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Morrighan, Great-Queen.
M0RYGH*N
Alternate meanings: Phantom-Queen, Queen-of-the-Demon.
[to Whom the twenty-fifth day of September, day 268, is dedicated]
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Description: Triple Shapeshifting Warrior Goddess of fertility, battle, slaughter, fate, and death; Those Who signify death by violence; Those Whose weapons are supernatural powers of magic; Those Who are invoked by war-horns imitating the croaking of ravens; Those Whose dread presence causes terror; Those Who are associated with rivers; Those Who manifest Themselves as a woman seen at the ford before battle, washing the bloody clothes of those destined to die in the fight.
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Composed of:
Ana, Queen, the Malignant. Badb, Boiling. Nemhain, Frenzy.
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To Whom Sacred: cauldron; the mast of Morrighan, (i.e. the skulls of men freshly killed); the Paps of Morrighan, (geographical formation).
Shapes: beautiful young woman; eel; wolf; red-heifer; horse; raven; hooded-crow (They have been known to appear as three hooded crows).
Iconography: In singular She is described as `big-mouthed, swarthy, swift, sooty, lame, with a cast in Her left eye'.
Festival: She is associated with Samain, Novemeber 1st. She also makes an annual marriage with Dagda.
Male Associates: in Their singular form, Her consort is the Dagda.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Ana, the Malignant, is linked with Annis, {Blue-Hag}.
- Perhaps Her name is related to the Morgana in Fata-Morgana, Fateful-Sea-Queen.
- Variant:
Morrigan.
- Variant:
Morrigu.
- Her three persons are sometimes known as the
Three-Morrigans.
Source: Graves WG 143, 370, 375. (69)pp. 66-7, 86-7, 90, 106.
Badb, Boiling.
BAV
Alternate meanings: The-Crow, Hooded-Crow, Raven.
Geography/Culture: Irish Celtic.
Description: Shapeshifting Goddess of war and fate; Inciter; Haunter of battle-fields; Wielder of magic; She Who causes confusion.
This is also a collective name for all Gaelic war Goddesses.
To Whom Sacred: all large black birds of the crow family (the shape She frequently assumes); crane; cauldron.
- Variant: Badhbh.
- Macha, Battle, is a Badb, Boiling.
- Second person of Triple Goddess Morrighan, Great-Queen, above .
Source: SC.CML/?; GR.WG/370.
Badb-Catha, War-Fury.
B*V-K*31
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Variant:
Badhbh-Chatha.
- Equivalent to Cathubodva, War-Fury, below.
Source: Squire CML 276.
Cathubodva, War-fury.
K@3WB0DVA
Geography/Culture: Gaulish.
- Equivalent to Badb-Catha, War-Fury, above.
- Variant
Cathubodua.
Source: Squire CML 267.
Nemhain, Frenzy.
N]MHAN
Alternate meaning: Venomous-One.
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Description: She Who creates panic amongst fighting men.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Third person of the Morrighan, Great-Queen.
- Alternatively Macha, Battle, is cast as the third person of the Morrighan, Great-Queen, suggesting that Nemhain, Frenzy, is an alternate name for Macha.
- Variant:
Neman.
- Variant:
Nemon.
Source: MacCana CM 86, 90; Campbell MGocc 305; Kaster PCMD; Graves WG 370.
worked on: September, May 1995; August 1991
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