>There’s also the Irish mythological figure Morrigan (or Morrigu),
>who is associated with war, death, and doom and appears as a crow.
>It isn’t hard to see how someone thought a “murder of crows” would be appropriate.
>https://bigthink.com/life/why-group-murder-of-crows/
>The name is Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, and it has been translated as "great queen" or "phantom queen".
> ^= { Irish(GREEN-MerMAID) Hillary, ~ WATER WITCH ~ KILLaR_y }
cont'd:
The Morrígan is often described as a trio of individuals, all sisters, called "the three Morrígna".[4][8][9]
In mythology membership of the triad is given as Badb, Macha, and the Morrigan, who may be named Anand.[10] { Koffi ANAND ? }
It is believed that these were all names for the same goddess.[4][11]
In modern sources Nemain may also be named as one of the three Morrigan along with Badb, Macha, although her inclusion is unclear[12]
The three Morrígna are also named as sisters of the three land goddesses Ériu, Banba, and Fódla.
TheMorríganis described as the envious wife of The Dagda and a shape-shifting goddess,[13]
while Badb and Nemain are said to be the wives of Neit.[4]
She is associated with the banshee of later folklore.[4]
Etymology:
There is some disagreement over the meaning of the Morrígan's name.
Mor may derive from an Indo-European root connoting terror, monstrousness cognate with the Old English maere (which survives in the modern English word "nightmare")
and the Scandinavian mara and the Old East Slavic "mara" ("nightmare");[14] while rígan translates as "queen".[15][16]
This etymological sequence can be reconstructed in the Proto-Celtic language as *Moro-rīganī-s.[17][18]
>Accordingly, Morrígan is often translated as "Phantom Queen".[16] { [P] <=> 16 }
This is the derivation generally favoured in current scholarship.[19]
In the Middle Irish period, the name is often spelled Mórrígan with a lengthening diacritic over the o, seemingly intended to mean "Great Queen" (Old Irish mór, "great";[14]
this would derive from a hypothetical Proto-Celtic *Māra Rīganī-s).[20]
Whitley Stokes believed this latter spelling was due to a false etymology popular at the time.[21]
There have also been attempts by modern writers to link the Morrígan with the Welsh literary figure Morgan le Fay from the Matter of Britain,
in whose name mor may derive from Welsh word for "sea", but the names are derived from different cultures and branches of the Celtic linguistic tree.[14]
Glosses and glossaries:
The earliest sources for the Morrígan are glosses in Latin manuscripts and glossaries (collections of glosses).
The 8th century O'Mulconry's Glossary says that Macha is one of the three morrígna.[22]
In a 9th-century manuscript containing the Vulgate version of the Book of Isaiah, the word Lamia is used to translate the Hebrew Lilith.[23]
A gloss explains this night hag as "a monster in female form, that is, a morrígan."[22]
Cormac's Glossary (also 9th century), and a gloss in the later manuscript H.3.18, both explain the plural word gudemain ("spectres")[24] with the plural form morrígna.[22]
Nature and role:
The Morrígan is often considered a triple goddess, but this triple nature is ambiguous and inconsistent.
These triple appearances are partially due to the Celtic significance of threeness.[1] { (3) TIPS of SPEAR ? }
Sometimes she appears as one of three sisters, the daughters of Ernmas: Morrígan, Badb and Macha.[38]
Sometimes the trinity consists of Badb, Macha and Anand, collectively known as the Morrígna.
Occasionally, Nemain or Fea appear in the various combinations.
However, the Morrígan can also appear alone,[25] and her name is sometimes used interchangeably with Badb.[35]
The Morrígan is mainly associated with war and fate, and is often interpreted as a "war goddess".
W. M. Hennessy's The Ancient Irish Goddess of War, written in 1870, was influential in establishing this interpretation.[39]
She is said to derive pleasure from mustered hosts.[40]
Her role often involves premonitions of a particular warrior's violent death, suggesting a link with the banshee of later folklore.
This connection is further noted by Patricia Lysaght:
"In certain areas of Ireland this supernatural being is, in addition to the name banshee, also called the badhb".[41]
Her role was to not only be a symbol of imminent death, but to also influence the outcome of war.
Most often, she did this by appearing as a crow flying overhead,
and would either inspire fear or courage in the hearts of the warriors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morr%C3%ADgan The_Morrigan
https://web.archive.org/web/20230613094609/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morr%C3%ADgan
<>Hillary Watch the water…</piXrel