Cu Chulainn and the Morrigan

On this Bealtaine day, I will publish a bit of my Celtic poetry.  This one describes the dichotomy of hero CuChulainn versus the goddess known as the Morrigan.

Morrigan is the dark goddess of prophecy, who foretells death, and as such, she holds her position of power in a permanent fairy twilight of immortality and foreknowledge.  Immortality and foreknowledge does nothing to truly advance the virtues of courage, curiosity, and integrity that put all of us mortals truly at risk.  Yet without those risks, there is not life...only twilight and faery shallowness.

In the Táin Bó Cúailnge, Cu Chulainn in his last dying breath scorns Morrigan's self-righteous desire to always be right.  The point is not death, the point is not heroism; the point is life.  Every painful moment of it matters, as does every joy; every moment of cowardice, every moment of courage, every failure, every victory.

Cu Chulainn by John Darren Sutton

Cu Chulainn and the Morrigan

By A.R. Carter

Cu Chulainn and the Morrigan

begs the question, "Who has won?"

For she had been right all along,

the hero's life would end its song,

yet being right is dull, blase,

than risking all for star to blaze.

On bloody shoulder, raven judge,

mocked his errors to begrudge,

but mortal life ends with his laugh

at righteous dullard's living death.

The lie of prophecy stands clear

before the joke of hero's jeer,

and hooded coward, raging bitch,

claims power as the wise old witch,

her cants and spells a hollow stage

to rants of machinating mage,

yet though Cu Chulainn's bones may rot

his courage did what she hath not.

Begrudger's eyes, they judge and scheme;

but scorn gives mine

Cu Chulainn's gleam.