The Sorceress of Avalon
We have all heard about the great adventures of King Arthur. His legendary story of pulling the sacred sword Caliburn from a stone, becoming the king of Britain, receiving the holy sword Excalibur, forming the knight of the round table, and his fierce battles. Especially his last battle against one of his knights, the knights of treachery Mordred, and last but not least his final rest on the island of Avalon. Then how about I tell you a story about the other people that also played a part in his legend. How about I tell you a story about King Arthur’s sister? The Sorceress of Avalon, whose powers rivals those of King Arthur as well as his court mage Merlin. The person that I speak of is none other than Morgan Le Fae.
Morgan Le Fae, or Morgan for short, is the sister of the well-known King Arthur. The word “Le Fae” in her name is an ancient word that refers to a fairy. Morgan is known as the ruler of the mystical island of Avalon. Her true origins are shrouded in mystery. While some sources say that she is the half-sister of King Arthur that was born as a result of Arthur’s mother with another man. Other sources also said that she is the direct descendant of King Uther Pendragon who is his daughter who is blessed with the magic of the Pendragon blood, unlike Arthur who is not.
The story of Morgan Le Fae herself has very conflicting aspects depending on which story that she is being told. In one story, she is known as King Arthur’s sister that he trusts very much. She is also the disciple of the legendary mage Merlin. Training under Merlin, Morgan excelled, which shows that she is very skilled and talented in the arts of magic, especially in the area of healing. After her training was done, she went on to go to the island of Avalon where she would play her role of healing and taking care of King Arthur after his final battle with Mordred in the Battle of Camlann.
Another story regarding Morgan narrates that she is the hateful sister of King Arthur along with the mother of the treacherous knight, Mordred. In this story, she is known more as an enchantress or a dark sorceress. She sends off her son, Mordred, to join the knights of the round table so that Mordred may usurp King Arthur’s throne. The Battle of Camlann that happened during the climax of King Arthur’s story where Arthur faced off with Mordred in a battle that fatally wounded him or ended his life, depends on the source, was a result of Morgan puppeteering Mordred to destroy King Arthur and his legacy, his Kingdom of Britain.
Overall, Morgan Le Fae’s story is not particularly shallow. It could not be said she is your archetype villain or supporting character. There is more to her story than meets the eye, depending on which source is taken into account. Since this is an article, I try my best to put it as briefly as possible, else, it would turn itself into a long paper. With that said, Morgan Le Fae is an interesting character as well as essential to the lore of Arthurian Legend.
References
Arthurian-Legend. (n.d.). Morgan Le Fay. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from Arthurian Legend: https://www.arthurian-legend.com/morgan-le-fay/
Evans, Z. T. (2018, November 29). British Legends: Morgan Le Fay – Magical Healer or Renegade Witch? Retrieved June 30, 2021, from Folklore Thursday: https://folklorethursday.com/legends/british-legends-morgan-le-fay-magical-healer-or-renegade-witch/
Smiley, J. (2013, April 12). Morgan le Fay: Magic, Mysticism, and Misogyny. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from Vault: https://vault.hanover.edu/~battles/arthur/morgan2.htm
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2017, May 16). Avalon. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/place/Avalon-legendary-island
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2018, February 13). Morgan le Fay. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Morgan-le-Fay
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021, May 27). Arthurian legend. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arthurian-legend
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021, March 2). King Arthur. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/King-Arthur