The Morrígan

The Morrígan or Mórrígan, also known as Morrígu, is a figure from Irish mythology. The name is Mór-ríoghan in modern Irish before the spelling reform,[1] and it has been translated as "great queen" or "phantom queen".

The Morrígan is mainly associated with war and fate, especially with foretelling doom, death, or victory in battle. In this role she often appears as a crow, the badb.[2] She incites warriors to battle and can help bring about victory over their enemies. The Morrígan encourages warriors to do brave deeds, strikes fear into their enemies, and is portrayed washing the bloodstained clothes of those fated to die.[3][4] She is most frequently seen as a goddess of battle and war and has also been seen as a manifestation of the earth- and sovereignty-goddess,[5][6] chiefly representing the goddess's role as guardian of the territory and its people.[7][8]

The Morrígan is often described as a trio of individuals, all sisters, called "the three Morrígna".[5][9][10] In mythology membership of the triad is given as Badb, Macha, and the Morrigan, who may be named Anu.[11] It is believed that these were all names for the same goddess.[5][12] In modern sources Nemain may also be named as one of the three Morrigan along with Badb and Macha, although her inclusion is unclear.[13] The three Morrígna are also named as sisters of the three land goddesses Ériu, Banba, and Fódla. The Morrígan is described as the envious wife of The Dagda and a shape-shifting goddess,[14] while Badb and Nemain are said to be the wives of Neit.[5] She is associated with the banshee of later folklore.[5]

  1. ^ Dinneen, Patrick S., ed. (1927). "mór, móir-". Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla: an Irish–English dictionary, being a thesaurus of the words, phrases and idioms of the modern Irish language (New edition, revised and greatly enlarged ed.). Dublin: Irish Texts Society. p. 761.
  2. ^ Aldhouse-Green, Miranda (2015). The Celtic Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Gods and Legends. New York: Thames & Hudson. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-500-25209-3.
  3. ^ Ó hÓgáin 1991.
  4. ^ Sessle, Erica J. (1994). "Exploring the Limitations of the Sovereignty Goddess through the Role of Rhiannon". Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium. 14: 9–13. ISSN 1545-0155. JSTOR 20557270.
  5. ^ a b c d e Ó hÓgáin 1991, pp. 307–309.
  6. ^ Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2006. p.1622
  7. ^ Lysaght, Patricia (1996). "Traditions of the Banshee". In Green, Miranda; Billington, Sandra (eds.). The Concept of the Goddess. Psychology Press. pp. 157–163.
  8. ^ Tymoczko, Maria (1994). The Irish Ulysses. University of California Press. pp. 98–101.
  9. ^ Sjoestedt, Marie-Louise (18 September 2000). Celtic Gods and Heroes. Dover Publications. pp. 31–32. ISBN 978-0-486-41441-6.
  10. ^ Davidson, Hilda Ellis (1988). Myths and symbols in pagan Europe: early Scandinavian and Celtic religions. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-8156-2441-7.
  11. ^ Lebor Gabála Érenn §62, 64: "Badb and Macha and Anand... were the three daughters of Ernmas the she-farmer." "Badb and Morrigu, whose name was Anand."
  12. ^ Mac Cana, Prionsias (1970). "The Goddesses of the Insular Celts". Celtic Mythology. Hamlyn.
  13. ^ MacKillop 1998, pp. 335–336.
  14. ^ The Metrical Dindsenchas "Odras" Poem 49
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