Morgause (Queen)

Morgause was the daughter of Igraine and her first husband, Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall. By her birth, Morgause was full sister to Morgan and Half-sister to Arthur.

Much like Morgan, Morgause was a law unto herself. Her independent ways and habit or taking lovers led her to be given the same unseemly reputation as her liberated sister. Morgause wed the rebel King Lot of Orkney. She bore five sons--Gawain, Gaberis, Agravain, Gareth, and Mordred--all of whom joined Arthur at his court. Though ti is absent in earlier versions, the story developed to include an uncestuous relationship between Morgause and Arthur, who was said to be unaware of their blood ties at the time. Their alleged union begat Mordred, and so ultimately this sin became the convenient reason for the fall of Arthur.

After her husband's death, Morgause spent much of her time ruling her lands and raising her sons. It was saaid that Arthur dreaded her visits as they sowed discord amongst the knights, wo competed for the beauty's attention. While on one of ehr occasional visits to the court, Morgause took Lamorak, the young son of Pellinore to be ehr lover. Pellinore, by some accounts, waas the man who had killed King Lot in Arthur's early battle with the rebel kings.

In ligth of this, Lot's sons saw their mother's behavior as a disgrace to their father's memory. Thinking that his mother had betrayed her clan, Galeris slew both lovers as they lay in their bed.

From Ferguson, Anna-Marie. Keeper of Words. 1995 Llewellyn Publications. St. Paul, Minnesota. (207)