The Mists of Avalon is a novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley that tells the King Arthur myth from a feminist point of view. The book tells the story from Morgaine's (in the old sources often called Morgan Le Faye) viewpoint, following her life instead of Arthur's, thus removing the negative stigma attached to her character. In the book Bradley depicts Morgaine as a woman fighting for a (more archetypal than historical) matriarchal Celtic culture in a country where patriarchal Christianity threatens to destroy the druidic way of life. Arthur, in her novel, is a strong leader and king, but is unable to resist the ideas of his Christian wife Gwenhwyfar. The novel was a best-seller upon its publication in 1983 and has remained popular to this day.

Marion Zimmer Bradley later expanded the book into a series, including Ancestors of Avalon, The Forest House, Lady of Avalon, and Priestess of Avalon.

Plot

Book One: Mistress of Magic

The book retells the classic Arthurian legend, told mostly from the viewpoint of Morgaine.

The story begins in Cornwall, with Igraine. She is visited by her sister Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, and her father Taliesin, the Merlin of Britain. They tell her about Uther, and say that she has to have his child. She refuses, defending her marriage to Gorlois. Viviane makes her promise to go to London and meet Uther. Gorlois, who has been away until now, returns and offers her the chance to come with him, and she accepts. In London, she and Uther meet, and they suffer from love at first sight, which Gorlois notices. He takes Igraine to Tintagel, and goes to fight Uther. Uther kills Gorlois in battle, and with Merlin's help, assumes the guise of Gorlois. He sneaks into Tintagel Castle, and sleeps with Igraine, and she conceives Arthur.

Uther marries Igraine, and brings Morgaine and Morgause (Igraine's younger sister) to his court at Caerleon as well. Arthur is born, and grows up at court, with Morgaine given the role of sister-babysitter. When Morgaine is around eleven, Viviane comes to Caerleon because Arthur recives a head injury and her healing skillz are needed. She notices Morgaine, and tests her for the Sight. When she finds that Morgaine has it, and strongly, she makes plans to take her to Avalon to train as future Lady of Avalon. She heals Arthur and convinces Uther that Morgaine should come to Avalon, and Arthur should go to fostering at a trustworthy and obscure vassal's court.

Morgaine then goes with Viviane to Avalon, and Arthur goes with the Merlin. In Avalon, Morgaine is trained to be a priestess of the Goddess, and learns herb lore, healing, and use of the Sight. Eventually, she takes the priestess-initiation test - she has to go out in the barge of Avalon, and come back, calling the Mists to part so she can return to Avalon. She succeeds, and is made a priestess. Soon, Viviane sends her to call the Mists for an important visitor, who turns out to be her son Galahad, now called Lancelet. They climb the Tor, a holy hill, and at a place where the Mists are thin, they see that a young woman has come through. This is Gwenhwyfar, a girl from the convent on Glastonbury, the isle that occupies the real-world location of Avalon. Lancelet is struck with love at first sight, but Morgaine is offended by Gwenhwyfar's statements about Avalon and her appearance, like one of the Fairies, and they show her back through the Mists.

Soon, the Merlin comes with the news that Uther is dying. They plan for Gwydion to be sent to Dragon Island for the kingmaking, a ceremony where he must play the Young Stag and kill the King Stag, a metaphor for the times when the new king had to kill the old. He must receive the blessing of the Spring Maiden, as well. Morgaine is chosen for the Spring Maiden, in an ancient form of preserving a bloodline – marrying sister and brother. Later, they mention how this is done in Egypt, and even in Britain in ancient times. Morgaine plays the goddess of the hunt without knowledge of who the Young Stag is. As part of the ritual, they sleep together, and in the morning, they realize what they have done. Morgaine becomes depressed, and we see no more of Gwydion for a while. Morgaine returns to Avalon, where Viviane introduces her to Kevin the bard, and tells her that she must perform another ritual, creating a scabbard for theHoly Sword of the Mysteries of the Goddess, Excalibur, meaning 'cut steel'. The scabbard must protect the bearer from losing a fatal amount of blood. She does, and Gwydion, now called Arthur, comes to receive the sword, with a promise to protect all of Britain, and remember Avalon, who set him on his throne. Arthur invites her to his crowning on the Isle of Glastonbury.

