Badb

Last updated

Badb would commonly take the form of the hooded crow. Corvus cornix in Locarno.jpg
Badb would commonly take the form of the hooded crow.

In Irish mythology, the Badb (pronounced Bive)(Old Irish, pronounced [ˈbaðβ] ), or in Modern Irish Badhbh (Irish pronunciation: [ˈbˠəu] , Munster Irish: [ˈbˠəiw] )—also meaning "crow"—is a war goddess who takes the form of a crow, and is thus sometimes known as Badb Catha ("battle crow"). [1] She is known to cause fear and confusion among soldiers to move the tide of battle to her favoured side. Badb may also appear prior to a battle to foreshadow the extent of the carnage to come, or to predict the death of a notable person. She would sometimes do this through wailing cries, leading to comparisons with the bean-sídhe (banshee).

Contents

With her sisters, Macha and the Morrigan or Anand, Badb is part of a trio of war goddesses known as the three Morrígna . [2] [3] [4]

Representations in legends

In Irish legends, Badb is associated with war and death, appearing either to foreshadow imminent bloodshed or to participate in battles, where she creates confusion among the soldiers. As a harbinger of doom, she appears in a number of different guises. In Togail Bruidne Dá Derga , she takes the form of an ugly hag who prophesies Conaire Mór's downfall. [5] She appears in a similar guise in Togail Bruidne Dá Choca to foretell the slaying of Cormac Condloinges, as well as taking the form of a "washer at the ford"—a woman washing Cormac's chariot and harness in a ford in what was considered an omen of death. [5] [6] The cries of Badb may also be an ill omen: Cormac's impending death is foreshadowed with the words "The red-mouthed badbs will cry around the house, / For bodies they will be solicitous" and "Pale badbs shall shriek". [7] In this role she has much in common with the bean-sídhe. [8]

She was also regularly depicted as an active participant in warfare; indeed, the battlefield was sometimes referred to as "the garden of the Badb". [9] During the First Battle of Mag Tuired, Badb—along with her sisters, Macha and Morrígan—fights on the side of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Using their magic, the three sisters incite fear and confusion among the Fir Bolg army, conjuring "compact clouds of mist and a furious rain of fire" and allowing their enemies "neither rest nor stay for three days and nights". [10] Badb plays a similar role in the Táin Bó Cúailnge, terrorising and disorienting the forces of Queen Medb and causing many to fall on their own weapons. [7] She would often take the form of a screaming raven or crow, striking fear into those who heard her, [11] and could also be heard as a voice among the corpses on a battlefield. [5]

Following the defeat of the Formorians by the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, Badb (or the Morrígan daughter of Ernmas) [4] instead of predicting doom, now sings a prophecy celebrating the victory and a time of peace,

Middle Irish [819-820] [3] Modern English [12]
Sith co nem.
Nem co doman.
Doman fo ním,
nert hi cach,
án forlann,
lan do mil,
mid co saith.
Sam hi ngam...		Peace up to heaven.
Heaven down to earth.
Earth beneath heaven,
Strength in each,
A cup very full,
Full of honey;
Mead in abundance.
Summer in winter...

Then she delivers a prophecy of the eventual end of the world, "foretelling every evil that would be therein, and every disease and every vengeance. Wherefore then she sang this lay below.": [4]

Middle Irish [831-832,833,837-840] [13] Modern English [14]
Ni accus bith nombeo baid:
sam cin blatha,
beti bai cin blichda,

mna can feli
fir gan gail.
Gabala can righ...

feda cin mes.
Muir can toradh.

sen saobretha.
Brecfásach mbrithiom-
braithiomh

cech fer.
Foglaid cech mac.
Ragaid mac i lligie a athar.
Ragaid

athair a lligi a meic.
Cliamain cach a brathar.
Ni sia nech mnai assa

tigh...
olc aimser
immera mac a athair,
imera ingen...

I shall not see a world which will be dear to me:
Summer without blossoms,
Cattle will be without milk,

Women without modesty,
Men without valour.
Conquests without a king...

Woods without mast. [15]
Sea without produce...

False judgements of old men.
False precedents of lawyers,
Every man

a betrayer.
Every son a reaver.
The son will go to the bed of his father,
The father

will go to the bed of his son.
Each his brother's brother-in-law.
He will not seek any woman outside his

house...
An evil time,
Son will deceive his father,
Daughter will deceive...

Kinship

Badb is often identified as one of the Morrígna, a trio of Irish war goddesses, although there exist a number of conflicting accounts on this subject. In Lebor Gabála Érenn , Badb, Macha and Morrígan make up the Morrígna trinity and are named as daughters of the farming goddess Ernmas. [2] According to this version, she is also the sister of Ériu, Banba and Fódla, the three matron goddesses of Ireland, who give their names to the land. [2] Other accounts identify the trio as daughters of the druid Cailitin and his wife.

