Morrigan

Now we come to one of the more complex and often misunderstood Celtic Deities, the Morrigan (or the Morrigu). Sometimes she is a single Goddess, and sometimes she is referred to as 3 individual Goddesses. With Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd, the Morrigan is the Crone phase of the Welsh Triple Goddess. As she is part of a larger trio, and yet a trio within herself, the Morrigan is the ultimate Triple Goddess.

She was one of the Tuatha de Danann, and helped them win several key battles, particularly the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. She caused confusion and disorganization among the ranks of the Fomorians. The Morrigan played a key role in many other myths surrounding the Tuatha de Danann. Once a year (on October 31st), she meets with the Dagda on the banks of a river. Their mating brings prosperity and fertility to the land each year.

When viewed as three separate Goddesses, the Morrigan is made up of Badb (Vulture or Fury), Macha (Crow or Battle) and Nemain (Frenzy or Venomous). "Morrigan" is translated to mean Phantom Queen or Queen of the Demons. The details of the three are often blurred and their qualities overlap. Some sources describe Macha as a separate Deity altogether, making the trio of the Morrigan to be Badb, Nemain and Fea (Hateful). Some sources make all 5 Goddesses to simply be related but independent sisters.

Whether she is one or three, the Morrigan is a battle Goddess and closely tied to fate, death and warfare. According to myth, she is seen washing clothes in a nearby river before a battle, the warriors whose clothes she washed would die the next day. She influenced the battle with magick, but the Morrigan was not a warrior who fought on the battle-field. Her animal symbol is the crow, or raven.

Her role as witch is mirrored in the Arthurian legend, as the character Morgan le Fey.