Morgaine attends Arthur's crowning, and discovers that she is pregnant from her time playing the Spring Maiden. Morgause figures this out, and offers her help in casting it out, but Morgaine refuses, but continues to consider it. She returns to Avalon, and gathers the herbs required, but meets the Queen of Fairy, who convinces her to rethink her decision. Morgaine then leaves Avalon, and goes to Orkney, to live with her aunt, Morgause. When she runs from Avalon, she leaves her ritual knife, which is given to all priestesses.

Book Two: The High Queen

In Orkney, she gives birth to a son, and names him Gwydion, after his father. His birth is hard, and Morgaine is told that she won't be able to have any more children. Morgause hears Morgaine muttering in her sleep after the birth, and coaxes her to continue talking while still asleep, and discovers that Arthur is the baby's father. Morgaine realizes what she has told Morgause and threatens to curse her unless she will keep it a secret. Morgause decides she will foster Gwydion at Orkney.

Meanwhile, Gwenhwyfar is in the process of being married off to Arthur, with a dowry of horses and the Round Table. Igraine and Lancelet are sent to bring Gwenhwyfar to court for the wedding. Igraine notices that Lancelet looks at Gwenhwyfar the way Uther looked at her when she was married to Gorlois. Meanwhile, Lancelet and Gwenhwyfar are flirting very carefully, so that no one notices, or thinks Gwenhwyfar is unmaidenly. When they reach Caerleon, where Arthur holds court as his father did, Igraine approaches Taliesin, the Merlin, about it, but he says it is too late to do anything without offering offense to Gwenhwyfar's father, Leodegranz. Soon after, Gwenhwyfar and Arthur are married. Morgaine is at the ceremony, with Morgause, and her husband Lot, and her mother and brother notice her. Arthur presents Morgaine to Gwenhwyfar as a lady-in-waiting, after the ceremony, and Morgaine agrees. In the summer, a few years after, Morgaine tries to take Lancelet's mind off Gwenhwyfar, but Lancelet offends her, and in the morning, she leaves Caerleon.

Soon after, Viviane is called to the home of Priscilla, the woman who fostered her son Balan as the twin of her own son Balin. Priscilla, being very ill and very old, asks Viviane to help her, and Viviane gives her a potion to kill her. Balin and Balan return, and Balin is extremely angry at Viviane, comparing her to Judas, as they both betrayed with a kiss. Viviane returns to Avalon, and using Niniane, another daughter of Taliesin, as a vessel for the Sight, asks about Morgaine. Niniane says that Morgaine ". .sleeps inthe arms of the grey king.." (Bradley 350)

Later, Gwenhwyfar travels to Cornwall, because Igraine is dying. Gwenhwyfar asks Igraine to use her Sight, or any magic she has to help her conceive, because she is barren, and Igraine says that Gwenhwyfar is pregnant now. After Igraine's death and burial, Gwenhwyfar asks the Abbess of the convent where Igraine lived to pray for her child. Gwenhwyfar sets out to Caerleon, but Gawaine finds them, telling them that he was supposed to take them to Camelot because of an impending battle, but they were well past the road for it, so they went on to Caerleon. When Gwenhwyfar arrives, there is an army, and people are talking about banners. Gwenhwyfar is angry that the ". .sign of an ancient Devil-faith.." (368), the Pendragon banner bearing the serpents of Avalon, fly above an army that should be Christian. She begins work on a banner of the Virgin Mary, to replace it, and convinces Arthur to carry this instead of the Pendragon banner. He was sworn to carry the Serpents of Avalon as a sign of an ancient Britain, and when he took up Gwenhwyfar's banner, some of the Tribes who followed the rule of Avalon left his army. While Arthur is in battle, Kevin the bard comes to play for Gwenhwyfar and her ladies, but Gwenhwyfar is ill, and shouts at Kevin about how his Druidism was a sin, and she miscarries. Arthur, carrying her banner of the Virgin Mary, wins the battle.

