Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For this week’s Femme Fatale Friday post, I will be discussing my beloved Faery Queen and Mermaid Goddess of Avalon, Melusine. In particular, I will be exploring her Dragonic Flight back to Avalon!
This part of Melusine’s legend begins when her husband, Raymond, spied on her on a Saturday, which he had promised never to do before they were wed, and in tales of Faery Brides, a promise to a Faery Bride needs to be kept. After Raymond had spied on Melusine on a Saturday, seeing his wife immersed in a tub with her Mermaid or Serpent tail on full display, Melusine knew immediately about the betrayal. However, in most versions of the legend, Raymond did not confront Melusine when he saw her true nature for the first time. Instead, he felt immense guilt, realizing the true power his wife held, and because of this, Melusine did not leave her husband at that point, as her love for him was deep. It was only after Raymond confronted Melusine, in front of others, in a rage at their son, Geoffrey, for burning down a monastery, that Melusine left.
This is how Melusine’s Draconic Flight back to Avalon began. In utter heartbreak, Melusine turned into a Dragon and returned to her home in Avalon! Now, this is a moment of the legend that captured the fancy of many medieval artists, and you can easily find artwork of Melusine with Draconic features. However, rather interestingly, in this art, Melusine is most often depicted as still being partially human. She has wings and is flying, and often the Serpent or Mermaid tail is also visible, but we see Melusine’s head, hair, facial features, and upper torso in human form! I think that this is a deliberate choice to show that Melusine is not a monster, even though that is exactly what Raymond had called her during the confrontation.
In most versions of the legend, Melusine had a very agonized goodbye with Raymond, letting him know that he would never again see his wife (at least not in humanoid form). She also laid out prophecies regarding their youngest children at this time, which would impact the continuation of the pseudo-historical narrative we see in many versions, most notably in Jean d’Arras’ original written version of the legend!
I find so much sorrow in this part of her story, even if there is empowerment in Melusine’s Dragon form. Yes, Dragons are incredibly powerful, and Melusine’s ability to become a Dragon, as an evolution of her Serpentine Mermaid nature, is incredible. However, Melusine is also going through immense heartbreak at leaving Raymond and her youngest sons! That is why Melusine later appeared in her Dragon form, acting as a Banshee-like figure, in the three days leading up to Raymond’s death, a tradition that continued as her children died, and so on.
In this way, Melusine’s Draconic Flight is directly tied to her nature as an Ancestress of the Land, and a Divine Ancestress of Royal Bloodlines. This is but one part of Melusine’s tale, one part of Melusine’s potent story, and one part of Melusine’s Arcane Wisdom. I wanted to discuss this a bit today, as this part of the legend always feels very aligned with the Dark Half of the Year, as it is full of grief and heartbreak. But it is through that pain that Melusine became stronger, becoming the Dragon, which is quite a lovely way to think about grief! There is so much knowledge that we can learn by studying Melusine’s legend and building a relationship with her, which is why I am so grateful to have been chosen by Melusine to teach her Mysteries. I truly cannot wait to welcome in a new cohort of students into the Melusine Mysteries this coming Spring!
I hope you have enjoyed this short look at Melusine and her Draconic Flight. What do you find most impactful about this part of the legend? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a medieval artwork of Melusine’s flight. I found the art on https://www.compagniephilemon.fr/a-la-poursuite-de-melusine/.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Note: My brand new Patreon exclusive blog post is a reflection of how I came to be a Priestess of Melusine, and is available to my Owl and Raven Tier Members! https://www.patreon.com/posts/heeding-call-of-143268084?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Further Reading
- Melusine by Jean d’Arras
- https://whiteroseofavalon.life/product/the-melusine-mysteries-a-white-rose-of-avalon-online-faery-queen-immersion-class/
3 responses to “Melusine’s Draconic Flight”
This is a beautifully insightful analysis of such a pivotal and poignant moment in Melusine’s legend. Thank you for sharing this for Femme Fatale Friday. 🌷🤝
What I find most impactful about this part of the legend is precisely the duality you so eloquently described: the simultaneous empowerment and profound heartbreak.
On one hand, her transformation into a Dragon is the ultimate act of reclaiming her power. It is a spectacular, undeniable assertion of her true divine nature in the face of being called a “monster” by the man who swore to love her. She doesn’t slink away in shame; she ascends and departs in a form that commands awe and fear.
On the other hand, as you noted, the medieval artists captured a profound truth by keeping her human features. She is not a mindless beast. She is Melusine, the mother, the wife, the queen, choosing to leave the life she built, and that choice is agonizing. The power is not a liberation from feeling, but an expression of it. Her Draconic Flight is a flight from a broken vow, but it is also, tragically, a flight away from her children and the human love she cherished.
This reframes her later role as a Banshee not as a curse, but as a continued, loving, though sorrowful, guardianship. She doesn’t abandon her lineage; she transitions into being their ancestral spirit, their protector, and the omen that connects their mortal passing back to the mystical realm of Avalon.
Your point about this aligning with the Dark Half of the Year is perfect. It’s a story of necessary endings, of the grief that forges a new and more powerful identity. We see the “leaf-fall” of her human life, which allows her to reveal the mighty “dragon-bones” of her true, eternal self.
Thank you again for this wonderful exploration. It’s a powerful reminder that in myth, as in life, the most profound transformations are often born from the deepest pains.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad that this discussion of Melusine’s Draconic Flight resonated with you! As always, thanks for reading and commenting.
You are welcome Maranda 🌷🤝