In Celtic nythology, the Morrígan is a complex figure embodying war, fate, and sovereignty. She’s often depicted as a shapeshifter and appears as a crow on the battlefield to foretel doom or victory. As a goddess of war, the Morrígan decides the outcome of battles. In this role, she may bless or curse kings and queens depending on how their rules may align with her desired direction for the future.
The Morrígan is thus associated with fate and prophecy too. She has the power to shape the destiny of individuals and kingdoms. In many stores, she appears to heroes to offer guidance or warnings. Yet despite her connections to war and death, she’s not a malevolent goddess but represents the natural changes in fate and fortune.
The Morrígan is frequently depicted as three sisters called The Morrigná: Badb, Macha and Anand. The meaning of the triple-goddess name “Morrigná” is uncertain but may come from the Indo-European root word for terror and cognate with the Old English maere (“nightmare”) and the Scandinavian mara and the Old East Slavic “mara” (“nightmare”) while rígan translates as “queen”. This is clearer in the Proto-Celtic language meaning “Moro-rīganī-s.” This explains why the Morrígan is called the “Phantom Queen”.
Leanbh Pearson 