Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter

Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter

Author: Jill M. Hebert

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-03-12

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1137022655

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This study re-examines Morgan le Fay in early medieval and contemporary Arthurian sources, arguing that she embodies the concerns of each era even as she defies social and gender expectations. Hebert uses leFay as a lens to explore traditional ideas of femininity, monstrousness, resistance, identity, and social expectations for women and men alike.


Book Synopsis Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter by : Jill M. Hebert

Download or read book Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter written by Jill M. Hebert and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-03-12 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study re-examines Morgan le Fay in early medieval and contemporary Arthurian sources, arguing that she embodies the concerns of each era even as she defies social and gender expectations. Hebert uses leFay as a lens to explore traditional ideas of femininity, monstrousness, resistance, identity, and social expectations for women and men alike.


Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter

Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter

Author: Jill M. Hebert

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-03-12

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 1137022655

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This study re-examines Morgan le Fay in early medieval and contemporary Arthurian sources, arguing that she embodies the concerns of each era even as she defies social and gender expectations. Hebert uses leFay as a lens to explore traditional ideas of femininity, monstrousness, resistance, identity, and social expectations for women and men alike.


Book Synopsis Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter by : Jill M. Hebert

Download or read book Morgan le Fay, Shapeshifter written by Jill M. Hebert and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-03-12 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study re-examines Morgan le Fay in early medieval and contemporary Arthurian sources, arguing that she embodies the concerns of each era even as she defies social and gender expectations. Hebert uses leFay as a lens to explore traditional ideas of femininity, monstrousness, resistance, identity, and social expectations for women and men alike.


Shapeshifter

Shapeshifter

Author: Jill Marie Hebert

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 564

ISBN-13:

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"Shapeshifter: The Manifestation of Morgan le Fay" focuses on the roles of Morgan le Fay in selected medieval through contemporary Arthurian works. Morgan's ever-changing portrayals employ and confound dichotomies and archetypes that attempt to restrict identity. The term "shapeshifter" evokes Morgan's ability to evade the shape(s) others--authors, critics, and characters--attempt to impose upon her, to use the expectations of others against them, and to move among, outside of, and around assumptions as necessary. This versatility also demonstrates by comparison how culturally determined definitions of identity inhibit other characters (such as knights) with whom she interacts. Traditionally, Morgan's character is viewed as devolving from a benign or even positive role in Latin sources such as the Vita Merlini to a malicious one in the Vulgate and Malory. A careful look at the Vita and similar sources reveals, however, that complexity infuses her character from the beginning. Morgan's representations, rooted in Celtic and Greco-Roman mythology and folklore, create ambiguities that remain evident in later medieval sources. Morgan and her analogues, the Loathly Lady and fairy mistress, teach knights such as Gawain and Sir Launfal more complex lessons about themselves and their world than life at a rigid court allows. Fluid and variable, her "marginalized" position as denizen of the forest grants her the power and freedom to critique social strictures; her ability to ignore the constraints placed on women enables her to show knights how their identities restrict them. In Malory, she extends this role by acting as political advisor to Arthur, reminding him of his own self-imposed limits created by his refusal to address the damaging disloyalty endangering his rule. Enticing hints of Morgan's multivalence appear in the Renaissance and following eras, even as representations of female characters retreat to archetypes such as the femme fatale in Spenser's Faerie Queene and Romantic and Victorian poetry and art. In the modern and contemporary eras, Morgan's roles in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and three fantasy novels suggest a tantalizing potential for mutability that is simultaneously undercut by societal and authorial concerns.


