Lady of the Lake

Nimue, The Lady of the Lake, shown holding the infatuated Merlin trapped and reading from a book of spells, in The Beguiling of Merlin (1872–1877) by Edward Burne-Jones

Lady of the Lake is the titular name of the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend. She plays a pivotal role in many stories, including giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. Different writers and copyists give the Arthurian character the name Nimue, Viviane, Vivien, Elaine, Ninianne, Nivian, Nyneve, or Evienne, among other variations.[1]

In medieval literature

Merlin And Vivien (1912) by Lancelot Speed

The Lancelot-Grail Cycle provides a backstory for the Lady of the Lake, Viviane, in the prose Merlin section, which takes place before the Lancelot Proper, though it was written later. There, Viviane learns her magic from Merlin, who becomes enamored of her. She refuses to give him her love until he has taught her all his secrets, after which she uses her power to trap him either in the trunk of a tree or beneath a stone, depending on the story and author. Though Merlin, through his power of foresight knows beforehand that this will happen, he is unable to counteract Viviane because of the "truth" this ability of foresight holds. He decides to do nothing for his situation other than to continue to teach her his secrets until she takes the opportunity to entrap and entomb him in a tree, a stone or a cave.

"Arthur meets the Lady of the Lake and gets the Sword Excalibur". A 1919 illustration by Henry Justice Ford for Andrew Lang's Tales of Romance

The Post-Vulgate Cycle's second Lady of the Lake is called Ninianne, and her story is nearly identical to the one in the Lancelot-Grail, though it adds her bestowal of the magic sword Excalibur to Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory also uses both Ladies of the Lake in his Le Morte d'Arthur; he leaves the first one unnamed and calls the second one Nimue. Malory's original Lady is presented as an early benefactor of King Arthur who grants him Excalibur when his original sword is damaged. She is later beheaded by Sir Balin as a result of a kin feud between them (she blames him for the death of her brother and he blames her for the death of his mother) and a dispute over an enchanted sword.

According to the Vulgate Merlin, it was the goddess Diana's enchantment, given to Dyonas, that caused Viviane to be so alluring to Merlin.[2] The Vulgate Lancelot tells us that she was the Queen of Sicily, but considered a goddess by her subjects, pagan fools. The continuation post-vulgata Merlin describes how she killed her lover to be with another man, but then she was beheaded by this man to be a murderess. This story was later transferred to a lake in France, and was later called the Lake of Diana.

Sir Thomas Malory and the Lady of the Lake

Nimue

In Sir Thomas Malory’s text, Le Morte D’Arthur, he refers to Nimue as one of two Ladies of the Lake. Malory dissociates Nimue from the general title of Lady of the Lake, so that when Sir Balin kills (one of) the Ladies of the Lake Nimue can continue to play a pivotal role in the plot. Malory describes Nimue as the “chief” and most important lady, and she plays a pivotal role in Arthurian court throughout the story. Without Nimue the Arthurian tale would not be as potent as it is with her. Malory’s Nimue does not conform to the stereotypes surrounding her role. Firstly, it is not Nimue’s hand that juts out the lake to hand Excalibur to Arthur. According to Malory, this hand belongs to the other Lady of the Lake. Furthermore, Malory starts to break Nimue out of the stereotypical role that women in Arthurian literature tend to fall under: Instead of serving the plot only as a temptress, Nimue becomes a recognizable force for good. In Malory’s text, Nimue’s character evolves from the dependent maiden to a woman who subtly takes charge in order to help and save the men around her. She is married to Sir Pelleas’ and outwardly acts as an obedient wife, while at the same time subtly helping sway the court in the right direction. When Malory was looking at other texts to find inspiration for his characters, he chose the best aspects of all the other Lady of the Lake characters, making her a compassionate, clever, strong willed, and sympathetic character. Nimue is a different kind of woman, one who does not shrink behind the male figures in her life. Instead, she is pragmatic, unflappable, and knowledgeable.

Nyneve

Similarly, Malory also introduces a character named Nyneve. This woman is another character for whom the title Lady of the Lake fits. Similar to Nymue, Nyneve is sympathetic to Arthur and also marries Pelleas. She heavily stresses justice based on the greater good. In Malory’s text, Nyneve is loosely related to Arthur receiving Excalibur. In Le Morte D’Arthur this king receives Excalibur three times. Once from the stone, once from the unidentified Lady of the Lake and once in a battle from Nyneve. The distinction between the Lady of the Lake and Nyneve is evident through this example. It is important to note that when Arthur is in need, some incarnation of the Lady of the Lake, or her magic, reaches out to help him. Nyneve appears as the chivalric code changes; her appearance hints to the reader that something new will happen. This trend follows the logic that Malory is in a conspiracy of sorts with his reader. In this scenario, the author and the reader are in cahoots in order to achieve the wanted interpretation of the Arthurian legend. The first time the character named Nyneve appears is at Arthur’s wedding. This also happens to be the same time the Round Table is presented. The Round Table is known to symbolize the chivalric code of Arthur’s court, thus Nyneve is presented at the same time to symbolize that this woman is also connected to the justice system of Camelot. Furthermore, through her, the reader is able to gauge how to judge other female characters. Before Nyneve, there had been no standard for which to compare the other female characters. There were only men and they did not undergo the same struggles/challenges that the women did. Nyneve at Arthur’s court is a microcosm for the flow of justice throughout the realm. Though the characters of Nymue and Nyneve have distinct differences, they also possess many similarities. This makes sense because the characters were written by the same author. However, there are still other accurate spellings of the names which are not mentioned above.

