War Hath No Fury Like Her

The first time I heard about the Morríghan was in college, World Civilization.  My professor used the Morríghan, Faery Queen and Goddess of War as an example of women as instigators of battle.  What my World Civ Professor didn't have time to mention in her lecture was how amazingly magnificent women are in Celtic Lore!

All for one and one for all...
The Morríghan is just one in a three part set of War Goddesses, a "triplication of a single deity" much akin to the Three Fates in Greek mythology, the Weird Sisters of Shakespeare or even the Holy Trinity of Christianity.  The Morríghan is the Phantom Queen, while Badhbh was the Hooded Crow or Raven often accompanied by Nemhain (Frenzy) or Macha.  Sometimes the trio itself is referred to as Badhbh or Morrígna.  None of the Morrígna participated physically in the wars the Morríghan instigated.  Their weapons were magic, shape-shifting and prophecy.  The Morríghan's very presence would strike fear into the hearts of the bravest of warriors, depriving them of their courage, some warriors threw down their weapons and fled while others died of terror right on the spot!



Her favorite color is red, she likes long walks by the river...
The Phantom Queen's name is derived from the words for "Queen" ("Rigan") and "Nightmare".  She wasn't above "making mischief by promising victory to both sides" in a battle although her intended champions always won (Green 44).  The Morríghan is usually associated with the color red to show her other-worldly status.  She's known as the "Washer at the Ford" the Morríghan would wash the bloody armor, weapons and even body parts of those about to die in battle (much like the Scottish bean-nighe).  The Morríghan could appear as a young maid, a mature woman or a crow like hag - representing the three stages or faces of womanhood.  While primarily a goddess of war the Morríghan was also seen as a goddess of sexuality and fertility.  She often appears to heroes with one or more cattle (always red cattle), a sign of fertility in Celtic lore.  The Morríghan possessed a herd of magical cattle the she guarded fiercely.  According to one story the Morríghan transformed a mortal girl into a pool of water because the girl dared to let her regular bull mate with one of the Morríghan's magical cows (Green).  In some traditions the Morríghan made love to the Daghdha, King/God of the Tuatha De Dannan, ever year to ensure prosperity (Chaline).

 
She's a Man Eater...
 According to legend, the Tuatha De Dannan ("The People of Danu", an early tribe/divine race of ancient Ireland) were granted victory in the battle of Magh Tuiredh because Daghdha, won favor with the Morríghan.  Before the battle of Magh Tuiredh, Daghdha came upon the Morríghan standing astride in a river washing the bloody amor of those about to die.  In spite of the intimidating visage before him the Daghdha made love to the Morríghan and after their tête-à-tête the Morríghan offered to aid the Daghdha in battle.  According to MacCana, the Daghdha's "tryst" with the Morríghan is a significant testimony to his father-like leadership as "she is the the goddess of slaughter who prefigures and in certain measures decides the outcome of battle, and by his physical union with her he ensures victory and security for his people" (67).  The Morríghan's assistance to Daghdha involved "depriving the leader of the Fomhoire of 'the blood of his heart and the kidneys of his courage'" and that's before the battle even begins! (MacCana 86).  The Morríghan is not someone you want to mess around with, The Morríghan cuts quite the foreboding figure thus her presence inspires terror and dread in those that oppose her chosen champions, although her she could be "fickle and capricious in her allegiances" (Green 43).  Just ask the great Irish hero Cu Chulainn, who had an interesting "love-hate" relationship with the Morríghan...

One day a young beautiful woman approached Cu Chulainn and professed her love for him.  The woman offered Cu Chulainn all her wealth and cattle along with her heart.  But Cu Chulainn wasn't interested in getting help from a woman.  Cu Cuthlainn rudely and impatiently refused the woman's proposal, saying that fighting was more important than making love.  At this rejection the young woman revealed her true form as the fierce Morríghan!  She swore she would attack Cu Chulainn while he was in combat.  When Cu Cuthlainn was fighting the warrior Loch the Morríghan attacked as a eel, then as a reddish-grey wolf and finally as a hornless red heifer. Cu Chulainn barely made it away with his life and learned a very valuable lesson: Hell Hath no Fury like a Woman Scorned especially if that woman is the Morríghan. 

Thus the next time Cu Cuthlainn encounters the Morríghan, as a hag milking a cow with three teats, he's polite to her and she grants him a cup of milk to heal his wounds and make him strong again.  The Morríghan followed Cu Chulainn even to his death, where she (and her sisters) alighted on Cu Chulainn's dead body in the form of hooded crows.
 

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Resources:

Chaline, Eric. Book of Gods and Goddesses. New York: Harper, 2004. Print.

Green, Miranda. Celtic Goddesses. New York: GeorgeBraziller, Inc., 1996. Print.

Hooded Crow. birdwatchireland. web. 22 March 2015. http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/IrelandsBirds/Crows/HoodedCrow/tabid/1051/Default.aspx

MacCana, Proinsias. Celtic Mythology. New York: Hamlyn, 1973. Print.