Night of Nicnevin, Daughter of Frenzy

(Martinmas Eve), Scotland

Scots Pagan festival honours an aspect of the goddess Diana. She rides with her entourage in the night hours of November 9-10. Nicnevin, who rode through the night with her followers "at the hinder end of harvest, on old Hallowe’en", as an old Scots poet describes it, made herself visible to mortals on this night.

Nicnevin is possibly an anglicization of Nic an Neamhain or Nigh Nemhain, ‘Daughter of Frenzy,’ an aspect of the triple Morrigan (Mórrígan). She rides the night skies on a broomstick at Samhain (October 31). Due to calendar changes, this old tradition may be seen as applying to tonight. Cognates: bean sidhe (Banshee); Gyre-Carling; Queen of Elphame; Daughter of the Bones ...

Tagged: irish, celtic, folklore, scottish, banshee, goddess, witch, witchcraft, wicca, pagan