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Emily Perez

Prof. Gordon

Womens Literature-Block F

19 March 2016

The Fall of a Goddess

Of all the many versions of the Arthurian legends, perhaps Thomas Malorys Morte

dArthur is the most celebrated. Written by a falsely imprisoned knight (Herbert 3), Morte

dArthur is a glimpse at what is considered an ideal courtly society by those of fifteenth century

Britain. Fascinating characters inhabit the work: brave Sir Lancelet, fair Lady Guinevere, the

great King Arthur, and many more. But what story of courtly love and fierce battles is complete

without a villainous character for the heroes to rally against? Enter Queen Morgan Le Fay, a

name synonymous with treachery and high treason. Whether she is planning on attempting to

murder Arthur or kidnapping his knights, Morgan is consistently attempting to bring down the

idyllic medieval court of Camelot. Morgans ruthlessness, sexuality, and even gender is working

against her in a highly religious, patriarchal society. Morgan le Fay is the antithesis of Malorys

medieval Christian ideals and is demonized as a result.

Christian beliefs were central to medieval life and are at the center of Malorys Le Mort

dArthur. Beliefs such as the divine incarnation, resurrection of Christ, transubstantiation, and the

birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary were all important parts of medieval culture (Bredero 284).

The Church was very powerful, but not very tolerant. Spivack says in Sharpes The Goddess

Restored, natural herbal remedies practiced by midwives and healers conflicted with the

teachings of the Church and lead to the association of these female-dominated occupations with
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witchcraft (Sharpe 38). Women of all ages were branded with the stigma of being associated with

Eve. Eves sin in Eden is the reason for all of humanitys problems. Eve was also created from

the rib of Adam making her, and by extension all women, inferior (Hourihan 177). Sexuality was

considered sinful as well and womens sexuality was especially targeted (Bredero 359). All of

these prejudices are seen in Malorys treatment of Morgan Le Fays character.

Morgans first appearance in Le Morte dArthur is when the sisters of Tintagil are being

married off. Igraine is give to Uther Pendragon while Morgause is given to Lot of Orkney.

However Morgan is put to school in a nunnery, and there she learned so much that she was a

great clerk of necromancy. (Malory 4) Already Morgan is set apart from the others who fulfill

more traditional and societally acceptable female roles. She is also established as an evil

sorceress. Fries writes this schooling illustrates the danger of educating women beyond their

appropriate sphere. (Fries 10). Fries also makes the claim that Malory writes Morgan as less

educated than in the French versions of the Arthurian legends (Fries 10).

Morgan plays a key role in the battle between Arthur and Accolon. Arthurs famous

sword Excalibur and its sheath that protects the bearer from wounds were taken from Arthur by

Morgan and delivered to her lover Accolon. Once Arthur gains the upper hand and takes

Excalibur, Accolon tells him of the treachery of Morgan who happens to be Accolons lover.

Arthur decides that Accolon is not responsible for his treasonous actions and instead says that: I

shall be sore avenged upon [Morgan] God knoweth I have honored her and worshipped her more

than all my kin, and more have I trusted her than mine own wife (Malory 111). In Arthurian

Propaganda: Le Morte Darthur as an Historical Ideal of Life, Pochoda claims that Malory intends

for the reader to be shocked by Accolon battling with his king because it is morally outrageous
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(Pochoda 86). However, Morgan is considered primarily responsible. Arthur is far angrier about

Morgans betrayal than Accolons because Accolon had no idea that he was fighting Arthur.

Morgan has betrayed her king as well as her brother. Morgans traitorous actions and thirst for

power are linked with her sexuality because her love for Accolon leads her to plot to take the

throne from Arthur and place her paramour on it.

