Lí Ban (; thus 'paragon of women') may refer to an otherworldly female figure in

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...

. This Lí Ban claimed the beautiful Fand as sister, and was wife to Labraid Luathlám ar Claideb ("Labraid of the swift sword-hand"), the ruler of Magh Mell.: s.v. ''Fand'', ''Lí Ban'', ''Mag Mell'', ''Serglige Con Culainn'' She appears primarily in the Irish tale of ''

Serglige Con Culainn ''Serglige Con Culainn'' (''The Sick-Bed of Cú Chulainn or The Wasting Sickness of Cúchulainn''), also known as ''Oenét Emire'' (''The Only Jealousy of Emer'') is a narrative from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It tells of a curse that ...

'' (''The Wasting Sickness of Cú Chulainn''), where she is the daughter of Áed Abrat. She appears first in the form of a sea bird, then as an otherworldly woman who inflicts the story's eponymous sickness on Cú Chulainn. In the story Lí Ban acts as messenger and mediator; she and

Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), is an Irish warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, who is also his father. His mother is the ...

's charioteer

Láeg Láeg, or Lóeg, son of Riangabar, is the charioteer and constant companion of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Ora ...

work together to see that Cú Chulainn is healed in exchange for his aid in Fand's battle in the

Otherworld In historical Indo-European religion, the concept of an otherworld, also known as an otherside, is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other world/side"), a term used by Lucan in his desc ...

. From this Lí Ban may have derived her namesake, a legendary Lí Ban of

Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ; ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. It has a surface area of and is about long and wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 4 ...

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References

*
The Sick-Bed of Cuchulain
- An English translation of the above

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Further reading