It occured to me that murder sounded like mordred that is another name for the Morrigan (godess of gory thngs and war so death too). Think there might be a connection...

Morrigan means either Great Queen or Phanthom Queen (Mór = great, rigán = queen). 'Murder' is from the Old English 'morthor.' The Morrigan is also associated with sexuality and fertility.

Note also French mourir, to die (mort = dead/death) and I used to know the latin but I've forgotten.
Not to be confused with tuer, to kill. Death and murder not necessarily inclusive.

Just a thought;
Morgaine and Mordred in the King Arthur stories....is there a link there?

Morgaine Layfay And Auther are sister and brother....Mag..a evil witch..turn Morgaine Layfay into a pretty young lady so she would follow the old ways...She told Morgaine to sleep with Auther...and that there would be a son...disguissed in her beauty....she did as Mag told her...there was a son...his name was Mordred...he tries to get the thrown from Aither...in the tale I was told..Mordred and Auter both die in battle fighing each other...now remember that Auther didn't know it was his sister because she used to be ugly and skinny......Auther thought she was just an other Lady...does that answer anything???

Thanks :)
I was also wondering if it was just a coincedence that the name Morgaine and Morrigan were so similar?

Hi Emer

I think a lot of your queries are answered in Roger Sherman Loomis' book, 'Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance.' He was the foremost authority on the topic in the 20th century.

Should Sarette or Emer want a slightly different take on the Arthurian thing, do check out Marian Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon. Sarette, your version of the tale seems suspiciously like the one from the Merlin miniseries, which I, personally, thought was bollocks. I could be wrong though - and you're entitled to like it if you want :)