Morgan is not present at the battle and, trusting in the power of the sword and scabbard to

bring Accolon victory, attempts to kill her husband, Sir Uriens. Just as she is about to strike, her

son Uwaine stops her. When he calls her an earth devil, she pleads that she was tempted by a

devil and claims if she is spared, she will never kill anyone again (Malory 113-114). This is

interesting because, as Armstrong says in Gender and the Chivalric Community in Malorys

Morte DArthur: [readers] never see another woman make use of the sword in combat, as

Morgan does (Armstrong 225). Plenty of unnamed women in Arthurian legends throw

themselves down on the swords of knights (Armstrong 255) but none of them use a sword to

attain anything other than death for themselves. Morgan uses a sword the way a knight would, to

kill somebody else for her own gain. While Morgan does not directly challenge King Arthur,

without her intervention (the theft of the sword and scabbard) the duel would likely not have

taken place. Morgan is set apart from the other female characters of Mort dArthur. Morgan also

displays her intelligence and ability to manipulate. She knows exactly what to say to convince

Uwaine to spare her.

After Morgan hears that her lover is dead, she goes to Guinevere to ask for permission to

leave. At first Guinevere tells her to wait but, when Morgan insists, she is given permission and

leaves. Morgans first stop is the abbey where Arthur was left after being wounded by Accolon.
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Morgan realizes she cannot take the sword out of his hand without waking him and instead

settles for taking the scabbard. Arthur is furious when he wakes up and chases after her. Morgan

throws the scabbard into a lake and then, for the first time, demonstrates her power to the reader

by turning herself into a stone (Malory 114-118). Again, Morgan has betrayed her brother. Her

betrayal is made worse by his status as family, but also by his status as king of England. Her

cunning and power are shown by her quick thinking and ability to shape shift. Her powers are

also a sign of her damnation as a witch. From the beginning of the work, she is known as a

sorceress but this scene is the first time the reader sees what she can accomplish. Morgan Le

Fays powers would have been seen as evil in the eyes of a highly religious society (Armstrong

348).

Immediately following the end of the chase, Morgan encounters Manassen, a knight from

Arthurs court who just so happens to be Accolons cousin (Malory 119). Manassen is bound

and about to be thrown into a fountain as punishment for sleeping with another knights wife

until Morgan rescues him (Malory 119). Together, they drown the other knight and Manassen is

sent to Arthurs court with a message. (Malory 119). When Manassen returns, Arthur has told his

story and the other knights want to burn Morgan until Manassen tells the Round Table how she

saved his life (Malory 120). Arthurs feelings toward Morgan are conflicted (Malory 120). The

next day a damsel arrives bearing a beautiful mantle with precious stones and claiming that

Morgan wanted it to be a sort of peace offering, an apology for offending Arthur (Malory 120).

Arthur is pleased with the gift but Nimue, the Lady of the Lake appears and warns him not to put

it on (Malory 120). When Arthur forces the damsel to put on the mantle, she fell down dead and

burnt to coals (Malory 120). At first glance in this scene, Morgan appears to be doing
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something selfless. She knows Manassen is related to her former paramour and rescues him.

However, she appears to have ulterior motives. By sending one of Arthurs knights back to

Camelot with a story of her kindness Morgan ensures that Arthur will be sympathetic towards

her and more trusting of her gift. Of course, the gift is an enchanted cloak that burns the wearer

to death. Morgans powers are again used in an attempt to murder Arthur and bring ruin to his

kingdom.

Morgan alternates between trying to seduce Lancelot and trying to expose the knights

relationship with Guinevere to Arthur. When Morgan and and her ladies happen upon Lancelot

sleeping under a tree, she casts a spell on him and takes him back to the castle. When he awakes,

he will chose one of them to be his paramour or die alone in the castle (Malory 166). Morgan is

presented yet again as wicked seductress who uses her magic to bring down good knights.

After he awakens, Morgan and the three other queens accuse him of being in love only with

Queen Guinevere and he retorts that she is the truest lady unto her lord living (Malory 168).

This is the first scene in which Morgan is directly pitted against Guinevere, and is the start of

their long feud. Morgans promiscuity is directly contrasted with Guineveres loyalty to Arthur.

Morgans overt sexual advances towards a man are considered highly sinful and further alienates

her from the ideal courtly society.

