If you read the “Song of Roland” (Also called Orlando Furioso), the story takes place in the time of Charlemagne. It is a companion to the King Arthur Legends. In it you will find Merlin and his lover Morgana and just about every beautiful and desired damsel is from the Orient and has Kung Fu skills. Evidently, the knights of old liked Asian women also.
What was really enlightening was that Morgan Le Fey is the Lady of the Lake and when Merlin created Excalibur he made 2 identical copies and gave one to Morgana. He told her the first one would be broken by Arthur and cast into the Lake. She was to hide the broken one and return the copy to Arthur.
I have Orlando Furioso in my library; read it university in the 70’s. Looks like I have to reread it again. Thanks for the reference.
Morgana La Fey was not the Lady of the Lake. She was Merlin’s nemesis, and, by extension, Arthur’s.
King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Dennis: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
Arthur: Be quiet!
Dennis: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ‘cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Quibble -- Orlando Furiouso is not the Song of Roland, it is an entertaining, very broad, gentle lampoon of the Song of Roland.