Morrigu is a sorcerer who serves as the primary antagonist of the TV series episode "The Smithee's Haunted Armor". Before turning to evil, he lived and worked together with the good sorcerer Dagda, becoming renowned as masters of lore and magic who used their powers to reward good and punish evil.
The episode's introductory narration explain that Morrigu and Dagda were a pair of ancient sorcerers who rewarded a blacksmith for his good work with a magical hammer capable of turning ordinary metal into gold in addition to a magical fire that could give life to metal and stone. Though the blacksmith prized his magical gifts, he eventually turned the objects toward evil purposes after several years. The blacksmith plotted to usurp the king's throne by creating weapons and armor, but the two sorcerers intervened, turning the blacksmith into the bronze Smithee and cursed him to forever keep watch over his magic weapons and armor until being defeated by a noble knight and released from his curse. Over time, Morrigu himself became evil as well, putting his selfish ambitions at odds with Dagda.
Dirk the Daring and Princess Daphne seek a blacksmith capable of forging a new suit of armor for King Ethelred in two days. Meeting Morrigu in disguise of an old man called “Walker” who promises them the armor they seek, they agree to journey with him to Smithee’s Knoll, concealed beneath the Glass Castle, formerly the home of Dagda and Morrigu. While journeying to the Knoll, the party is attacked by two winged dragons, but Morrigu uses his magic to make them both disappear. Morrigu then leads the party to the Glass Castle he formerly inhabited with Dagda while still keeping his true identity secret; he secretly orders the Caelrog who guards the castle to attack Dirk, explaining that the creature can only be harmed by diamonds. Daphne gives her diamond-studded crown toward Dirk, who flings it at the creature and destroys it upon contact. With the Caelrog defeated, the Glass Castle collapses, revealing the location of the Smithee's Knoll.
Inside the blacksmith's chamber, Morrigu and Dirk discover the hammer has gone missing. After awakening the Smithee by placing the blade of his sword over the enchanted forge, Dirk is attacked by the magical weapons and golden armor as Morrigu retreats to safety outside the Knoll. Now free to leave the Knoll, the Smithee runs into a nearby village and wreaks havoc.
Morrigu again deceives the heroes by leading them to the residence of Dagda, who had been living secretly as a fisherman. Instructing Dirk to delay the fisherman, Morrigu searches the house and steals the hammer in order to control the Smithee but is pursued by Daphne and Timothy. Dagda reveals the truth to Dirk, explaining that Morrigu can only be defeated by his own magic. Morrigu uses the hammer to call the Smithee to engage in a battle with Dirk, but the deft knight deflects a magically animated sword into Morrigu, causing him to vanish in defeat. Dirk then uses the magic hammer to bury the Smithee beneath a collapsed wooden platform, which causes the rest of the armor and weapons to lose their magic.
Trivia[]
- Morrigu's name may be inspired by the Irish mythological figure of the Morrígan (also known as Mórrígan, Danu, or Morrígu), known as the goddess of war and the envious wife of the Dagda, the great god of Irish mythology.
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