ARTICLE: The Morrighan

[RavenHarte]

The basics:

The Morrighan is known from Irish tradition, but who had many forms throughout Celtic culture and whose worship in her current form goes back to the Bronze Age. Her name derives from Mor Righ Anu, meaning "the great queen”. She is often viewed as being a patron goddess of war, warriors, battle and strife, as well as sovereignty, fertility, prosperity and magick. She and her sister goddesses usually appeared over the battlefields as ravens or crows.

The rest of this article was deleted as its content became part of my coven's training documents.

[jamie]

Great article - Im catching up on the forums - Im partial to a Raven dream or two myself, and in time will be posting such - hope to hear more from you.

[RavenHarte]

Thx Jamie, glad you enjoyed it

[Aislin Ni MorRhiaghan]

Her name is ancient Gaelic for "Phantom Queen" and She has been called the Queen of Demons, the Battle Crow, the Raven Queen, Battle Raven, Queen of BeanShidhes, and appears throughout Celtic history as both a single Goddess and a trio of Goddesses. She has been associated with such Goddesses as Anu, Ana, Danu, Ellen, Eirhu, and inscriptions to Her have been found as far as France referring to Her as Cathdubodva (Battle Raven). She is best known as the trio referred to as 'the three Madres (Mothers)" and is commonly known as Mor Rhiaghan (Phantom Queen), Badb (crow, raven, or sometimes depicted as a vulture), and Nemain (frenzy or fear).

She is the daughter of the Danu (Mother of the Gods), and is one of the Tuantha du Danu (People of the Goddess Danu). She helped defeat the Firbolgs during the first battle of Mag Tuireadh and the Fimorians at the second battle of Mag Tuireadh. Both were very important to the history and beliefs of the Celts as they encompassed the First Race, the Race of Giants, and the Great Flood that changed the landscape of the world. In some Celtic countries, She is associated with the goddesses Macha, Rhiannon (who's name coincidentally translates to Great Queen), Ceridwen, Black Annis, and Cailleach Bheur.

Sometimes being depicted as a hag either with blue skin, frost covered hair, one great black eye, blood dripping fangs, and a voracious appetite for anyone trespassing near Her cave of the Otherworld (which like Rhiannon She guards and guides souls to and from their destinations as well as guide astral travelors through the Veil of Mysteries.) and sometimes described as a beautiful fierce woman with long red hair (sometimes black) braided in nine braids with cool ice blue eyes, She is most commonly remembered as being the Washer of the Ford and the seducer and trial of CuCullain. It is commonly considered bad form and even worse luck to ignore Her calling or Her advice and She communicates with those that work with Her through animal totems, astral visits, dreamquests, and visions.

The MorRhiaghan can be traced back to the megalithic era where shrines adorned with human skulls (referred to as MorRhiaghan's Acorns), have been found and She has been associated with the Disirs, Valkories of Norse tradition, Morgaine, Morgan LeFey in the Arthurian tradition,and Saint Anne of Catholic tradition. The MorRhiaghan's strength in battle lies not necessarily in Her physical strength but in Her mental and spiritual strength. MorRhiaghan is a Goddess of women, or warriors, of prophets, shapeshifters, of blood, childbirth, witchcraft, death, rebirth, reincarnation, glamouries, fertility, sexuality, and Whom I refer to affectionately, as the Goddess of Tough Love or the Goddess of I will kick your behind and make you thank me for it. For women She is a strong benefactress and a strong protector as a loving Mother, but She is also a Goddess that is fair, unbiased, and will push someone from their cozy state of complacency to make them go beyond their limitations. After all, steel is tempered with Fire and the MorRhighan is a Goddess of Fire.

One of the few female deities outside of the Sumerian and Egyptian traditions that is associated with solar energy, She is both associated with the lunar as well as solar energies. As a Goddess of Earth She is associated with the "paps of Anu" in southern Wales, with the counties of Connaught and of Ulster. As a Goddess of Seas and Storms, She is a strong petitioner during Sea Magick and weather Magick. Her colors are blood red and black, Her metal is Iron, Her element Fire, and Her totems are the Raven, Crow, Vulture, Horse, wolves, large black or white dogs with red ears, and She is said to be the Queen of Demons, Her spiritual companions in the Fae Realms being the Bean Shidhe, the Lianon Shidhe, the Bhodban Shide, and the cannable faerie Crone Goddess Black Annis.

Symbolicly her altars should be decorated simply with black stones, bowls, symbols of the raven, skulls, gold, silver, black, or red cloth should be used and dedicating yourself to Her service a bowl of brine and blood and a sacrifice of your own blood (a few drops is fine or menstrual blood is perfectly appropriate for Her), appeal to Her. Her holy day is Samhain, a day perfect for initiation and dedication. When I dedicated myself to Her service a few drops of blood went into my cauldron along with a lock of my hair (since both myself and the Goddess are redheads I hoped it would show my desire for kinship), blood red rose petals, and an affirmation of faith, trust, and a willingness to be pushed beyond my limits. Since then I have been blessed beyond measure and show Her honor and love throughout the year, saving a special family celebration for Samhain. To become Her Priestess is to know challenges and to overcome by strength, wit, and temperence for what does not kill you makes you stronger and even the strongest iron must first go through the fire.

[The Madame X]

The Morrígan
by Danielle Ní Dhighe
Copyright © 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)



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[Aislin Ni MorRhiaghan]

I love that story of Cuculain. It gives a whole new definition to the phrase, hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned. I think the majority of Her anger was not so much in the fact that he didn't love her as much as it was in that he refused to accept help from a mere woman, even a Goddess. It is an honor to be approached by any divine being, I can only imagine the I'll show him look She must have had on her face. The irony of it, is that while She could not have him in life, She most reassuredly received in upon his death.

Aislin