Lebor Gabála Érenn also states that Badb is one of the two wives of the war god Neit. [2] Less commonly, she has been described as the wife of the Fomorian king Tethra. [8]

Similar deities

In her role as a terrifying battlefield goddess and harbinger of doom, Badb closely resembles Nemain. Like Badb, Nemain is identified as a wife of Neit. Writers have sometimes used their names interchangeably, suggesting that they may in fact be a single goddess. [8] On the other hand, W. M. Hennessy notes that Badb and Nemain were said to have different sets of parents, suggesting that they may not be entirely identical figures. [7]

Badb also appears to be closely related to the Gaulish goddess Catubodua, or Bodua. [8]

Etymology

Pointing to variants such as Irish badhbh 'hoodie crow, a fairy, a scold,' Early Irish badb, 'crow, demon,' Badba, Welsh bod, 'kite,' the Gaulish name Bodv-, in Bodvo-gnatus and the Welsh name Bodnod, Macbain (1982) suggests *bodwā- as the Proto-Celtic ancestral form. However, Julius Pokorny (1959:203) suggests *badwā- on the basis of similar data. Both MacBain (1982) and Julius Pokorny (1959:203) correlate the element with Norse böð, genitive boðvar, 'war,' and Anglo-Saxon beadu, genitive beadwe, 'battle,' suggesting that the word originally denoted 'battle' or 'strife.' Julius Pokorny (1959:203) presents the element as an extended form of the Proto-Indo-European root *bhedh- 'pierce, dig.' To this root Pokorny also links the Sanskrit bádhate, 'oppress,' and the Lithuanian bádas, 'famine'.

W. M. Hennessy argues that the word bodb or badb originally meant rage, fury, or violence, and came to mean a witch, fairy, or goddess, represented in folklore by the scald-crow, or royston-crow. [7] Peter O'Connell's 1819 Irish Dictionary defines the Badb as a " bean-sidhe , a female fairy, phantom, or spectre, supposed to be attached to certain families, and to appear sometimes in the form of squall-crows, or royston-crows" and badb-catha as "Fionog, a royston-crow, a squall crow". Other entries relate to her triple nature: "Macha, i. e. a royston-crow; Morrighain, i. e. the great fairy; Neamhan, i. e. Badb catha nó feannóg; a badb catha, or royston-crow." [16]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ http://www.dil.ie/5114 badb, Author: Royal Irish Academy
  2. 1 2 3 4 Macalister, R.A.S. (trans.) (1941). Lebor Gabála Érenn: Book of the Taking of Ireland Part 1-5. Dublin: Irish Texts Society.
  3. 1 2 Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired, Text 166, Author: Unknown
  4. 1 2 3 Elizabeth A. Gray (ed. & trans.), Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired , section 167, 1982
  5. 1 2 3 Koch, John T. (December 2005). Celtic Culture: a historical encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 220. ISBN   978-1-85109-440-0.
  6. ↑ Davidson, Hilda Ellis (1988). Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. p. 99. ISBN   978-0-8156-2441-7.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Hennessy, W. M., "The Ancient Irish Goddess of War", Revue Celtique 1, 1870–72, pp. 32–37
  8. 1 2 3 4 Mackillop, James (2004). A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 30. ISBN   978-0-19-860967-4.
  9. ↑ Sjoestedt, Mary-Louise (2000). Celtic Gods and Heroes. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. p. 32. ISBN   978-0-486-41441-6. (reissue of Gods and Heroes of the Celts. London: Methuen, 1949)
  10. ↑ Fraser, J. (ed. & trans.), "The First Battle of Moytura" Archived 4 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Ériu 8, pp. 1–63, 1915
  11. ↑ Leeming, David (November 2007). The Oxford Companion to World Mythology . New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-515669-0.
  12. ↑ "Part 168 of Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired". celt.ucc.ie. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Part 168 of Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired". celt.ucc.ie. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Part 169 of Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired". celt.ucc.ie. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  15. ↑ (n2) "fallen nuts or acorns serving as food for animals" on etymonline.com
  16. ↑ Walter Yeeling Evans-Wentz, The Fairy-faith in Celtic Countries, 1911, pp. 304–305

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish mythology</span> Pre-Christian mythology of Ireland

Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by Christian scribes, who modified and Christianized them to some extent. This body of myths is the largest and best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology. The tales and themes continued to be developed over time, and the oral tradition continued in Irish folklore alongside the written tradition, but the main themes and characters remained largely consistent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lugh</span> Irish god of skills and the arts

Lugh or Lug is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior. He is associated with skill and mastery in multiple disciplines, including the arts. Lugh also has associations with oaths, truth and the law, and therefore with rightful kingship. Lugh is linked with the harvest festival of Lughnasadh, which bears his name. His most common epithets are Lámfada and Samildánach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Morrígan</span> Irish Celtic deity

The Morrígan or Mórrígan, also known as Morrígu, is a figure from Irish mythology. The name is Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, and it has been translated as "great queen" or "phantom queen".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuatha Dé Danann</span> Pantheon of pre-Christian Ireland

The TuathaDé Danann, also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé, are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland.

