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I am completely unqualified to write anything on this Goddess. She is complex, and people do not even agree on who are the three goddesses that make up her “trinity,” as well as other areas about devotion to her . However, as a response to a promise, I am adding this page to this blog in the special honor of The Morrigan.
The Morrigan is an Irish goddess whose name translates to “Great Queen” or “Phantom Queen.” She is associated with (what most people know about her) death, war, and sexuality. She is also associated with (which a lot of people don’t know) magick and prophecy, sovereignty, and the earth. She is a goddess who is associated with water as well, particularly with rivers. She is known as a shape-shifter. The animal she is linked with most closely is the crow or raven. But she is also linked with eels, wolves, and cattle.
I do not mean, by referring to her as a “trinity,” that she corresponds with the “maiden, mother, crone” Triple Goddess archetype of Wicca. That is not to say that she does not have traits that correspond to this. Macha’s mythology in particular involves motherhood, and Badb has several “crone-like” qualities. But I don’t believe she can easily fit into this archetype, although there are aspects of all three in her character.
Badb and Macha are pretty much universally accepted to be “sisters of The Morrigan”. The last goddess is a little more complicated. Some believe the third one is the goddess Nemain, while others believe it is the goddess Anu. And still others believe that the name “Morrigan” is the name of the third goddess as well as The Morrigan as a whole.
I am not at all knowledgeable about Irish paganism, and I know very, very little about Celtic mythology. I do know enough to know that the information can be contradictory about the third goddess. I personally believe it is Anu, because Nemain and Badb are very, very similar, because of a couple of references in particular, and because two goddesses that are so similar don’t seem to fit the complexity that is The Morrigan. This is my unscholarly reason for choosing between several different points of view. I am just beginning to study her, and as I do my opinion very well may change. Here is a link that lists one of the relevant passages as well as some other information on honoring Anu.
For more educated information on The Morrigan, check out these resources:
Starry-Eyed Witch- The Morrigan playlist
Laura Daligan- Gods and Goddess playlist (but mostly about The Morrigan)
Book of the Great Queen by Morpheus Ravenna
Book of Shadows 