17/04 THECO’s Permanent Seminar

An extraordinary session will take place on 17 April as part of the THECO 2026 Permanent Seminar. The session will be presented by Raúl Garrobo Robles under the title “Ideology and Mentality in the Representation of Irish Women during the Early Middle Ages” and will take place from 5 pm to 7 pm in room 17.2.47 on the Getafe Campus (UC3M).

The seminar will consist of a presentation of her pre-doctoral research project, which focuses on the mythical figure of Queen Medb as a central theme for analysing the representation of women in early medieval Ireland.

Drawing on an analysis of the tales of the Ulaid Cycle and other narratives such as the Táin bó Cúailnge, this study will propose a critical interpretation that distinguishes between the surface level of the myths and their underlying structures, with the aim of understanding not so much the historical reality of women, but rather the mindset and ideology of the society that created them. The seminar will also address methodological and epistemological issues concerning the use of myths in historiography, highlighting the symbolic role of Medb as an expression of a culture in which, although women did not hold explicit political power, their symbolic dimension was fundamental to the legitimisation of sovereignty and the shaping of the collective imagination.

Session details:

• Date: 17 April 2026
• Time: 5pm-7pm
• Venue: Room 17.2.47, Building 17, Getafe Campus (UC3M)
• Link to the online session:  THECO S 4 N

Reference materials: TEXTS (Password: SeminarioTHECO)