Poem for the Morrigan

She is blood and battle and death

The blade that cleaves flesh from bone

That cuts the old from the new

That reshapes, remakes, redefines us

Blood is not to be feared; it is the current of life

Battle is not to be feared; it is the price of sovereignty

Death is not to be feared; it is the end of the old…

And a new beginning, endlessly

-Morgan Daimler, The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens

The Morrigan is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann (The Irish Gods).   Her name means “ Great Queen” and is both a title given to the three sisters Anu, Macha and Badb, as well as a name for the goddess.  She is associated with battle, death, as well as victory, sovereignty, shapeshifting and magic. She is well known for taking the shape of a raven or crow, often appearing over battlefields, giving or taking courage away from warriors. She is a shapeshifter, also appearing as a heifer, wolf or eel in her mythology.  She is the sometimes wife of the Dagda, and is connected to the Irish hero Cúchulain.

The Morrigan flies through the pages of history and myth like an uncontainable whirlwind.  Upon ancient battlefields her wild shrieks and battle cry killed men where they stood.  She could be a beautiful lusty maiden one minute or a fearsome hag the next.  To some she appeared as a phantom, washing the blood stained clothes of those destined to die along lonely river banks, yet to others she brought unparalleled victory and protection.  The Morrigan is full of mystery, magick, and contradictions.  She is powerful and wise, but not always benevolent, her nature not always apparent at first glance, her wisdom not easily earned. Just when you think you’ve figured her out, she changes shape and becomes something else.  The Great Queen resides within each of us, her wisdom just as vital to the modern seeker as it was to the ancient Irish who worshiped her.  And today she remains a powerful figure in modern Irish spirituality.

To learn more about the Morrigan and for resources for the modern seeker please see our Resources page.

 

(Text © Stephanie Woodfield)

(Poem ©Morgan Daimler)

(Image © Thalia Took)