Badb, Badb Catha, Badhbh, Baobh, Bave, Bánánach, Bocánach, Washer at the
ford
Ireland [in Ireland the hooded or hoodie crow, the scald crow or in
England the Royston]
Where to start for this lively wench is hard to tell, for starters, if
you ever see her, you had best give her the respect she is due if you
have any questions about that, ask Cu Chulainn where according to which
ever legend you want to hear, failed to give her respect, and died
because of it. There are two versions of that particular death, one is
that he appeared to him for a battle and let him see her in her natural
state, yet another one is that he saw his battle armor and clothing
being washed by the Washerwoman of the Ford. In either event, he knew
he was not returning from the battlefield alive.
Her association with the crow or raven, is due to the habits those birds
had around battlefields. They were known to drop by for a snack, and
consequently, one of the names for the battlefield is called the Land of
Badb. She delights in slaughter in conflict and frequents the
battlefield both before and after the conflict. In early island, she
was one bad broad, she was capable of inciting warriors beyond the
berserk point as well as inciting armies against each other. Definitely
not the lady you'd want for your daughter-in-law even though, she was
married, but who could turn her down. Just ask Néit or I'ethra if they
get her any backtalk.
Sources:
Charles Donahue, `The Valkyries and the Irish War Goddesses', PMLA 56
(1941), 381-409;
Francoise Le Roux and Christian J. Guyonvarc'h, La Souveraineté
guerriére de lrlande: Mórrígan, Bodb, Macha (Rennes, 1983);
Rosalind Elizabeth Clark, Great Queens: Irish Goddesses from the
Morrígan to Cathleen Ní Houlihan (Gerrards Cross, 1990). Folk motifs:
A132.6.2; A485.1.
This article cannot do justice to the lady for it is a usenet posting
and one should not get too carried away there, but sometimes I do.
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