The Morrigan

""The legend of the Morrigan begins with a woman who hated herself so much she built a gallows and hung herself on it.""

- Monsters of Cyenev by Flint Hamille, cultural anthropologist at Badore

The Morrigan is a figure of legend and mystery in eastern Cyenev, especially in communities where magicians can be found.

The Standard Story
The most common rendition of this story tells that a woman who hated herself very much -- so hung herself. That should have been the end of the story. But then the crows started to gather.

Hundreds of crows came to gather around the corpse, and they started to pick at her face, her fingers, any stretch of open flesh, cutting her up, tearing into her body. Then the dead woman slapped them away and cut herself down from her own gallows.

They say that the crows are her children, that they whisper into her ears and she listens. Far and wide the crows fly, and what they see they tell her. To kill a crow is to earn her wrath. And should a murder of crows fly overhead, be wary, for the Morrigan is passing by.

Connections to Reality
The story soon arose as strange, inexplicable corpses were found across Cyenev, all hung. Every single one was a magician, often very important and powerful ones. It's said that they scorned the Morrigan in her past life, so she returned the favor by giving them death.

Hanging is no longer a punishment allowed or administered by any form of government in Cyenev. Yet regardless, victims of hanging are still found.

Differences in Variations
merpherp differing story depending on area, what how and why

Ballad of the Crow Wife
"A woman cold, we now sing yet of old,

Hung on the gallows for all to behold.

In hate she'd contrived for none to revive,

Her body she'd died -- yes, ne'er more to thrive.

Skin chill as snow, she'd died several hours ago

Then gathered in sky's glow: a murder of crows.

They tore at her skin to eat it away,

To pluck at her body and pull seams till frayed.

Bleeding her skin they cut through cold corpse.

Gathered together the murder deemed, “Pick till she warps!”

Dead fingers twitched and slapped them away,

Soulless, she’d returned from the dead no more to decay:

''Thus the Crow Wife still walks today. ''

A necklace of finest noose round her throat,

The crows, her children, to her they devote.

To her ears float their whispers and clicks,

And words of crime or sadism her attention affix.

Death made her his bride,

''From her no one can hide. ''

Watch yourself if black birds fill the sky:

The Crow Wife is passing by."

Appearance
The Morrigan is said to be either caught in the process of rotting or is merely dead. She's said to have long, wispy black hair, eyes blue and cold as ice, and deathly white skin. She wears robes insufficient for the cold, yet doesn't freeze. Her body is cut and stained with the blood of her wounds.