Mandrake Root

"The mandrake root is cruel.  Pierces the depths of your very soul. Pushes you into the very mere consciousness of what you fear and dread."

- Morgana to Guinevere

Mandrake Roots are magical plants frequently used in spells and rituals, particularly those involving dark magic.

Though only those with magic can hear its cries, even those without magic can be effected by it. It is said that its magic can pierce the very soul, twisting the unconscious into the very image of fear and dread.

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

- Morgause to Morgana

Morgause and Morgana used a mandrake root enchantment to drive Uther mad. After preparing the necessary potion, Morgause added a handkerchief containing Uther's tears and then the root itself, which emitted a piercing scream. She then removed the root from the potion 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 executed during the Great Purge. The hallucinations grew steadily worse until he was confined to his bed, leading the people of Camelot to believe that he was losing his mind.

To keep the enchantment going, Morgause's cave every evening for a freshly enchanted root. One night, she was stopped by one of the castle guards. He mistook the potion dripping from the root for blood and she was forced to kill him before he discovered what it really was.

The root was eventually discovered by Merlin while he was working in Uther's chambers. He later threw the root into the fire, destroying it and releasing Uther from the enchantment (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).

Enchanting Guinevere
"Her spirit has been consumed by the Teine Diaga. Bound by the silver wheel for all eternity. Her body is nothing but an empty vessel filled by the will of another."

- The Dochraid to Merlin about Guinevere

When Gwen was kidnapped by Morgana, she was taken to the Dark Tower and imprisoned in a room filled with mandrake roots. The roots were coated with a black potion and induced nightmarish hallucinations of endless screaming and her friends and loved ones laughing at her.

Over the course of several days, Morgana visited regularly to offer food and comfort. She tried to convince Gwen that she was the only person she could trust. Gwen resisted at first, but her resolve slowly crumbled as the hallucinations intensified. By the time Arthur and his men rescued her, her mind was under Morgana's control (The Dark Tower).

After discovering Gwen's enchantment, Merlin learned that the ritual Morgana had subjected to was called the Teine Diaga. According to Gaius, the ritual used the mandrake root to bring unimaginable terror to the victim. When it was over, their will was no longer their own and they were slaves of the High Priestesses for all eternity.

Merlin later learned from the Dochraid that the only way to reverse the enchantment was to take the victim to the Cauldron of Arianrhod and summon the White Goddess. However, it would only work if Gwen entered the Cauldron's waters willingly; if she were tricked or forced, her soul would be lost forever (With All My Heart).

Appearances

 * Series 3
 * The Tears of Uther Pendragon


 * Series 5
 * The Dark Tower
 * With All My Heart

Trivia

 * It is possible that when a mandrake's effects on a person are worsened, it can partially reduce a person's consciousness and focus the victim more on their visions than their surroundings. When Uther's sickness was worsened, he was so lost in visions that he was unaware that Morgana was standing in front of him even when he was awake (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).
 * According to Katie McGrath (Morgana), in the audio commentary of The Tears of Uther Pendragon, she and Emilia Fox (Morgause) were so fond of the mandrake root they nicknamed it "Manny".