Happy publication day, Morgana le Fay!
Morgana is a mysterious figure of Arthurian legend, found in Gawain and the Green Knight and Le Morte d'Arthur, she is variously described as half-sister of King Arthur, jilted lover of Lancelot, a foil of Merlin. A witch, a healer, she has deep roots in Celtic mythology and offers a fascinating canvas for the many writers in this new book. Created through open submissions and supported by an extensive introduction examining the origins of Morgana le Fay, is a wonderful new book in the 'Myths, Gods & Immortals' series.
We asked the authors in this collection to say a little more about their stories, what drew them to Morgana le Fay, and to let us know about their own favourite depiction of this Arthurian figure! Read more below...
Q: How would you describe Morgana Le Fay?
Dr Marta Cobb, (Foreword):
I see Morgana as a woman in a patriarchal world who seeks power on her own terms (and is often condemned for it).
Pamela Koehne-Drube, (Introduction):
Morgana Le Fay is a woman who has worn many faces across Arthurian Legend, from benevolent healer to evil sorceress, from nurturing mother to murdering sister. She might not always be right, but she’s always strong.
Q: Can you tell us about your story?
K.Blair, author of 'His Head in Your Lap, Dear Brother':
The sibling relationship between Morgana and Arthur as explored through japes and the threads of the tapestry that bind them.
Chris A. Bolton, author of 'Morgana and the Morrigan':
When Morgana le Fay is exiled from Camelot for telling her half-brother uncomfortable truths, she ends up in the Emerald Isles where she encounters a Celtic goddess called the Morrigan. What ensues is a battle of wills and magic that will test them both—and reveal a surprising bond.
Courtney Danielson, author of 'No Need for the Green Knight':
What Morgana had her happy ending? In this alternative universe reimagining of Morgana Le Fay’s story she visits Sir Gwaine’s household to celebrate the Beltane festivities instead of attending the celebration in Avalon. The two spark up a romance while Morgana explores the possibility of a life outside of Avalon’s shores. This visit changes both of their fates--so much so that there will be no need for the famed green knight.
Evan Davies, author of 'The Woman with the Bleeding Eye':
Long before she ever heard the name King Arthur, Morgana of the Fae Folk had a secret. She might have kept the dark power hidden forever, but when armed men come knocking at her door, it’s steel for steel, cut for cut, and eye for bleeding eye.
Caroline Fleischauer, author of 'To Cut the Rot':
Faced with the animosity and violence of her new stepfather, Uther Pendragon, a young Morgan learns the cost of standing up for those she loves - and in doing so awakens a power of her own.
Micah Giddens, author of 'Gelato':
After screwing up the whole sword-in-the-stone thing, Merlin enlists Morgana le Fay to clean up his mess.
Lyndsay E. Gilbert, author of 'The Story That I Want':
In ‘The Story that I Want’ Morgana must uncover her true self, reawaken her magic and willpower to protect her lovers as well as herself. She explores a hidden library where stories are imprisoned and must use all of the many facets of her being to free her own mythos.
Liam Hogan, author of 'Under Avalon':
It is difficult to untangle Morgana's story from that of Arthur's. Why shouldn't that include his prophesized return? Under Avalon takes a sideways look at what might happen, when someone calls upon a hero of the past, to save the England's future.
Larry Ivkovich, author of 'An Offense of Memory':
Morgana Le Fay, banished to a remote area of the Isle of Gorre for her attempted crimes against King Arthur, is tasked by Merlin to raise an unusual infant. The infant grows into a legendary, mythical monster, changing Morgana’s life forever.
Alexis Kaegi, author of 'Mirror, Mirage':
Morgan le Fay’s enchanted wood, the Val sans retour, traps knights who are unfaithful in love. As three trials put Sir Lancelot’s loyalty to the test, the sorceress and the knight find they have more in common than either would have expected—challenging their perspectives and presumptions of one another.
Damien Mckeating, author of 'Destiny Forged':
Morgana has a vision of her futures and sees the all the possible ways she is cast as villain, seductress, sorceress, murderer, or worse. Feeling powerless in the face of futures already written, she seeks the help of Nimue, who forges for a her a blade to rival Excalibur. Armed with a weapon that can cut the weave of time, Morgana sets about creating her own fate.
