Badb- Celtic GodDeity"Battle Crow"

The Battle Crow

Badb appeared as a hooded crow over battlefields, shrieking and calling until warriors broke and ran. Her voice could cause panic. In Irish, "Badb's cry" meant a death scream or a wail of despair. Those who saw her perch on their shield or chariot knew their doom was near.

She belonged to the Morrígna, the triad of war goddesses alongside the Morrígan and Macha. At the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, the three chanted spells of weakening against the Fomorians. After the victory, Badb pronounced a prophecy of the world's final decay: a time when children would betray parents, when cows would give no milk, when there would be no virtue left in the world.

The Washer at the Ford

Before a warrior's death, Badb could be glimpsed at a river crossing as an old woman washing bloodstained armor. To see her was to know that the armor was your own.

In the Aided Con Culainn, before Cú Chulainn's final battle, he encountered her at a ford, washing his own gear. During his last stand, he bound himself to a standing stone so he would die on his feet. Crows circled above him. His enemies kept their distance. Only when one crow landed on his shoulder did they dare approach, knowing the goddess had claimed him.