Morgan le Fay
alternative names:Morgaine, Modron, Morgian, Morgan le Fee, Fata Morgana,
titles and positions:The Orcades Queen, the Rheged Queen, Princess/Queen/Priestess
of Avalon, daughter of Duke Gorlois of Cornwall
Commonly in the Matter of Britain she is Morgan, the daughter of Igraine and Gorlois, and
therefore half-sister of Arthur. She is often his mortal enemy because Arthur's father,
Uther, killed her own father in battle over her mother. She is
frequently shown as conspiring against Arthur, but seducing him in his youth,
in order to give birth to the child Mordred, who will
ultimately destroy his father. Usually diametrically opposed to Arthur and the shining
values of Camelot, she is portrayed as a force of evil and is the focus of much strife.
Literary Examples
- In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini there is no kinship or
hatred between Arthur and Morgan; in Geoffrey she as the queen on the Isle of the
Apples, with nine sisters; she could also change shape and fly with wings
- In Malory sister to Arthur
- In Tennyson
- In Bradshaw she is called Morgause, the minion of the Dark, whereas Arthur
fights for the Light. She is married to Lot of the Orcades. Her children are Agravaine,
Gwalchmai and Medraut, and it is commonly known that Medraut is the child she had with
Arthur; Gwalchmai is also suspected of not being a son of Lot.
- In Service she is opposed to Merlin as much as, if not more than, Arthur.
Historical/Mythical Roots
- probably from the goddess Modron (Matrona)
- possibly derived from the Irish goddess Morrigan