Morrígan
Celtic goddess of war, fate, the cycle of life and death, rebirth, sovereignty, wisdom, and prophecy
Morrígan (also called Morrigu) has her name translate from Irish as ‘Great Queen’. This name is a key to her nature, showing that sovereignty and queenship are core aspects of her identity and power. Though some scholars have given the name an alternate etymology, translating it as ‘Phantom Queen’. As one of the Celtic sovereignty Goddesses, Morrígan has an association with the land itself, and the rulership and protection of the land and its people.
A recent belief has risen from Wicca claiming that Morrígan is a triple goddess, but this is not so and is inaccurate to her myths. Morrígan has several goddesses who work alongside her, but none represent the stages of one’s life, and Morrigan only appears elderly when she is presenting herself as a death omen to warriors.
Morrígan is deeply associated in her source lore with incitement of heroes toward glory in battle, with the granting of victory, and with their deaths; in her own words, she says to the great hero Cú Chulainn, “I am guarding your death”. In battle, she takes part in the action primarily through the use of sorcery, Druidic magic, shapeshifting, terrorizing the enemy, and giving aid and strategic information to her people. She shapeshifts into many forms in her tales, including crows, ravens, cows, wolves, and eels. She also fulfills important roles with regard to poetry and prophecy, giving poetic incitements to the heroes of the Tuatha Dé Danann to rise to their hour of need, giving prophetic pronouncements of victory or of doom on the eve of decisive battles, and announcing the victories and the tales of great deeds afterward. She also holds some power over life and death, being able to revive fallen warriors in order to allow them to fight again.
Morrígan is part of a group of goddesses who share similar roles: Badb Catha- the Battle Crow of destruction, Némain- frenzy and terror, and Macha- the land, fertility, protection (it is theorized that Féa was included as well). These are all separate goddesses who worked in similar areas of expertise. It is said that Morrígan was so terrifying in battle, that her shrieking war-cries could frighten her enemies to death. Though despite her terror, Morrígan also strives to teach her followers courage, independence, insight, and discipline.
Appearance: a pale woman in her early forties with long black hair, grey eyes, and sharp cheekbones. Her face is very stern and cold, and she wears graphite-black robes, slightly adorned with some crow feathers.
Personality: Morrígan is very serious, withdrawn, mysterious, cold, and sarcastic. She expects her devotees to be disciplined and seek corrections of their weaknesses so they can become stronger, allowing them to prevail. She hardly shows much emotion, and her anger is like ice. Morrígan is also very warlike and values both attack and defense. She is also capable of calling to arms the spirits of the dead (wraiths) to fight for her cause. Morrígan is not afraid of bloodshed, but her focus in war is conquest rather than to revel in killing. This and prophecy are her primary roles, and she does little else since there is nothing she seeks to do out of fun.
Some of her epithets: The Great Queen, The Phantom Queen, The Washer at the Ford, Lady of the Waters, She Who Calls to Battle, Raven Queen, Far-Seeing Sorceress, Bringer of Courage, Protectress, She Who Makes Armies Tremble, and Foreteller of Doom
Offerings: red wine, whiskey, hops, mead, stout beer like Guinness, black tea, blackberries, miniature apples, dark chocolate, venison, roast hog, horse meat, crow/raven feathers or skulls, swords, daggers, blood, black candles, black scrying mirrors, silver jewelry, canine teeth, cow horns, vulture feathers/skulls, ashes, belladonna, dead flowers, animal bones, onyx, garnet, bloodstone, divination tools, strong perfume, black fabric, black pearls, devotional poetry, artwork, crow/raven imagery, and dragon’s blood incense
