VI Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2014

Legends of England are a unique set of myths. Especially myths of an Arthur’s cycle. They are very various on the structure and are rich with the history. I would like to tell about one character of this cycle - the fairy Morgan.

Morgan le Fay is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legends. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fairy or magician. She became more prominent in the later cyclical prose works such as the Lancelot-Grail and the Post-Vulgate Cycle, where she becomes an antagonist to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Morgan is said to be the daughter of Arthur's mother, the Lady Ingrain, and her first husband, Galois, Duke of Cornwall, so that Arthur (son of Ingrain and Uther Pen dragon) is her half-brother. She has at least two elder sisters, Elaine and Morgause, the latter of who is the mother of Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth, and Agra vain. In Thomas Malory's “Le Morte d'Arthur” she is unhappily married to King Urien of Gore and Ywain is her son. The early accounts of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Gerald of Wales refer to Morgan in connection with the Isle of Apples (later Avalon) where the fatally wounded Arthur was carried. To the former, she was an enchantress, one of nine sisters; to the latter, she was the ruler and patroness of an area near Glastonbury and a close blood-relation of King Arthur. In the early romances of Chrétien de Troyes, she also figures out as a healer. In later stories, Morgan becomes an adversary of the Round Table when Guinevere discovers her adultery with one of her husband's knights, though she eventually reconciles with her brother and even retains her original role, serving as one of the four enchantresses who carried him to Avalon after his final Battle of Camlann.

Chrétien de Trua depicts Morgan as the owner of great healing of abilities. Besides, she has skills as Werewolf (mirage) and is able to fly. There were no mentions of her living in Avalon, the magic island. It takes away Arthur’s body to Avalon that he woke up at the critical moment for England, together with two mysterious queens —The Queen of North gales and the Queen of Wasteland. Option — them was 4, one more — the Empress of the Lake. Possibly, initially Morgan was the pagan Celtic goddess. (The Roman sources mention the Celtic goddess-mother by the name of Modron, and also there was the Irish goddess Morrigan). Besides, it is possible that its image was apprehended from the water nymph of Breton legends of the same name (12 centuries).

In summary I want to tell that Arthur cycles are very interesting. Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, and the Empress of Lake - all of them deserve attention. But Morgan is of special interest for me.

Literature

1. Morgan Le Fay / Википедия. Свободная энциклопедия http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

2. Мифы и предания о короле Артуре. Энциклопедия мифов и легенд http://godsbay.ru/celts/myth_knights.html

3. Моргана / Википедия. Свободная энциклопедия http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

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