Artist: Brendan Olszowy

Email: brendan@fableblades.com

Benger, Western Australia 6223

Mobile (Australia): 0411 470 663

(Talon Téir Abhaile Riú)

One of the Tuatha De Dannan (children of the Goddess Danu), Morrigan is one of the most powerful members of the Celtic pantheon.  She is a triune Goddess of War, Fate and Death in one incarnation and of Battle, Strife and Fertility in another.  Morrigan is a shape shifter capable of taking many guises, most commonly those of a crow, raven or the washer at the fords.  When she appears as the washer at the fords it is a foreboding of death.  Also associated with the Banshee, it is said that to hear Morrigan's Keen is to know Death.   (Continued below...)

Specification:
Weight: 1258g (2lb 12oz)
Length O/all: 107cm (42.1”)
Blade Length: 813mm (32”)
Blade Width: 50mm (2”) at flare > 35mm (1.4”) at end of fuller.
Blade Thickness: 6mm (0.236”) at base > 3.9mm (0.153”) at 2” from tip.
Grip Length: 24cm (9.5”)
Point of Balance: 135mm (5.4”) from blade shoulder
Materials:
Blade: 9260 high carbon steel, oil quenched and then tempered three times for hardness approx. 52Rc.
Grip: Jarrah (Eucalyptus Marginata)
Gems: Garnet

A powerful sorceress, she forged her sword to aide in the defense of her followers and their lands.  She wielded it in battle against the Firbolgs and Fomorii where she was tireless in protecting the Celtic peoples of Ireland.  Today she seeks worthy heroes to give the sword to for use in defending Ireland.

Engraved on one side of the blade is the inscription: Tá mé Téir Abhaile Riú, Seachain Mo Fearg (I am Morrigan, Avoid my anger)
And on the other side: Tá Bás, i ndán di agus Cogadh Mo Fearainn (Death, Fate and War are my Domains)

On each side of the guard is a blood colored stone that enables the wielder to call upon Morrigan for divine aide.  Each stone can be used once per wielder in this fashion.  However, if they call upon Morrigan in this fashion their need had better be dire or they will face her wrath and even may lose her favor.  Once they have used each of the gems to call upon Morrigan's favor, the magic of the gems will remain dormant until the sword is wielded by another.

The sword has the ability to help a person draw on their inner strength and empower them to face seemingly insurmountable odds.  Morrigan intended to give the sword to Cú Chulainn, one of Irelands greatest heroes but he rejected her four times, each in one of her various guises.  Thus angered at him she withheld the gift of the sword and soon appeared to him in her guise as the washer at the fords washing the blood from his armor foretelling of his death.

Since then she has given the sword to a succession of Celtic heroes to use in the defense of their peoples.  However, should they betray her or their people, the sword will in turn betray them at the worst possible time leading to their death and her reclaiming the sword.  For the wielder of Morrigan's Talon, seeing the Morrigan in her guise as the washer at the fords is a certain indicator of the loss of her favor and a foretelling of their death.

- K. Goldsby, USA