Hail the Morrigna,

The red ones,

Springs of craftiness

They who cast fire, mist and blood,

Raven women of the raids,

Companions of the First Battle of Magh Tuiread,

They who inspire horror, fear and dread,

Sorrow that vanquishes,

Swift advance of disaster,

They who pursue and subdue,

They who destroy those who are subdued

 

Hail the Morriginn

Jealous wife of the Daghda

Mother of victories.

Source of bitter fighting,

She who gives courage and provokes fear,

She who rouses the kings,

She who strengthens in resolution and fierceness,

Spear-point leaper,

Fierce of mood,

Pleasure in mustered hosts,

She who brings two handfuls of blood,

Destroyer of Indech,

She who granted Odras her victory

Washer at the ford,

Guard of death.

Hornless red heifer,

She of eel, wolf and crow,

Mistress of many-forms.

Flame that brightens heaven and earth,

Great queen of prophecy,

Proclaimer of peace,

Far-sighted one,

Darkness of light,

Guardian of the many coloured land,

Shielder of vengeance,

She of the beneficent and furious countenance,

Protector of the Three Realms.

 

Hail Macha

Wife of Cruinnchu,

Wife of Dithorba,
Wife of Nuadha,

Pale Wife of the chieftain,

Mother of truth and generosity,

Sun of woman-kind,

She who comes from the sea, 

Red-haired one,

Hooded crow,

Distinguished and faithful,

Pure Glory.

 

Swifter than white steeds,

Source of bitter fighting,

Wielder of fierce magic,

She whose word lasts forever,

She who inflicts debilities,

Maiden of the sword-point,

Mother of the acorn-crop,

She who accompanies warriors,

Dominator of the sons of Dithorba,

Great of fame in life and death,

 

Hail the Badhbh

Scald-crow

Daughter of Ealcmhair,

Thankful for battle-combats,

She who foresees the destruction of Conair Mor,

She who proclaims doom,

Cause of compact clouds of mist

She who makes furious rains of fire

Relater of great deeds,

 

Hail Nemhain,

Daughter of Ealchmhair

Wife of Neit,

Lamentation of the Stone

Law-givng wife,

Wounds of war,

She who confounds hosts,

She of the anguished cry.

 

Hail Fea

Daughter of Ealcmhair,

Wife of Neit.

Wife of Nuadha,

She of the Plain of the Oxen,

Of the bright river,

Everything most hateful,

Red-mouthed,

Terrific-battle

Skilled in war,

Frenzied in battle,

Encompasser of death by sword,

Mistress of battle,

Solicitous of bodies.

Inconsistent in fury,

Wild one of blood-lust,

Sower of confusion,

Impetuous, precipitate and inexorable. 

She who doubles her sound,

Croak that invokes lunacy,

She who is heard in the clefts and cascades,

She who kills a hundred with a single cry.

Silent and beloved,

Herder of oxen,

Rich in store.

Fierce power,

She who casts out depredators,

Slaughter upon the host,

Gory joy that makes women weep.

 

© Robert J. Smith, 2023, London