batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l3251-l3311
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l3251-l3311
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER I. BODB DEARG / CHAPTER II. THE DAGDA / CHAPTER III. ANGUS OG / CHAPTER
IV. THE MORRIGU; lines 3251-3311
start: '3251'
end: '3311'
translation: Gods and Fighting Men
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage describes the Morrigu, her marvellous cooking-spit, outlaws
receiving a changeable nine-rib spit, the killing of her son Mechi whose three
hearts contain serpent-shapes, and several episodes in which the Morrigu stirs
battles, aids or challenges warriors, takes cattle, transforms Odras into water,
and appears in bird or crow form over battles. It also mentions Badb and Brigit
appearing in battle contexts.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The Morrigu is identified as the Great Queen and the Crow of Battle, and is
said to have lived in Teamhair before the coming of the Gael.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The Morrigu has a cooking-spit that holds raw meat, cooked meat, and butter
at the same time without the raw remaining raw, the cooked burning, or the butter
melting.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Nine outlaws receive a spit with nine ribs; each outlaw carries one rib until
they reunite at day’s end.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The outlaws’ spit can change height, rising to a man’s height or lowering
to a fist above the fire without breaking or lessening.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Mechi, the Morrigu’s son, is killed by Mac Cecht on Magh Mechi.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Mechi has three hearts, and the hearts have the shapes of three serpents through
them.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The passage says that if Mechi had not died, the serpents in him would have
grown and wasted what remained alive in Ireland.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: Mac Cecht burns Mechi’s three hearts, throws the ashes into a stream, and
the stream stops, boils up, and every creature in it dies.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The Morrigu often meddles in Ireland in Cuchulain’s time, stirring up wars
and quarrels.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The Morrigu rouses Cuchulain when he is a lad and near yielding to enchantment;
after her words, he rises and strikes off the head of a shadow with his hurling
stick.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: The Morrigu is associated with taking or helping to take cattle, including
a cow from the Hill of Cruachan, a bull desired by Talchinem’s wife, and a cow
from Odras.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: The Morrigu brings Odras’s cow to the Cave of Cruachan and the Hill of the
Sidhe; Odras follows, sleeps in an oak-wood, and is awakened and transformed by
the Morrigu into a pool of water.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: At Magh Rath, the Morrigu flutters over Congal Claen in bird shape until he
cannot distinguish friend from foe.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:14
text: At Cluantarbh, the Morrigu flies over Murchadh son of Brian; the passage says
she has many shapes and sometimes fights in crow shape.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:15
text: Badb is said to have shown herself in the battle of Dunbolg, and Brigit is
seen in the same battle on the side of the men of Leinster.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: The Morrigu
description: A female supernatural figure identified as the Great Queen and the
Crow of Battle; she owns marvellous spits, has a son named Mechi, stirs wars,
intervenes around Cuchulain, takes cattle, performs spells, and appears in bird
or crow form.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Nine outlaws
description: Nine men who ask the Morrigu for a spit and carry its nine ribs separately
until they meet at the end of the day.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Mechi
description: The son of the Morrigu, killed by Mac Cecht; he has three hearts with
serpent-shapes through them.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Mac Cecht
description: The killer of Mechi; he burns Mechi’s three hearts and casts the ashes
into a stream.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Cuchulain
description: A warrior figure whom the Morrigu rouses as a lad when he is under
enchantment, and with whom she later has a dispute.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Odras
description: A woman connected with the household of a cow-chief; she follows a
cow taken by the Morrigu and is transformed into a pool of water.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Congal Claen
description: A battle figure over whom the Morrigu flutters in bird shape until
he cannot tell friend from foe.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Murchadh son of Brian
description: A battle figure over whose head the Morrigu flies at Cluantarbh.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Badb
description: A female battle-associated figure said to show herself in the battle
of Dunbolg if the figure was not the Morrigu.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Brigit
description: A figure seen in the battle of Dunbolg on the side of the men of Leinster.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Great Queen and Crow of Battle
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage names the Morrigu as the Great Queen and the Crow of Battle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: owner of marvellous cooking-spit
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage describes her cooking-spit holding three different foods under
impossible cooking conditions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: war-stirrer and battle presence
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: She is said to stir wars and quarrels and to fly over battle figures in bird
or crow form.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- id: role:4
label: spell-worker and transformer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: She sings spells over Odras and makes her into a pool of water.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: recipients of a magical spit
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The outlaws ask for and carry away a nine-rib spit that changes height.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:6
label: serpent-hearted threatened being
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Mechi has three hearts with serpent-shapes and is described as dangerous
if he had lived.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:7
label: slayer and burner of dangerous hearts
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Mac Cecht kills Mechi, burns the three hearts, and throws their ashes into
a stream.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:8
label: roused young hero
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Cuchulain is roused by the Morrigu and then strikes off a shadow’s head.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:9
label: transformed pursuer
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Odras follows the Morrigu and is transformed into a pool of water.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:10
label: confused battle target
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Congal Claen cannot distinguish friend from foe while the Morrigu flutters
over him in bird shape.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:11
label: battle figure under Morrigu’s flight
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The Morrigu flies over Murchadh’s head at Cluantarbh.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:12
label: battle apparition
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Badb shows herself in the battle of Dunbolg.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:13
label: battle-side figure
