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CH: THE MORRIGAN

Celtic folklore

Epithets:  Morrigan, Mórrígan, Morrigu, Na Morrigna (meanings may be: Great Queen, Phantom Queen, Death Queen, Nightmare Queen)

Goddess of: fate, especially with foretelling doom and death in battle. Life, death, prophecy, wisdom, protection, fear, sovereignty, rebirth, sorcery

Origin: Ireland

Race:  Tuatha De Danann / Isu 

Family

Consorts: The Dagda
Descendant(s) ( AC verse ): Fiadh O’ Kelly ( Shay Cormac’s mother ), many of her family members before her, and Shay Patrick Cormac.

Faceclaim: Katie McGrath

Colours: Black, red, purple, dark blue, white

Symbols -  Crows, Ravens, cows, wolves, swords, spears,  inverted triangle

Weapons: Spear, sword, magic, shape-shifting

Sacred Associations - Carrion eating animals, specifically crows. Fog, shapeshifting, bloodlust and battle, white and red cows, mugwort, yew, willow, rivers, Obsidian, bloodstone, apples, bones and skulls.

Holiday: Samhain, Jan 7th feast of the Morrigan.

Appearance: She is young, with long, flowing dark hair. Her clothing is black and sometimes very revealing. Other times, she is cloaked so as not to show her face. Because she was a shape-shifter, she is often shown with one of the more common forms she would take on-the crow or raven. She is strikingly beautiful yet intimidating.

Her many manifestations include, but are not limited to:

  • A beautiful woman
  • A hag
  • A grey-red wolf
  • A crow
  • A deer (doe or stag)
  • A white heifer with red ears and no horns

─ In some myths, The Morrigan is said to name a triad of distinct goddesses, usually Badb, Nemain, and Macha, but also Badb, Macha and Anand.

Badb: A war Goddess associated with battle, destruction, and death and often appeared over battle as a hooded crow, or ran alongside warriors disguised as a grey-red wolf. Badb was connected to rebirth as a watcher of the cauldron of regeneration in the Otherworld. She was also a Witch and a sorceress, and a Prophetess who foresaw the future.

Macha: The root word “mag” translated means field, plain or pasture. This name connects and gives Macha power over the sacred land and horses, representing wealth, power and symbolizing the elite warriors. She was also connected to fertility. As part of the trinity, she rained down fire and blood on her enemies.

Nemain: Her name translates to panic, frenzy or venomous. Also a deity of battle, death and destruction, she appeared as a carrion crow. Neiman was a prophetess and her battle cries meant death would soon follow. By shrieking furiously, she intimidated, panicked and confused soldiers on the battle field into dying of fright or mistaking their own comrades for enemies. 

─ The Morrigan can also be remembered as the triad of the land Goddesses Ériu, Banba and Fódla. 

  •  ‘Such was her influence over the land of Ireland that it is from áariu that the word ‘Eire’ and ‘land’ ('Ériu-land’), developed into 'Ireland’, in effect naming the country. 

─ However, the Morrígan can also appear alone and her name is sometimes used interchangeably with Badb. That’s how I will be portraying her on this blog. Though her sisters might make an appearance once in a while ;) 

  posted 4 months ago — via ♥ 6 notes










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