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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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