#Na Morrigna

[blackcrowing]

Important Facts about Samhain from an Irish Celtic Reconstructionist

Pronunciation

SOW-in or SOW-een ~NOT~ Sam-han, Sam-win etc.

Dates

Most reconstructionists celebrate Samhain on Oct 31-Nov 1, however some may choose to celebrate on Gregorian Nov 13-14 as this would match the Julian dates of Oct 31-Nov 1. Some also believe that it was a three day festival spanning Oct 31- Nov 2 on which Nov 2 is specifically devoted to ancestral veneration, but there is no specific evidence of this, only possible extrapolation from more modern practices.

Following the Celtic method of days beginning at sunset, regardless of the specific dates you choose to celebrate on your festivities should begin at sunset and end at sunset.

Importance in the Mythos

Ná Morrighan has a strong connection to this time of year thanks to the story of Cath Dédenach Maige Tuired (The Last Battle of Mag Tuired) in which she is found depicted as the ‘Washing Woman’ (sometimes washing herself in the river and other times washing the bloodied armor of the soldiers that would die that day), on the eve of the battle which is also Samhain. The Dagda approaches her and couples with her (creating the ‘Bed of the Couples’ along the bank of river and granting Dagda her blessing in the battle to come). This encounter seems to over emphasize the liminality of the encounter by taking place during the changing of the year and with the couple each standing with ‘one foot on either bank’ of the river.

She and her sisters (Badb and Macha) then use various forms of magic to rain destruction on their enemies (in the form of fire and blood). After the day is won Morrighan speaks a prophecy that describes what is taken by some to be the end of days and others to be the events which will later lead to the Ulster Cycle.

Beneath the peaceful heavens lies the land. It rests beneath the bowl of the bright sky. The land lies, itself a dish, a cup of honeyed strength, there, for the taking, offering strength to each There it lies, the splendour of the land. The land is like a mead worth the brewing, worth the drinking. It stores for us the gifts of summer even in winter. It protects and armours us, a spear upon a shield Here we can make for ourselves strong places, the fist holding the shield Here we can build safe places, our spear-bristling enclosures. This is where we will turn the earth. This is where we will stay. And here will our children live to the third of three generations Here there will be a forest point of field fences The horn counting of many cows And the encircling of many fields There will be sheltering trees So fodderful of beech mast that the trees themselves will be weary with the weight. In this land will come abundance bringing: Wealth for our children Every boy a warrior, Every watch dog, warrior-fierce The wood of every tree, spear-worthy The fire from every stone a molten spear-stream Every stone a firm foundation Every field full of cows Every cow calf-fertile Our land shall be rich with banks in birdsong Grey deer before Spring And fruitful Autumns The plain shall be thronged from the hills to the shore. Full and fertile. And as time runs its sharp and shadowy journey, this shall be true. This shall be the story of the land and its people We shall have peace beneath the heavens. Forever

(based on the translation by Isolde Carmody)

It is also mentioned in Echtra Cormaic that on this festival every seven years the high king would host a feast, it was at this time new laws could be enacted. (but it seems that individual Tuathas or possibly kings of the individual providence may have done this for their territories at Lughnasadh).

It seems to be a time considered especially susceptible to (or of) great change as it is the time which the Tuatha de Danann win victory over the Formorians and take control of Ireland, the invasion of Ulster takes place at this time in Táin bo Cúailnge, in Aislinge Óengusa Óengus and his bride-to-be are changed from bird to human and eventually he claims kingship of Brú na Bóinne at this time of year.

Celebration Traditions

Samhain is the beginning of the “dark half” of the year and is widely regarded as the Insular Celtic equivalent of the New Year. The “dark half” of the year was a time for story telling, in fact in this half of the year after dark is considered the only acceptable time to tell stories from the mythological and Ulster cycle (the Fenian cycle being assumed to be no older than the 12th century based on linguistic dating). Traditionally anything that had not been harvested or gathered by the time of this festival was to be left, as it now belonged to the Fae (in some areas specifically the Púca).

