The Guises of the Morrigan - The Irish Goddess of Sex & Battle [Paperback]

David Rankine (Author), Sorita D'Este (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2005

The Morrígan is probably the most powerful figure amongst the Celtic gods. The popular image of the Morrígan is as the goddess of battle and sex, a perception that only scratches the surface of this complex and manifold goddess. From bestower of sovereignty to earth goddess, from mistress of the animals to faery queen, the Morrígan stands out as the pre-eminent Celtic goddess, and it is our hope that this book will restore a clearer perception of her awesome scope to all those people interested in the Celtic world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Avalonia (April 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905297009
• ISBN-13: 978-1905297009
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference Book on the Morrigan, July 13, 2005

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Guises of the Morrigan - The Irish Goddess of Sex & Battle (Paperback)

There is a lot of material about the Morrigan. Myths, legends, attributes and influences. It is wonderful to have it all collected in one place for those who follow either the Morrigan or one of her aspects. This complex Celtic Goddess has plenty of material about her, and I am happy David Rankine and Sorita D'Este put it all together for us in this well researched book.

The book traces the path of the Morrigan and the best way is to start at the beginning with the Celtic Mythologies about her. From the "War with the Fir Bolgs" from the ancient Irish myths to the stories of Cu Chulainn, all the myths are covered and the stories examined. David and Sorita do an excellent job of looking at the stories and seeing how the Morrigan influenced the story or the situations. While not the actual stories, we are given enough of the story to see how the Morrigan had a hand in it.

I would like to have had the actual stories here. While the words which the Morrigan said are given in quotes, to allow the reader to see how She describes Herself or the situation encountered, the original stores are very lovely to read. You should augment this book with copies of the actual works and appreciate them for yourself.

There are some lovely pen and ink drawings to accompany the stories, though the topic of the piece is not always "lovely". "Cu Chulainn's Demise" is a graphic depiction of the hero's not so pretty ending, but the tales are graphic. The artist Brian Andrews adds interest with the addition of his works in this book.

The best known guises of the Morrigan are then examined in the section about Nemain, Badb and Macha. Again, the stories, the attributes and the nature of each of these Goddesses in one are examined. David and Sorita do a very good job at retelling the stories as it applies to these Goddesses.

The section called "Wise Crone: Tales of the Calleach" gives some interesting stories on the Cailleach. What would have been good here is a pronunciation key. I've heard at least two pronunciations of this word "Calleach", but none is offered here.

What is offered is a very extensive footnoting of the stories, references and locations of the stories. The bibliography in the back of the book is also quite extensive and speaks highly of the research that went into this book. What is also noteworthy is the quality of the writings, this book tells the stories, examines the stories and explains the Morrigans place and purpose in each of them. It is easy to read, does not speak above the intended readership and relates the ideas that the authors have very clearly.

The same is true for "The Queen of Battle" which examines the Warrior aspect of the Morrigan. Well told stories, footnoted, and explained with Her own words. As "The Earth Goddess" we see a side that we do not usually consider with the Morrigan. David and Sorita add to our understanding of this Goddess with a look at Her more "earthy " side. We also see the Morrigan in her aspect as "Calleach Beara" as a creation Goddess, again going back to Her more earthy side.

There is a chapter on locations which are associated with the Morrigan. The sites are located in England, Ireland and Scotland and this section would be a nice reference for anyone considering a trip to England and wanted something different from the usual tours.

While the Dagda had His cauldron, there is a short piece on the Morrigan's "Cooking Spit", an interesting bit of information.

There is a larger chapter on her aspect as "The Faery Queen", her aspect as the Scottish blood-drinking faery, a section on the "Faery Birds" "Faery Ravens" and other faery aspects. There are included stories, reference and small discussion on their meanings. Again, some pronunciation keys would have been helpful here to the novice.

As "Queen Mab" we see the Morrigan in literature, and David and Sorita explore more modern literature that discusses the Morrigan. Thomas the Rhymer and Shakespeare are covered.

We see the Morrigan as transformer, Lady of the Beasts, bestower of Sovereignty, the Lover, the witch, shapeshifter, and giant. We see Her as prophetess and magician, we see the number references to her aspects. We see some aspects such as Goddess of Fate as the washer at the ford in various traditions, how she survives in folk lore as the Banshee or the Scottish Weeper. We see Her being brought forward in the Arthurian myths. Finally, we are given even more of Her aspects in an alphabetical list of associations and brief descriptions of each, including Her familiar, the Raven.

This is a lovely book of overviews of stories. It is an excellent reference if you are looking for a particular aspect of the Morrigan, or are not sure and want to look it up. It will provide you with a resource to help you find a particular story about the Morrigan. The bibliography contains much material that you can sort through and read on your own to augment your knowledge of the Morrigan. The book is well indexed for easy reference. This would be a great addition to your library for anyone into Celtic lore, the Morrigan or any of Her aspects. boudica

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Morrigan Revealed, June 10, 2006

By 

B. Thomas (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Guises of the Morrigan - The Irish Goddess of Sex & Battle (Paperback)

While searching for information on The Morrigan, I found that there aren't a lot of books on this powerful goddess of the ancient Celts. This book came up first and foremost as being wholly about her.

The authors do a wonderful job in setting the stage and giving the reader the basics about this apparently elusive goddess. They delve into her myths, though not too deeply because of their length, and explain why she wasn't only seen as a Battle Goddess, but also as an Earth Goddess, a Liminal Goddess (one who rules over "changes of state, transformation, and boundries"), and a Bestower of Sovereignty; as well as a Faery Queen and even a Banshee after Ireland became Christianized.

The book is well laid out with specific chapters and sub-chapters dedicated to her different guises. It is a very easy read for beginners in ancient goddess studies and makes a great reference book for those more advanced. The sketch drawings throughout the book add to it's charm.

The one thing I found a bit "off" (and the reason for 4 stars) is that it seems the authors go out of their way to try to link The Morrigan with most other goddesses of the time. Many goddesses and gods had some of the same attributes, but that doesn't neccessarily mean they were all one Being. Other than that, I found it quite enjoyable.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Piece of Research & the Only Book on the Topic To Date, April 18, 2006

By 

little blue flame - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Guises of the Morrigan - The Irish Goddess of Sex & Battle (Paperback)

There has been a view unfair reviews of this book, which to me seems to be based on who the authors are, rather than what the book says. Yes, the couple who wrote this are well known in Britian and Europe as Wiccans and yes they have written books on topics from Wicca through to Qabalah and on other Gods and Goddesses, but what has that got to do with anything? Surely we need to judge the book by what it actually contains and how it is presented?

If judged on the latter, this book presents a great body of well researched material from a huge body of source material (a glance at the bibliography will show you that they were not just making it all up!). The material is presented without biased opinions, as some reviewers claim. They never claim that the Morrigan is all the goddesses who ever walked on these lands (or any other for that matter) but do present arguments, based on factual research, on how the Morrigan may be connected to other Goddesses. They leave you to reach your own conclusions.

For many years I wished for more information on the Morrigan than that which I was able to find in publications available to me. For years I hoped that someone someday would create a book just like this, except I never thought someone would.

The authors should be commended for the work they are doing. There is nothing wrong with their research, but unfortunately it does challenge some established views on who the Morrigan is and what her role was within the Celtic myths. It greatly expands the information previously available and frankly I can't imagine that anyone is likely to better it anytime in the near future.

So, in brief: If you are interested in Irish mythology, Celtic myths and stories and if you have an interest in the Morrigan - buy this book - new, secondhand whatever. Its a great book.