born by posthumous caesarian section.
关于梅芙是如何在康纳特掌权并与 Ailill mac Máta 结婚的，这在故事《Cath Bóinde》（“博因之战”）中讲述了，也被称为《Ferchuitred Medba》（“梅芙的人际关系”）。她的父亲，爱尔兰大君 Eochaid Feidlech，将她嫁给阿尔斯特国王 Conchobar mac Nessa，因为据称他在战斗中杀死了 Conchobar 的父亲，前大君法 Fachtna Fáthach。她给他生了一个儿子，叫 Glaisne，但婚姻很糟糕然后她离开了他。Eochaid 给了 Conchobar 另一个女儿 Eithne（或Clothru），但梅芙在她怀孕期间谋杀了她；她的儿子 Furbaide 是死后剖腹产出生的。
Eochaid deposed the then-king of Connacht, Tinni mac Conri, and installed Medb in his place. However, Tinni regained a share of the throne when he and Medb later became lovers. Conchobar raped Medb after an assembly at Tara, and war ensued between the High King and Ulster. Tinni challenged Conchobar to single combat, and lost. Eochaid Dála of the Fir Domnann, who had been Tinni's rival for the kingship, protected the Connacht army as it retreated, and became Medb's next husband and king of Connacht. Medb demanded her husband satisfy her three criteria—that he be without fear, meanness, or jealousy. The last was particularly important, as she had many lovers. While married to Eochaid Dála, she took Ailill mac Máta, chief of her bodyguard, as her lover. Eochaid discovered the affair, challenged Ailill to single combat, and lost. Ailill then married Medb and became king of Connacht.
Eochaid 废黜了当时的康纳特国王 Tinni mac Conri，并任命梅芙接替他的职位。然而，Tinni 重新夺回了王位，当他和梅芙后来成为恋人时。Conchobar 在塔拉集会后强奸了梅芙，大君和阿尔斯特之间爆发了战争。Tinni 挑战 Conchobar 来单挑，但失败了。曾与 Tinni 争夺王位的竞争对手，Fir Domnann的 Eochaid Dála 保护了撤退的康纳特军队，并成为梅芙的下一任丈夫和康纳特国王。梅芙要求她的丈夫满足她的三个标准，即他没有恐惧、卑鄙或嫉妒。最后一个尤其重要，因为她有很多情人。在嫁给 Eochaid Dála 时，她让保镖队长 Ailill mac Máta 做自己的情人。Eochaid 发现了这件事，向 Ailill 发起了单挑，结果输了。Ailill 后来娶了梅芙，成为了康纳特的国王。
Medb's children 梅芙的孩子
Medb and Ailill had seven sons, all called Maine. They originally all had other names, but when Medb asked a druid which of her sons would kill Conchobar, he replied, "Maine". She did not have a son called Maine, so she renamed all her sons as follows:
梅芙和 Ailill 有七个儿子，都叫 Maine。最初他们都有其他名字，但当梅芙问 druid，她的哪个儿子会杀死 Conchobar，他回答说：“Maine。”她没有一个儿子叫 Maine，所以她给所有儿子改名如下：
Fedlimid 变成 Maine Athramail ("像他的爸爸")
Cairbre 变成 Maine Máthramail ("像他的妈妈")
Eochaid 变成 Maine Andoe ("敏捷")也称为 Cich-Maine Andoe 或 Cichmuine
Fergus 变成 Maine Taí ("沉默")
Cet 变成 Maine Mórgor ("巨大责任")
Sin 变成 Maine Mílscothach ("甜言蜜语")
Dáire 变成 Maine Móepirt ("难以名状")
The prophecy was fulfilled when Maine Andoe went on to kill Conchobar, son of Arthur, son of Bruide – not Conchobar, son of Fachtna Fathach, as Medb had assumed the druid meant. Medb and Ailill also had a daughter, Findabair.
这个预言应验了，Maine Andoe 去杀死了亚瑟之子，Bruide 之子 Conchobar -而不是梅芙设想的 Fachtna Fathach 之子 Conchobar。梅芙和 Ailill 还有一个女儿 Findabair。
Cattle Raid of Cooley 夺牛长征记
（由于夺牛长征记已经是比较被广泛认可的翻译，所以就这么翻了）
Medb insisted that she be equal in wealth with her husband, and started the Cattle Raid of Cooley when she discovered that Ailill was one powerful stud bull richer than her. She discovered that the only rival to Ailill's bull, Finnbennach, was Donn Cúailnge, owned by Dáire mac Fiachna, a vassal of Conchobar's. She sent messengers to Dáire, offering wealth, land and sexual favours in return for the loan of the bull, and Dáire initially agreed. But when a drunken messenger declared that, if he had not agreed, the bull would have been taken by force, Dáire withdrew his consent, and Medb prepared for war.
