Date of Award
6-9-2006
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Religious Studies
First Advisor
Timothy Renick - Chair
Second Advisor
Kathryn McClymond
Third Advisor
Jonathan Herman
Abstract
In the Arthurian romances of the Middle Ages, the character of Morgan le Fay was transformed dramatically from her Welsh original, the goddess Modron. The effect was to vilify the enchantress so that medieval Christians would not be sympathetic to her character. This study consults the oldest available Welsh mythological and historical texts as well as the medieval romances surrounding King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Also consulted are some of the top contemporary Arthurian scholars. By unraveling Morgan’s transformation and the reasons for such change, it is revealed that medieval demonizing of old pagan deities was not limited to male deities. Instead, the most ancient deity of all, the Great Mother Goddess slowly became one of the most infamous characters in literature, Morgan le Fay.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/1062063
Recommended Citation
Carver, Dax Donald, "Goddess Dethroned: The Evolution of Morgan le Fay." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2006.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1062063