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The Morrigan is a complex and powerful figure in Irish and Celtic mythology, associated with war, fate, magic, sovereignty, and change. If you’re interested in learning more about this Irish Goddess and her significance, this list of Morrigan resources can help you delve deeper into her mythology and teachings.
From original source lore directly translated from Medieval manuscripts, to modern books, websites, videos and podcasts, there’s something for everyone on this comprehensive list.
The Morrigan Lore Resources
It is essential to start with the actual teachings associated with this Goddess from within Irish culture, before moving on to the plethora of modern interpretations – some good and most terrible – that are available. This will ground you in solid scholarship when looking at further Morrigan resources.
Don’t worry too much about understanding the entire text. Just take small parts of it, and read through as a devotional practice, or work your way through it all in your own time.
To make it more accessible I developed the Morrigan 5 Day Challenge, which is completely free and takes you through small pieces of the original lore in simple bite size chunks, with some extra practice bits for good measure! It is available to students year round.
The Second Battle of Moytura is one of the primary texts the Morrigan (and her sisters) feature in. No previous published versions of the Cath Maige Tuired include the entire text in English, as multiple sections are usually left out, and these parts are especially relevant to the Morrigan resources you are seeking! So, I recommend ‘Cath Maige Tuired: A Full English Translation’, by Morgan Daimler.
The Cattle Raid of Cooley, originally known as the Táin Bó Cuailnge, has many recensions (versions) and translations available. Overall, I believe ‘The Táin: Translated from the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cuailnge‘, by Thomas Kinsella, is the best to work through.
The Morrigan Resources – Irish Lore Online
Although this is known as the First Battle of Moytura, it may have been written later than the one known as the Second. Confused yet?! Cath Muige Tuired Cunga: The Battle of Moytura of Cong (the First Battle of Moytura), translated by J. Frazer.
This is an online version of the text given above, but as stated earlier there are gaps, most notably is that this one does not contain a translation of the Morrigan’s prophecy poetry. Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Moytura, translated by Elizabeth Gray.
Thankfully, the team at Story Archaeology have published Isolde’s translations of the poetry if you’d like to access that online. The Mórrígan Speaks: Her Three Poems from CMT, translated by Isolde ÓBrolcháin Carmody.
A remh scéal, or pre-tale and set up of the Táin Bó Cuailnge, which features the Morrigan, a cow, a man, a strange horse, and Cú Chulainn. Táin Bó Regamna: The Cattle Raid of Regamna, translated by A. H. Leahy
The first and oldest version of the TBC that is available is the Táin Bó Cuailnge: Recension 1 – and this is the Cecile O’Rahilly Translation.
This is the version that is commonly worked with online, even though the translation language is quite flowery – Táin Bó Cuailnge: Irish transcription by Ernst Windisch (1905), English translation by Joseph Dunn (1914)
Modern Books on the Morrigan
If you’re looking to deepen your understanding of the Morrigan through modern interpretations, there are many books to choose from. Unfortunately, most of them are pure shite, so do be careful. The following are the ONLY books I can recommend at time of writing, in good conscience.
(Please note that links to the amazon empire are affiliate, which means we get a few cents per copy if you buy them this way at no cost to you, but please purchase wherever you are comfortable!)
It’s worth getting to know her sacred sites, and starting with the Cave of the Cats, Uaimh na gCat, which was known as the Morrigan’s ‘fit abode’, is a great start. The visitor centre (where I was a tour guide, and the manager for a decade!) has produced a guide which is now in its second edition. Rathcroghan: The Guidebook, by Daniel Curley & Mike McCarthy.
A short, classic, quality introduction to the Irish Goddess is probably the best start for anyone to have on their shelves. ‘The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens‘, by Morgan Daimler.
The follow up, also short but of equal quality, is ‘Raven Goddess: Going Deeper with the Morrigan‘, by Morgan Daimler (foreword by Lora O’Brien).