This was also an important time for warding off ill luck in the coming year. Large bonfires would be built and as the cattle were driven back into the community from the pastures they would be walked between these bonfires as a method of purification (the reverse custom of Bealtaine where the livestock were walked between the fires on their way out to the summer pastures). Assumed ritualistic slaughter of some of the herd would follow (though this perhaps had the more practical purpose of thinning the herd before the winter and creating enough food for the feasting). In some areas the ashes from these fires would be worn, thrown or spread as a further way to ward off evil.

Homes would be ritualistically protected from the Aos Sí (Fae or ‘Spirits’) through methods such as offerings of food (generally leaving some of the feasting outside for them), carving turnips with scary faces to warn them off (we now tend to do this with gourds), and smoke cleansing the home (in Scottish saining) traditionally with juniper, but perhaps rowan or birch might be an acceptable alternative. It is likely these would be part of the components used in Samhain bonfires as well, for the same reason.

Lastly based on later traditions as well as links in the mythology this is a time where divination practices or those with the ‘second sight’ were regarded to be especially potent.

Art Credit @morpheus-ravenna

My Kofi

[fernthewhimsical]

Prayer to the Morrigan

Your cry of anger rings clear across the battlefield, Your cry of anguish settles in their hearts as a curse, Your cry of power brings storms of blood and fear You cry the cry of thousands, of rage and despair, of protest and frenzy Your cry mingles with ours, spurs us on, and validates, tempers, soothes Thank you for crying with me, Mother, both raising my voice and drying my tears Your thrice-beating heart a shield to protect mine. Fierce with love and fierce with justice, our hearts ever entwined

[dairedara]

The Morrígan

“Thou hast no power against me," said Cúchulainn. "I have power indeed," said the woman; "it is at the guarding of thy death that I am; and I shall be," said she. The Cattle-Raid of Regamna, from the Yellow Book of Lecan

The Morrígan is depicted in the Irish cycles as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the wife* of the Dagda, and a goddess ruling over the spheres of fate, death, war, and land. She is often associated with ravens, crows, and heifers, whose forms she takes.

Name & Epithets: Morrígan, Morrígu, Mórrígan (Middle Irish— “Great Queen”), Mór-Ríoghain (Modern Irish)

Role as a Goddess of War

The Morrígan is seen in the Cycles as bringing victory in war, or foretelling death in battle. In the Cath Mage Tuired, which describes how the Tuatha Dé Danann overthrew the tyrannical Fomorians, she proclaims the victory of the gods over their enemy and foretells the end of the world. In the Ulster Cycle, she is the sometimes-patron, sometimes-enemy of the hero Cúchulainn, whose death she prophesies after he offends her, and then reminded of his fate by taking the form of an old woman washing his bloodied clothes in a creek.

Role as a Sovereignty Goddess

Sovereignty goddesses in Irish tradition represent the land itself, and thus marriage to one creates a legitimate rule or guardianship over that land. In Early Medieval Ireland (and perhaps before), a king’s coronation would include a symbolic marriage to the land, thereby granting himself power and legitimacy. The Morrígan is one such sovereignty goddess, or at least perceived as one by the 12th Century, as the Book of Invasions names her the sister of Ériu, Banba, and Fódla, personifications of Ireland married to each of her three kings.

Role as a Triplicate Goddess

The Morrígan is inconsistently referred to as one of three or a combination of three figures. In the Mythological cycle, she is named as the sister of Badb (’crow’), a war goddess, and Macha, a land goddess. Together, they are called the three Morrígna. Macha is also the name of several other figures, and Badb appears barely distinguishable from the Morrígan. Whatever the case, the names appear less like the archetypal ‘Maiden, Mother, Crone’, and more like simply different aspects of the goddess given different titles, as is common in Irish religion.

*Marriage with the Dagda

The fact of her “marriage” with the Dagda is contentious but well-supported by the texts we have access to. One of her best-known stories from the Cath Mage Tuired is the Dagda’s pact with her before the battle against the Formorians. This part of the text is often mistranslated as the Dagda meeting her [for the first time] at a certain point in the year, when really a perhaps more accurate translation would be “On this day [near Samhain] the Dagda met her yearly.” Additionally, the “union” described between her and the Dagda does not appear to be purely sexual. The word used, ‘oentaith’ is difficult to translate but probably also refers to a general agreement/pact [dil.ie/33541], not unlike a modern marriage. Additionally, as a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a ceremonial marriage to a sovereignty and agricultural goddess such as the Morrígan would be appropriate for the Dagda and make sense to an early Irish audience.

