1. Irish Mythology Legend of the Morrigan

2. Overview To recap from the handout, the Morrigan is a three-fold goddess of warfare, battles and fertility. She is comprised of the goddesses Badb, Macha, and Nemain. Her two main epithets are “Great Queen” and “Phantom Queen.” Her main disguise is that of a crow or raven.

3. Pronunciation Tutorial Badb- Bibe Cu Chulainn- Coo HOOL in Dagda- Dah Dah Danu- DA noo Lugh- LOO Macha- MOH Ka Medb- MAEV Tuatha De Danann- TOO ha da Dah n’n Tain Bo Cuailnge- Toyne Bo Cooley

4. The Myth The Morrigan appears several times to the warrior Cu Chulainn, and each time he rejects her offers of love and assistance in battle. When she appears as a hag milking a cow, he begs a drink from her. As he drinks, he blesses the milk and heals the wounds he had previously inflicted upon her. When she reveals herself to him, he regrets healing her. The next appearance she makes is in the form of a crow. She settles on the shoulders of the mortally wounded Cu Chulainn who has tied himself upright against a boulder with his own entrails.

5. Depictions of the Morrigan

7. Citations for Artwork http://www.indymedia.ie/cache/imagecach e/local/attachments/aug2005/460_0___ 30_0_0_0_0_0_c_chulainn.jpghttp://www.indymedia.ie/cache/imagecach e/local/attachments/aug2005/460_0___ 30_0_0_0_0_0_c_chulainn.jpg http://lark.phoblacht.net/skcu.jpg http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/image s/statuary/morrigan_dd_small.jpghttp://www.celticattic.com/treasures/image s/statuary/morrigan_dd_small.jpg http://featherdust.critter.net/digitalcomple tehtml/images/The%20Morrigan.jpghttp://featherdust.critter.net/digitalcomple tehtml/images/The%20Morrigan.jpg