The Morrígan is often categorized as a trinity goddess, but She does not align with the modern pagan view of the “maiden, mother, and crone.” She has three aspects who are frequently depicted as “sisters” and often referred to as “The Daughters of Ernmas.” Together, they are collectively referred to as The Morrígan, or the Morrígna. To get a better grasp of exactly who the Morrígan is, it is important that we distinguish who (and what) She is not. She is a goddess that is deeply tied to both warfare and the land itself, offering a protective, tutelary role. She is a shapeshifting goddess, often turning into one of her many forms in the ancient Irish literature She has been known to shift into a crow or raven, a she-wolf, an eel, a cow, a horse, and both old and young women. The Morrígan’s name can be translated from Irish into both “Great Queen” (from Old Irish ‘mor’ meaning ‘great’ and ‘rigan’ meaning ‘queen’) and “Phantom Queen” as an alternate etymology. While She was worshipped primarily in Iron Age Ireland, the earliest recorded mention of her dates back to 750 BC - however, this is widely believed to be a retelling of much older (oral) stories, and is simply the first time it was ever written down. The Morrígan is an ancient Irish goddess of war, battle, prophecy, sovereignty, and otherworld power.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |