a) The Seer

Following on from their function of sorceress, the war-goddesses also possess the attribute of foretelling forthcoming battles, massacres or deathly events. In Cath Maige Tuired [‘The Second Battle of Moytirra’], the Mórrígain, after her tryst with the Dagda at the ford of the river Uinsinn, in Co. Sligo, predicted the imminent battle which would break out between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the sinister Fomhoire:

‘Itbert-si íarum frisin Dagdae deraghdis an Fomore a tír .i. a Maug (S)cé[t]ne, 7 ara garudh an Dagdae óes ndánu Érionn aro cend-si for Áth Unsen ; 7 noragad-si hi Scétne do admillid [ríg] na Fomore .i. Indench mac Déi Domnann a ainm, 7 dohérudh-si crú a cride 7 áirned a gailie úadh. Dobert-si didiu a dí bois den crú-sin deno slúagaib bátar ocon indnaidhe for Áth Unsen. Baí “Áth Admillte” íarum a ainm ónd admillid-sin an ríog. Degníth íerum lesin óes ndánou ind sen, 7 docachnotar brechtau for slúagaib na Fomore.

Then she told the Dagda that the Fomoire would land at Mag Céidne, and that he should summon the áes dána ¹⁴⁰⁰of Ireland to meet her at the Ford of the Unshin, and she would go into Scétne to destroy Indech mac Dé Domnann, the king of the Fomoire, and would take from him the blood of his heart and the kidneys of his valor. Later she gave two handfuls of that blood to the hosts that were waiting at the Ford of Unshin. Its name became ‘The Ford of Destruction’ because of that destruction of the king. So the áes dána did that, and they chanted spells against the Formorian hosts.¹⁴⁰¹ ’

At the end of the battle, the Mórrígain went to the various sídh (otherworld places) to report the victory of the Tuatha Dé Danann over the Fomhoire and foretold the forthcoming violence, plagues and deaths:

‘ĺar mbrisiud íerum an catha 7 íar nglanad ind áir, fochard an Morrígan ingen Ernmais do táscc an catha-sin 7 an coscair móair forcóemnochair ann do rídingnaib Érenn 7 dia sídhcairib, 7 dia arduscib 7 dia inberaiph. Conid do sin inneses Badb airdgníomha beus. […] Boí-si íarum oc taircetul deridh an betha ann beus, 7 oc tairngire cech uilc nobíad ann, 7 cech teadma 7 gac[h] díglau; conid ann rocachain an laid-se sís […]

Then after the battle was won and the slaughter had been cleaned away, the Mórrígain, the daughter of Ernmas, proceeded to announce the battle and the great victory which had occurred there to the royal heights of Ireland and to its síd-hosts, to its chief waters and to its rivermouths. And that is the reason Badb still relates great deeds. […] She also prophesied the end of the world, foretelling every evil that would occur then, and every disease and every vengeance; and she chanted the following poem […]¹⁴⁰² ’

Similarly, in Táin Bó Cuailnge [‘The Cattle Raid of Cooley’], the Mórrígain prophecied twice the terrible battle opposing the Ulstermen to the Connachta and the violence the war would engender. At the very beginning of the Táin, the Mórrígain, in the shape of a bird, perched on a pillar-stone and described the impending suffering to the bull:

‘Céin bátár didiu in tslóig oc tochim Maige Breg, forrumai Allechtu colléic, noch is í in Mórrígan són i ndeilb eúin co mboí forsin chorthi hi Temair Cúalngi 7 asbert frisin tarb: “In fitir in dub dusáim can eirc n-echdaig dál désnad fiacht fíach nad eól ceurtid namaib ar túaith Brega bíth i ndaínib tathum rún rofíastar dub día n-ísa maí muin tonna fér forglass for laich lilestai áed ág asa mag meldait slóig scoith nía boidb bógeimnech feochair fíach fir máirm rád n-ingir cluiph Cualngi coigde día bás mórmacni iar féic muintire do écaib.”

While the army was going over Mag mBreg Allecto came for a while, that is, the Mórrígain, in the form of a bird, which perched on the pillar-stone in Temair Cúailnge and said to the bull: “Does the restless Black Bull know (it) without destructive falsehood? […] I have a secret that the Black Bull will know if he grazes (?) … on the green grass … Fierce is the raven, men are dead, a sorrowful saying … every day the death of a great tribe …”¹⁴⁰³ ’

It is also related that the Mórrígain had a terrifying and sanguinary vision in the middle of the battle. She foretold the frenzy of the forthcoming fighting and the suffering and death of many warriors:

‘Is ann sin asbert in Mórrígan isin dorbles itir in dá dúnad: “Crenaid brain bráigde fer. Bruinded fuil. Feochair cath. Coinmid luind Mesctuich tuind taib im thuill im níthgalaib iar luimnich luud fianna fetal ferda fir Crúachan cotascrith imm ardbith cuirither cath ar cosa alailiu cén mair hUltaib, mairc Iarnaib, mairc d’Ultaib immorro, cén mair Iarnaib. Is ed dobreth hi clu[a]saib Iairn, mairc hUltaib ol niscainedar a ngle.”

Then the Mórrígain spoke in the dusk between the two encampments of the Ulstermen: “Ravens gnaw the necks of men. It swells blood. Battle is fought. Madness gathers (?). Hail to the men of Ulster! Woe to the Érainn! Woe to the men of Ulster ! Hail to the Érainn!” These were the words she whispered to the Érainn: “Woe to the men of Ulster for they have not won (?) the battle.”¹⁴⁰⁴ ’