Morgan le Fay facts for kids
Morgan le Fay is a powerful sorceress (a woman who uses magic) from the famous Arthurian legends. She is known as King Arthur's half-sister and often his enemy. Morgan le Fay is a very strong magic-user. She is sometimes shown as a helpful figure, but more often as a villain who tries to harm King Arthur.
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Who is Morgan le Fay?
Morgan le Fay is a key character in the stories of King Arthur. She is often described as a fairy, a witch, or a queen. Her name means "Morgan the Fairy." In some tales, she is the daughter of King Uther Pendragon and Igraine, making her King Arthur's half-sister.
Morgan's Magic and Powers
Morgan le Fay is known for her incredible magical abilities. She can heal people, but she can also use her magic for evil. Her powers include:
- Changing her shape (shapeshifting)
- Making people see things that are not real (illusions)
- Healing wounds
- Controlling nature
She learned her magic from powerful teachers, sometimes even from the wizard Merlin himself.
Morgan's Relationship with King Arthur
Morgan le Fay's relationship with King Arthur is complicated. At first, she might have been friendly or helpful. However, as the stories go on, she becomes one of Arthur's biggest enemies. She often tries to hurt him or his knights. She might do this because she is jealous of his power or because she feels wronged by him.
Morgan and Excalibur
One famous story involves Morgan le Fay and King Arthur's magical sword, Excalibur. She tries to steal the sword or its scabbard (sheath). The scabbard of Excalibur was special because it protected Arthur from harm. Morgan's actions show how much she wanted to weaken her half-brother.
Morgan le Fay in Stories
Morgan le Fay appears in many different versions of the Arthurian legends. Her character changes over time.
- In early stories, she might be a good fairy who helps Arthur.
- Later, she becomes a dark sorceress who uses her magic for evil.
She often lives in a magical place, sometimes called the Isle of Avalon. This is the same place where King Arthur is taken after his final battle.
Images for kids
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Morgan with Lancelot under an apple tree in a Siedlęcin Tower fresco (early 14th century)
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Henry Fuseli's Prince Arthur and the Fairy Queen (c. 1788)
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Frank William Warwick's Voyage of King Arthur and Morgan le Fay to the Isle of Avalon (1888)
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Morgan Le Fay by John R. Spencer Stanhope (1880)
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William Henry Margetson's illustration for The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights (1908) "She was known to have studied magic while she was being brought up in the nunnery."
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Queen Morgan le Fay, Beatrice Clay's illustration from Stories of King Arthur and the Round Table (1905) "There was a time when great was her enmity towards King Arthur, so that she plotted his ruin not once only nor twice; and that is a strange thing, for it is said that she herself was the kinswoman of the King."
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Morgan le Fay Casts Away Excalibur's Scabbard, H. J. Ford's illustration for Andrew Lang's Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table (1902)
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Howard Pyle's illustration from The Story of the Champions of the Round Table (1905) "She was clad in all the glory at her command, and her appearance was so shining and radiant that when she came into that room Sir Launcelot knew not whether it was a vision his eyes beheld or whether she was a creature of flesh and blood."
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"How Morgain granted Lancelot a leave from her prison to conquer Dolereuse Gard." (Lancelot en prose c. 1494 or later)
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How Morgan le Fay Gave a Shield to Sir Tristram by Aubrey Beardsley (1870)
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A detail of La Mort d'Arthur (The Death of Arthur) by James Archer (1860)
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Morgan and Accolon in Eric Pape's illustration for Madison Cawein's poem "Accolon of Gaul" (1907). "With haughty, wicked eyes and lovely face, Studied him steadily a little space."
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Howard Pyle's illustration from The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur (1909) "And Sir Bedivere stood upon the shore and looked upon the face of King Arthur as it lay within the lap of Queen Morgana, and he beheld that the face of King Arthur was white like to the ashes of wood, wherefore he wist that he was dead."
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Morte D'Arthur by Daniel Maclise (1857)
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Howard Pyle's illustration from The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903)
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How the Fairies Came to See Ogier the Dane by H.J. Ford (1921) "And, in tones more musical than mortals often hear, she sang a sweet lullaby, a song of fairyland and of the island of Avalon, where the souls of heroes dwell."
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Beatrice Clay, Morgan le Fay with Excalibur (1905)
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See also
In Spanish: Morgana para niños
