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The Morrigan
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
This costume tells the story of The Morrígan, a Celtic goddess from Irish folklore associated with battle, prophecy and death. She can turn into a crow and acts as a guardian to the land and its people.
The Morrígan foretells the 'Second Battle of Mag Tuired' from the 'Book of Invasions', an ancient Irish text. The story appears in 'Gods and Fighting Men', by Lady Gregory. She unleashes showers of blood and fire to demoralise her enemies and takes part in the battle to encourage her allies. She slays the enemy king and at the end of battle she sings of their victory. She also appears in 'Cuchulain of Muirthemne' by Lady Gregory, stirring up conflict, inciting battle and stealing cows on several separate occasions!
The cloak is inspired by the "brát'', a mantle worn in medieval Ireland. It is fastened by a penannular brooch with a triple spiral motif. The pin of the brooch, a feather, and the epaulettes on the cloak speak to her nature as the "Crow of Battle".
The Morrígan is both a warrior and a seductress. The silver stays resemble a breastplate worn into battle. The stays and chemise suggest a state of undress while the armour-like appearance denotes strength.
The Morrígan, aka the Phantom Queen, has walked a thousand battlefields. The vivid red skirt is the blood that pools at her feet and flows in her wake. Her apron bears the handprints of all the wounded soldiers who reached for her as she passed.
Outline the construction…
The Chemise: Sheer black fabric sewn with french seams. Very full gathered sleeves. The neckline was frayed and embellished with red beads, just a bit of stylised blood splatter to get us started!
The Stays: A cotton canvas foundation layer and a faux leather fashion layer. It was boned with cable ties and laced with ribbon through metal eyelets. It's so shiny, I love it!
The Petticoat: A bed sheet gathered to fit the waist. The hem is trimmed with black net for extra poof. It's very rough but does the job of supporting the skirt.
The Skirt: Made of 4 panels, heavily pleated in the back, less full at the front. Alas, no pockets. I inserted godets at the hem/train to encourage it to fan out and pool at my feet... like blood!
The Apron: A circle skirt that was hacked to pieces. The hem was heavily distressed and aged. In the photographs this came out very purple but in real life it has a lovely grey cast.
The Cloak: A charcoal check suiting cut in the shape of a ruana for maximum drapage. The hood is trimmed in faux fur for an extra luxe touch. It is fastened by a penannular brooch. The shoulders are embellished with iridescent black feathers which act as epaulettes.
In some photos the costume is accessorised with a black feather boa. This is the only thing I did not make for the look.
You’ve done an amazing amount of work and your costume is wonderful.
I love your idea of making a stray that looks like an armor. Great costume
So cool! I love the armor stays. Great work.
Those stays look so good! And the whole look is wonderful, well done❤
Great outfit! The feather details on the cloak were a very nice addition!
Feathers on shoulders are my fetish (not really, but I love them). Back to the point, your cloak is beautiful, you are very talented and good luck on competition!
The stay is so perfect – and the way it reflects light is so ethereal. Love the completeness of this look and all the textures in the ensemble. The ragged cloak is such a nice touch.
The shape of the stays is incredible, such beautiful work! I also really love the brooch on the cloak, its a really great touch! Well done for all the work that went into creating this outfit!