Book Synopsis Shapeshifter by : Jill Marie Hebert

Download or read book Shapeshifter written by Jill Marie Hebert and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Shapeshifter: The Manifestation of Morgan le Fay" focuses on the roles of Morgan le Fay in selected medieval through contemporary Arthurian works. Morgan's ever-changing portrayals employ and confound dichotomies and archetypes that attempt to restrict identity. The term "shapeshifter" evokes Morgan's ability to evade the shape(s) others--authors, critics, and characters--attempt to impose upon her, to use the expectations of others against them, and to move among, outside of, and around assumptions as necessary. This versatility also demonstrates by comparison how culturally determined definitions of identity inhibit other characters (such as knights) with whom she interacts. Traditionally, Morgan's character is viewed as devolving from a benign or even positive role in Latin sources such as the Vita Merlini to a malicious one in the Vulgate and Malory. A careful look at the Vita and similar sources reveals, however, that complexity infuses her character from the beginning. Morgan's representations, rooted in Celtic and Greco-Roman mythology and folklore, create ambiguities that remain evident in later medieval sources. Morgan and her analogues, the Loathly Lady and fairy mistress, teach knights such as Gawain and Sir Launfal more complex lessons about themselves and their world than life at a rigid court allows. Fluid and variable, her "marginalized" position as denizen of the forest grants her the power and freedom to critique social strictures; her ability to ignore the constraints placed on women enables her to show knights how their identities restrict them. In Malory, she extends this role by acting as political advisor to Arthur, reminding him of his own self-imposed limits created by his refusal to address the damaging disloyalty endangering his rule. Enticing hints of Morgan's multivalence appear in the Renaissance and following eras, even as representations of female characters retreat to archetypes such as the femme fatale in Spenser's Faerie Queene and Romantic and Victorian poetry and art. In the modern and contemporary eras, Morgan's roles in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and three fantasy novels suggest a tantalizing potential for mutability that is simultaneously undercut by societal and authorial concerns.


Which Witch?

Which Witch?

Author: Cheyenne Oliver

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 97

ISBN-13:

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Descended from Celtic goddesses and the fairies of folklore, the literary character of Morgan le Fay has been most commonly perceived as a witch and a one-dimensional villainess who plagues King Arthur and his court, rather than recognized as the legendary King's enchanted healer and otherworldly guardian. Too often the complexity of Morgan le Fay and her supernatural abilities are lost, her character neglected as peripheral. As a literary figure of imaginative design this thesis explores Morgan le Fay as a unique "window" into the medieval mindset, whereby one can recover both medieval understandings of magic and female magicians. By analyzing her role in key sources from the twelfth to fifteenth century, this thesis uses Morgan le Fay to recover nuanced perceptions of the supernatural in medieval England that embraced the ambiguity of a pagan past and remained insulated from continental constructions of demonic witchcraft.


Book Synopsis Which Witch? by : Cheyenne Oliver

Download or read book Which Witch? written by Cheyenne Oliver and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Descended from Celtic goddesses and the fairies of folklore, the literary character of Morgan le Fay has been most commonly perceived as a witch and a one-dimensional villainess who plagues King Arthur and his court, rather than recognized as the legendary King's enchanted healer and otherworldly guardian. Too often the complexity of Morgan le Fay and her supernatural abilities are lost, her character neglected as peripheral. As a literary figure of imaginative design this thesis explores Morgan le Fay as a unique "window" into the medieval mindset, whereby one can recover both medieval understandings of magic and female magicians. By analyzing her role in key sources from the twelfth to fifteenth century, this thesis uses Morgan le Fay to recover nuanced perceptions of the supernatural in medieval England that embraced the ambiguity of a pagan past and remained insulated from continental constructions of demonic witchcraft.


Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess

Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess

Author: Stephanie Woodfield

Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide

Published: 2011-10-08

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 0738730858

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Invoke the Morrigan—the Celtic embodiment of the victory, strength, and power of the Divine Feminine—and be transformed by her fierce and magnificent energy. In this comprehensive, hands-on guide to Celtic Witchcraft, Stephanie Woodfield invites you to explore the Morrigan's rich history and origins, mythology, and magic. Discover the hidden lessons and spiritual mysteries of the Dark Goddess as you perform guided pathworkings, rituals, and spells compatible with any magical path. Draw on the unique energies of the Morrigan's many expressions—her three main aspects of Macha, Anu, and Badb; the legendary Morgan Le Fay; and her other powerful guises. From shapeshifting and faery magic to summoning a lover and creating an Ogham oracle, the dynamic and multifaceted Dark Goddess will bring empowering wisdom and enchantment to your life and spiritual practice.


