The Badb
One of the Morrigan (a trio of war goddesses). she has many guises, ranging from a foul hag to an alluring girl to a bird. It was her duty to preside over the battlefield as Badb Catha (battle raven).
The hero Cuchulainn once saw the Badb as a red woman, wearing a red cloak. she was in a carriot drawn by a one legged red horse. The horse was attatched to the charriot by a long pole which passed through it's body and out through it's forehead where it was fixed with a peg. When Cuchulainn asked her name, she answered in riddles. this angered him so he jumped to the charriot which disappeared immediately, leaving only the Badb inthe shape of a bird.
The Badb has an affinity with water and a lust for men and gods alike. She alters the outcome of battles using magic. With her sisters she forms one of the many triple goddesses in Celtic belief. Symbolising three aspects in one, the waxing, full and waning moon.
Adapted from 'A guide to the Gods' by Richard Carlyon