During all this, Morgaine's location is unknown.

Later, it is nearly Beltane. Gwenhwyfar asks Morgaine for a charm to help her conceive, and Morgaine gives it to her. On Beltane, Arthur gets drunk, and admits he believes Gwenhwyfar's problem conceiving is his fault, and says that he, Lancelet, and Gwenhwyfar sleep together in his bed, and he would accept any child of Gwenhwyfar's as his own. Gwenhwyfar agrees.

Morgause's husband, King Lot of Orkney is dead, and now Morgause rules on her own. She enjoys the freedom she has as sole ruler, and her power over Morgaine's son Gwydion. He evidently enjoys his power over her as well, shown when he makes every attempt to make a festival and succeeds. Later in the day, Viviane and Taliesin show up. They take this as a sing that Gwydion has the Sight, like his mother Morgaine. They bring him to Avalon to study the ways of the Druids. They also reveal his parentage to him.

The next event held at Camelot is Pentecost, where Arthur has all his Companions (the Knights) come together to meet, and so Arthur could receive supplicants, and send knights to help them. Viviane comes as a supplicant, to remind Arthur of his vows to Avalon, which he was forsaking. Unfortunately, Balin was also there, and he was angry that a 'heathen murderer' was trying to turn the court from Christianity, and that she was threatening Arthur. He kills Viviane, splitting her head in half with an axe, left there earlier by Meleagrant when Arthur refused to accept his claim to the Summer Country. Arthur banishes Balin from Camelot, and says Viviane would be buried at Glastonbury. Morgaine and Kevin get into an argument, and Morgaine claims that Kevin is a traitor to Avalon.

Gwenhwyfar rides out to the Summer Country to speak with Meleagrant, who was possibly a bastard son of her father, but the only person claiming to be his son. Meleagrant imprisons Gwenhwyfar's escort, intending to marry Gwenhwyfar and become king by the old law, which says that the consort of the Queen is the King. He rapes her, and locks her in a room. Meleagrant returns, later, but Lancelet kills him before anything else happens. After a moment of thinking it out, Gwenhwyfar decides that since God didn't reward her for being virtuous, she wouldn't bother. As they leave, she decides that she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her and Lancelet anymore.

Soon after, Elaine, a lady-in-waiting of Gwenhwyfar and the daughter of King Pellinore, approaches Morgaine for a spell. She wants Morgaine to convince Lancelet to marry her through magic. Morgaine agrees, but in return, Elaine must give Morgaine her first daughter for fostering in Avalon. Using the telepathic part of her Sight, she has Arthur send Lancelet to help Pellinore hunt a dragon which as been ravaging his land. Morgaine has Elaine prepare a pavilion near a wood, slips a potion in Lancelet's wine, and has Elaine wear Gwenhwyfar's perfume. Morgaine tells Lancelet that Gwenhwyfar is sleeping in the pavilion by the woods, and he goes to her immediately. When Lancelet leaves, Morgaine wakes Pellinore, and takes him to the pavilion. Pellinore demands that Lancelet make amends, and marry Elaine. Gwenhwyfar becomes very angry at Morgaine for this.

At the next Pentecost, Gwenhwyfar lets a secret slip, one that Morgaine told her; that Arthur had a son fostered at Lothian. Arthur calls Morgaine and asks her if it is true. Morgaine says "I bore a son to the King Stag, ten moons after your kingmaking on Dragon Island. Morgause has him in her keeping.." (550) Arthur, while knowing that it had been her at his kingmaking, didn't know that she had a son because of it. Gwenhwyfar was shocked that they would do something so un-Christian, even though it was before Arthur was really Christian, and Morgaine was still a follower ofthe Goddess. She demands that Arthur confess, and do penance for this sin, so she can have a son, and Arthur agrees.

