The Morrígan, The Terrifying Death Goddess Of Celtic Lore
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The Morrígan could take many forms, including that of a young woman, a mother, or a “hag.”
The gods of death listed so far are often terrifying, but few are quite as fearsome as the Morrígan. A composite of three goddesses, the Morrígan is an important figure in Celtic mythology known to haunt battlefields.
Stories about the Morrígan were likely passed down orally for years, but the first known mention of the goddess came around the seventh century C.E., in O’Mulconry’s Glossary. Myth states that she is made of three different forms, meant to represent the maiden, the mother, and the hag. These forms are called Badb, Macha, and Nemain, and each has a distinct role.
Badb, often depicted as a crow, flies over battlefields to frighten and confuse the enemy. She’s associated with bloodshed and fate, and her cries are said to be harbingers of death for noble warriors, which is why she’s sometimes associated with the banshee. Meanwhile, Macha is sometimes seen as a horse and is associated with independence. And Nemain, whose name means “frenzy,” is said to represent the madness and terror of warfare.
Public DomainMacha, one of the Morrígan’s three forms.
The Morrígan appears often in Celtic myths. Indeed, Cú Chulainn, the mythic Irish warrior who defended the kingdom of Ulster, is said to have been brought down by the Morrígan after he spurned her.
Like the shinigami, the Morrígan has also remained a popular concept to this day. The death deity has appeared in video games and comics, proving that her terrifying powers remain as potent as ever.
But the Morrígan is just one of many death goddesses who terrorized ancient cultures.
