Morgen

## OTHER NAMES

* Sea-born
* Tide-drawn
* Meniscate-sister
* Witch-lover

**Morgen** is an alukite and a member of the Ligeia Club. She is described as having a lethal reputation, laughter like birdsong, and eyes ‘like something of a bird’s - shining beads of black.’ She knows the House of the Moon best among the Ligeians. Morgen is rumored to have origins in Ys, the city that is ever unbuilt or exists in some form (some Histories?) across the Atlantic Ocean.

She owns **the Key of David**, which opens **the White Door** when housed in ivory, and **the Summit Gate** when housed in black sapphire. Her sacrificial animal is a **black mare**, but it does not seem to be necessary for her Key to occur. Her associated animal is the **bull**, which does not line up with her sacrificial animal.

## Other Notes

* Matutine is a word meaning ‘related to the morning’ in Latin, ultimately derived from the Roman goddess of dawn, Mater Matuta.

* ‘Morgen’ is German for ‘morning’, and is a name shared with mari-morgans, Welsh and Breton water spirits which are eternally young and comparable to sirens, luring men to death with ‘their own sylphic beauty, or with glimpses of underwater gardens with buildings of gold or crystal.’

* She may be related to the character Morgan le Fay, a powerful enchantress in the Arthurian legend. The earliest spelling of le Fay’s name, Morgen, means sea-born, matching perfectly with the Ligeian.  Morgan is usually portrayed as a goddess, a fay, a witch, or a sorceress. In early iterations she is generally benevolent and is the magical saviour and protector of King Arthur. Her role in the myths increased over time and she was later portrayed as morally ambivalent or even as an antagonist.

* Goes by Mme Matutine when encountered in Amsterdam by the Exile, and owns a yacht, the Sapphire.

* A Ligeian abbreviated ‘young M.’, likely Morgen or possibly Marinette, was on one occasion incivil to Klêidouchos, by making a joke about feathers and calling her Pandora.

* She made the Flûte Matutine, possibly from a remnant of one of her victims.

* She has an acquaintance with the Nameless Name of the Velvet (calling the Name her Nameless dear), and has an interest in Pentiments.

* She offers to intercede with the Velvet on behalf of the Exile, and when she smells the blood of the earth in them she offers passage past the Summit Gate and into the House of the Moon.

* She is jealous of the key of black sapphire, which has fled her many times. The meaning of this is somewhat unclear. The key of black sapphire here probably refers to the Key of David, which she now holds, however the phrasing of the text from Enigma seems to go against that. Another hypothesis is that she is specifically jealous of the black sapphire housing for the key, which the Exile’s pentiments help her to obtain and use. Alternatively, the key of black sapphire may refer to a different Key.
	+ Another, much stronger interpretation is that her jealousy should be interpreted as that of being fiercely protective or vigilant over one's possessions or relationships. Thus the key of black sapphire - which is the Key of David - has fled her many times, getting away from her possession rather than avoiding her acquisition of it. It is unclear what level of agency the key of black sapphire has in this scenario. This interpretation resolves many of the difficulties with previous interpretations.
* Matutine makes an appearance in *the Lady Afterwards* as an observer to the events unfolding in Alexandria, though she can be convinced to take a more active role, if only for her own amusement.

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mme Matutine
2. ↑ Mme Matutine!
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Enigma Phase X – Solution
4. ↑ Three, The Summit Gate
5. ↑ Read 'The Viennese Conundra'
6. ↑ Matutinal, Mater Matuta
7. ↑ Morgen (mythological creature)
8. ↑ Morgan le Fay
9. ↑ On the Smoky Satisfaction..., enigma lore compilation
10. ↑ Curio: Flûte Matutine
11. ↑ An Audience With Mme Matutine?, Present a third Pentiment to Mme Matutine
12. ↑ Present a fifth Pentiment to Mme Matutine
13. ↑ Kinship