While everyone is at Mass, Morgaine meets Accolon, the son of the King of North Wales. At the feast, Gwenhwyfar proposes to Arthur that he offer Morgaine to Uriens, the King of North Wales. Arthur approaches Morgaine abut this in such a way that she thinks that it was Accolon he was talking about. Morgaine accepts, and Arthur announces Morgaine's engagement to Uriens, completely surprising her. Gwenhwyfar realizes what has happened, and decides this was her revenge for what Morgaine did to Lancelet. Morgaine married Urines, and he turned out to be a good husband, listening to her council on things, and allowing her freedom.

In North Wales, Morgaine recovers her knowledge of what it means to be a priestess of the Goddess, and what the rituals mean. This is helped by Accolon, who was trained in Avalon, and by Uwane, her youngest stepson, who shares his ideas about the Goddess. Accolon helps her celebrate the rites of Beltane, and in doing so, Morgaine recovers all her knowledge of being a priestess.

Meanwhile, on Avalon, Niniane, the new Lady of Avalon is contemplating her situation - Avalon is sinking back into the Mists, and there are fewer and fewer women who come to preserve the old ways, and none to take her place as Lady of Avalon. Gwydion comes to speak with her, and she says she cannot even find a woman to play the Spring Maiden, because Gwydion is going to his kingmaking - which means that the Old People, a race that follows the rule of Avalon, no longer accept Arthur as their king. Gwydion says that he saw her playing that part.

It is Pentecost again, and Lancelet is there. Gwenhwyfar is still angry at him, and Lancelet tells her the story of what happened, including Morgaine's part. Gwenhwyfar accepts this, and welcomes Lancelet as if he were kin, and no more. Morgause comes as well, bringing Arthur the gift of a horse from a fosterling of hers, who was in the Saxon country. Arthur and Gwenhwyfar both know who this fosterling is supposed to be. Morgause's taking Lamorak as a lover is discussed, and Gawaine supports her choice. The story of Tristan and Iesult is mentioned as well, but under the names Drustan and Isotta. Morgaine meets with Kevin, who discuses with her ways to turn North Wales back to the Goddess. They come up with making Accolon king, but he is the second son, and his older brother Avalloch is Christian.

When Arthur begins receiving petitioners, he meets a messenger from a man called Lucius, who claimed to be Emperor of Rome. They refuse Arthur his title of High King, calling him Duke of Britain, and telling him that they have imprisoned Lancelet's brother Bors, of Less Britain. They say that Arthur can continue ruling Britain as he does if he sends a large tribute to Lucius. Arthur refuses, and sends them away. The Companions are to prepare for battle. Morgaine is sent by Lancelet to tell Elaine.Morgaine goes to Pellinore's castle, to tell Elaine as Lancelet asked her. She does, but then demands her payment for having gotten Lancelet to marry Elaine. Elaine relents, and gives Morgaine her first daughter, Nimue. They leave the next day for Avalon. Morgaine teaches Nimue a bit about the Goddess, and of her views of Christainity and priests. Morgaine presents Nimue to Niniane, and is given a place to sleep. That night, a priestess and friend from her early years at Avalon, Raven, comes to visit. Raven had taken a vow of silence before Morgaine met her, and only used her voice for the most important of prophesies. Raven gives Morgaine a version of the fivefold kiss, and Viviane's ritual knife, taking for her own the one that Morgaine had left when she ran away from Avalon. (1) They also do a sort of blood-brother ritual, each tasting the other's blood. Morgaine sees this ritual as more sacred than the one that made her priestess. In the morning, Morgaine meets with Niniane, and is told that Accolon must receive the throne of North Wales. Morgaine also sees Gwydion for the first time in many years.

