The Morrigan (phantom queen) or Mórrígan (great queen) is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been a goddess, though not referred to as such explicitly in later text. She is the Celtic goddess of battle, death, fate, strife, and fertility. The Morrigan frequently appears in the ornithological guise of a hooded crow. She is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann ("Tribe of the goddess Danu") and she helped defeat the Firbolg at the First Battle of Mag Tuireadh and the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh.
She is associated with sovereignty, prophecy, war and death on the battlefield. She sometimes appears in the form of a crow, flying above the warriors, and in the Ulster cycle she also takes the form of an eel, a wolf, and a cow. She is generally considered a war deity comparable to Germanic Valkyries, although her role with cattle also suggests a role connected with fertility, wealth, and the land. The Morrigan is primarily associated with fate, especially with foretelling doom and death in battle. In this role she appears as a crow, flying above the battlefield. The Morrigan has thus been likened to the Valkyries of Norse mythology and Norns of Germanic mythology.
In the Ulster Cycle tale of Cu Chulainn, she appears under the guise of a young woman to give Cu Chulainn her love and aid. After being rejected, she reveals herself by transforming into a black bird and promises death for Cu Chulainn's slight against her. The Morrigan is later wounded by Cu Chulainn when she attacks him in different animal forms. She tricks Cu Chulainn into healing her injuries by appearing as an old hag to give him milk from a cow. In one version of Cu Chulainn's death-tale, as the hero rides to meet his enemies, he encounters the Morrígan as a hag washing his bloody armor in a ford, an omen of his death. Later in the story, mortally wounded, Cu Chulainn ties himself to a standing stone with his own entrails so he can die upright, and it is only when a crow lands on his shoulder that his enemies believe he is dead.
She is often depicted as a triple goddess, although the membership of the triad varies. The most common variation is Badb Catha, Macha, and Nemhain, but other accounts name Fea, Anann, and others.
Morrigan appears together with Cu Chulainn as the end boss of the gold level instance of Shibuya Quartz and is notable for being among the first dungeon mobs with the ability to inflict Limit Break damage on players. She also acts as an important NPC in the law route of the Foreign Country in the Woods series of quests. She can be obtained through a special fusion of Badb Catha and Macha.
