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Morgause

Arthurian Legend
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Arthur’s half-sister, mother of Gawain and Mordred, lover of Lamorak

Detailed Definition
Morgause’s incestuous union with Arthur births Mordred, dooming Camelot. In poetry, she embodies the dangerous allure of kinship and forbidden desire, her political maneuvering accelerating the realm’s collapse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Morgause, mother of Gawain and Mordred, has affair with Lamorak in Malory; Poets depict her as ambitious queen entangled in fatal passions; Her death at Gaheris’s hands shocks Camelot’s moral order; In feminist verse, Morgause’s choices reflect limited royal options; Modern retellings explore her as sister to Morgan, yet distinct; Morgause’s legacy is both noble sons and destructive secrets.
Additional Notes
Morgause is Arthur’s half-sister (daughter of Igraine), wife of King Lot, and mother of Gawain and Mordred; her affair with Arthur (unknowingly incestuous) produces Mordred—poets use her to examine fate, forbidden desire, and the tragic entanglement of family and destiny.
Also Known As
Anna (in some early texts) Margawse Queen of Orkney Bellicent
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