Morgaine returns to North Wales, and is confronted by Avalloch about sleeping with Accolon. He threatens to tell Uriens, unless Morgaine will sleep with him as well. Morgaine fends him off, but Avalloch threatens that when he is King, he will outlaw worship of any god but the Nazarene. This is especially bad, because Uriens is very old, and sick, possibly dying. The next day, Avalloch goes hunting, and Morgaine does everything she can to keep Accolon in the castle. Morgaine offers to weave Avalloch's cloak for his wife, so she can spin. While she weaves, she goes into a trance, using herSight to call upon the Goddess and kill Avalloch, leaving Accolon the eldest son, and with clean hands. Morgaine explains her intentions to Accolon, telling him how Arthur deserted Avalon.

Eventually, Arthur's family comes to Camelot, and Morgause brings Gwydion. Arthur greets him, and tells him that he shall be treated as his own son. As Gwydion's father is not mentioned, several wonder if Lancelet is his father, but using his Sight, Gwydion hears these thoughts and tells them this is not true. Galahad, Lancelet's son, is to watch by his arms, and take vows as a Companion in the morning. Gwydion speaks with Morgaine, and reveals that when he stayed with the Saxons, they gave him a nickname - Mordred, meaning 'evil council'. The next day, there is a tournament, and Gwydion challenges Lancelet. Lancelet accepts, and Gwydion nearly beats him, but Gwenhwyfar has the fight ended. Gwydion then requests to be knighted. Arthur agrees, and Lancelet knights him, proclaiming him Sir Mordred.

Later that day, Morgaine, Mordred, Uriens, and Accolon have an audience with Arthur. Morgaine claims that Arthur blasphemed when he converted Excalibur, the Sword of the Mysteries of the Goddess, into a Christian cross to swear upon. Morgaine calls upon the Merlin, the title having been given to Kevin, to witness this. Everyone says that it had been a display, to catch the attention of the crowd. Morgaine reminds Arthur it was the Sword of the Mysteries, and to think of Avalon. The issue is let rest, and Arthur and Mordred discuss Mordred's place in the kingdom. Mordred is given his grandfather's title of Duke of Cornwall.

The next morning, Morgaine wakes to the realization that she is pregnant. Despite this, she plots to steal Excalibur, or at least the scabbard. She has Accolon wait for her by a lake. She leads Arthur and Uriens into the Fairy Country, and is met there by Accolon. They go to a feast at the Fairy Queen's castle, and Arthur feasts, and falls asleep. Morgaine takes Excalibur and gives it to Accolon, and the Fairy smiths make Arthur a sword that looks like Excalibur, but the scabbard does not have the same power. Arthur wakes, and calls out to God, and the Fairy Country vanishes. They returned to Camelot. Uriens discovers that Morgaine is pregnant, and is very happy. Morgaine is not, and brews a potion to get rid of it. While waiting for the drug to take effect, she goes to where the other women are sewing and weaving, and begins to spin. While spinning, her Sight comes, and she sees Accolon and Arthur fighting. At this point, the drug takes effect, and she loses the vision and the baby. After she has recovered, Arthur sends a messenger, with the message that he has Excalibur and the scabbard, which he took back from Accolon upon having won the fight. He also sends the body of Accolon, which the messenger says is a gift. Uriens realizes what Morgaine has done, and is outraged. Morgaine gathers her priestess-things, leaves Uriens, and goes to Glastonbury.

Arthur is being treated for his wounds at Glastonbury, and Morgaine goes to see him. She enters his room while he is asleep, and takes Excalibur's scabbard. She goes to the ferry and learns from the rower that they cannot cross into Avalon when the bells at Glastonbury Abbey ring. They wait until they have finished, and row out into the lake, Arthur riding after, shouting for Morgaine. She reaches the other side of the lake, still in the human world, and rides for Tintagel. After she has spent awhile at Tintagel, Kevin, the Merlin, visits Morgaine. He calls her the Lady of Avalon. She rides to Avalon, and is greeted by Niniane. Niniane takes her to the home of the Lady of Avalon.