The most NeoPagan recommendation on this list is ‘The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might‘, by Courtney Weber (foreword by Lora O’Brien). Plenty to keep the eclectic witch or Pagan happy in here, while also being grounded in accurate mythology.
Not a book per se, but a scholarly examination and interpretation of the Morrigan which is core to much of our understanding of the Morrigan resources we have available, is ‘War Goddess: The Morrígan and Her Germano-Celtic Counterparts‘, by Angelique Gulermovich Epstein (Dissertation). University of California, Los Angeles, 1998.
These books offer a wealth of information and insights into the Morrigan, her sacred sites, and the world of Celtic mythology in general – to a certain extent. Again, please be wary of anything that’s not on this sadly short list.
Especially watch out for ghost written, farmed, and AI generated content, as it is rife now!
Also please note that with the exception of the Rathcroghan Guidebook, none of these authors are Irish, so the perspective is occasionally slightly off centre from our actual cultural understanding here in Ireland.
🐦⬛IS THE MORRIGAN CALLING YOU – WHAT ARE THE SIGNS? – for access to our FREE Guide over at the Morrigan Academy
– Just Click Here 🔗
Blogs and YouTube Resources for Morrigan Devotees
In addition to books, there are some websites, blogs, and youtube channels dedicated to the Morrigan and Celtic mythology, or including specific Morrigan resources at least.
On the Blog at my original website, you’ll find many posts under the dedicated Morrigan category – https://loraobrien.ie/category/morrigan/
And on that website I also included selected Morrigan Resources gathered on one single page – https://loraobrien.ie/morrigan/
✨ The Irish Pagan School Blog [You Are Here!] – https://irishpagan.school/
✨ The Irish Pagan School YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@IrishPaganSchool
Morgan Daimler’s Patreon has some excellent Morrigan blog content, as well as work on original translations of the Morrigan lore resources.
The Irish Pagan School Patreon includes membership tiers which provide a discount code on our classes, and early access to our weekly videos, as well as the opportunity to ask direct questions which we try our best to answer through the videos and other content.
Plus, you’re supporting native creators, and contributing to ALL the free quality Morrigan resources we create each month!
PLEASE NOTE: The U.S. group Corú Cathubodua have, in their infinite wisdom, decided that native Irish voices and choices – as well as boundaries around cultural appropriation – are not worth as much as their own American opinions and entitlement when it comes to the Mórrígan, so we cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone gets involved with their organisation. Apologies to anyone we have led astray in previous years by recommending them, or the work of their founder Morpheus Ravenna.
Podcasts and Audio Resources for Learning About the Morrigan
If you prefer to learn about the Morrigan through audio resources, there are some podcasts and recordings of the original lore available.
The Irish Pagan School’s podcast is a great place to start, as we cover a variety of topics related to Irish mythology and spirituality, and lots of Morrigan specific content in a very accessible format.
✨ The Irish Pagan School Podcast – https://irishpaganschoolpodcast.buzzsprout.com/
It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, and anywhere you usually listen to podcasts!
The Irish Mythology Podcast, while also not specific to the Mórrígan, features quite a few mentions of the Goddess. In this podcast, Marcas and Stephie adapt and retell famous, and not so famous stories from Irish Mythology and Folklore. Each episode features a dramatic reading of one of these tales, along with a deep dive into the original versions that they are adapted from. Encounter mighty warriors, druids, witches, demons, monsters, gods, fairies, ghosts, saints, and scholars as we travel to magical locations in the Irish otherworld – below the ground, under the sea, in the sky and beyond the realm of comprehension.
As given above in text format, I’ve also done the Táin Bó Regamna: The Cattle Raid of Regamna – A Reading with Lora O’Brien (translation, Morgan Daimler).
Similarly, as a labour of love and dedication to making the Morrigans resources lore available in multiple formats… you can read on screen and listen to the Táin Bó Cúailgne – Cattle Raid of Cooley – A Reading with Lora O’Brien (translation, Joseph Dunn).
