Morrígna

Morrígna is a term used in Irish mythology to denote the three war goddesses who are closely associated with the figure Mórrígan, sometimes described as three aspects of the same deity. The name, from Old Irish Mórrígan, is often interpreted as “great queen” or “phantom queen,” reflecting her roles as fate-bringer, omen, and deity of battle. In some sources the Morrígna are treated as a triad of sisters—an arrangement that appears in early medieval Irish literature—while other texts present Mórrígan as a single goddess with three manifestations or aspects.

The Morrígna appear in a number of medieval Irish narratives, including the Táin Bó Cúailnge and related legends, where they function as agents of doom, foretelling or shaping the outcomes of conflicts. They are commonly depicted as portents of war, sometimes taking the form of birds such as crows or ravens, and they engage with heroes by cursing, warning, or provoking them into battle. In some strands of myth the individual figures identified with the Morrígan include Badb, Macha, and Nemain, though the exact names and relationships vary across sources.

Scholarly treatment typically situates the Morrígna within the broader Irish triadic and war-goddess traditions, highlighting their connection to fate, prophecy, and the destructive forces of war. The figure has influenced later Irish folklore, literature, and modern neopagan and popular-culture depictions, where the Morrígna continue to symbolize the interplay of destiny, sovereignty, and the toll of combat. See also Mórrígan, Badb, Macha, Nemain.