After Lancelots rejection, Morgan sends a shield painted with a scene that signifies the

love between Lancelot and Guinevere with Sir Tristam to Arthur. The narrator then mentions that

Morgan loved Lancelot but, as he would do nothing for her, she tries to destroy the knights

relationship with Arthur (Malory 389). Morgans love for Lancelot is depicted as spiteful and

possessive. She is willing to destroy him if he will not reciprocate her affections. Morgan also
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has a paramour, named Sir Hemison, who is slain by Sir Tristam. (Malory 390). When he dies,

Morgan is devastated. (391) However, Morgans relationship with Sir Hemison seems suggests

that her love for Lancelot is superficial. After Lancelots rejection Morgan seems to have moved

on to another knight fairly rapidly.

Morgans abilities as a healer are displayed in the story of Sir Alisander. When Alisander

is wounded in battle, Morgan takes it upon herself to heal him. She then puts him to sleep for

three days and takes him to her castle and imprisons him there (Malory 452). Even when Morgan

appears to be acting in a charitable manner, she still has ulterior motives. In this case, as a damsel

in the castle warn Alisander, Morgan wants to keepeth you [Alisander] here for none other

intent but for to do her pleasure with you when it liketh her (Malory 453). Morgan is once again

depicted as being a temptress, though Alisander vehemently denies any attraction to her (Malory

453). Morgan is also cast once more into the healer-witch stereotype. In this scene, as

reminiscent of the scene with Manassen, Morgan is written as unable to simply heal a wounded

knight without having evil intentions. Malory devalues her skills as an alternative practitioner by

calling attention to her depravity.

Morgan is seen one final time in Morte dArthur. After Mordred has been killed by

Arthur, who received a life-threatening wound in the process, Arthur is taken to a boat where a

number of women are seated. One of the women is Morgan, who greets Arthur and holds him as

the boat travels towards Avalon (Malory 832). This is the only scene that Morgan does not

attempt to kidnap, kill, or otherwise harm Arthur and his knights. She is still associated with

negativity in this scene. She is depicted as an almost Charon-like figure, taking Arthur away

from England forever.

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One can argue that Morgan personifies some of Dantes Deadly Sins: envy, avarice,

wrath, and lust. Raymond Belliotti claims each mortal sin, punches the perpetrators ticket to

Hell (Belliotti 83). All of Morgans actions in Morte dArthur reflect at least one capital sin.

Morgans envy is shown in her interactions with Lancelot. Lancelot loves Guinevere more than

he loves Morgan and as a result she tries to ruin his status as a knight and his relationship with

Guenevere. By sending a shield painted with a scene of their betrayal, she hopes to send a

message to Arthur and hopefully destroy both the man who rejected her and the source of his

rejection. During one of Lancelots quests, he happens upon a girl who is in constant pain

because Morgan has cursed her for being called beautiful (Malory 545). Malorys Morgan is

vindictive and cruel as a result of her jealousy.

Morgan commits the sin of avarice. Her plot to have Accolon kill Arthur in order for the

couple to take the throne of Britain is a treasonous grab for power. Morgan as the sister of the

high king and wife of King Uriens already has quite a bit of social standing. In addition, she is a

powerful sorceress capable of shifting, not only herself, but her entire group of knights and their

horses into stones (Malory 118). She does not ever appear to be satisfied with the amount of

strength and authority she has, instead she is constantly attempting to gain more and more.

As a result of her failed schemes, Morgan is wrathful against Arthur. She hates him and is

constantly plotting to bring him down. From stealing the weapons that would make him virtually

indestructible on the battlefield to attempting to assassinate him with an enchanted cloak,

Morgan is actively trying to kill Arthur. A large part of Morgans anger is directed toward

Lancelot for not loving her. Although she never directly tries to kill Lancelot, she arguably tries

to do worse. By exposing him to Arthur, she risks not only his life, but his reputation.
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Perhaps the sin of which Morgan is most guilty is lust. Malorys Morgan is depicted as a

seductress with willing paramours and a few unlucky captive knights. Sometimes she uses her

knights to further her plots, like having Accolon try to kill Arthur. Others are simply there to be

her companion, such as her fair friend (Malory 390) Sir Hemison. Most of Morgans lovers

end up dead by the hand of Arthur and his knights. The men who are kidnapped, like Lancelot

and Alisander, are usually rescued by good, pure hearted maidens, which can be interpreted as