梅芙坚持认为她与丈夫在财富上是平等的，当她发现 Ailill 比她多一头强大种牛时，她发起了夺牛长征。她发现， Ailill 的公牛 Finnbennach 的唯一竞争对手为 Conchobar 的附庸 Dáire mac Fiachna 拥有的 Donn Cüailnge 这头牛。她派信使前往 Dáire，提供财富，土地和○爱，以换取借公牛，Dáire 最初同意了。但当一个喝醉的信使声称，如果他不同意，公牛就会被强行带走时，Dáire 撤销了他的同意，梅芙准备发动战争。
An army was raised including contingents from all over Ireland. One was a group of Ulster exiles led by Conchobar's estranged son Cormac Cond Longas and his foster-father Fergus mac Róich, former king of Ulster and one of Medb's lovers. It is reported that it took thirty men to satisfy her, or Fergus once. Medb's relationship with Fergus is alluded to in the early poem Conailla Medb míchuru ("Medb has entered evil contracts") by Luccreth moccu Chiara (c. 600); it asserts that Medb wrongly seduced Fergus into turning against Ulster "because he preferred the buttocks of a woman to his own people".
梅芙组建了一支军队，包括来自爱尔兰各地的分队。其中一个是由 Conchobar 疏远的儿子 Cormac Cond Longas 和他的养父，阿尔斯特前国王与梅芙其中一个情人 Fergus mac Róich 领导的阿尔斯特流亡者组织。据说，梅芙需要三十个男人，或者一次 Fergus 来满足她。Luccreth moccu Chiara（约600年）的早期诗歌《Conailla Medb míchuru》（“梅芙签订了邪恶契约”）暗示了梅芙与 Fergus 的关系；诗歌里称，梅芙错误地诱使 Fergus 转而对抗阿尔斯特，“因为他更喜欢女人的臀部，而不是他的人民”。
Because of a divine curse on the Ulstermen, the invasion was opposed only by the teenage Ulster hero Cúchulainn, who held up the army's advance by demanding single combat at fords. Medb and Ailill offered their daughter Findabair in marriage to a series of heroes as payment for fighting Cúchulainn, but all were defeated. Nevertheless, Medb secured the bull. However, after a final battle against Conchobar's assembled army, she was forced to retreat. Donn Cúailnge was brought back to Cruachan, where it fought Ailill's bull, Finnbennach, killing him, but dying of his wounds.
由于对阿尔斯特人的神罚，只有阿尔斯特青年英雄库丘林反对入侵，他要求在福特进行一次单挑，从而阻碍了军队的前进。梅芙和 Ailill 将他们的女儿 Findabair 婚姻作为一系列英雄对抗库丘林的报酬，但是都被打败了。尽管如此，梅芙还是保住了公牛。然而，在与 Conchobar 集结的军队进行最后一场战斗后，她被迫撤退。Donn Cúailnge 被带回了克鲁坎，在那里它与 Ailill 的公牛 Finnbennach 搏斗，并杀死了它，但因受伤而死。
Also, throughout the Táin Bó Cúailnge Medb has several encounters with Cúchulainn in which he kills either her pets or handmaidens and the place in which they were killed is then named after them, which illustrates the importance of landscape throughout the text of the Táin Bó Cúailnge. Examples of this occur when Cúchulainn "slung a stone and killed a pet stoat as it sat on Medb's shoulder by her neck, south of the ford. Hence the name Meithe Togmaill, Stoat Neck" and when he kills Medb's handmaid: "He slung a stone at her from the heights of Cuincu and killed her on the flat place that bears her name, Reid Locha, Locha's Level, in Cualinge". Medb's behaviour further illustrates the importance of the landscape when she goes to great lengths to permanently alter it to show her contempt for Ulster. "She preferred to cross the mountain by leaving a track that would show forever her contempt for Ulster… to make the Pass of the Cualinge Cattle".
此外，梅芙在整个 Táin Bó Cúailnge 地区多次与库丘林相遇，在其中他杀死了她的宠物或侍女，并以他们的名字命名了他们被杀害的地点，这说明了整个《Táin Bó Cúailnge》文章中风景的重要性。这方面的例子发生在，库丘林“在福特以南，当一只宠物白鼬坐在梅芙的肩膀上时，扔了一块石头，杀死了它。因此，此地名字叫 Meithe Togmaill，stoat neck”，当他杀死梅芙的女佣时，他说：“他从 Cuincu 的高处向她扔了一颗石头，并在 Cualinge 一个平坦的地方杀死了她，上面写着她的名字，Reid Locha，Locha’s Level”。梅芙的行为进一步说明了风景的重要性，她竭尽全力永久改变风景，以显她对阿尔斯特的蔑视。“她宁愿穿过这座山，留下一条永远显示出她对阿尔斯特的蔑视的小路……让 Cualinge 的牛通过”。
Later years 之后几年
Out of jealousy for his affair with Medb, Ailill had Fergus killed. In his old age, after Conchobar's death, the Ulster hero Conall Cernach came to stay with Ailill and Medb, as they were the only household capable of supporting him. Medb tasked him to keep an eye on Ailill, who was seeing other women. Finding Ailill in flagrante, she ordered Conall to kill him, which he was happy to do in revenge for Fergus. However, the dying Ailill sent his men after him, and he was killed while trying to escape.