Conn Cétchathach, or Conn of the Hundred Battles, son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland who is the ancestor of the Connachta, and through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Ireland in the early Middle Ages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuada Airgetlám</span> First king of the Tuatha Dé Danann in Irish mythology

In Irish mythology, Nuada or Nuadu, known by the epithet Airgetlám, was the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is also called Nechtan, Nuadu Necht and Elcmar, and is the husband of Boann. He is mostly known from the tale in which he loses his arm or hand in battle, and thus his kingship, but regains it after being magically healed by Dian Cécht. Nuada is thought to have been a god and is related to the British and Gaulish god Nodens, who is associated with hunting and fishing. His Welsh equivalent is Nudd or Lludd Llaw Eraint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macha</span> Irish deity

Macha was a sovereignty goddess of ancient Ireland associated with the province of Ulster, particularly the sites of Navan Fort and Armagh, which are named after her. Several figures called Macha appear in Irish mythology and folklore, all believed to derive from the same goddess. She is said to be one of three sisters known as 'the three Morrígna'. Like other sovereignty goddesses, Macha is associated with the land, fertility, kingship, war and horses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brigid</span> Gaelic goddess

Brigid or Brigit, also Bríg, is a goddess of pre-Christian Ireland. She appears in Irish mythology as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the daughter of the Dagda and wife of Bres, with whom she had a son named Ruadán.

In Irish mythology, Bodb Derg or Bodhbh Dearg was a son of Eochaid Garb or the Dagda, and the Dagda's successor as King of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fir Bolg</span> Mythical settlers of Ireland

In medieval Irish myth, the Fir Bolg are the fourth group of people to settle in Ireland. They are descended from the Muintir Nemid, an earlier group who abandoned Ireland and went to different parts of Europe. Those who went to Greece became the Fir Bolg and eventually return to Ireland, after it had been uninhabited for many years. After ruling it for some time and dividing the island into provinces, they are overthrown by the invading Tuatha Dé Danann.

In Irish mythology, Dian Cécht was the god of healing, the healer for the Tuatha Dé Danann, and son of the Dagda according to the Dindsenchas.

Ogma is a god from Irish and Scottish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he is often considered a deity and may be related to the Gallic god Ogmios. According to the Ogam Tract, he is the inventor of Ogham, the script in which Irish Gaelic was first written.

In Irish mythology, Neman or Nemain is the spirit-woman or goddess who personifies the frenzied havoc of war. In the ancient texts where The Morrígan appears as a trio of goddesses — the three sisters who make up the Morrígna — include Macha and Badb; Nemain is strongly associated with Badb with whom she shares a husband, Neit. Nemain may be an aspect of Badb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethniu</span> Female figure in Irish mythology

In Irish mythology, Ethniu, or Eithne in modern spelling, is the daughter of the Fomorian leader Balor, and the mother of Lugh. She is also referred to as Ethliu, Eithlionn, and Ethlinn.

In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann are four magical items which the mythological Tuatha Dé Danann are supposed to have brought with them from the four island cities Murias, Falias, Gorias and Findias when they arrived in Ireland.

<i>Cath Maige Tuired</i> Either of two texts in the Mythological Cycle of Irish mythology

Cath Maige Tuired is the name of two saga texts of the Mythological Cycle of Irish mythology. It refers to two separate battles in Connacht: the first in the territory of Conmhaícne Cúile Tuireadh near Cong, County Mayo, the second near Lough Arrow in County Sligo. The two texts tell of battles fought by the Tuatha Dé Danann, the first against the Fir Bolg, and the second against the Fomorians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mythological Cycle</span> Conventional division in Irish mythology

The Mythological Cycle is a conventional grouping within Irish mythology. It consists of tales and poems about the god-like Tuatha Dé Danann, who are based on Ireland's pagan deities, and other mythical races such as the Fomorians and Fir Bolg. It is one of the four main story 'cycles' of early Irish myth and legend, along with the Ulster Cycle, the Fianna Cycle and the Cycles of the Kings. The name "Mythological Cycle" seems to have gained currency with Arbois de Jubainville c. 1881–1883. James MacKillop says the term is now "somewhat awkward", and John T. Koch notes it is "potentially misleading, in that the narratives in question represent only a small part of extant Irish mythology". He prefers T Ó Cathasaigh's name, Cycle of the Gods. Important works in the cycle are the Lebor Gabála Érenn, the Cath Maige Tuired, the Aided Chlainne Lir and Tochmarc Étaíne.

In Irish mythology Neit was a god of war. He was the husband of Nemain and/or Fea, and sometimes of Badb. Also grandfather of Balor, he was killed at the legendary Second Battle of Moytura.

Ernmas is an Irish mother goddess, mentioned in Lebor Gabála Érenn and "Cath Maige Tuired" as one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her daughters include the trinity of eponymous Irish goddesses Ériu, Banba and Fódla, the trinity of war goddesses the Badb, Macha and Mórrígan, and also a trinity of sons, Glonn, Gnim, and Coscar. Her other sons are Fiacha and Ollom. Ernmas was killed during the first battle of Mag Tuired and is called a "she-farmer" in the Lebor Gabála Érenn.

Achtan, fl. c. 1st-2nd centuries AD, mother of Cormac mac Airt.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.