What do you think?
Rate this book
The Book of The Great Queen
This book is the culmination of nearly 20 years of study and practice as a dedicant of the Morrígan. The intention for the book is to provide a comprehensive and in-depth look at the Morrígan as we know her through textual, historical, and archaeological sources, her role and cult of worship in ancient Celtic religion, and to provide guidance for the modern devotional practitioner drawing on these traditions.
350 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
41 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 8, 2015
This magisterial work took me two months to read, slowly and thoughtfully. The author has done an incredible and valuable job collecting every known reference to the Morrigan from Irish source texts, and thoughtfully analyzing the differences in presentation and action depending on when the text was written. For that alone, I would have been delighted; that's an invaluable research assist to people interested in Irish religion. Furthermore, she covers the different appearances of all of the figures variously named as sisters of, components of, or identities of the Morrigan, and charts what is known about each of them textually and geographically. The patient reader will find much of value in these methodical analyses, and those discussions really help to highlight how Celtic religions changed and migrated over time with the flow of peoples and their religious beliefs. Many modern pagans tend to think of historical pagan religions as a fixed quantity rather than living religions in flux, as if "the past" was one time and everyone who lived then thought the same thing. By showing how different goddesses were included or newly thought of as representing parts of the Morrigan, the author politely undercuts this mistaken paradigm.
The book isn't just a guideline to historical practice, though. In the second half, the author discusses how her modern practice is informed and inspired by what she knows of history, and crucially, how the centering of sovereignty in her ethical system informs her expression of religion. While my expression of Celtic religion looks very different in places from what the author practices, I really appreciated seeing how similar our values and sense of a Celtic worldview rooted us both in our different practices. (I'm more of a volunteer ranger and less of a ritual leader, though we share a belief in the importance of practicing the martial arts to understand and internalize some of the warrior band ethos.) I wasn't as interested in the cross-cultural syncretic parts of the book, though I'm sure others will be, but I was delighted at the intensive coverage of poetry and the comparative translations offered side by side with the original text. That not only lets the reader explore linguistically, it offers a sense of rhythm that I think is crucial to understanding the effect declaimed poetry might have on an opposing force. The poetry discussion was probably my favorite section, and connected with my practice of writing other historical Irish poetic forms.
All in all, this is a tremendously ambitious work that succeeds in its aspirations, and offers lots of details not formerly collected in one place, translated into English, or presented outside of scholarly articles. I have already recommended it to several friends, and I'm sure I'll be referring to it for years to come.
The book isn't just a guideline to historical practice, though. In the second half, the author discusses how her modern practice is informed and inspired by what she knows of history, and crucially, how the centering of sovereignty in her ethical system informs her expression of religion. While my expression of Celtic religion looks very different in places from what the author practices, I really appreciated seeing how similar our values and sense of a Celtic worldview rooted us both in our different practices. (I'm more of a volunteer ranger and less of a ritual leader, though we share a belief in the importance of practicing the martial arts to understand and internalize some of the warrior band ethos.) I wasn't as interested in the cross-cultural syncretic parts of the book, though I'm sure others will be, but I was delighted at the intensive coverage of poetry and the comparative translations offered side by side with the original text. That not only lets the reader explore linguistically, it offers a sense of rhythm that I think is crucial to understanding the effect declaimed poetry might have on an opposing force. The poetry discussion was probably my favorite section, and connected with my practice of writing other historical Irish poetic forms.
All in all, this is a tremendously ambitious work that succeeds in its aspirations, and offers lots of details not formerly collected in one place, translated into English, or presented outside of scholarly articles. I have already recommended it to several friends, and I'm sure I'll be referring to it for years to come.
June 18, 2021
The author obviously put a lot of work into this. You can tell they put a big effort into research and know a lot about Celtic mythology. The book is not an easy read, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I felt too much focus was on how the Celts viewed warriors and battle rather than much of the Morrigan's part in it, as well as far too much focus on Cu Chulain. Seems like most of the book talks about HIM and his heroics rather than in the Great Queen. He's important, don't get me wrong, but I had the impression this book was about the Morrigan, not Cu Chulain.
There is very little about ways in which we can, in our modern era, show proper honor and devotion to Herself. Very little is offered by way of types of offerings she seems to prefer or how she likes to receive them, very little about prayer, and basically nothing involving ritual. I had hoped there would be more information on how those things could be done by modern followers, but they're absent.
I still say any devotee of the Morrigan should read this book and have it in their library, but if you're hoping it will help you better your devotional practices, it may not be what you want.
I felt too much focus was on how the Celts viewed warriors and battle rather than much of the Morrigan's part in it, as well as far too much focus on Cu Chulain. Seems like most of the book talks about HIM and his heroics rather than in the Great Queen. He's important, don't get me wrong, but I had the impression this book was about the Morrigan, not Cu Chulain.
There is very little about ways in which we can, in our modern era, show proper honor and devotion to Herself. Very little is offered by way of types of offerings she seems to prefer or how she likes to receive them, very little about prayer, and basically nothing involving ritual. I had hoped there would be more information on how those things could be done by modern followers, but they're absent.
I still say any devotee of the Morrigan should read this book and have it in their library, but if you're hoping it will help you better your devotional practices, it may not be what you want.
January 14, 2025
Such a cool resource for anyone interested in developing a relationship with the ‘Great Queen’. Very complete and diligently researched, but the added value of the author’s own experience is incomparable.
