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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

Scholarly treatment typically situates the Morrígna within the broader Irish triadic and war-goddess traditions, highlighting their

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.
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.