Book Synopsis Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess by : Stephanie Woodfield

Download or read book Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess written by Stephanie Woodfield and published by Llewellyn Worldwide. This book was released on 2011-10-08 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Invoke the Morrigan—the Celtic embodiment of the victory, strength, and power of the Divine Feminine—and be transformed by her fierce and magnificent energy. In this comprehensive, hands-on guide to Celtic Witchcraft, Stephanie Woodfield invites you to explore the Morrigan's rich history and origins, mythology, and magic. Discover the hidden lessons and spiritual mysteries of the Dark Goddess as you perform guided pathworkings, rituals, and spells compatible with any magical path. Draw on the unique energies of the Morrigan's many expressions—her three main aspects of Macha, Anu, and Badb; the legendary Morgan Le Fay; and her other powerful guises. From shapeshifting and faery magic to summoning a lover and creating an Ogham oracle, the dynamic and multifaceted Dark Goddess will bring empowering wisdom and enchantment to your life and spiritual practice.


The Life of Merlin, Vita Merlini

The Life of Merlin, Vita Merlini

Author: Geoffrey of Monmouth

Publisher: Readaclassic.com

Published: 2011-02-01

Total Pages: 108

ISBN-13: 9781611044614

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Vita Merlini, or The Life of Merlin, is a work by the Norman-Welsh author Geoffrey of Monmouth, composed in Latin around AD 1150. It retells incidents from the life of the Brythonic seer Merlin, and is based on traditional material about him. Merlin is described as a prophet in the text. There are a number of episodes in which he loses his mind and lives in the wilderness like a wild animal, like Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel. It is also the first work to describe the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, as Morgen. Geoffrey had written of Merlin in his two previous works, the Prophetiae Merlini, purported to be a series of prophecies from the sage, and the Historia Regum Britanniae, which is the first work presenting a link between Merlin and King Arthur. The Vita Merlini presents an account of Merlin much more faithful to the Welsh traditions about Myrddin Wyllt, the archetype behind Geoffrey's composite figure of Merlin. Whereas the Historia had Merlin associating with Arthur, his father Uther Pendragon, and his uncle Ambrosius in the 5th century, the Vita's timeframe is during the late 6th century, and includes references to various figures from that period, including Gwenddoleu and Taliesin. Geoffrey attempts to synchronize the Vita with his earlier work by having Merlin mention he had been with Arthur long before.


Book Synopsis The Life of Merlin, Vita Merlini by : Geoffrey of Monmouth

Download or read book The Life of Merlin, Vita Merlini written by Geoffrey of Monmouth and published by Readaclassic.com. This book was released on 2011-02-01 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vita Merlini, or The Life of Merlin, is a work by the Norman-Welsh author Geoffrey of Monmouth, composed in Latin around AD 1150. It retells incidents from the life of the Brythonic seer Merlin, and is based on traditional material about him. Merlin is described as a prophet in the text. There are a number of episodes in which he loses his mind and lives in the wilderness like a wild animal, like Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel. It is also the first work to describe the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, as Morgen. Geoffrey had written of Merlin in his two previous works, the Prophetiae Merlini, purported to be a series of prophecies from the sage, and the Historia Regum Britanniae, which is the first work presenting a link between Merlin and King Arthur. The Vita Merlini presents an account of Merlin much more faithful to the Welsh traditions about Myrddin Wyllt, the archetype behind Geoffrey's composite figure of Merlin. Whereas the Historia had Merlin associating with Arthur, his father Uther Pendragon, and his uncle Ambrosius in the 5th century, the Vita's timeframe is during the late 6th century, and includes references to various figures from that period, including Gwenddoleu and Taliesin. Geoffrey attempts to synchronize the Vita with his earlier work by having Merlin mention he had been with Arthur long before.


Crafting the Witch

Crafting the Witch

Author: Heidi Breuer

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2009-05-05

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1135868220

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This book analyzes the gendered transformation of magical figures occurring in Arthurian romance in England from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. In the earlier texts, magic is predominantly a masculine pursuit, garnering its user prestige and power, but in the later texts, magic becomes a primarily feminine activity, one that marks its user as wicked and heretical. This project explores both the literary and the social motivations for this transformation, seeking an answer to the question, 'why did the witch become wicked?' Heidi Breuer traverses both the medieval and early modern periods and considers the way in which the representation of literary witches interacted with the culture at large, ultimately arguing that a series of economic crises in the fourteenth century created a labour shortage met by women. As women moved into the previously male-dominated economy, literary backlash came in the form of the witch, and social backlash followed soon after in the form of Renaissance witch-hunting. The witch figure serves a similar function in modern American culture because late-industrial capitalism challenges gender conventions in similar ways as the economic crises of the medieval period.


