As to the Morrigu, the Great Queen, the Crow of Battle, where she lived
after the coming of the Gael is not known, but before that time it was
in Teamhair she lived. And she had a great cooking-spit there, that held
three sorts of food on it at the one time: a piece of raw meat, and a
piece of dressed meat, and a piece of butter. And the raw was dressed,
and the dressed was not burned, and the butter did not melt, and the
three together on the spit.
Nine men that were outlaws went to her one time and asked for a spit to
be made for themselves. And they brought it away with them, and it had
nine ribs in it, and every one of the outlaws would carry a rib in his
hand wherever he would go, till they would all meet together at the
close of day. And if they wanted the spit to be high, it could be raised
to a man's height, and at another time it would not be more than the
height of a fist over the fire, without breaking and without lessening.
And Mechi, the son the Morrigu had, was killed by Mac Cecht on Magh
Mechi, that till that time had been called Magh Fertaige. Three hearts
he had, and it is the way they were, they had the shapes of three
serpents through them. And if Mechi had not met with his death, those
serpents in him would have grown, and what they left alive in Ireland
would have wasted away. And Mac Cecht burned the three hearts on Magh
Luathad, the Plain of Ashes, and he threw the ashes into the stream; and
the rushing water of the stream stopped and boiled up, and every
creature in it died.
And the Morrigu used often to be meddling in Ireland in Cuchulain's
time, stirring up wars and quarrels. It was she came and roused up
Cuchulain one time when he was but a lad, and was near giving in to some
enchantment that was used against him. "There is not the making of a
hero in you," she said to him, "and you lying there under the feet of
shadows." And with that Cuchulain rose up and struck off the head of a
shadow that was standing over him, with his hurling stick. And the time
Conchubar was sending out Finched to rouse up the men of Ulster at the
time of the war for the Bull of Cuailgne, he bade him to go to that
terrible fury, the Morrigu, to get help for Cuchulain. And she had a
dispute with Cuchulain one time he met her, and she bringing away a cow
from the Hill of Cruachan; and another time she helped Talchinem, a
Druid of the household of Conaire Mor, to bring away a bull his wife had
set her mind on. And indeed she was much given to meddling with cattle,
and one time she brought away a cow from Odras, that was of the
household of the cow-chief of Cormac Hua Cuined, and that was going
after her husband with cattle. And the Morrigu brought the cow away with
her to the Cave of Cruachan, and the Hill of the Sidhe. And Odras
followed her there till sleep fell on her in the oak-wood of Falga; and
the Morrigu awoke her and sang spells over her, and made of her a pool
of water that went to the river that flows to the west of Slieve Buane.
And in the battle of Magh Rath, she fluttered over Congal Claen in the
shape of a bird, till he did not know friend from foe. And after that
again at the battle of Cluantarbh, she was flying over the head of
Murchadh, son of Brian; for she had many shapes, and it was in the shape
of a crow she would sometimes fight her battles.
And if it was not the Morrigu, it was Badb that showed herself in the
battle of Dunbolg, where the men of Ireland were fighting under Aedh,
son of Niall; and Brigit was seen in the same battle on the side of the
men of Leinster.