出于对 Fergus 与梅芙的恋情的嫉妒，Ailill 杀死了 Fergus。Conchobar 去世后，阿尔斯特英雄 Conall Cernach 在年老时与 Ailill 和梅芙住在一起，因为他们是唯一能够支撑他的家庭。梅芙让他监视正在看其他女人的 Ailill。发现 Ailill 的奸情，梅芙命令 Conall 杀死他， Conall 很乐意这样做为 Fergus 报仇。然而，濒死的 Ailill 派手下追捕他，他在试图逃跑时被杀。
Death 死亡
In her later years, Medb often went to bathe in a pool on Inchcleraun (Inis Cloithreann), an island on Lough Ree, near Knockcroghery. Furbaide sought revenge for the death of his mother. He took a rope and measured the distance between the pool and the shore, and practised with his sling until he could hit an apple on top of a stake Medb's height from that distance. The next time he saw Medb bathing he put his practice to good use and killed her with a piece of cheese. She was succeeded to the throne of Connacht by her son Maine Athramail.
在她晚年，梅芙经常去 Knockcroghery 附近 Ree 湖的一个海岛 Inchcleraun （Inis Cloithreann）的一个池子洗浴。Furbaide 试图为母亲的死亡复仇。他拿了一根绳索，测量了池子和海岸之间的距离，并用他的绳索练习，直到他能从这个距离击中梅芙高度上的一个苹果为止。下一次他看到梅芙洗浴时，他很好地用到了自己的练习，并用一块奶酪杀死了她。她的儿子 Maine Athramail 继承了 Connacht 的王位。
According to legend, Medb is buried in Miosgán Médhbh, a 40-foot (12 m) high stone cairn on the summit of Knocknarea (Cnoc na Ré in Irish) in County Sligo. Supposedly, she is buried upright facing her enemies in Ulster. Her home in Rathcroghan, County Roscommon is also a potential burial site, with a long low slab named 'Misgaun Medb' being given as the most likely location.
据传说，梅芙被埋葬在 Miosgán Médhbh，一座40英尺（12米）高的石冢，位于斯莱戈郡的 Knocknarea（爱尔兰的Cnoc na Ré）山顶。据推测，她面对敌人被竖直埋葬在阿尔斯特。她位于罗斯科曼郡 Rathcroghan 的家也是一个可能的埋葬地点，最有可能的埋葬位置是一块名为“Misgaun Medb”的长而低的石板。
Interpretations 延伸
Tomás Ó Máille was the first to suggest in 1928, that Medb is probably an allegorical figure representing the sovereignty of Connacht,"whom a king would ritually marry as part of his inauguration." Medb Lethderg, who performs a similar function in Tara, is probably identical with or the inspiration for this Medb. Her name is said to mean 'she who intoxicates', and is cognate with the English word 'mead'; it is likely that the sacred marriage ceremony between the king and the goddess would involve a shared drink. Medb's "pillow talk" argument with her consort contains suggestions of matrilineality, as does Ailill's taking his name from his mother Máta Muirisc. Recently, Irish and Irish-American poets have explored Medb as an image of woman's power, including sexuality, as in "Labhrann Medb" ("Medb Speaks") by Irish-language poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and "Intoxication" by Irish-American poet Patricia Monaghan.
1928年，Tomás Oh Máille 首次提出，梅芙可能是一个象征着康纳特主权的寓言人物，“作为国王就职典礼的一部分，他会举行仪式性的结婚。”Medb Lethderg 在塔拉履行着类似的职责，可能就是梅芙，也可能是梅芙的灵感来源。据说她的名字的意思是“她喝醉了”，与英语单词“mead”同源；国王和女神之间的神圣婚礼很可能会涉及共饮。梅芙和她的配偶的“枕头谈话”包含了母系社会的暗示，Ailill 的名字也是从他的母亲 Máta Muirisc 那里来的。最近，有爱尔兰和爱尔兰裔美国诗人将梅芙视为女性权力的象征，包括○欲，如爱尔兰语诗人 Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill 的《Labhrann Medb》（“梅芙说”）和爱尔兰裔美籍诗人 Patricia Monaghan 的《Intoxication》。
The name "Connacht" is an apparent anachronism: the stories of the Ulster Cycle are traditionally set around the time of Christ, but the Connachta, after whom the province is named, were said to have been the descendants of Conn Cétchathach, who is supposed to have lived several centuries later. Later stories use the name Cóiced Ol nEchmacht as an earlier name for the province of Connacht to get around this problem. But the chronology of early Irish historical tradition is an artificial attempt by Christian monks to synchronise native traditions with classical and biblical history, and it is possible that the cycle has been chronologically misplaced.
“Connacht”这个名字显然是一个时代错误：阿尔斯特神话的故事传统上是围绕基督时代展开的，但省命名来源的 Connachta 据说是 Conn Cétchathach 的后代，他应该在几个世纪后才出生。后来的故事中，为了解决这个问题，Connacht 省更早的名字被称为 Cóiced Ol nEchmacht。但是，爱尔兰早期历史传统的年代记是基督教僧侣人为地试图将本土传统与古典和圣经历史同步，这一神话可能在时间上错位了。
