"no account of the most celebrated of Arthurian women, Morgan La Fey, has survived"

37 major texts before 1500 give some anecdote or repeat the half dozen main anecdotes taken as facts:

• She was Arthur's sister
• Her reputation preceded her
• Her crimes earned her considerable notoriety

*Studies in the Fairy Mythology of Arthurian Romance by Lucy Allen Paton lists the 37 medieval texts that report Morgan using power [solid work but dated].

The 29 authors and co-authors calling her Morgue and who added 'la fee' in proper French represent her as a black, vile, hideous hag of death personfied (Gawain and the Green Knight)

'Fee' in French means fate [and/or fairy]; she is equated with the Third Fate.

Greek scholars like E.R. Dodds link Morgan to the mythical Three Sisters: Lachesis, Klotho, and Atropos AKA Nona, Decima and Morta (death).

Robert Graves, in The White Goddess [a REALLY iffy source] claims that the Three Fates are also the Three Graces, Nymphs, and the Gray Ones who helped Perseus kill Medusa. The Death Goddess became the Great Queen (Mawr Regan) of Ireland as the Irish still have Morgue la Fee as Morrigan.

In Irish mythology, Morgue has become the goddess from the western island of Avalon.

Queen Morgue is known as Arthur's sister, King Urians' wife, and the mother of the older Yvaine.

Morgue

• prophet
• able to change appearance - beauty to hag
• murderess, seductive, adulterer
• extremly powerful and deceptive magic

Morgan as Nymphomaniac - this problem probably comes from the Old French language and the exact meanings to the native speakers of the words 'ami' friend, and 'amie' woman friend. They may also mean concubine, lover, or even spouse. Thus, indexes of Morgan's connections stating that she was the 'amie' of Accolon, Guiomar, Queen Sebile, the Ladies of Norgalles, and of Avalon

Morgan and Avalon - remembered through vivid folk tales of mermaides in Galic or Irish folk tales. In real life they say she was a girl named Liban who was saved when a holy well was left uncovered and flooded the plain. Lived for ages underwater with pet dog then swam as salmon (of knowledge) in the see with the dog as an otter. She was caught and offered a choice by the Church: baptism and heaven or baptism and a human life on earth before heaven. She chose baptism and heaven. She was baptized either 'Murgewn' or Sea Born, or as 'Murgelt' which is Mermaid [strange].

Manx legend: a mermaid lived in a creek on Mann. She brought good luck to a boatman who took apples down to her and who planted an apple tree first for her use by the seashore. When he left for foreign parts, she wandered in search of him.

Important for two reasons:

1. the fairy tale originated in the Dark Ages
2. associates Morgue with apples, the food of the otherworld. Avalon was often called the Isle of Apples and for centuries scholars thought that even the name Avalon derived from the Welsh word for apple.