Both characters appear in many other episodes of Malory's work. Each time the Lady reappears, it is at a pivotal moment of the episode, establishing the importance of her character within Arthurian literature, especially Le Morte d'Arthur. In that work, she transcends any notoriety attached to her character by aiding Arthur and other knights to succeed in their endeavors.[3] After enchanting Merlin, Malory's Nimue replaces him as Arthur's adviser. She becomes the lover and eventual wife of Sir Pelleas and mother to his son Guivret. After the Battle of Camlann, she reclaims Excalibur when it is thrown into the lake by Sir Bedivere. Nimue is one of the four magical queens who bear the wounded Arthur away to Avalon, a setting tied to the Lady of the Lake in some literary traditions.

Later uses

Viviane and Merlin in Gustave Doré's 1868 illustration for Alfred Tennyson's Idylls of the King

Walter Scott wrote an influential poem, The Lady of the Lake, in 1810, drawing on the romance of the legend, but with an entirely different story set around Loch Katrine in the Trossachs of Scotland. Scott's material furnished subject matter for La Donna del Lago, an opera by Gioachino Rossini which debuted in Naples in 1819. It was the first of a fashion for operas with Scottish settings and based on Scott's works, of which Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor is the most familiar. Franz Schubert set seven songs from Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake, including the three "Ellen songs" ("Ellens Gesang I",[4] "Ellens Gesang II",[5] and "Ellens Gesang III"[6]), although Schubert's music to Ellen's Third Song has become far more famous in its later adaptation, known as "Ave Maria".

The full name of the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana, founded in 1842, is in French; Notre Dame du Lac. This is translated as "Our Lady of the Lake," making reference to the Virgin Mary as the Lady of the Lake, evidencing fusion between Arthurian legend and middle-Christian history.[7]

Alfred, Lord Tennyson adapted several stories of the Lady of the Lake for his 1859-1885 poetic cycle Idylls of the King. He splits her into two characters; Viviane is a deceitful villain who ensnares Merlin, while the Lady of the Lake is a benevolent figure who raises Lancelot and gives Arthur his sword.

In modern culture

The Lady of the Lake in a 1903 illustration from Howard Pyle's The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Modern authors of Arthurian fiction adapt the Lady of the Lake legend in various ways, often using two or more bearers of the title. Versions of the Lady (or Ladies) of the Lake appear in many other works of Arthurian fiction, including novels, films, television series, stage musicals, comics, and games. Though her identity may change, her role as a significant figure in the lives of both Arthur and Merlin remains consistent. Some examples of such 20th and 21st century works are listed below.

Claimed locations of the Lake

A number of locations in Great Britain are traditionally associated with the Lady of the Lake's abode.[11] They include Martin Mere, Dozmary Pool, Llyn Llydaw, Llyn Ogwen, Llyn y Fan Fach, The Loe, Pomparles Bridge, Loch Arthur, and Aleines. Pergusa Lake in Sicily, in France, she is associated with the forest of Brocéliande.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Holbrook, S. E. "Nymue, the Chief Lady of the Lake, in Malory's Le Morte D’arthur." Speculum 53.4 (1978): 761-777. JSTOR. NCSU University Libraries, Raleigh, NC. 15 March 2009.
  2. ↑ Bruce, Christopher, The Arthurian Name Dictionary, Routledge, 1999, p. 145
  3. ↑ Sue E Holbrook: "Nymue, the Chief Lady of the Lake, in Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur" in Speculum Volume 53 No. 4 (1978): Pages 761-777.
  4. ↑ "Ellens Gesang I". Schubertline.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  5. ↑ "Ellens Gesang II". Schubertline.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  6. ↑ "Ellens Gesang III". Greatscores.com. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  7. ↑ M. Rible. "A Comparison of Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance". web.stanford.edu. Retrieved 27 Nov 2014.
  8. ↑ "Pilgrim Series 4, Bleaker Lake". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  9. ↑ http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/king-arthur-ii-the-role-playing-wargame/1218515p1.html
  10. ↑ "Listings - ONCE UPON A TIME on ABC - TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com.
  11. ↑ "Lady of the Lake". Geography (History). Retrieved September 24, 2014.

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