Morgan le Fay: From Goddess to Villain by Kaci West le Fay: From Goddess to Villain” is a character study of the Arthurian figure, Morgan le Fay. This essay follows her transformation throughout literature from her beginnings in Celtic myths to contemporary understandings; this drastic evolution is seemingly directly related to increased Christian influence from the Middle Ages to today. In fact, the following thesis is explored: Morgan’s characterizations in the late Middle Ages suggest that Morgan is humanized with the addition of Christian influence to the tradition, so her depiction changes drastically from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account to later works, thus representing the overall effects of Christianity on the original Arthurian legend. Morgan’s miscellaneous roles in several important Arthurian texts, like Le Morte d’Arthur and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, are examined in order to arrive at the conclusion that her transformation can be seen as representative of the changes Christianity made to all preconceptions about pre-Christian ways of life. abstract:“Morgan
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he Arthurian tradition serves the literary world as a reminder of the beauty of chivalry and the legacy of ancient legends throughout the ages. Characters and their many adventures have evolved over hundreds of years and thrived across countless cultures. From the Arthurian origin in Norman-Welsh Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae to present-day books and films, the Arthurian tradition has transformed while maintaining its fantastical essence entirely. The mystical Morgan, first introduced in Geoffrey’s second Arthurian work, Vita Merlini, is likely the most interesting and puzzling of all characters of the legend. Her evolution is complicated, though there are certainly patterns that can be traced in order to understand her complex characterization more fully. The key characteristics in interpreting Morgan’s character include different authors’ choices in describing Morgan’s origin and family, her relationship with Arthur, her attitude towards magic, and her role in Arthur’s life and death. Morgan’s depiction changes according to each author’s comfort in dealing with magical aspects of her character. Her characterizations in the late Middle Ages suggest that Morgan is humanized with the addition of Christian influence to the tradition, so her depiction changes drastically from Geoffrey’s account to later works, thus representing the overall effects of Christianity on the original Arthurian legend. The most accurate reflection of Morgan’s transformation appears when one compares three stages: beginnings, namely her origins and a more historical viewpoint than later representations; adaptation, which ad-
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