The Morrighan has been on my mind a lot lately. My thinking more deeply of her began last year in Ireland when I met her at the Cliffs of Moher and continued after a somewhat disagreeable discussion with another person interested in Celtic Mythology.
Cliffs of Moher in Ireland the Morrighan's energy radiated from this crow.
This individual felt that the Morrighan was only a warrior, a murderer even. I certainly did not agree. This description is too narrow, she is certainly a War Goddess, as she took part in the First Battle of Moytura. In the Second Battle of Moytura she awakens the God Lugh to the fight, thereby bringing the Tuatha de Danaan the means to victory over the Fomorians. She then goes on to encounter the Dagdha as she was washing at the river (foreshadowing her later role as the Washer at the Ford), and following a tryst with him, gives vital information about the plans of the Fomorians. She appears again at the end of the Battle to offer two distinct prophecies about the future of the Tuatha and Ireland.
In the story of The Cattle Raid of Cooley, we again find the Morrigan instigating the battle by committing the act of theft which begins the battle that eventually leads to the death of Cu Chulainn, the most famous hero of the Irish mythic sagas. The relationship between Cu Chulainn and the Morrighan is complex. She offers herself to him, he rejects her, she harries and curses him throughout the story. Yet, in her guise as the Washer at the Ford, she foretells his death, even attempting to prevent it. Finally, at the end of the tale as Cu Chulainn is dying, she remains with him and keeps him company in the form of a raven. So there is both a gentle side to her and a role of guiding souls in transition (psychopomping). And though she is so often listed in glossaries of Celtic figures as a War Goddess, she is rarely shown actually fighting.
Clearly she is not the one dimensional figure that she can be made out to be.
So for the rest of the week, I will be posting and musing about the Morrighan and her multitude of roles, which will take us on an adventure of the meaning of war in the ancient Celtic cycle, love of rough places in our lives, and the complexity of mentorship.
What’s wrong with being a Warrior Goddess? all of us had ancestors who were warriors and it’s about time we learn to respect that, because without them we very likely wouldn’t be here.
I liked your article above. I like how you fleshed out Her presence in Celtic myth. I say thank Gods She is a warrior goddess. There are valuable lessons there.
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