Not a Morrigan specific resource as such, but pieces of her lore do come up in the Dinnshenchas – Lore of Placenames of Ireland. So, I’m including the following Reading of The Metrical Dindshenchas, by Lora O’Brien (translation, Edward Gwynn).
This is a work in progress!
Online Communities and Groups for Morrigan Devotees
Connecting with other devotees of the Morrigan can be a valuable way to deepen your understanding and practice. There are several online communities and social media groups dedicated to the Morrigan and Celtic spirituality.
The Morrigan’s Cave Facebook group is the one run by the Irish Pagan School, directly organised by Lora O’Brien. This is a place to discuss The Mórrígan (and her sisters/other aspects), the Irish texts and lore relevant to them, Irish and global cultural or social issues that are relevant to them, and our personal experiences or practices which are relevant to them, in a modern Pagan context.
There is also a lively community aspect to the free 5 Day challenge comments section.
If you want to stay off facebook altogether, but still connect with a small and mighty group in a dedicated Mórrígan Membership Community Form, the Morrigan Academy offers a private group for just that!
These communities offer a space for discussion, sharing resources, and connecting with like-minded individuals. Unfortunately, we can’t recommend any of the other online groups dedicated to the Mórrígan at this time, for ethical reasons.
Workshops, Courses, and Events for Deepening Your Connection to the Morrigan
In addition to online resources, there are also workshops, courses, and events available for those looking to deepen their connection to the Morrigan. Unfortunately, the majority are being run by folk who don’t seem to have accessed the Morrigan resources you’ve just been provided with!
If you do attend an in-person event, please try and talk to trusted folk who have previously attended, and know what they’re about when it comes to safe energy work, consent, and accurate information about the Morrigan being presented by the ‘experts’, as there are all issues we have encountered at previously attended events in the U.S. Get some real reviews, and make your best choices.
The Morrigan Multi-Pass (Class Bundle), by Lora O’Brien
This is (almost) everything I teach about the Mórrígan, in one place! Most of the following classes are also available individually, but the bundle is the best value by far.
Included in this bundle enrollment are 8 separate courses I’ve taught at the Irish Pagan School:
- Getting Started with the Mórrígan
- Introduction to the Mórrígan (usually costs $49)
- Faces of the Mórrígan (usually costs $45)
- Shapes of the Mórrígan (usually costs $45)
- The Cave of the Mórrígan (usually costs $45)
- Places of the Mórrígan (usually costs $49)
- The Mórrígan Lore (usually costs $115)
- How to Build a Practice with the Mórrígan (usually costs $145, currently unavailable for enrollment)
The Total Cost, if you were to enroll in these 8 courses individually, would be $493.
Cost to enroll in the Bundle – €275 or $297… Your Saving = $196, or 40% Off!
For the Mórrígan Multi-Pass Details and Enrollment Just Click Here
These resources can provide valuable guidance and support for those on their journey to meet, and develop a relationship with, the Irish Goddess Morrigan.
The Morrigan Intensive
This is a 6 month programme designed for you to be able to develop a deep and fulfilling working relationship with the Goddess Mórrígan, guided by native practitioner and priest, Lora O’Brien.
The Morrigan Intensive ONLY opens once per year, so make sure you’re on the waiting list to receive many more free Morrigan resources emailed directly to you, and timely information about enrollment in this unique programme of study, as it becomes available.
>>> More Information and Waiting List Sign Up is Here.
If you’d like know more about the Morrigan (and developing a practice), I have a free 5 Day Challenge that will support you through some learning of her lore, along with daily prayers and reflections.
>>> Click Here to Join the Challenge
Thank you so much for the awesome resources! Just letting you know that this link isn’t working: http://adminstaff.vassar.edu/sttaylor/Cooley/
It is working fine 🙂 but thanks!