After a while, something rare happens. Raven's voice is heard. Morgaine has a dream, in which Raven says "The sword, the sword of the Mysteries is gone. .now look to the cup, now look to all of the Holy Regalia. .it is gone, it is gone, taken from us.." (759). Morgaine goes to Raven, to see if she has spoken, but she has just shared a dream. Raven knows that this dream is important, so she breaks her vow of silence to speak to Morgaine. In the morning, they go to speak to Niniane and Nimue. They go to look in the mirror, a pool of sacred water, which is used to See. In the mirror, they see Kevin the Merlin, and how he took the Holy Regalia out of Avalon. Morgaine, Raven, and Nimue go to Camelot, to deal with the traitor. Morgaine and Raven travel as beggar women, separately from Nimue. During this journey, Raven and Morgaine prove that lesbianism isn't a recent invention.

They reach Camelot on Easter, still disguised. They stand among the beggar women at the end of the hall, and listen to the gossip. Soon, Arthur's bishop sets out the Easter Mass, because there isn't enough room in the chapel for everyone. Morgaine is shocked to find that the Cup of the Holy Regalia is going to be used for Communion. She stands, and approaches the altar, and takes the cup, giving Communion of the Goddess to everyone. Afterwards, she learns that everyone saw something different, mostly including her as a shining maiden dressed in white. Throughout this whole ritual, she feels Raven's presence, although she can't tell whether Raven is bearing her up, or standing at her side. Then, they use the Great Magic, the same magic that sent Avalon into the Mists, to send the Cup and Plate and Spear back to Avalon. As soon as this is done, Raven dies, having used all her power in this last magic. The Companions of the Round Table are convinced that this was the Holy Grail, the cup of Christ, and all except Mordred and Cai, Arthur's foster-brother and seneschal, set out to find it.

After this, Nimue stays at court, to seduce Kevin. She does so, and performs a spell that makes him her slave, who does exactly as she says. She brings him to Avalon to face judgement. Morgaine decrees that he will have a quick death by sword. At the moment he is killed, a bolt of lightning strikes the ancient oak tree, which the Druids had revered since they had come to the island. Morgaine, has them bury him in the cleft in the tree. Unfortunately, the spell which Nimue used ensorcelled her as well, and she committed suicide out of her love for Kevin.

After Kevin's death, Avalon retreats further into the Mists. Morgaine has time to meditate, and she discovers that the Goddess has never truly been an outside force, but herself, and all other women. She has visions of the Companions on their Grail Quests, seeing some die, and some succeed. Lancelet, failing in his quest, comes to Avalon to see Morgaine. While there, they visit the chapel the Christians placed on Avalon, before it went into the Mists. In the chapel, they have a vision of the Grail - Galahad receiving Communion from someone bearing the Holy Grail. As soon as this vision is finished, Morgaine and Lancelet find themselves with the body of Galahad. Lancelet returns to Camelot with Galahad's body in tow.

The other knights are returning to Camelot by now, and Morgause is coming as well. Gwenhwyfar and Arthur have another argument about Mordred. It is Pentecost again, and there is a funeral for Galahad. At the feast afterwards, Arthur announces that Mordred is his new heir. Morgause stays at Camelot to be a lady-in-waiting to Gwenhwyfar. Mordred takes council of Niniane, but she says something that he doesn't like, and he hits her, accidentally killing her. Morgaine's voice calls him murderer, but Morgause comes to help him, staging it as an accident.

Later, Gwenhwyfar goes to her tryst with Lancelet, but when she enters his room, Mordred grabs her, and holds a knife to her throat. Lancelet enters, and several knights come out of hiding, along with Morgause. The knights try to take Lancelet prisoner, but he escapes with Gwenhwyfar. In their escape, Lancelet accidentally kills Gareth. Morgause, needing a new man for her bed, and a bit in shock, invites Cormac, a Companion, to keep her company. Cormac is shocked, telling her he honors her as hisgrandmother, and offers to forget this. Morgause realizes she is finally old, and accepts this.

