In the closing chapters of The Táin, there are three female figures studied somewhat closely by the text: Medb, Finnabair, and the perhaps more elusive Morrígan. What do these figures have in common, besides their femininity? Which of these characters suffers the most because of her gender and why?

In this week’s reading from Kate Manne’s Down Girl, we read about the Isla Vista Killings and the media character study that followed of Elliot Rodger. Manne brings in many articles that examine Rodger’s behavior and attitudes towards those he killed, particularly the women he decidedly targeted in his YouTube video. How do Rodger’s actions and attitudes compare or contrast with the men of The Táin? What similarities or differences do you recognize in how they treat women and others around them?