October 1, 2019
The Book of the Great Queen is part folklore, part scholarship. The search to understand who the Morrighan truly is. This book is catered to Pagans, specifically those who work with the Morrighan. Even so, one can still enjoy this book if Irish folklore is an interest. Morpheus Ravenna's writing is engaging while providing a plethora of research. Usually when most Pagans write or dedicate a book for their patron Gods it is very subjective to their point of view. Personal gnosis is not official facts or historical truths. Part one is folklore about the Morrighan. Who is she? Where did she come from? Is she one Goddess or multiple? What are her powers? What is her realm/dominion? Who is her family? What place does the Morrighan have in Irish mythology and what purpose does she serve? The second part is about sovereignty, honour, priesthood to the Morrighan, warriorship, and funeral rites. Overall, the best book I have ever read on the Morrighan.
July 16, 2019
I'm not gonna lie; this book is big. Big in length, big in weight, big in ideas. It took me a long time to get through it. I had to stop between sections to digest.
But it's worth the uphill climb. The author straddles the line between history and practice, between lore and life, beautifully. I've come away with such a strong sense of who The Morrigan is/are, and with so much more insight into the aspects of Her personality and lore I find challenging as a modern American committed to non-violence. If you feel drawn to Herself in any way, or just want a deeper understanding of her often confusing and unsettling lore, this is the book to read.
But it's worth the uphill climb. The author straddles the line between history and practice, between lore and life, beautifully. I've come away with such a strong sense of who The Morrigan is/are, and with so much more insight into the aspects of Her personality and lore I find challenging as a modern American committed to non-violence. If you feel drawn to Herself in any way, or just want a deeper understanding of her often confusing and unsettling lore, this is the book to read.
July 20, 2022
I absolutely LOVE this book! It's the perfect blend of scholarship and ritual while still being a joy to read. This book opened my eyes and gave me entirely new perspectives on the Morrigan and on practice in my own life...and I've been at it 30+ years.
Thank you to the authors for the wonderful mind shift, and for leading me down new paths in my own practice. I feel lucky to have read you, both as someone with a degree in archaeology and as a woman who has wandered an alternative spiritual path.
Interested in the Morrigan? GET. THIS. BOOK.
And Blessed Be!
Thank you to the authors for the wonderful mind shift, and for leading me down new paths in my own practice. I feel lucky to have read you, both as someone with a degree in archaeology and as a woman who has wandered an alternative spiritual path.
Interested in the Morrigan? GET. THIS. BOOK.
And Blessed Be!
December 15, 2020
Wow it's taken me a long time to read this one, but I did it! The Morrigan is so close, yet so far for me in terms of my own resonance that it's like a tempting flavor of cake that I just wish was slightly different. I want someone to write this book about swan gods. Ah well. Still, it was an excellent book and resource. Well worth reading and keeping as a resource.
May 9, 2021
I'm so impressed with how this is written like an academic work, yet at the same time has personal insights. I'm further impressed that the research and personal insights are kept separate in each chapter. The works cited are organized like they would be in an academic work. This is an impressive scholarly study, and I feel that this is the only book I need on the Morrigan!
November 23, 2020
Very insightful, this work opened me to ideas that I had not considered before. I found the author's voice to be respectful and intelligent. This was an open sharing of ideas that is definitely worth the read.
February 7, 2022
I can't believe she crowdfunded in order to write this. It's mediocre. A well-intentioned friend gave it to me as a gift. For the money, I'd say it's not too hard to find better. I'd like to know if it's self-published.
March 21, 2023
Gloriously well-researched and full of value both scholarly and religious. I'd gladly recommend to anyone curious about the Goddess generally or looking to deepen their Celtic worship practices as a whole.
July 8, 2024
This book is absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to know about the lore of the Morrigan from a well-researched perspective. I can't even truly put into words how much The Book of the Great Queen means to me and how much it has helped as I've developed in my practice.
July 1, 2017
An excellent read if you are interested in The Morrigan in a religious context.
March 1, 2019
Detailed and thorough. Dense and scholarly. I would have appreciated more prescripted spells, prayers, or devotionals.
September 29, 2019
To me, a must-have book about the Morrigan, very well researched about The Goddess and archeological facts explaining her sisters and affiliations, my favorite book about the Her.
March 1, 2021
I completely loved this book. So many mysteries explained for my own personal experiences. I am so grateful for Morpheus Ravenna’s work.
September 15, 2022
This is a good book to have on hand for further study. It is so meaty! I refer back to it often
October 17, 2017
An exhaustive and comprehensive guide to the enigma that is The Morrígan. A must read if you are beginning or already have a devotional practice to this Celtic goddess. Not only does it include a full historical overview but also thoughts on modern polytheistic practice from the author, who is an experienced practitioner. Highly recommend.
November 2, 2016
A very well written and researched book. It gave me plenty of new insights into the Morrigan and new ideas in how I interact with her.
August 25, 2023
An excellent guide/reference for those interested in the Morrigan.
March 3, 2018
4.5 stars. A little dry at times but a fairly exhaustive resource and fascinating. :) Extremely well-researched.
April 21, 2020
Disregard, for my notes only - own hard copy
February 28, 2023
Review on my blog
https://whiteroseofavalon.life/2022/1...
https://whiteroseofavalon.life/2022/1...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews