This article was first published on #FolkloreThursday.com on November 29, 2018, titled “British Legends: Morgan le Fay – Magical Healer or Renegade Witch?” written by zteve t evans, edited and revised 3rd May 2024 by zteve t evans, images may vary from original.
The Enigma of Morgan le Fay
In Arthurian tradition, the elusive sorceress Morgan le Fay becomes one of King Arthur’s most dangerous foes, breaking traditional family bonds and working to undermine and bring down the strict patriarchal system and chivalric order of the Arthurian world. The enigma of Morgan is that despite attempting to kill King Arthur and usurp his kingdom, she is the one who takes him into her care after being severely wounded by Mordred in the Battle of Camlann, bringing an end to his kingdom.
This work draws from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Vita Merlini, Historia regum Britanniae (The History of the Kings of Britain), and Sir Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and is influenced by other texts. It examines how Morgan’s character changes from benevolent to malignant and swings back to benevolent after the disaster of Camlann. To do this, we look at her early life and how she used Arthur’s famous sword, Excalibur, against him and stole its scabbard and then discuss the disaster it would cause. Next comes a discussion on two important topics that had a considerable influence on medieval society: the Querelle des Femmes, or the Woman Question and witchcraft, and it concludes with her return to Avalon.
As Ruler of Avalon
Geoffrey of Monmouth introduces her into Arthurian literature in Vita Merlini as Morgen, presenting her as the leader of nine benevolent sisters who rule the island of Avalon. She is the most beautiful, the most knowledgeable, and the most powerful of the sisters. In addition to being a skilled healer, she can fly or transport herself at will from place to place and has shape-shifting abilities. It is uncertain whether these “sisters” are family or members of a religious or mystical cult.
In the work of some later writers, Morgan becomes King Arthur’s step-sister or full elder sister, but her character undergoes a radical change. As Arthur’s elder sister, she breaks the traditional bond of love between brother and sister and the nurturing role so often associated with the elder sister towards their younger brother. Furthermore, instead of the wise and benevolent sorceress, she evolves into a malign, sexual predator hating her brother and his wife, Queen Guinevere. Forsaking her place at the centre of the Arthurian establishment, she moves to its periphery, becoming a renegade attacking the established order. She targets the Knights of the Round Table, especially Sir Lancelot, weaving dark spells and plots to trap them. Eventually, she becomes nothing less than an enemy of the state and arguably its most dangerous adversary until Mordred emerges to usurp the crown, resulting in the Battle of Camlann.
Morgan’s Early Life
In Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey of Monmouth makes Morgan the youngest daughter of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall and his wife Igraine. When the King of the Britons, Uther Pendragon, first set eyes on Igraine, he became wildly infatuated with her. Unable to contain his lust, he attacked Cornwall to take Igraine for himself.
Gorlois sent his wife to his safest stronghold, Tintagel, while he confronted Uther’s troops in battle. While the military confrontation took place, Merlin, using his skills of disguise, transformed Uther into the likeness of Gorlois to allow him access to Igraine at Tintagel. The guards, believing it was Gorlois, let him enter the stronghold, and Igraine, thinking he was her husband, lay with him, and that night, Arthur was conceived.
While this was taking place, Gorlois was killed battling Uther’s army. After satisfying his lust, Uther returned to his troops. On learning of the duke’s death he took Igraine to be his wife. He married her eldest daughter, Morgause, to King Lot of Lothian and the next eldest, Elaine, to King Nentres of Garlot. Morgan was the youngest, and he sent her to a nunnery. (2)
Morgan hated Uther because she knew what had happened the night her father died and deeply resented Arthur as the product of his lust. At the nunnery, she was introduced to astrology, the dark arts of necromancy, and healing skills, which she became highly adept at. As her skill and knowledge grew, people began to call her Morgan le Fay in acknowledgement of her abilities. Eventually, she joined Arthur’s court and became one of Queen Guinevere’s Ladies-in-Waiting. But that was not to last.
Morgan and Guiomar
Morgan was a beautiful young woman. She was a good singer and musician, marvellously skilled with her hands, knowledgeable and well-spoken. For the most part, she was considerate and courteous, but when angered, she became vindictive, spiteful, and obstinate. She was alleged to be the lewdest and most lustful woman in Britain, taking many lovers.
One day, Guinevere’s nephew, Guiomar, found her at work in a bedroom spinning golden thread, and the two fell in love at first sight. The lovers tried to keep their affair secret, but eventually, Guinevere found out and banished him from the court. This incident caused Morgan to develop a burning resentment towards her. It increased her animosity towards Arthur, which she had kept hidden. She left the court and further studied the arts of sorcery, greatly enhancing her magical abilities.
Eventually, she returned to Camelot, and Arthur married her to King Urien of Rheged to create a strategic political alliance, deepening her resentment towards him. With Urien, she had a son named Owain and began secretly plotting the downfall of her husband and brother, King Arthur.
The Lady of the Lake and Excalibur
One of the most famous symbols of the Arthurian legend is Excalibur, the sword he obtained after breaking the sword he had pulled from a stone to become King. Needing a replacement, Merlin took him to the shores of a lake. From the shore, gazing towards the lake’s centre, he saw an arm holding a bright sword aloft out of the water.
The moving serenely in a boat over the water the Lady of the Lake approached Arthur, and he asked if she would give him the sword in exchange for anything she desired. She told him to take the boat on the shore out to the arm, and he would be given the blade and a scabbard. When the time came, she would ask him to fulfil his part of the bargain. The boat took Arthur and Merlin across the lake to where the arm held the sword out of the water. Arthur followed her instructions and received the sword and scabbard. They returned to the shore, where he examined the sword exquisitely crafted with the finest workmanship.
“Which do you like best, the sword or the scabbard?” asked Merlin. “I prefer the sword!” replied Arthur. “Then you are a fool! The scabbard is worth ten of the sword, because while you wear it no matter how you are wounded you will not lose blood. Always keep the scabbard safe by you at all times,” advised Merlin.
The Scabbard of Excalibur
Time passed, and during a battle, Arthur was wounded, and the wound produced no blood. Merlin reminded him that this was because of the scabbard of Excalibur and again warned him to keep it safe, reiterating that anyone who wore it would not lose blood if wounded.
At this time, Arthur still loved and trusted his sister, Morgan, even more than his wife, Guinevere. Therefore, he took the scabbard and Excalibur to her and asked her to keep both safe. However, Morgan secretly hated her brother and saw this as an opportunity to bring him down. Morgan created a fake sword holder and sword and gave the real sword and its enchanted holder to her lover Accolon for him kill King Arthur in a duel. She would then, with Accolon, take the throne. To make this happen, Morgan le Fay cast a complicated spell that transported them to a remote location where they could fight without interference from anyone in Camelot.
She sent Arthur the counterfeit Excalibur and its fake scabbard to use in the duel, while Accolon used the genuine items. In the following fight, Arthur was almost overwhelmed and bleeding from many wounds dealt by Accolon wielding Excalibur. In contrast, Accolon, despite receiving numerous blows from Arthur, remained unbloodied and uninjured. Weakened by blood loss, Arthur realised that his opponent was wielding the Excalibur and wearing the scabbard.
As Accolon raised Excalibur to strike the death blow, the Lady of the Lake intervened, casting a spell that made him drop the sword. Arthur seized his chance, grabbed the blade, and, tearing the scabbard from Accolon, hurled it away. Now wielding Excalibur, Arthur defeated his opponent, badly wounding him and, without the protection of the genuine scabbard, causing blood to flow.
With Accolon at his mercy, Arthur demanded an explanation of how he got Excalibur and its scabbard. Accolon told him of Morgan’s plot and how she hated and despised him. On hearing this, Arthur was genuinely emotionally hurt and shocked. He had entirely loved and trusted his elder sister and learning that she hated him hurt deeply. Nevertheless, for all that, Arthur would have spared Accolon, who died four days later from his wounds. As an act of compassion, Arthur sent his body to Morgan for her to mourn appropriately, but this further increased her hatred towards him. Still weak from blood loss, Arthur decided to rest at a nearby nunnery to recuperate.
While Accolon and Arthur had been locked in mortal combat, Morgan at Camelot had been busy. As her husband, King Urien, lay sleeping, she had crept up to him wielding a knife intending his murder. Her son, Owain, arrived by chance in time to stop her from carrying out the fatal blow. Owain would have killed his mother, but she claimed a sudden madness had afflicted her and believing her, he spared her life.
The Theft of the Scabbard
Morgan had truly loved Accolon and was devastated by his death and the failure of her plot, and sought vengeance. On receiving his body, she went to Guinevere, who at this stage was unaware of the fight between Arthur and Accolon, to request leave from the court, claiming she had received urgent news and needed to travel home to deal with it.
Guinevere reluctantly gave consent, and at dawn the following day, Morgan left on horseback with a retinue of her knights. After riding hard all day and night, they reached the Abbey where Arthur was recuperating. She was met by the nuns, who took her to his room and offered to wake him. “Nay, let him be,” she said, “I will wake him later when he is rested. Now, leave me with him!” The nuns were terrified of Morgan and obeyed her without question.
Arthur was lying fast asleep on a bed in the room, and in his right hand, he tightly gripped Excalibur. Morgan thought about trying to steal the sword, but she knew if he should wake, he would surely kill her now. She decided she would not take the chance, and seeing the empty scabbard close by, she silently hid it under her cloak and quietly left him, riding off with her entourage following.
When Arthur awoke, he immediately discovered the scabbard was missing. Calling the nuns to him, he questioned them about what had happened while he slept. They told him about his sister’s visit and how she had ordered them out of the room, leaving her alone with him. On hearing this, Arthur ordered Sir Ontzlake to prepare their horses, and they set off after her.
Riding hard and fast, they eventually saw her and her knights in the distance. Looking back, Morgan saw it was Arthur and realised she could not escape. Despite having a company of knights, she knew they could not defeat Arthur and Sir Ontzlake. Nevertheless, she was determined he would not get the scabbard back. Riding to a nearby lake, she threw it far into the water, where the weight of the gold and jewels that embellished it quickly took it to the bottom.
Looking to escape Arthur and followed by her knights, she galloped into a valley whose sides were littered with great stone blocks. She turned herself and her knights into stone blocks with her magic arts. Just as she had done this, into the valley rode King Arthur and Sir Ontzlake, who looked around the valley but could only see blocks of stone. Unable to find a trace of her, Arthur searched for the scabbard, hoping she had dropped it for them to find to end the chase. Finding no trace, he returned to the Abbey.
As soon as he had gone, Morgan turned her knights and herself back into human form and rode back to her home country. Fearing her brother may seek revenge for her part in his attempted assassination and stealing the magical sword sheath, she strengthened her castles and town walls. For now, she was an enemy of the Arthurian state.
Arthur rode back to Camelot, where Queen Guinevere and the Knights of the Round Table warmly welcomed him home. They were outraged when they heard his story of the fight with Accolon, Morgan’s plot to take the crown, and how she had stolen the scabbard of Excalibur. They accused her of treason and demanded that she be burnt at the stake.
The Deadly Cloak
Despite the failure of her murderous plot, Morgan’s hatred for her brother had not diminished, and she came up with another plan to assassinate him. She sent one of her girl servants to Camelot, bearing him a most handsome cloak as a peace gift, begging his forgiveness. It was studded with precious gems and embroidered with threads of gold and silver, and Arthur was incredibly impressed. As he was about to try it on, the Lady of the Lake intervened, saying, “Sire, do not try the cloak yourself or let any of your knights try it until she who has brought this gift to you has worn it herself!”
“Perhaps you are right, I will follow your counsel,” he told her thoughtfully and called the girl to him. “Place this cloak over your shoulders that I may see how it looks worn,” he told her. “Sire, it is not my station to wear the clothes of a King!” she protested. “First, you must wear it before my knights try it on!” He spoke firmly, gesturing for the cloak to be draped over the girl’s shoulders. As soon as the cloak was placed upon her, it burst into flames, reducing her to ashes. Arthur was furious at the treachery of his sister. At the same time, he was hurt and bewildered that she had planned such an awful death for him.
Morgan’s Magic
Having been thwarted in her plot and with the death of her lover, Morgan feared her brother’s vengeance. She removed herself to live in the margins of his kingdom in the forests and wild places, building her realm on the edge of Arthur’s. She delved deeper into the study of sorcery, mastering it to such an extent that she was revered as a goddess. At every opportunity, she sought to capture and imprison any of the Knights of the Round Table who came her way, especially Lancelot, whom she captured several times. She had an unrequited love for him, but her overriding motive in capturing him was to hurt Guinevere and Arthur.
The Murals of Lancelot
During one period of confinement, Lancelot painted a mural depicting his life on the walls of his prison, which included his love affair with Guinevere. Years after he had been released, King Arthur and some of his knights came across Morgan’s castle. Arthur had heard nothing of Morgan for years and believed his sister to be dead. Seemingly forgetting and forgiving past wrongs, he was overjoyed to discover she was still alive and invited her to return to Camelot with him, but she told him, “Do not ask this of me, for I will never return to court. When I finally leave this place, I will go to the Isle of Avalon where the women live who know all the magic in the world,”
Guiding him around her castle, she took great pains to show him the murals Lancelot had painted. As soon as he saw them, he finally realised Guinevere and Lancelot had been having a long love affair and was deeply upset. Morgan seized upon this, encouraging him to take vengeance on the betrayal of his trust by the two people closest to him.