Book Synopsis Crafting the Witch by : Heidi Breuer

Download or read book Crafting the Witch written by Heidi Breuer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-05-05 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes the gendered transformation of magical figures occurring in Arthurian romance in England from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. In the earlier texts, magic is predominantly a masculine pursuit, garnering its user prestige and power, but in the later texts, magic becomes a primarily feminine activity, one that marks its user as wicked and heretical. This project explores both the literary and the social motivations for this transformation, seeking an answer to the question, 'why did the witch become wicked?' Heidi Breuer traverses both the medieval and early modern periods and considers the way in which the representation of literary witches interacted with the culture at large, ultimately arguing that a series of economic crises in the fourteenth century created a labour shortage met by women. As women moved into the previously male-dominated economy, literary backlash came in the form of the witch, and social backlash followed soon after in the form of Renaissance witch-hunting. The witch figure serves a similar function in modern American culture because late-industrial capitalism challenges gender conventions in similar ways as the economic crises of the medieval period.


The Myth of Morgan la Fey

The Myth of Morgan la Fey

Author: K. Pérez

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-04-02

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 1137332980

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The sister of King Arthur goes by many names: sorceress, kingmaker, death-wielder, mother, lover, goddess. The Myth of Morgan la Fey reveals her true identity through a comprehensive investigation of the famed enchantress' evolution - or devolution - over the past millennium and its implications for gender relations today.


Book Synopsis The Myth of Morgan la Fey by : K. Pérez

Download or read book The Myth of Morgan la Fey written by K. Pérez and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-04-02 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sister of King Arthur goes by many names: sorceress, kingmaker, death-wielder, mother, lover, goddess. The Myth of Morgan la Fey reveals her true identity through a comprehensive investigation of the famed enchantress' evolution - or devolution - over the past millennium and its implications for gender relations today.


Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance

Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance

Author: Roger Sherman Loomis

Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Published: 2005-08-30

Total Pages: 457

ISBN-13: 1613732104

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King Arthur was not an Englishman, but a Celtic warrior, according to Loomis, whose research into the background of the Arthurian legend reveals findings which are both illuminating and highly controversial. The author sees the vegetarian goddess as the prototype of many damsels in Arthurian romance, and Arthur's knights as the gods of sun and storm. If Loomis's arguments are accepted, where does this leave the historic Arthur?


Book Synopsis Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance by : Roger Sherman Loomis

Download or read book Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance written by Roger Sherman Loomis and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2005-08-30 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: King Arthur was not an Englishman, but a Celtic warrior, according to Loomis, whose research into the background of the Arthurian legend reveals findings which are both illuminating and highly controversial. The author sees the vegetarian goddess as the prototype of many damsels in Arthurian romance, and Arthur's knights as the gods of sun and storm. If Loomis's arguments are accepted, where does this leave the historic Arthur?


King Arthur and His Knights

King Arthur and His Knights

Author: Howard Pyle

Publisher: DigiCat

Published: 2023-12-14

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13:

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The Story of King Arthur and His Knights consists of a large series of episodes in the legend of the mythological first king of Britain King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. First part of the book tells how young Arthur pulled a sword out of an anvil, how he learned of his royal lineage, and how he thus became king. Second part tells the stories of Merlin, Sir Pellias, Sir Gawaine and other noble knights.


Book Synopsis King Arthur and His Knights by : Howard Pyle

Download or read book King Arthur and His Knights written by Howard Pyle and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2023-12-14 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights consists of a large series of episodes in the legend of the mythological first king of Britain King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. First part of the book tells how young Arthur pulled a sword out of an anvil, how he learned of his royal lineage, and how he thus became king. Second part tells the stories of Merlin, Sir Pellias, Sir Gawaine and other noble knights.