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Brigit is seen in the same battle on the side of the men of Leinster.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: marvellous cooking-spit
literal_form: A spit holding raw meat, cooked meat, and butter at once, each retaining
or changing state in an impossible way.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: nine-rib spit
literal_form: A spit with nine ribs carried separately by nine outlaws and capable
of changing height.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: three serpent-shaped hearts
literal_form: Mechi’s three hearts, each with serpent-shapes through them.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: fire used to burn the hearts
literal_form: The burning of Mechi’s three hearts on Magh Luathad.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: poisoned or deadly stream
literal_form: A stream into which the heart-ashes are thrown; it stops, boils up,
and all creatures in it die.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:6
label: cattle taken by the Morrigu
literal_form: A cow from the Hill of Cruachan, a bull desired by Talchinem’s wife,
and Odras’s cow.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: Cave of Cruachan
literal_form: The cave to which the Morrigu brings Odras’s cow, associated in the
passage with the Hill of the Sidhe.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:8
label: pool of water
literal_form: Odras transformed into a pool of water flowing toward a river west
of Slieve Buane.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:9
label: bird or crow battle-shape
literal_form: The Morrigu’s bird form over Congal Claen and crow form in battle.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: The Morrigu’s impossible cooking-spit at Teamhair
summary: The Morrigu is introduced with a cooking-spit that holds raw meat, cooked
meat, and butter under impossible conditions.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Nine outlaws and the changing spit
summary: Nine outlaws obtain a nine-rib spit from the Morrigu; each carries a rib,
and the spit can alter its height without damage.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Mechi’s death and the deadly ashes
summary: Mac Cecht kills Mechi, whose three hearts contain serpent-shapes, burns
the hearts, and casts the ashes into a stream that boils and kills its creatures.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: The Morrigu rouses Cuchulain
summary: The Morrigu rebukes Cuchulain while he is near yielding to enchantment,
after which he rises and beheads a shadow with his hurling stick.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Cattle-taking and Odras transformed
summary: The Morrigu is linked with taking cattle; after taking Odras’s cow to Cruachan,
she uses spells to transform Odras into a pool of water.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Bird and crow forms over battles
summary: The Morrigu appears in bird form over Congal Claen, causing confusion,
and flies over Murchadh; the passage says she sometimes fights as a crow.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:7
label: Badb and Brigit at Dunbolg
summary: Badb shows herself in the battle of Dunbolg, and Brigit is seen there on
the side of the men of Leinster.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: shapeshifting battle figure
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: The Morrigu is said to have many shapes and appears in bird or crow shape
in battle contexts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage states shape-changing but does not narrate the process of
transformation.
- id: motif:2
label: serpent danger within a body
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
basis: Mechi’s three hearts contain serpent-shapes that would have grown and wasted
what remained alive in Ireland if he had lived.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The serpents are described as shapes through the hearts; the exact ontology
of the serpents is not further explained.
- id: motif:3
label: danger neutralized by destructive burning
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
- world_destroying_fire
basis: Mac Cecht burns Mechi’s dangerous three hearts and casts the ashes into a
stream, producing lethal effects in the water.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: low
cautions: The burning is an act of destruction and containment, but the passage
does not frame it as a ritual sacrifice or world-destroying fire.
- id: motif:4
label: cattle taking by a supernatural woman
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_theft
basis: The Morrigu repeatedly takes or helps take cattle, including a cow from Cruachan,
a bull, and Odras’s cow.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents cattle-taking but does not explicitly call the cattle
sacred.
- id: motif:5
label: human transformed into water
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: The Morrigu sings spells over Odras and makes her into a pool of water that
flows toward a river.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: This is transformation by spell rather than voluntary shapeshifting by
Odras.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 3251-3260
quote_or_summary: The Morrigu is called the Great Queen and Crow of Battle, formerly
living at Teamhair, and has a cooking-spit holding raw meat, cooked meat, and
butter without normal effects of cooking or melting.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 3262-3269
quote_or_summary: Nine outlaws ask for and take a spit with nine ribs; each carries
a rib until they meet, and the spit can be raised or lowered without breaking
or lessening.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 3271-3277
quote_or_summary: Mechi, son of the Morrigu, is killed by Mac Cecht; he has three
hearts with the shapes of three serpents through them, and the serpents would
have grown and wasted what remained alive in Ireland.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 3277-3281
quote_or_summary: Mac Cecht burns the three hearts on the Plain of Ashes and throws
the ashes into a stream; the water stops, boils up, and every creature in it dies.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 3283-3291
quote_or_summary: The Morrigu often meddles in Ireland in Cuchulain’s time, stirring
wars; she rouses young Cuchulain from enchantment, and he rises and beheads a
shadow with his hurling stick.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 3291-3298
quote_or_summary: Conchubar seeks the Morrigu’s help for Cuchulain; she disputes
with Cuchulain while taking a cow from Cruachan and helps Talchinem bring away
a bull desired by his wife; she is said to meddle with cattle.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 3298-3304
quote_or_summary: The Morrigu takes Odras’s cow to the Cave of Cruachan and Hill
of the Sidhe; Odras follows, falls asleep, and the Morrigu awakens her, sings
spells, and makes her into a pool of water flowing toward a river.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 3306-3310
quote_or_summary: At Magh Rath the Morrigu flutters over Congal Claen as a bird
until he cannot tell friend from foe; at Cluantarbh she flies over Murchadh, and
the passage says she has many shapes and sometimes fights as a crow.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 3310-3311
quote_or_summary: Badb shows herself in the battle of Dunbolg, and Brigit is seen
there on the side of the men of Leinster.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Motif taxonomy links are
limited to available references and are cautious where the passage does not explicitly
frame the episode with that motif label. No comparison claims are made because
the passage itself does not provide comparative evidence.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Public-domain English retelling; line ranges for evidence are approximate subdivisions within the supplied stable locator.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg__l3251-l3311
passage_sha256=ae81d9beb9cd8d48b32c922b1c6934f91ef00b847a7b6c095b3d3a0d5332f952