Nico Martinez Nocito, author of 'To Catch a Name':
Morgana surrenders her old name to the baby Arthur so she can forge her own path and identity as who she truly is: a woman. Yet a name is no easy commodity to encounter.
M.R. Robinson, author of 'Hound, Hart, Crow, Queen':
Inspired in part by early medieval legends in which Morgana and Guinevere exchange rings, "Hound, Hart, Crow, Queen" is a love story starring these two complicated women. Most of all, it's a story about refusing to let others tell you who you are--a story about believing in yourself and those you love, not in prophecy.
C.J. Subko, author of 'Sea-born':
In "Sea-born," Morgana is an ocean goddess captured and trapped into marriage by King Uriens of Gore. She becomes a bitter, kidnapped queen. When she falls in love with a knight, it may be her way to freedom--and revenge.
Lana Voos, author of 'She Made a Doll in Winter':
Nearing the end of her life, a centuries-old Morgana Le Fay receives a marriage proposal from a Fey prince and decides to try one last gambit: passing off a peasant girl as a prospective Fey Queen. However, the headstrong girl Morgana enlists to play the role forces her to reckon with her own history of ambition, marriage, and motherhood.
Holly Lyn Walrath, author of 'Every Son a Reaver':
In "Every Son a Reaver", we meet Morgana at the end of the Arthur story. Arthur has died on the battlefield and the afterlife he finds is in the clutches of Morgana at the end of the world.
Q: What drew you to Morgana?
Marta Cobb, (Foreword):
I used to love stories of King Arthur as a kid, but Morgana is almost always the villain! Then I read The Mists of Avalon, which tells the story of Arthur from the perspective of the women, especially Morgan. It forever changed how I read these stories. Now, when I look at medieval Arthurian tales, I love how she is such a deeply ambivalent character lurking at the edges of the story, ready to test the values of Arthur's court.
Pamela Koehne-Drube, (Introduction):
Morgana is never the same across any piece of media, which makes her such a fascinating character. She exists outside of the normal social order, which makes her incredibly relatable to so many different people at different stages of life.
K. Blair, author of 'His Head in Your Lap, Dear Brother':
Her sense of humour.
Chris A. Bolton, author of 'Morgana and the Morrigan':
I was intrigued by the challenge of reimagining a legendary "villainess" and reconsidering Morgana's life through her eyes. I didn't have to research too deeply to uncover frequent confusion between Morgana and the similarly-spelled Irish goddess, the Morrigan. That led me to wonder what might happen if these two strong, powerful, unfairly maligned figures came head-to-head—and my story grew from there.
Courtney Danielson, author of 'No Need for the Green Knight':
When I was in young—too young perhaps— someone handed me a copy of The Mists of Avalon. It was the largest book I’d ever owned, much less read, but it started out with a girl in an unhappy home. I could relate to that. So, from then on Morgana, or Morgaine as Bradley named her, became a confidant, friend, sister, and eventually the Mother Goddess herself. She was my first step into paganism, and she still has a place on my altar. I have loved her for so many years that when the opportunity arose to give her a happy ending, I couldn’t pass it up.
Evan Davies, author of 'The Woman with the Bleeding Eye':
Morgana le Fay is at once undeniable and apart, inseparable from the Arthurian Mythos and entirely singular within it. Where her foes put stock in physical might, she is an illusionist and a trickster; where their morality is Judeo-Christian, her influences are unmistakably Celtic; and where their stories have been told and retold, her truth remains shrouded in mystery. Morgana le Fay is an island of paganism and sexuality in a sea of Christian dogma. While everyone else is waxing poetic about faith and chastity, she is having sex and doing dark magic, so I put the question to you, who would you rather party with?
Caroline Fleischauer, author of 'To Cut the Rot':
I've harbored an obsession with medieval stories and myths since I was a child, resulting in me writing my undergraduate Honors thesis on women in Arthurian literature. The mercurial nature of Morgan stood out to me the most - Why does she do what she does? What drives her? - which led to me reading every adaptation of Morgan's story I could get my hands on. Her complexity, her ambiguity, and the way she harnesses her own agency keeps that fascination burning; the most beautiful thing about Morgan is how she defies expectations, both in her own world and ours.