The Importance of Excalibur’s Scabbard
Along with this betrayal, other events would eventually lead Arthur reluctantly to go to war with Lancelot, who would retreat to his castle in France with Guinevere. Arthur left Mordred as steward of his kingdom and went to war with Lancelot, but he was to betray him and usurp the crown. Arthur was forced to return for the final confrontation at the apocalyptic Battle of Camlann, where he killed Mordred but, bereft of the scabbard of Excalibur, was also mortally wounded.
If Morgan had not stolen and disposed of Excalibur’s original scabbard, Arthur would have been protected from harm had he worn it at Camlann. Thus, Morgan may have been indirectly responsible for the seriousness of his injury. Yet, it was she, despite her hatred, who took him or received him for healing in Avalon.
Querelle des Femmes, or the Woman Question
In much of Arthurian literature, the “Woman Question” and the witchcraft threat are presented through Morgan, mirroring the challenges and threats these topics were seen to pose to the established patriarchal order in medieval times. The “Querelle des Femmes” appeared during the 15th century as a literary debate discussing the role of women in medieval society and areas they were excluded from, including politics, religion, and other fields. There were arguments for and against greater female involvement. The debate began in France around Le Roman de la Rose, begun by Guillaume de Lorris, to be concluded by Jean de Meun, and spread around Europe, dividing the literary world. The thesis of the book centred on Meun’s misogynistic and stereotyped ideas on female status and those who challenged and rejected them. In Morgan, these arguments are seen through her behaviour, the behaviour of other male and female characters, their roles in society and their relationships.
Witchcraft
The belief in magic goes back to the earliest times of humanity. Sorcery, enchantment, and other forms of magic are essential to the Arthurian world. They were also widely accepted as part of medieval life, coexisting with Christianity as it does in Arthurian texts. Eventually, it became unacceptable to the Christian Church as a severe threat, particularly from women, who too often unfairly suffered the consequences.
The Lady of the Lake saves Arthur from Morgan’s plots to kill him. She is seen in social terms as the model female upholding and defending the patriarchal order. At the same time, Morgan is the wayward lady, the renegade, who does not behave as she should, deliberately seeking to undermine patriarchy. Unable to fight directly in combat because of her gender, she uses the chivalric order to attack the strictly patriarchal Arthurian state. She used Accolon to battle with Arthur, turning the chivalric rules against him, and even his sword, Excalibur, was used against him.
She is not a passive participant in events like Guinevere, who gets abducted several times. Instead, Morgan is an active agent, and she abducts Arthur’s knights. An independent, strong-willed, active, intelligent woman armed with sorcery is seen as a danger to patriarchy and medieval society. To counter this, she is given a reputation of sexual predation and treachery to the family – the cornerstone of medieval culture and her magic becomes witchcraft. Her role is presented to the reader as an example of everything a high-status woman in medieval society should not be, hence the need to alienate her. This staining of her character is the consequence of her magic, independence, and intelligence.
Return to Avalon
After the Battle of Camlann, Morgan had Arthur completely helpless, in her power and at her mercy. Yet her character now appears to have gone full circle. With him at her mercy, instead of killing him, she becomes the loving sister and the benevolent sorceress, taking up the traditional passive, healing, nurturing role often associated with good women in medieval society. Despite the fall of the renowned Arthurian order, patriarchy is not dead, and there seems to be no place in what remains for her. She foretells she will be found on,
“… the Isle of Avalon where the women live who know all the magic in the world.”
Like Morgan le Fay, Arthurian tales can be intriguing, healing, dangerous, appealing, tricksy, and open to interpretation. Through their sorcery using the power of words, the reader creates their own magical, meaningful experience. The Arthurian realm remains popular for creative, imaginative readers to explore and discover engaging and intriguing characters like Morgan le Fay, roaming amidst a magical and fantastical landscape that is very much a creation of the reader as the writer.
© zteve t evans
References, Attributions and Further Reading
Copyright zteve t evans
Under the influence! 
![Image from Original German text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, translation by Bayard Taylor, illustrations by Harry Clarke. [Public domain] – File:Page 004 (Faust, 1925).png From Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Page_004_(Faust,_1925).png){kind=link}