Morgan le Fay is a complicated and evolving character in Arthurian legend.

Who was she, and what was she like?

She appears in different guises in different legends.

Morgan le Fay was the daughter of King Gorlois (or Hoel) of Cornwall and his wife, Queen Igraine. Most of the time in ancient legends, Morgan is identified as the half-sister of King Arthur. Though Chrétien de Troyes, and some other authors, refer her as a sister of King Arthur. By the time of the Vulgate Cycle, Morgan was Arthur's half-sister, and the sister of Morgawse and Elaine.

Morgan is also said to have had a son named Mordred, by her own half-brother, King Arthur; though most writers say that Mordred's mother was Arthur's other half-sister, named Morgawse, Morgan's eldest sister.

Gawain may have also been her son, at least according to the French romance L'Âtre Périlleux (The Perilous Graveyard). But the tale does not mention Morgan le Fay by name, though it does say that Gawain's mother was a fairy. But does this refer to Morgawse … or to Morgan?

 Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey of Monmouth, in Vita Merlini, mentions Morgan as one of the nine women, sometimes called sisters or queens, living in Avalon. Morgan is truly magical: she is a healer, can fly (was she a witch?) and can transform herself to resemble anyone or anything else. King Arthur was brought to Avalon, where he was healed (perhaps by Morgan). Geoffrey makes no mention of any relationship between King Arthur and Morgan.

In early legends, Morgan's role is benevolent. She uses her power for healing. She is the fairy queen or one of the queens of Avalon. She learnt her magic from Merlin. Thomas Malory says that Morgan learnt her powers of healing while at a Christian nunnery. She is portrayed as a good presence in the Isle of Avalon.

Chrétien de Troyes

In Chrétien de Troyes romance Erec and Enide, Morgan le Fay is a friend of Guingamar, the Lord of Avalon. Guingamar is one of the guests to the wedding of Erec and Enide. Morgan is said to be the sister of Arthur and a great healer.

Later French Romances

Later French romances, say that Morgan was the wife of King Urien and mother of the hero Owain (or Yvain). Earlier accounts, such as by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes, do not mention anything about Yvain (or Owain) as being her son, and there is also no indication in either account that Morgan was married to King Urien. But other accounts do.

For example, according to the Vulgate Cycle of Merlin, King Urien marries Morgan shortly after Arthur was given Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. They have a son, who is named Yvain This Yvain must not be confused with another son of Urien, who was known as Yvain the Bastard!

Gawain and the Green Knight

Morgan le Fay was responsible for Gawain's adventure of the fearful beheading tournament with the Green Knight. Morgan had given the Green Knight the ability to survive after having had his head severed. Morgan had hoped that this event would frighten Guinevere to death.

Guinevere

By the time of the Vulgate Cycle and Prose Tristan, her character has truly changed. She becomes an enemy of King Arthur and Guinevere. Now as a sinister presence; wicked and maligned, she plots against Guinevere. Her hatred for Guinevere may have started when she is serving as the lady-in-waiting for the Queen. In this story, Morgan is in love with a young knight, who happens to be the Queen's cousin. Morgan and the knight are lovers until Guinevere hears about them. The Queen ends their relationship to prevent a loss of honour. Wounded and loveless, Morgan never forgives Guinevere, and she seeks revenge. Morgan leaves the palace in search of Merlin. In exchange for offering him her love, he gives her his magical powers.

Lancelot

In Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, she has fallen in love with Lancelot. She imprisons Lancelot, and refuses to release him until he swears he will be her lover. Each time, he refuses. But she does not stop at rejection, and spirits him away to win his love.

Thomas Malory

According to Malory, when Arthur was dying, Morgan and three other ladies, Queen of the Northgales and Queen of the Wasteland and Nimue (Niniane) arrived in a black ship. Morgan intends to take King Arthur to the Isle of Avalon, where she could heal her brother's wounds.

There is more to Morgan le Fay than meets the eye. Going back further in time, Morgan appears in ancient Welsh legends as a semi-divine woman or goddess.

Welsh Oral Myths

In the Welsh oral myths, already alive several centuries before Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes, Morgan is linked with the goddess Modron. She is the daughter of the Celtic god Avallach, and the mother of Mabon. In the Welsh Triads, Modron is married to King Urien, king of Rheged and she becomes the mother of Owain (or Yvain) and has a daughter named Morfudd.

Arthurian Legends

In some Arthurian legends, Modron and Morgan le Fay seem to have become one and the same woman, because they both were married to King Urien (brother of King Lot), and both were mother of the hero Owain (or Yvain). So why is the name different? It is possible that the name Modron was changed into Morgan when the legend arrived in Brittany.

Brittany

Once stories of Morgan had crossed the English Channel, Morgan became linked to a favourite Breton goddess, named Dahut (or Ahes) Dahut was a princess, who had caused the destruction of her city Ys. But, we also read in earlier tales, that Dahut (or Ahes) was originally a Breton sea goddess. Later accounts say that she had died when the sea had flooded Ys, or that she had escaped by being transformed into a mermaid. It is interesting to note that the word Mor, in Breton, means the sea, and this draws out the connection between Morgan and the sea. Perhaps, they believed that she was a sea or water goddess.

Ireland

There are similarities of Morgan with the great Irish goddess, Morrigan. In most Arthurian legends, Morgan appears as a beautiful young woman, though sometimes, as in Gawain and the Green Knight, as an old hag – a witch even. Morrigan also had the same ability to shape-shift between young and old, beautiful and ugly, good and evil. Like Morrigan, Morgan was also able to transform herself to look like an animal or thing of her choosing. The Irish Morrigan was a goddess of death or a goddess of the Underworld. Morgan is a queen of Avalon, which itself was an entrance to the Underworld.

We can see how complicated a role the character of Morgan le Fay has become in our myths and legends.