Micah Giddens, author of 'Gelato':
I've always appreciated Morgana as the darker, more primal foil to Merlin. To me she managed to keep one foot in the older, messier Celtic folklore, while Merlin became sanitized in later Christian traditions. I'm drawn to her connection to the natural world, and her outsider status in Camelot.
Lyndsay E. Gilbert 'The Story That I Want':
I was drawn to Morgana because I have love her mystery and the many different faces she has due to so many stories told about her over hundreds of years.
Liam Hogan, author of 'Under Avalon':
Arthur is often drawn, simplistically, as the hero, Morgana as a villainess. But they are half-brother and sister, and while they have very different characters, different strengths, it isn't hard to imagine they might share similar goals and enjoy each others company, as they await a call to action.
Larry Ivkovich, author of 'An Offense of Memory':
Morgana Le Fay’s place in Arthurian fantasy has always been interesting to me because of the fluid nature of the characterizations given her over time. The idea of creating a more unusual facet of Morgana by combining different genres is what drew me to the theme of the anthology.
Alexis Kaegi, author of 'Mirror, Mirage':
Over the centuries, Morgana has shape-shifted into many archetypes, becoming a reflection of how women are perceived throughout history. I wanted to dismantle and reevaluate some of the assumptions made about her by later authors, particularly around promiscuity and jealousy, and I found the story of the Val sans retour to be a fascinating counterpoint.
Damien Mckeating, author of 'Destiny Forged':
Morgana is a fascinating character, and her position in Arthurian legend leaves room for a writer to explore a lot of different themes. There is a love triangle, betrayal, family bonds, a search for power, the dual nature of her feud with Arthur set against her being there to guide him to Avalon. The focus is so often on Arthur and Knights, and this leaves Morgana a certain freedom to become many different things to different storytellers.
Nico Martinez Nocito, author of 'To Catch a Name':
Morgana is an incredibly layered character, and narratives of her are so diverse that her true nature is at best unreliable. I couldn't resist developing that dimensionality further, particularly by reimagining her as queer and trans.
M.R. Robinson 'Hound, Hart, Crow, Queen':
Growing up, I absolutely devoured stories of Arthur and his knights. I was especially obsessed with Morgana, who proved there was a place for complex, interesting women in these stories, even when (or especially when) she happened to be the villain.
C.J. Subko, author of 'Sea-born':
Morgana is always thought to be evil without any real motivation behind her actions. I always thought "No, we can do better than that."
Lana Voos, author of 'She Made a Doll in Winter':
How could I resist the chance to write about the original head-witch-in-charge?
Holly Lyn Walrath, author of 'Every Son a Reaver':
I'm fascinated by the many different cultural interpretations of Morgana. The title for my story, for example, comes from the Irish myth of the crow/war goddess, believed to be one iteration of Morgana where she delivers a prophecy of the endtimes.
Q: Do you have a favourite depiction of Morgana?
Marta Cobb, (Foreword):
I love paintings of Arthurian women by Pre-Raphaelite artists like Edward Burne-Jones or Federick Sandys. Some amazing actresses have played Morgan le Fay in film and television as well (Helen Mirren, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter...) I love Katie McGrath in BBC's Merlin, but the way the show portrays her character also makes me very cross!
Pamela Koehne-Drube, (Introduction):
Overall, my favourite edition of the Arthurian legends is the 1893 edition of Sir Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte Darthur illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley. His illustrations have a surprisingly modern feel while still feeling grounded in their medieval setting.
K. Blair, author of 'His Head in Your Lap, Dear Brother':
I enjoy her depiction in David Lavery's The Green Knight (2021). Sarita Choudhury gives her an amazing gravitas and mythic power. Visually her depiction in Excalibur (1981) as played by Helen Mirren had a deep impression, her costumes are stunning.
Chris A. Bolton, author of 'Morgana and the Morrigan':
I would say a favorite "performance" is Helen Mirren in Excalibur (1981). I find the movie disappointing for a number of reasons, but Mirren gives such a great performance and so perfectly embodies Morgana that it's a shame she never got a solo movie.
