"Battle Raven" by Bryan C. D. Doyle

Battle Raven

                        For all of you who are not history maniacs like I am I will enlighten you as to a little bit of history on the Battle Raven. She is said to be of the Tuatha De Danann in Celtic history, who were the ruling race of people in Ireland who were said to be godlike. The Milesians who conquered Ireland or rather took it in a single battle between the Tuatha De Danann and themselves. They believed the De Danann to be magical and took some of their Kings a Queens on as deities, although they believed they were only faces of the one source or Otherworld. Anyways Morrigan could take the form of any different animal or human. In some myths they said if you were going to die on this day when you went wash there would be a redheaded woman washing your bloody clothes. Her favorite form was the Raven, a symbol of death in Celtic lore. She was said to start wars just so she could feed on the corpses. I hoped you enjoyed my ramblings. OOH! And I hope you enjoy my first attempt at poetry.        

The River is golden with life,

It drains but is never dry.

The birds, the foxes and even the hares gather to feed on earthly delights.

But the birds all flee when the battle Raven calls,

Valor! Valor!

Morrigan is her name; She takes the shape of many,

But none so menacing as the woman washing your bloody clothes in the river.

She is loved by many, and hated by all.

She is the Battle raven Morrigan…

The river turns crimson with the life of warriors,

And the raven is there to drink it.

She is the Battle Raven.