Mandrake Root Enchantment

"Uther will find that his great kingdom counts for nothing, when he has lost his mind."

- Morgause to Morgana

The Mandrake Root Enchantment is an enchantment that uses the magical properties of the mandrake root to drive its victim mad.

To cast this enchantment, the root must be submerged in a potion containing the victim's tears while a sorcerer incants a spell. The root (still coated with the potion) must then be placed in close proximity to the victim in order to take effect.

History
Morgause and Morgana used this enchantment to drive Uther mad. After completing the necessary potion with a handkerchief used to dry Uther's tears, Morgause submerged a mandrake root in the potion and incanted a spell. She then removed the root and gave it to Morgana.

Morgana took the root back to the citadel and hid it beneath Uther's bed. That night, Uther began to suffer nightmarish hallucinations of his wife Ygraine and children he'd had executed during the Great Purge. The hallucinations grew steadily worse over time and within a day he was confined to his bed.

While tending to Uther, Merlin discovered the mandrake root beneath his bed and witnessed Morgana take it away. He followed her into the forest and spied on her meeting with Morgause, but was captured before he could return to the citadel.

Fortunately, Merlin escaped with Kilgharrah's help and alerted Gaius to what Morgana had done. They went to the king's chambers and found Uther cowering on the floor. While Gaius went to him, Merlin retrieved the root from beneath his bed and threw it into the fire, incinerating it and releasing Uther from the enchantment (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).

Trivia

 * This enchantment must be renewed with a fresh mandrake root every day (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).
 * The effects of this enchantment can be intensified by damaging the mandrake root. Morgana deepened Uther's terror by strangling the root with a string (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).