Morgan Le Fay - 5287 Words

Morgan Le Fay Medieval Story The contemporary stories of Morgan le Fay are based on Christianized versions found in the Medieval writings of the Vulgate and Malory. She is depicted as an evil and lusty enchantress who tricks her brother, good King Arthur, into an incestuous relationship with her, resulting in the unnatural birth of their son, Mordred. She tricks Arthur’s wizard, Merlin, into divulging his magical secrets to her, then disposes of him inside the trunk of a tree, or a crystal cave. She sows the seeds of discontent with gossip against Lancelot and Queen Guinevere, steals the magical sword, Excalibur with it’s healing scabbard, plots the death of Arthur with her various lovers, and ultimately contributes to the dissolution of†¦show more content†¦In Avalon, She presided over nine priestess’s who were prophetesses and healers. Avalon is known to have been an oracular center. Some believe that Avalon was a Druidic college for priestesses of women’s mysteries. Certai n healing wells are also sacred to Her in Britain - known as Morgan’s wells. In one Arthurian legend, King Uther Pendragon was obsessed with lust for Morgan’s mother, Ygraine. With Merlin’s help, Uther tricked her into sleeping with him by taking on the shape of Ygraine’s husband, the Duke of Gorlois, after he had already murdered the Duke. Her new stepfather could not abide Morgan since she suspected him of his ignoble deed, so Uther sent Morgan to Ygraine’s sister, Viviane - the abbess at the convent on Avalon. Here, safe among the nuns, Morgan was taught the art of sorcery. She furthered her education in magic as a student of Merlin’s when she came to King Arthur’s court. During this transition time between the old religion and the new, the convent could well have been a Druidic college for women. Goddess of the Holy Well In Irish folklore, there is a Christian legend of Murgewn (Sea Born) or Murgelt (Mermaid), a girl who left a holy well uncovered, which flooded the plain. She lived under the water for hundreds of years in the shape of a salmon, with her dog in the shape of an otter. Eventually, she was caught by the priests and given Christian baptism. She â€Å"died a holy virgin and still works wonders of healing in Ireland.† Fairy Queen MorganShow MoreRelatedThe Depiction of Morgan Le Fay in Various Accounts of The Arthurian Legend2196 Words   |  9 PagesThe Depiction of Morgan Le Fay in Various Accounts of The Arthurian Legend Morgaine speaks.... In my time I have been called many things: sister, lover, priestess, wise-woman, queen. So begins Marion Zimmer Bradleys account of the Arthurian legend, which places unusual emphasis on the character of Morgaine, otherwise known as Morgan Le Fay. But who exactly is Morgan and how does she vary in the different accounts of the Arthurian legendRead MoreA Close Reading Of The Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1018 Words   |  5 Pages but start to intersect in interesting ways – that is, the character of Morgan Le Fay begins to frame the stories together. The half-sister of King Arthur, she holds intense hatred for her half-brother and his court. It is her thirst for the downfall of Camelot that makes this character infamous, and, surprisingly, her success and the strength of her ability that give a bad name to women. Through the examination of Morgan Le Fay’s character, it is clear that a successful woman is always an illusionRead More The Unnamed Wife in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay1574 Words   |  7 Pagesknight’s wife plays a pivotal role in the story. Yet, she is never given a name and it is unclear what motivates her actions. She could simply be following her husband’s orders to seduce this visiting knight. She could be under the tutelage of Morgan le Fay. Or s he may be acting under her own guidance and using her sexuality to carry out her own desires or gain power. In light of this uncertainty, the unnamed wife’s role in the bedroom scene is also hard to decipher. As a woman she should be submissiveRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight936 Words   |  4 Pageswhich caused the Knight to suspect that he was not the true knight of the quest. After a dialogue was exchanged between the two, the Green Knight struck a blow to Sir Gawain, which only nicked his neck. The Green Knight told him that his wife was Morgan, whom Gawain spent time with in the Manor, and she was sent to test Gawain. The Green Knight called Sir Gawain â€Å"one of the most perfect men who ever walked on the earth† (Sir Gawain 2363). Sir Gawain replied in anger, saying that he was not a virtuousRead MoreA freedom greater than freedom Essay2455 Words   |  10 PagesUnlike Dimmesdale, who had freedoms and occasionally mini-freedoms, the characters i n A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court sometimes have neither. We shall focus on the adventures of the 19th century Yankee turned 6th century magician named Hank Morgan. Hank would have understood well what Woodrow Wilson was driving at in a 4th of July speech in 1914 when he noted that â€Å"liberty does not consist in mere general declarations of the rights of men. It consists in the translation of those declarationsRead MoreEssay On Fate In I Am Mordred1673 Words   |  7 Pagesthat night his aunt, Morgan Le Fay, scryed him through the reflection of his shield. She ordered Mordred to come visit her castle so he did. On his way he met a beautiful fair maiden named Lynett. The both began to like each other as they rode across the plains, though she did not know his name. Soon they parted their ways; Lynett to Tintagle to serve Queen Morguase and Mordred Morgan Le Fay’s castle with Gull by his side. Mordred stays for days at the castle till Morgan Le Fay tells Mordred that sheRead MoreThe Repressions Of Women In Le Morte DArthur By Thomas Malory736 Words   |  3 Pagescarried from generations to generations throughout history. The legend of Morgan Le Fay changes behaviorally from evil and spiteful in Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Malory to kind and nourishing in â€Å"Avalon† from Vita Merlin by Geoffrey of Monmouth because of the different notions of women throughout history. During the Middle Ages women went from being their father’s daughters to their husband’s wives to their childrens mothers. Le Morte D’Arthur was written in the late Middle Ages. Often in Middle AgeRead MoreFantasy Story Writing Assignment: Sir Lancelot and the Unicorn826 Words   |  3 Pageson its back stood there. The horse bowed and then said: You may wonder why I, one of the race of unicorns has come today, when ordinarily our races do not mingle. However, the Lady of the Lake bid me to come to you. Our queen has been taken by Morgan Le Fay and even with our great swiftness and ability to travel distances far faster than those of ordinary mortals, we have been unable to find her. So we have turned to you, oh great Arthur. But why, said Sir Kay (Arthurs stepbrother) have youRead More Women in Beowulf and Arthurian Legend Essay examples1279 Words   |  6 Pageswomen described briefly in Beowulf, and a few women described elaborately in the various Arthurian tales. The women in Beowulf were mostly openly generous, but the women in Arthurian legend unintentionally created conflicts, with the exception of Morgan le Fay. Slight variations on the female characters are present in each story. However, they all share common characteristics with other women in their time period. In Beowulf, there are two main categories of women. The first category is women whoRead MoreBeowulf And Sir Gawin And The Green Knight860 Words   |  4 Pagessociety was. In the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain spends time at two courts, that of King Arthur’s and Sir Bertilak’s. Sir Bertilak’s court has the most magic emanating from it, as it is enchanted by the contemporary of Merlin, Morgan le Fay. Here, warfare is not carried out in such a physical matter, but instead, is fought with that of a political nature. For example, Sir Bertilak proposes â€Å"what I win in the woods will be yours, and what you gain while I’m gone you will give me,†