My UPG with the Morrígan

Recommended reading + Sources

Cath Mage Tuired [Translation] [Original]

Book of Invasions

The Cattle-Raid of Regamna

[elizatungusnakur]

Hullo! Here’s a bird’s nest crown I’m crafting for my performance group, Na Morrígna, at the Samhuinn Fire Festival in Edinburgh this October.

It’s made from some evergreen trees a landscaping company randomly cut down right in front of my flat this morning. A mere hour after telling my partner I needed to head out and forage some sticks… What timing, universe, what timing!

Yes, it looks a bit like the Russian kokoshnik on purpose, the oval-shaped gable hood you would have seen Tsarinas and Slavic women wear in the 19th century. Now to add some shiny… ✨

[tuiliel]

Hail to Na Morrigna for abiding by my request, by taking the time owed them, and at the same time helping me lighten my load to avoid burnout this summer.

My trust in Na Morrigna expands, and my heart lightens 🖤

[wanderlustspider]

I claim peace.

I claim security.

I claim strength.

I claim control.

I will take my independence.

I will use my power.

I will take up space.

I will not be silent.

Everything I want, I will have.

Nothing can stop me.

I am Her warrior.

I am Her battle raven.

I am Her wolf.

I am Sovereign born.

[paracawsal]

[fechin-fiachairecht]

Céad míle fáilte!

One hundred thousand welcomes!

This blog is dedicated to the Morrigan, the Irish Celtic goddess, in all Her guises, aspects and names. Badb, Macha, Anu, Nemain, Morrígu. Crow, she-wolf, heifer, eel, hag.

This blog is meant as a place of devotion and respect, both to this goddess who I hold dear in my heart as well as the culture She is part of--both the ancient and the modern people of Ireland. It's meant to be a place where I sharey own personal journey with Herself as well as small things which remind me of Her.

***

And just so it's stated somewhere: no, you won't find any references to the various pop culture characters named for the Morrigan (especially not from ACOTAR).

[thewitchofclubs]

Does anyone else who works with Na Morrígna actually work with more than three of the "potential members" of the Goddess trio listed in lore?

I was called to Morrígan, Badb, and Nemain despite the three names not being listed together in the known triad combinations, probably in part due to lore inconsistency over whether Badb and Nemain are even distinct entities. Yet, I still feel they are distinct Goddesses since they've always appeared to me as such. I also ended up honoring Macha of my own accord as well, making the trio less of a trio and more of a quadrant.

It hasn't caused any issues, but I'm curious about other people's experiences since most people I see usually only work with three of the sisters and either consider the other names to be sisters outside the trio, a product of translation confusion / regional variants, or just another aspect one of the three.

[sacredsistersthree]

this is my devotional blog to The Morrigan. (in my specific practice, that means both the unified deity The Morrigan as well as her individual aspects, Badb, Macha, and Nemain.)

that means this is a deeply religious space for me, which can look like a lot of things! sometimes my worship can look very casual and almost friendly in nature. sometimes my worship can look highly personal and take on elements of prayer. mostly, I’ll just be doing my devotional writings and reblogging things that make me think of Her.

that can mean I’ll be blogging/reblogging things associated with Her, like (but not limited to): corvids, Ireland, graveyards, blood stains*, hag imagery, animal + human bones, horses, war imagery, general queenliness, ghosts and banshees, storms, wolves, cows

but also, a lot of it will be UPG (unverified personal gnosis, or things that I associate with Her personally through my relationship with Her), like (but not limited to!): chainmail fashion, feminine rage, folk-goth imagery, sex and pain, woman warrior imagery, tree spirits, lightning, metal music made by women, silver, weapons of all kinds

if some of those things don’t resonate with you or your idea of Her, that’s okay! everyone’s devotion is different and everyone’s relationship with Her is unique! what we can agree on is that She is divine and worth being worshipped- which is exactly my purpose in having this blog.

hail The Morrigan, hail to the Phantom Queen 🤍

* I do not believe that The Morrigan is in support of self harm- and I am many years into self harm recovery- and thus none of the blood or wound imagery here will be related to that. at all. please do not engage with me if your blog centers that.

