差分

マリー＝ルイーズ・ショーステットはマッハについてこう書いている。「この第二のマッハの人物の中に、地元の女神の新しい側面、すなわち戦士と支配者の側面を発見する。」「これは、他の神話に再び現れる特定の方法で性的側面と組み合わされている。」「男性のパートナーまたはパートナーは女性に支配されている。」と<ref name="Sjoestedt">Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Translated by Myles Dillon, Gods and Heroes of the Celts, 2nd, 1982, Turtle Island Foundation, Berkeley, CA, [https://archive.org/details/godsheroesofcelt00sjoe/page/28 28–9], isbn:0-913666-52-1, https://archive.org/details/godsheroesofcelt00sjoe/page/28</ref>。

Macha, daughter of Sainrith mac Imbaith, was the wife of [[Cruinniuc]], an Ulster farmer. Some time after the death of Cruinniuc's first wife, Macha appears at his house. Without speaking, she begins [[Housekeeping|keeping the house]] and acting as his wife. Soon she becomes pregnant by him. As long as they were together Cruinniuc's wealth grew. When he leaves to attend a festival organised by the king of Ulster, she warns him that she will only stay with him so long as he does not speak of her to anyone, and he promises to say nothing. However, during a chariot race, he boasts that his wife can run faster than the king's horses. The king orders Cruinniuc be held on pain of death unless he can make good on his claim. Although she is heavily pregnant, Macha is brought to the gathering and the king forces her to race the horses. She wins the race, but then cries out in pain as she gives birth to twins on the finish line; a boy named Fír ("True") and a girl named Fial ("Modest").<ref name=dindsenchas-rennes-094-Ard_Macha/> For disrespecting and humiliating her, she curses the men of Ulster to be overcome with weakness—as weak "as a woman in childbirth"—at the time of their greatest need. This weakness would last for five days and the curse would last for nine generations. Thereafter, the place where Macha gave birth would be called ''Emain Macha'', or "Macha's twins".<ref name=noinden_ulad>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/debility.html |title=The Debility of the Ulstermen |access-date=20 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226141502/http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/debility.html |archive-date=26 December 2013 |url-status=<!--not dead-->}}</ref><ref name=noinden_ulad-hull/>