Morgana+le+Fey

Morgana le fay General background: Known Names: Morgan le fay, Morgane, Morgaine Epithet Le Fay comes from the French word “la fée” which means fairy Role in Arthurian legend varies with the telling.

**1. Historical Basis**. **Where did the legend come from?** Popular legend says that Morgan comes from Avalon and is learned in the arts of **magic**. -Possibly Celtic. -> **Modron.** -Possibly Irish. -> **Morrigan** -Celtic mythology is tied into Arthurian legend through Urien. -Urien Rheged may have been an actual figure who lived during the time of Arthur. -Very few written sources, most of this was oral tradition that then developed into writing.

**What are the earliest sources and how reliable are they?** -The first source that mentions Morgan is in //Vita Merlini// (1150) by Geoffery of Monmouth Primarily Arthur's Healer

-Chrétien de Troyes was probably first to connect Arthur and Morgan as brother and sister. He wrote: //Erec and Enide and Yvain//.

**Can archaeology or other disciplines shed additional light on the subject?**



**2. Change through Tradition**. **How has the topic changed as the tradition has developed?** -More powerful sorceress -More Evil -Enemy of Guinevere -Sly -Pagan

**Medieval:** -The Vulgate Cycle becomes more negative. (French) -Sir Gawain and the Green Knight- Orchestrates the entire adventure, learns Merlin’s magic, now developing into a sorceress. She becomes the foil to the Virgin Mary. -Morte D’Arthur.

**Post Medieval:** -Victorian writers cast her as basically evil, pretty simple -Lancelot and the four queens (Sir Robert Charles) -Morgan is central villain -Fragments of the Masque of Gwendolen (Reginald Heber)-enchantress, Modred’s mother -Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court (Mark Twain)- Evil enchantress, cunning, charismatic, ect.

**-Modern literature:** -Mists of Avalon- -Daughter of Tintagel-

What have been the catalysts for these changes (social, literary, authorial, etc.)? -Early changes -French influence -More complex story lines <span style="background-color: #00fffb; color: #000000; display: block; font-size: 125%; text-align: center;">-Mythological vs. Historical

<span style="background-color: #f183e5; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 125%; text-align: right;">-To modern: <span style="background-color: #f183e5; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 125%; text-align: right;">-Counter text become popular <span style="background-color: #f183e5; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 125%; text-align: right;">-Sympathy <span style="background-color: #f183e5; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 125%; text-align: right;">-Feminism

**3. Defining Characteristics**. What have become the defining characteristics of the topic? -Villain -Powerful -Final conversion to good -Sorceress -Paganism

Sources http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/morgmenu.htm [] http://www.arthurian-legend.com/more-about/more-about-arthur-8.php