Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
The Morrígan
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
===Mythological Cycle=== The Morrígan also appears in texts of the [[Mythological Cycle]]. In 12th-century pseudohistorical compilation the ''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]'' ("''The Book of the Taking of Ireland''"), she is listed among the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]] as one of the daughters of [[Ernmas]], granddaughter of [[Nuada]].<ref name="LGE-62,64"/> The first three daughters of Ernmas are given as [[Ériu]], [[Banba]], and [[Fódla]]. Their names are synonyms for "Ireland", and they were respectively married to [[Mac Gréine]], [[Mac Cuill]], and [[Mac Cecht|Mac Cécht]], the last three Tuatha Dé Danann kings of Ireland. Associated with the land and kingship, they probably represent a [[triple deity|triple goddess]] of sovereignty. Next come Ernmas' other three daughters: [[Badb]], [[Macha]], and the Morrígan. A quatrain describes the three as wealthy, "springs of craftiness", and "sources of bitter fighting". The Morrígu's name is also said to be Anand.<ref name="LGE-62,64"/> According to [[Geoffrey Keating]]'s 17th-century ''History of Ireland'', Ériu, Banba, and Fódla worshipped Badb, Macha, and the Morrígan respectively.<ref>{{cite book |first=Geoffrey |last=Keating |title=The History of Ireland |url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100054/text021.html |chapter=Book 2 Section 11}}</ref> The Morrígan also appears in the ''[[Cath Maige Tuired]]'' ("''The Battle of Magh Tuireadh''").<ref>{{cite web |title=The Second Battle of Moytura |url=https://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G300011/index.html |website=Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition}}</ref> On [[Samhain]], she keeps a tryst with the [[Dagda]] before the battle against the [[Fomorians]]. When he meets her, she is washing herself, standing with one foot on either side of the river Unius, near [[Riverstown|Riverstown, Co. Sligo]]. In some sources, she is believed to have created the river. After they have sex, the Morrígan promises to summon the magicians of Ireland to cast spells on behalf of the Tuatha Dé, and to destroy Indech, the Fomorian king, taking from him "the blood of his heart and the kidneys of his valour." Later, we are told, she would bring two handfuls of his blood and deposit them in the same river (however, we are also told later in the text that Indech was killed by [[Ogma]]). As battle is about to be joined, the Tuatha Dé leader, [[Lugh|Lug]], asks each what power they bring to the battle. The Morrígan's reply is difficult to interpret, but involves pursuing, destroying and subduing. When she comes to the battlefield, she chants a poem, and immediately the battle breaks and the Fomorians are driven into the sea. After the battle, she chants another poem celebrating the victory and prophesying the end of the world.<ref name="CMT166-CELT">{{cite book |url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G300010/text167.html |title=Cath Maige Tuired |chapter=The Second Battle of Mag Tuired |author=Unknown}}</ref><ref name="CMT167">{{cite book |first=Elizabeth A. (ed. & trans.) |last=Gray |url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T300010/index.html |title=Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired |section=167 |year=1982}}</ref> In another story, she lures away the bull of a woman named Odras. Odras then follows the Morrígan to the [[Otherworld]], via the cave of [[Rathcroghan|Cruachan]], which is said to be her "fit abode." When Odras falls asleep, the Morrígan turns her into a pool of water that feeds into the [[River Shannon]].<ref>[http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T106500D/text049.html "Odras"], from ''[[Dindsenchas|The Metrical Dindshenchas]]'' [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T106500D/index.html Vol 4], translated by E. Gwynn</ref> In this story, the Morrigan is called the Dagda's envious queen, fierce of mood. She is also called a "shape-shifter" and a cunning raven caller whose pleasure was in mustered hosts.
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
The Morrígan
(section)
Add topic