roí

Roí is a name found in early Irish myth and legend, applied to more than one figure in medieval Irish storytelling. The best-known Roí is Roí mac Dáire, a legendary king associated with Munster in the tradition. In surviving manuscripts, the name Roí is sometimes rendered as Cu Roí, and the figure is treated as a powerful ruler whose court appears in several tales. The etymology of the name is connected to Old Irish, where the word for king is roí.

In the tale Tochmarc Roí (The Wooing of Roí), Roí mac Dáire’s court serves as the setting for tests and trials that approach the themes of hospitality, prowess, and moral conduct. Other stories in the Fenian and Ulster cycles place Roí at the center of feuds, alliances, and episodes that highlight the complex politics of legendary kingship. Across these narratives, Roí functions as a decisive, sometimes formidable host whose reception of guests becomes a measure of a hero’s character.

The primary evidence for Roí comes from a small body of medieval Irish manuscripts, including versions found in Lebor na hUidre (The Book of the Dun Cow) and related texts. Different manuscripts offer varying genealogies, roles, and details about Roí, and there is no single, unified account. This patchwork reflects the broader pattern in early Irish literature, where figures migrate between cycles and are reinterpreted in different contexts.

Scholars view Roí as part of a larger archetype in Irish myth—the king whose hospitality and judgment test others and illuminate themes of kingship, loyalty, and heroism. As such, Roí remains a focal point for study of how legendary rulers are imagined and how narrative tests function within Irish storytelling.