QUEENS
the old. It has been suggested that in these cases the
queen was seen to symbolize the sovereignty of the
land and that marriage to her constituted a claiming
of the kingship. It should be noted, however, that in
virtually every one of these instances, great animosity
had existed between the new king and his predeces-
sor. While the sovereignty interpretation may have
some validity, the marriage should likely also be seen
as an act of hostile triumph. A large proportion of
queens ended their days in religious life within a
convent, some of whom may have retired there, vol-
untarily or otherwise, after having fulfilled such sym-
bolic requirements. Others may have retired there
precisely in order to avoid being treated as a pawn
in this way. That many chose to retire to a monastery
associated with their birth family underlines that
despite multiple marriages, the queens still had strong
bonds to their native dynasties.
A
NNE
C
ONNON
References and Further Reading
Connon, Anne. “A Prosopography of the Early Queens of Tara.”
In
Ta r a: A Study of An Exceptional Kingship and Landscape
.
Dublin: Discovery Programme Monographs, edited by Edel
Bhreathnach. 2004, forthcoming.
Edel, Doris. “Early Irish Queens and Royal Power: A First
Reconnaissance.” In
Ogma: Essays in Celtic Studies in
honour of Próinséas Ní Chatháin,
edited by Michael Richter
and Jean-Michel Picard, Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2002.
Ní Dhonnchadha, Máirín, ed. “Medieval to Modern.” In
The
Field Day Anthology of
Irish Writing, vol. iv: Irish Women’s
Writing and Traditions
, edited by Angela Bourke, Siobhán
Kilfeather, Maria Luddy, Margaret Mac Curtain, Geraldine
Meaney, Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha, Mary O’Dowd, and Clair
Wills. Cork: Cork University Press, 2002.
Ó Corráin, Donnchadh. “Women in Early Irish Society.” In
Women
in Irish Society:
The Historical Dimension
, edited by Margaret
MacCurtain and Donnchad Ó Corráin. Dublin: The Womens’
Press, 1978.
See also
Aífe;
Derborgaill; Gormfhlaith (d. 948);
Gormfhlaith (d. 1030); Kings and Kingship; Women