Courtney Danielson, author of 'No Need for the Green Knight':
I love any piece that celebrates Morgana Le Fay rather than turning her into an evil sorceress!. So, my top two are probably The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope (Yes, she’s in there! She owns the library that lets Jack and Annie explore history). I also think it would be an oversight to not mention Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory and Tolkien’s translation of “Sir Gwaine and the Green Knight” which served as a very loose inspiration for my story. I have a really brilliant English professor to thank for putting those texts into my hands! I’m also really excited to dive into the stories other contributors cooked up. Maybe I’ll have some new favorites to add to the list soon.
Evan Davies, author of 'The Woman with the Bleeding Eye':
My first clear memory of Morgana is of her albeit tangential role in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I think it says a lot about a woman that she’s not quite evil enough to kill Gawain after her plan to spite Arthur goes awry, but she is still petty enough to spend a year and a day tormenting him. Frankly, sounds like my kind of person.
Caroline Fleischauer, author of 'To Cut the Rot':
Sophie Keetch's Morgan Is My Name.
Micah Giddens, author of 'Gelato':
That's tricky because there're so many versions of Morgana throughout history. A cheater answer is: Sarita Choudhury's version in The Green Knight. Technically she is Morgause, but Morgause and Morgana are often conflated in adaptations, so I kinda count it. I loved how she essentially summoned the Green Knight as an elaborate ruse to get her slacker son to grow up. For a non-cheater answer, I'm a fan of Eva Green's version of Morgan, because, well, she's Eva Green.
Lyndsay E. Gilbert 'The Story That I Want':
I really enjoy the character of Morgana le Fay in the Irish dancing performance of 'Lord of the Dance'. She is a villain and a trickster and she is mesmerizing and beautiful. I sought out art and novels about her after seeing the show.
Liam Hogan, author of 'Under Avalon':
Boorman's Excalibur, though it takes its liberties, in particular the scene when Morgana is tempted into unwisely using her powers by Merlin. Flattery, and hubris, and cunning but also if you were that powerful... wouldn't you want to see what you could do?
Larry Ivkovich, author of 'An Offense of Memory':
Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Morgana in the 1981 movie Excalibur, though not completely faithful to the source material, is still one of my favorite depictions of the character.
Alexis Kaegi, author of 'Mirror, Mirage':
Having grown up fascinated by Arthurian stories and retellings like The Lost Years of Merlin and The Once and Future King, it was no surprise that the 2008 BBC series Merlin would be an instant favorite of mine. Katie McGrath’s portrayal of a tragically fated Morgana, multifaceted and misunderstood, is what first made the legendary sorceress so very dear to me.
Damien Mckeating, author of 'Destiny Forged':
The Arthurian legend and its characters, including Morgana, feel like fairytales. You grow up knowing them, they’re a part of the rich tapestry of stories around you, and it can be difficult to know when you first heard them. To pick a favourite, however, it might have to be the 1998 production of Merlin, with Helena Bonham Carter as Morgana, with the character meeting a tragic end if I remember right.
Nico Martinez Nocito, author of 'To Catch a Name':
Many of my favorite works of Arthurian literature largely skirt Morgana's character, which perhaps drew me to placing her at the forefront of a story. My favorite modern take that includes her (though in a minor roll) is The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White.
M.R. Robinson 'Hound, Hart, Crow, Queen':
My earliest encounter with Morgana was in the Magic Tree House books, where she's less evil sorceress, more benevolent librarian. As a scholar of early modern literature, I probably ought to turn to history for my answer--but all these years later, I still have a soft spot for the way those books play with Arthurian legend.
C.J. Subko, author of 'Sea-born':
I had a book called Women of Camelot that had a really nice story about Morgana in it. It was the first time I was exposed to Morgana in print, and it viewed her as a whole person.
Lana Voos, author of 'She Made a Doll in Winter':
I have a huge soft spot for Morgana's depiction on BBC's Merlin. Panicked at her growing power, but still very capable of chilling, sort of like Carrie, if Carrie had friends and hobbies and money. Also love how she had more chemistry with Gwen than anyone else in the cast.
Holly Lyn Walrath, author of 'Every Son a Reaver':
As a 90s kid, I loved the 1998 version of Morgana staring Helena Bonham Carter. Just enough whimsy mixed with mischief.
