For today’s post, I have decided to share a brief review of The Book of the Great Queen: The Many Faces of the Morrigan, from Ancient Legends to Modern Devotions by Morpheus Ravenna. This book is a complex text that examines the whole of the literature about the Morrigan deeply.
This book is at once a scholarly source that examines the historical sources in many layers to help the reader better understand how the Morrigan was viewed in a historical setting as well as a book that explains how to honor Her in the modern day, should that be the reader’s goal. I truly appreciated that Ravenna did not shy away from the darker aspects of the story and ancient worship practices associated with this War Goddess. She discussed Sacrifice and Sorcery in their own chapters acknowledging what sacrifice and baneful magics meant and how they were used in a historical context. Each of the chapters on aspects of worship also has a second section about modern devotions, which describes how each type of practice can be adapted to the modern day. Her explanation of how to integrate worship of a Warrior Goddess into the modern day and what it means to desire peace while honoring a War-associated deity was very interesting! Whether a reader’s interest lies in the purely academic vein of wanting to learn about an ancient Irish Goddess and Celtic lore or the reader’s interest is one of desiring to worship this Goddess in the modern day there is something here for anyone interested in the Morrigan! I will note that as the book is dense and contains so much material it will take a long time to truly absorb the information, but it can be invaluable for those that want to know more about Celtic and Irish lore!
I hope you have enjoyed reading some of my thoughts on this book. Have you read it? Are you interested in learning more about Morrigan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the book cover. I found the image on https://www.amazon.com/Book-Great-Queen-Morrigan-Devotions/dp/0990392716.
Further Reading
- The Book of the Great Queen: The Many Faces of the Morrigan, from Ancient Legends to Modern Devotions by Morpheus Ravenna
White Rose of Avalon 