Malorys way of rebuking Morgans evil, slatternly ways. In Deconstructing the Hero: Literary

Theory and Childrens Literature, Margery Hourihan calls Morgan a figure of potent sexuality

and, at the level of the tales Christian significance, an embodiment of evil (Hourihan 178).

Malorys Morgan is an unrepentant adulteress who actively tries to bring about the ruination of

Arthurs loyal knights.

Through the lens of Sir Thomas Malorys Morte dArthur, Morgan can be seen as a

character with no real redeeming characteristics. However, when her earlier incarnations are

taken into account, she becomes more than a one-sided tricky temptress. In Vita Merlini by

Geoffrey of Monmouth, Morgan is described as a wise woman with a proclivity for healing

(Sharpe 39). Monmouth says in Sharpes The Goddess Restored, Morgen is her name, and she

has learned what useful properties all the herbs contain, so that she can cure sick bodies. She also

knows an art by which to change her shape (Sharpe 39). In light of this characterization of

Morgan, the final scene of Arthurs life in Mort dArthur makes sense. Malorys interpretation is

confusing: why would Morgan, a woman who has devoted her life to bringing Arthur down, not

only be among the ladies mourning his death, but actually holding him on the trip to Avalon?

The reason for the conflicting characterization is Malorys Morgan is a combination of characters
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from multiple texts and Morte dArthur is representative of the continuing development of

patriarchal society (Sharpe 36). Malory simply draws on earlier works that described her as a

talented healer. Her presence at the end of Arthurs life is included with no real thought as to how

it would fit in with the rest of her actions in Morte dArthur. Sharpe even accuses Malory of

leaving Morgans character undeveloped and unrealistic (Sharpe 41). Of course, influences on

Morgans character are far older than Monmouth.

Morgan shares many aspects of goddess figures. Spivack says in Sharpes The Goddess

Restored, Morgan seems identified with the Wise Woman aspect of the goddess (Sharpe 39). In

Deconstructing the Hero: Literary Theory and Childrens Literature, Hourihan claims that

Morgan originates as a dark goddess who reclaims her lover, Arthur, at the end of his life

(Hourihan 179). Despite the highly Christian influence in Morte dArthur, Morgans pagan roots

can also been seen in her relationship with the Lady of the Lake. Both women have magical

powers that come from a source other than God, but the Lady of the Lake supports and aids

Arthur while Morgan tries to kill him. In this way, Morgan can be seen as the dark aspect of the

goddess (Hourihan 178).

Morgans role in Malorys work can also be compared with Merlins. Like Morgan,

Merlins powers come from a source other than the traditional Christian God. However Merlin,

like the Lady of the Lake, uses his power to aid and advise Arthur. Both Merlin and Morgans

roles in Morte dArthur are minimized in order to showcase Arthurs glory (Fay 69). Morgan and

Merlin play very significant parts in the progression of Arthurs life. Merlin is responsible for

Arthurs existence, as he organized the meeting of Uther and Igraine, while Morgan is the

woman who takes Arthur to Avalon (Svogun 107). Morgans role as a goddess figure is never
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elaborated on in Morte dArthur; instead, Malory actively tries to refashion her to a unilateral

antagonist.

Morgans role as a goddess is reclaimed in the Marion Zimmer Bradleys novel, The

Mists of Avalon. The novel places an emphasis on the female perspective of the events in the

Arthurian legends and explores themes of conflict between paganism and Christianity in Britain.

