In Irish mythology, the Badb (Old Irish, pronounced [baðβ]) is also called Badhbh in modern Irish (pronounced [bˠəu] or [bˠəiw] in Munster Irish). The name "Badb" means "crow," and she is a war goddess who often appears as a crow. She is sometimes called Badb Catha, which means "battle crow." Badb is known for causing fear and confusion among soldiers, helping her favored side in battles. She may also appear before a battle to predict the number of deaths or the fate of important people. Her loud cries sometimes lead people to compare her to the bean-sídhe, also known as the banshee. Badb is part of a group of three war goddesses called the Morrígna, along with her sisters Macha and the Morrigan (or Anand).

Representations in legends

In Irish legends, Badb is connected to war and death. She appears either to warn about upcoming battles or to join in fights, causing confusion among soldiers. As a sign of bad things to come, she takes many forms. In the story Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, she appears as an old, ugly woman who predicts the downfall of Conaire Mór. In another story, Togail Bruidne Dá Choca, she again takes this form to warn about the death of Cormac Condloinges. She also appears as a "washer at the ford"—a woman washing Cormac's chariot and harness at a river crossing, which was seen as a sign of death. The sounds of Badb are also considered bad omens. For example, Cormac's death is warned of with lines like, "The red-mouthed badbs will cry around the house, / For bodies they will be solicitous" and "Pale badbs shall shriek." In this role, she is similar to the bean-sídhe.

Badb was often shown as an active fighter in wars. The battlefield was sometimes called "the garden of the Badb." During the First Battle of Mag Tuired, Badb, along with her sisters Macha and Morrígan, fought for the Tuatha Dé Danann. Using magic, the three women caused fear and confusion among the Fir Bolg army, creating thick clouds of mist and fiery rain. This made it impossible for their enemies to rest or stop fighting for three days and nights. Badb played a similar role in Táin Bó Cúailnge, where she frightened and confused Queen Medb's forces, leading many to fall on their own weapons. She often appeared as a screaming raven or crow, and her cries could be heard among dead soldiers on the battlefield.

After the Tuatha Dé Danann defeated the Fomorians in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, Badb (or the Morrígan, daughter of Ernmas) no longer predicted doom. Instead, she sang a prophecy celebrating the victory and a time of peace. Then, she foretold the end of the world, describing "every evil, every disease, and every vengeance." She sang:

"Women without modesty, Men without valour. Conquests without a king… Woods without mast. Sea without produce… False judgements of old men. False precedents of lawyers, Every man a betrayer. Every son a reaver. The son will go to the bed of his father, The father will go to the bed of his son. Each his brother's brother-in-law. He will not seek any woman outside his house… An evil time, Son will deceive his father, Daughter will deceive…"

Kinship

Badb is often considered one of the Morrígna, a group of three Irish war goddesses. However, some sources disagree about her role. In the ancient text Lebor Gabála Érenn, Badb, Macha, and Morrígan are described as the three Morrígna and are said to be the daughters of Ernmas, a goddess associated with farming. According to this account, Badb is also the sister of Ériu, Banba, and Fódla, three goddesses who are believed to have given their names to the land of Ireland.

The same text also mentions that Badb is one of the two wives of Neit, a war god. In some other sources, she is described as the wife of Tethra, a king from the Fomorian people.

As a goddess linked to battlefields and the arrival of bad events, Badb shares similarities with Nemain, another goddess. Both are sometimes described as wives of Neit. Some writers have used their names interchangeably, suggesting they might be the same figure. However, W. M. Hennessy noted that sources claim Badb and Nemain had different parents, which may mean they are separate figures.

Badb also appears to be connected to Catubodua, or Bodua, a goddess from Gaulish mythology.

Etymology

Scholars such as MacBain (1982) examine different forms of the word, including Early Irish badhbh (meaning "hoodie crow, fairy, scold"), Early Irish badb ("crow, demon"), Badba, Welsh bod ("kite"), Gaulish Bodv- (found in Bodvo-gnatus), and Welsh Bodnod. Based on these examples, MacBain suggests the Proto-Celtic original form was bodwā-. However, Julius Pokorny (1959:203) proposes badwā-, using similar evidence. Both scholars connect the word to Norse böð (genitive boðvar, meaning "war") and Old English beadu (genitive beadwe, meaning "battle"), suggesting the word originally meant "battle" or "strife." Pokorny also links the word to the Proto-Indo-European root bhedh- ("pierce, dig"), which he connects to Sanskrit bádhate ("oppress") and Lithuanian bádas ("famine").

W. M. Hennessy argues that the word bodb or badb originally meant "rage, fury, or violence," later evolving to describe a witch, fairy, or goddess, often represented in folklore as the scald-crow or royston-crow. Peter O'Connell's 1819 Irish Dictionary defines Badb as a "bean-sidhe, a female fairy, phantom, or spectre, believed to be connected to certain families and sometimes appearing as squall-crows or royston-crows." It also describes badb-catha as "Fionog, a royston-crow, a squall crow." Other entries describe Badb as having three forms: Macha ("a royston-crow"), Morrighain ("the great fairy"), and Neamhan ("Badb catha or feannóg; a badb catha, or royston-crow").