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.
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 recognise 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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