While Arthurs court is predominately Christian, many of the lower classes still practice pagan

fertility rites such as the Beltane Fires (Bradley 509). In The Mists of Avalon, Morgan is a

priestess of Avalon and is in training to possibly succeed Viviane as Lady of the Lake (Bradley

301). By the end of the novel, while on the barge with Arthur, Morgan has accepted the many

different facets of the goddess she has grown to represent: Maiden, Mother, Queen, and Dark

Queen of the Fairies (Bradley 867). Bradleys interpretation of the Arthurian legends greatly

improves Morgans character development, which is virtually non-existent in Malorys Morte

dArthur.

Although Morte dArthur is one of the foremost examples of Morgans fall from goddess-

figure to shameful evil-doer, (Sharpe 43) some have chosen to interpret Morgans character as

rebuke the idea of chivalry and gender roles. In Shapeshifter, Morgan Le Fay, Morgan is used to

critique the institution of chivalry and the knights who attempt to follow it (Herbert 69). Malory

gives no indication that Morgans actions are meant to be anything but negative. Aside from one

a moment at the end of Morte dArthur, she does nothing but harm to the people around her.

Malorys version of the Arthurian legend is written from a very Christian point of view. If he

truly wanted to subvert chivalry, which is built on Christian ideals, Morgan could have retained

her pagan goddess-like qualities. In Gender and the Chivalric Community in Malorys Morte
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dArthur, Dorsey Armstrong states that Morgans behavior constitutes an explicit refusal to

cite the norm of femininity, challenging the very foundation of the chivalric

community (Armstrong 69). Herbert then refutes this claim, saying, while Morgan certainly

does not reliably enact the traditional womanly stereotype, her resistance to doing so does not

immediately disqualify her as feminine (Herbert 70). Morgan does not do much to challenge the

culture of chivalry, in fact she almost supports it. She wreaks much havoc in the story and can be

viewed as a deterrent to those who would violate chivalric norms.

Morgan Le Fay is done a great disservice in Morte dArthur by Thomas Malory. While

his interpretation of the Arthurian legends is a useful tool for studying the societal change that

occurred during the 15th century, his female characters, specifically Morgan, leave a lot to be

desired. Malorys attempt to reduce Morgan to an evil enchantress only partially succeeds

because she still bears resemblance to her pagan goddess form, which is celebrated in many

contemporary works of fiction. Morgans defiance of the society that expects her to be

unwaveringly loyal to her king, repress her sexuality, and use her powers for the good of the

Round Table (if not give them up entirely) leads her to be branded as an evil, treacherous

woman. Morgans metamorphosis from a wise woman to a depthless villain because her pagan

roots are largely incompatible with medieval Christian beliefs.

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Works Cited

Armstrong, Dorsey. Gender and the Chivalric Community in Malorys Mort DArthur.

Gainsville: University Press of Florida, 2003. Print

Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Mists of Avalon. New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group,

1982. Print

Bredero, Adriaan H. Christendom and Christianity in the Middle Ages. Grand Rapids: Wm. B.

Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1994. Print

Fay, Elizabeth A. Romantic Medievalism: History and the Romantic Literary Ideal. New York:

Palgrave, 2002. Questia School. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Fries Maureen. From Lady to the Tramp: The Decline of Morgan le Fay in Medieval Romance.

Arthuriana Vol. 4, No. 1 (1994) 1-18. Web.

Herbert, Jill M. Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter. New York: Palgrave Macmillian. 2013. Print

Hourihan, Margery. Deconstructing the Hero: Literary Theory and Children's Literature.

London: Routledge, 1997. Questia School. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Malory, Sir Thomas. Mort dArthur. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2015. Print

Pochoda, Elizabeth T. Arthurian Propaganda: Le Morte Darthur as an Historical Ideal of Life.

Chapel Hill, NC: U of North Carolina, 1971. Questia School. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Stiller, Nikki. Eve's Orphans: Mothers and Daughters in Medieval English Literature.

Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1980. Questia School. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Sharpe, Victoria.The Goddess Restored. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 9.1 (1998):

3645. Web.
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Svogun, Margaret Dumais. Reading Romance: Literacy, Psychology, and Malory's Le Morte

D'Arthur. New York: Peter Lang, 2000. Questia School. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.