[crowcronut]

Any other morrigan followers watching vox machina?

I play a lot of d&d and largely i’ve felt very neutral about the portrayal of the raven queen, and considered her entirely separate from the morrigan. But Vox Machina’s portrayal of the matron of ravens feels very morrigan to me

[blackcrowing]

[7serendipities]

Another Kind of Update for my Crow Folks

This month I have been sick and overwhelmed and battling severe fatigue, and when I went to see Na Morrigna, I asked – what would you have me to this month?  Can I just rest? No, not only rest. They wanted me to finally start a piece of devotional fiber craft, and to share a small, happy update.  One of my workshop proposals was accepted to the Morrigan’s Call Retreat 2024!  So it looks like I’ll…

[dairedara]

My UPG with the Morrígan

This is, of course, purely anecdotal and should not be taken as fact, just my experiences with and perceptions of the Morrígan.

I often hear the Morrígan described as a frightening goddess, and I don’t think that’s completely untrue. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think she’s “dangerous” or “not for beginners” or whatever other nonsense the witchtok-ers are spewing these days, but I and a friend of mine both had a first encounter with her that made us uncomfortable and even afraid.

For me, it was more frustration than anything. I was the one who reached out to her first. Specifically, I asked if she wanted to form a working relationship with me, and if I would be allowed to add her to my hearth cult. I got an obscure response, but what I got was basically: “Not yet.”

There was something I had to do, some challenge I had to face, before I could work towards earning her favor. I could worship and offer her all I liked, but to create that reciprocal relationship I wanted meant I had to earn her trust. Honestly, I was frustrated. It drove me crazy. I attempted numerous things. I started working out regularly, changing my diet, so many things that I had been told were issues of mine that I needed to work out to create that perseverance the Morrígan would want from me, but… nothing. Silence.

The thought of her kind of slipped from my mind when my depression and anxiety worsened and I ceased to really have any kind of consistent religious practice at all. I didn’t encounter her again until after I managed to get myself out of that slump.

Taking responsibility for myself, taking advantage of my opportunities, and accepting the help that was offered to me took strength. It took courage. That was the Morrígan’s test, I realized: not just to get myself treatment, to help myself, but also to recognize that getting that treatment was an accomplishment grown from a power I didn’t know I had.

With this revelation came to me, I had already begun encountering the Dagda. I decided to welcome them both into my hearth cult at the same time, after the Dagda implied to me that they came as a package deal.

These days, the Morrígan isn’t as frightening to me, but she does bring with her a certain aura of darkness and power, that incites excitement and reminds me of my own autonomy and my accomplishments.

Other things I’ve noticed about her:

Ever since I started working with her, I have gotten sooo many compliments on absolutely everything. I once asked her to let other people see the gifts she’s given to me (AKA my new-found and hard-earned confidence), and I would like to think those gifts are the source.

She absolutely loves cows. This is substantiated by the texts, because of course cattle were so important for the ancient Irish, but I get the impression that, ignoring their practical uses, she also likes cows because they’re adorable and beautiful creatures. I see her in the eyes of every calf I pet at my local dairy farm!

She’s sometimes called “the jealous wife of the Dagda”, but I believe this is a misnomer. What I get from their relationship is that they love each other deeply, but she doesn’t really care about his extra-marital activities. Actually, as an asexual (non-repulsed) individual, I see that reflected a lot in her. Just a very “sex is good but turning into corvids is better” attitude.

[elizatungusnakur]

Threw photos I had taken of my Samhuinn Festival makeup and attire into an AI. Well pleased with my vicious eyebrow. Take me back to the night…! ❤️‍🔥

Original here, in all its grand grainy low-light glory:

[crowandtoad]

You will never take my voice from me again.

You have no control over my path and my will.

You may preach being some higher spiritual deity but you will never live up to it.

Shame on you for bringing tarnish to Na Morrígna’s name.