Lancelet and Gwenhwyfar plan to run away, to Less Britain, but Gwenhwyfar shows her most responsible side, and tells Lancelet to take her to Glastonbury, saying she will send a message to Arthur clearing Lancelet's name. Lancelet agrees, depressedly, and takes her to Glastonbury. Lancelet’s fate is left unmentioned.

Soon after, Mordred brings the tension between him and Arthur to a climax. Mordred, as the Young Stag, must bring down Arthur, but Arthur defies Avalon one last time, killing Mordred and halting the cycle. Without Excalibur's scabbard, though, Arthur's wounds are causing him to lose too much blood. Morgaine arrives from Avalon, and finds both Gwydions, father and son, lover, brother, baby.

She tells Lancelet to throw Arthur's sword into the Lake, to put the last of the Mysteries back in Avalon where it belongs. Lancelet refuses, twice, but relents, and throws it in, claiming that a hand reached up, caught the sword, and brandished it, before going back under the water. Morgaine lifts the Mists, and Arthur dies, watching the sun rise on Avalon for the last time.

In the next year, Morgaine dreams Lancelet gave her Communion with the Holy Grail. Taking this as a sign, she takes a cutting of the sacred Thorn, grown from Joseph of Arimathea's staff, and goes to Glastonbury. She learns that Lancelet has just died, and plants the cutting on Viviane's grave. The young woman who tells her of Lancelet's death mentions that they had a Sister who was a High Queen, who Morgaine realizes was Gwenhwyfar. She then has a moment of meditation in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary that the Sisters of the Abbey care for and worship, understanding finally the theology that had been taught to her so many years ago..". .all the Gods are one God, .. and all the Goddesses are one Goddess, and there is only one Initiator. And to every man his own truth, and the God within." (xi).

Main cast

Morgaine

• Morgaine is the main viewpoint character. She is a character with strong magical powers, capable of Second Sight and transfiguration. She is portrayed as a tragic character, torn between her loyalty to Avalon (which forces her to do things she disapproves of, such as High Priestess Viviane making her sleep with her own half-brother, King Arthur) and her unfulfilled love to Lancelot. She is doomed to witness the demise of the pagan ways of Avalon. In the end, however, she makes peace with Christianity and sees that she never fought the religion itself, but rather the uncivilised ways of the Saxon hordes that threatened Britain during Arthur's early reign. She realises that once the Saxons have found an appreciation for beauty and peace, that her task has been completed, and some memory of the ancient beliefs of Britain will live on. Morgaine also fought for the survival of her pagan, Mother Goddess religion. In the end, she realizes that the Goddess that she worshipped did not die with the coming of Christianity. The Goddess just took another form in the image of the Virgin Mary.

Camelot

First generation

• Uther Pendragon is the nephew and War Duke of the dead High King and an ambitious warlord who falls in love with Igraine. After being betrayed by his ally Gorlois (out of jealousy rather than out of political reasons), he killed him and became the new king of Camelot. He fathered King Arthur and died when Arthur was a teenager.
• Igraine is the wife of Gorlois and later Uther, the sister of Viviane, and the mother of Morgaine. She was brought up in Avalon and given as a wife to Gorlois at the age of fifteen. She is destined by Viviane and Taliesin to betray her husband, seduce Uther and produce the saviour of the Isle (her son King Arthur). At first, she rebels, stating she is not a breeding mare, but ultimately falls in love with Uther and helps him defeat his enemies. However, the guilt about Gorlois torments her to the end.
• Gorlois is Igraine's husband and Morgaine's father. Because Igraine was so young when they married, their relationship has been strained, but Gorlois did his best to make her feel comfortable, giving her gifts and letting her keep her daughter Morgaine. Igraine does not see how he loved her until it's too late. When Gorlois suspects that Igraine has an affair with Uther, he turns on her, accuses her of being a whore and a witch, and even breaks his oath to Uther. In the end, Uther kills him for treachery.

