The Morrígan

The Morrígan
by Danielle Ní Dhighe
Copyright (c) 1996, 1997 Danielle Ní Dhighe
All Rights Reserved
May be reposted as long as the above attribution and copyright notice
are retained
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THE MORRÍGAN
The Morrígan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name
translates as 'Phantom Queen,' which is entirely appropriate for Her.
The Morrígan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of
goddesses, which includes the Badb 'Vulture' and Nemain 'Frenzy'. The
Morrígan frequently appears in the ornithological guise of a hooded
crow. She is one of the Tuatha De Danann (People of the Goddess Danu)
and She helped defeat the Firbolgs at the First Battle of Magh
Tuireadh and the Fomorii at the Second Battle of Mag Tured.

By some accounts, She is the consort of the Dagda, while the Badb and
Nemain are sometimes listed as consorts of Néit, an obscure war god
who is possibly Nuada the Sky Father in His warrior aspect. It is
interesting to note that another battle goddess, Macha, is also
associated with Nuada.


ORIGINS
The origins of the Morrígan seem to reach directly back to the
megalithic cult of the Mothers. The Mothers (Matrones, Idises, Dísir,
etc.) usually appeared as triple goddesses and their cult was
expressed through both battle ecstasy and regenerative ecstasy. Later
Celtic goddesses of sovereignty, such as the trio of Éire, Banba, and
Fótla, also use magic in warfare. "Influence in the sphere of
warfare, but by means of magic and incantation rather than through
physical strength, is common to these beings." (Ross 205)

Éire, a goddess connected to the land in a fashion reminiscent of the
Mothers, could appear as a beautiful woman or as a crow, as could the
Morrígan. The Dísir appeared in similar guises. In addition to being
battle goddesses, they are significantly associated with fate as well
as birth in many cases, along with appearing before a death or to
escort the deceased. It is interesting to note that some sources
present Éire and the Morrígan as half-sisters.

There is certainly evidence that the concept of a raven goddess of
battle wasn't limited to the Irish Celts. An inscription found in
France invoking Cathubodva, 'Battle Raven', shows that a similar
concept was known among the Gaulish Celts.


SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE MORRÍGAN AND THE VALKYRIES
The Morrígan's role in the Irish cosmology is quite similar to the
role played by the Valkyries in Norse cosmology. Both use magic to
cast fetters on warriors and choose who will die.

During the Second Battle, the Morrígan "said she would go and destroy
Indech son of Dé Domnann and 'deprive him of the blood of his heart
and the kidneys of his valor', and she gave two handfuls of that
blood to the hosts. When Indech later appeared in the battle, he was
already doomed." (Rees 36)

Compare this to the Washer at the Ford, another guise of the
Morrígan. The Washer is usually to be found washing the clothes of
men about to die in battle. In effect, She is choosing who will die.

An early German spell found in Merseburg mentions the Indisi, who
decided the fortunes of war and the fates of warriors. The
Scandinavian Song of the Spear, quoted in Njals Saga, gives a
detailed description of Valkyries as women weaving on a grisly loom,
with severed heads for weights, arrows for shuttles, and entrails for
the warp. As they worked, they exulted at the loss of life that would
take place. "All is sinister now to see, a cloud of blood moves over
the sky, the air is red with the blood of men, and the battle women
chant their song." (Davidson 94)

An Old English poem, Exodus, refers to ravens as choosers of the
slain. There are links between ravens, choosing of the slain, casting
fetters, and female beings in many sources.

"As the Norse and English sources show them to us, the walkurjas are
figures of awe and even terror, who delight in the deaths of men. As
battlefield scavengers, they are very close to the ravens, who are
described as waelceasega, 'picking over the dead'..." (Our Troth)

"The function of the goddess [the Morrígan] here, it may be noted, is
not to attack the hero [Cúchulainn] with weapons but to render him
helpless at a crucial point in the battle, like the valkyries who
cast 'fetters' upon warriors...thus both in Irish and Scandinavian
literature we have a conception of female beings associated with
battle, both fierce and erotic." (Davidson 97, 100)


THE MORRÍGAN AND CÚCHULAINN
She appeared to the hero Cúchulainn (son of the god Lugh) and offered
Her love to him. When he failed to recognize Her and rejected Her,
She told him that She would hinder him when he was in battle. When
Cúchulainn was eventually killed, She settled on his shoulder in the
form of a crow. Cú's misfortune was that he never recognized the
feminine power of sovereignty that She offered to him.

She appeared to him on at least four occasions and each time he
failed to recognize Her.

1. When She appeared to him and declared Her love for him.

2. After he had wounded Her, She appeared to him as an old hag and he
offered his blessings to Her, which caused Her to be healed.

3. On his way to his final battle, he saw the Washer at the Ford, who
declared that She was "washing the clothes and arms of Cúchulainn,
who would soon be dead."

4. When he was forced by three hags (which represent the Morrígan in
Her triple aspect) to break a taboo of eating dogflesh.


THE ROLE OF THE MORRÍGAN
For modern Celtic Pagans, the role of the Morrígan in our religion is
different than what it was for our ancestors. Most of us are not
involved in life-or-death struggles on a daily basis. The Morrígan is
an appropriate deity for strong, independent people, particularly
those on a warrior path.


RITUALS FOR THE MORRÍGAN
Many devotees of the Morrígan have a permanent shrine set up in Her
honor. They use such items as a bowl of brine and blood, a raven or
crow feather, or even a piece of red cloth (to symbolize the Washer
at the Ford). Some people use menstrual blood, which is very
appropriate. Blood, especially menstrual blood, is a symbol of both
life and death, fertility and war.

Rituals should be kept simple. Find something that symbolizes the
Morrígan and meditate on it. When you feel Her presence, you may wish
to offer Her something of value. This can be as simple as some ale or
as difficult as spilling your own blood.

When I dedicated myself to Her, I meditated on a crow's feather and a
candle flame. I called Her name until I could feel Her definite
presence. When I offered myself to Her, the flame blazed up and
filled the entire room and I felt that my offer had been accepted.


SOURCES
Davidson, H. R. Ellis, Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe (Syracuse
NY: Syracuse University Press, 1988)

Our Troth (Ring of Troth)

Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, Celtic Heritage (NY: Thames & Hudson, 1994)

Ross, Anne, Pagan Celtic Britain (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul,
1967)