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Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Online Morrigan Resources

I often see people asking for recommendations for online accessible resources for the Morrigan, so I thought today I'd offer my personal suggestions. None of these are necessarily blanket endorsements but these are resources that can be found online, are free, and are worth reading. As with anything else in life remember to use critical thinking and to keep in mind that on this subject there can be a variety of opinions.

Dissertations and Papers - There are some great academic works out there on the Morrigan worth checking out. There are also some that I don't entirely agree with but still recommend because they add important layers to any discussion about this complex deity/deities.
  1. War-goddesses, furies and scald crows: The use of the word badb in early Irish literature by Kim Heidja  
  2. The 'Mast' of Macha: The Celtic Irish and the War Goddess of Ireland by Catherine Mowat
  3. War Goddess: The Morrigan and Her Germano-Celtic Counterparts by Angelique Gulermovich Epstein
  4. Demonology, allegory and translation: the Furies and the Morrigan by Michael Clarke
  5. The ‘Terror of the Night’ and the Morrígain: Shifting Faces of the Supernatural. - by Jacqueline Borsje 
Blogs - There are a lot of people who blog about the Morrigan these days and I will admit my own suggestions will be limited to people I know, and read regularly. I don't go out looking around for new Morrigan bloggers because I just don't have time. You'll also note this only includes written blogs, which isn't an intentional snub to vloggers or youtbers just a reflection that I hardly ever have time to watch videos on my pc so I can't recommend them (since I haven't really watched many).
  1. Call of the Morrigan: A Community Blog for the Great Queen - a great community based blog that offers a variety of views and opinions by different authors
  2. Dark Goddess Musings - the blog of author Stephanie Woodfield. Not updated regularly, but has interesting content
  3. Lora O'Brien - Author and Freelance Writer - what it says on the tin. Not Morrigan specific but there are Morrigan posts to be found and Lora's writing is always good and worth reading. Lora also offers paid courses on the Morrigan and several other related topics that I highly recommend.
  4. Under the Ancient Oaks - the blog of Druid and author John Beckett. Not Morrigan exclusive either but she is a frequent topic. 
Websites - An assortment of Morrigan related websites out there that I am aware of and whose content is generally reliable
  1. Scath na Feannoige - Morrigan content and content focused on the warrior path. Some free and some paid access, but excellent material. 
  2. Mary Jones Celtic Literature Collective - as advertised, a resource for all things Celtic. your best source for myths on the Morrigan (in the Irish lit section) and also offering an encyclopedia section
  3. Story Archaeology - A great resource for newer translations of the myths and discussion of the stories in context. if you search the site/podcast you'll find multiple results relating to the Morrigan 
  4. Coru Cathubodua - a site by a group dedicated to the Morrigan, with articles and a resource list 

Artwork - Some of my personal favorite sources for Morrigan artwork I like. Your mileage may vary. These are not free - obviously - but I can't list Morrigan resources without including them
  1. the Ever Living Ones, art of Jane Brideson 
  2. Lindowyn @ Deviantart, art of Ashley Bryner
  3. Gemma Zoe Jones
  4. Dryad Design - statuary and jewelry by Paul Borda 

Music - We can't forget about music, after all! Its a great resource and a great way to feel connected

  1. Omnia 'Morrigan'  (or this slower version)
     2. Darkest Era 'The Morrigan'
     3. Cruachan 'The Brown Bull of Cooley'
     4. Cruchan 'The Morrigan's Call'
     5. Heather Dale 'the Morrigan'
      6. Mama Gina 'Ruby


Books - I should probably mention here that generally I am not aware of any decent books on the Morrigan, specifically, that are available free online. You can access some older public domain works including Hennessey's 'War Goddess' on Sacred Texts but books that old have issues with some seriously outdated scholarship and need to be read with a big grain of salt. They are worth reading with some critical thinking and discernment but I wouldn't give them a blanket recommendation


4 comments:

  1. THE Morrigan is not a war goddess per sé. She did not go into battle, instead she incited the male and female warriors to go to war.

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    Replies
    1. How is this comment anything other than mansplaining the Morrigan to an eminent and well respected scholar and translator? How?!

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  2. Lora "mansplaining' is defined as when a male is being condescending or patronising. Neither of which apply to me or my comment, so just back off...

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  3. Also mansplaining occurs when a man lectures a woman in her area of speciality or academic scholarship—and Morgan's knowledge is superlative in this area.

    My reading of the texts--and here I agree with Daimler--is that the Morrigan is a liminal deity and as such is difficult to pidgeonhole. My personal experience is that she's probably better defined--if you can define her at all--as a warrior goddess rather than a war goddess, (at least that's my overview) or (if we're moving here to an archetypal view) she represents within Scots and Irish spirituality the forces of catabolism.

    Really you have to live here to see how she would fit in. That first storm battering the Scottish coast in September has her cry all the way through it...

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