Misogyny in The Voyage of Máel Dúin’s Currach Eve Mandel College

In chapter XXVIII of The Voyage of Máel Dúin’s Currach, Máel Dúin and his shipmates stumble upon an island populated by a queen and her 17 young daughters. Surprised by her position of power, Máel Dúin does not treat her with the respect she deserves. Máel Dúin’s attitude toward the queen reveals the text’s own sexist ideas: that above all, women are objects of earthly pleasure for men, serving as merely a distraction from the men’s important duties. The text asserts that a patriarchal society is the only effective one, as women are too needy and emotional to rule.

The dialogue, though limited, between Máel Dúin and the queen shows his lack of respect for her role and the queen’s own internalized misogyny. The queen says, “‘There was a good man on this island, who was king of the island… Then their father died and left no heir. So I took kingship of this island after him’” (20). The phrase “after him” is significant here, showing that in both this particular situation and life in general, women must follow men. Despite having already explained her role as queen to Máel Dúin, he still asks her, “‘But why do you leave us today?’” (21), seemingly unable to believe that she has daily responsibilities requiring her to leave the...