Second generation

• King Arthur is the son of Igraine and Uther. He is portrayed as a strong king, who marries Gwenhwyfar by arranged marriage. His compassion for his suffering wife - who is tormented by her childlessness and her love to Lancelot - ultimately becomes his downfall. A twist is that he is actually aware of Gwenhwyfar's and Lancelot's affair, and how unhappy both are to constantly betray him. But Arthur stays outside because he loves both his wife and his best friend too much to make them unhappy.
• Gwenhwyfar is Arthur's beautiful, but unhappy wife. She is brought up by a cold, unloving father, which left her with a deep inferiority complex. Failing to produce a heir and unable be with the love of her life, Lancelot, she falls into a deep depression and - hoping for salvation - becomes an increasingly fanatic Christian. Gwenhwyfar and Morgaine are depicted as two polar characters.
• Lancelot is Arthur's First Knight, Viviane's son and Morgaine's cousin. He is an extremely gifted warrior and admired for his very handsome appearance, but has a life-long fear of his mother Viviane. Gwenhwyfar and he are utterly infatuated, but neither has the courage (or ruthlessness) to elope.
• Mordred, a.k.a. Gwydion, is the illegitimate son of Morgaine and King Arthur. He is an unscrupulous, cunning intrigant, but in contrast to mainstream versions his motives are understandable. He sees his father Arthur as corrupt and decadent, and is convinced that he has to remove him to save Camelot. It is strongly hinted that his childhood under the cold, cunning Morgause makes him think the way he does.
• Morgause is Morgaine's aunt. She is depicted as a vain, cunning character and in contrast to her sisters, she acts purely for her own gains. She feels no regret in her regular adultery (but she is hypocritical enough to call Gwenhwyfar a whore when she does the same) and plans to use both Morgaine and Mordred as vehicles for her power.
• Patricius is Camelot's most powerful Christian priest, modern St. Patrick, who drove the "snakes" (druids) from Ireland. He is portrayed in an extremely negative light, as a ruthless, misogynist religious fundamentalist.
• Elaine is a young girl who eventually becomes Lancelot's wife. Morgaine offers Elaine, Lancelot, on the condition that she is given Elaine's first daughter to rear in Avalon.

Avalon

• Viviane is - for the most time - the High Priestess of Avalon. She is a cold and extremely ruthless character, but her motives are always understandable: she wants to save Avalon and Camelot at all costs. She is the ultimate utilitarian character, and it is hinted that she has grown so cold because she never experienced happiness herself. Viviane is killed after delivering an act of euthanasia.
• Taliesin is the old Archdruid and harpist of Avalon. His mental health constantly deteriorates during the story.
• Kevin succeeds Taliesin after his death. He is a horribly disfigured hunchback, having been burnt by a fire when he was a child, but can sing like an angel. He becomes Morgaine's lover and later her worst enemy. Foreseeing the demise of pagan ways, he betrays Avalon. In an ultimate attempt to unite Christianity and Avalon, so Avalon will survive, he brings the Holy Grail to Camelot. To punish him for this atrocity, Morgaine sacrifices Raven to abduct the Grail, sets up Nimue to seduce and then betray him and wants to torture him to death as a traitor. But before the torture begins, a bolt of lightning mercy-kills Kevin, and at the same time, another bolt incinerates the Holy Oak of Avalon. Morgaine understands that Avalon is doomed.
• Raven is a priestess of Avalon who has taken an oath of silence. She sacrifices herself to help Morgaine save the Holy Grail from Patricius.
• Nimue is the beautiful daughter of Elaine and Lancelot. She is kept in constant seclusion by Morgaine, who sees her as the ultimate weapon against Camelot. She seduces Kevin in order to abduct him, but falls in love to him herself and in the end kills herself out of regret.
• Niniane is a priestess who reluctantly becomes Lady of the Lake after Vivaine is slain and Morgaine declines to take her place. She becomes Mordred's lover, but when he announces his plans to betray Arthur, she turns on him and is killed by him in a fit of rage.

Reception

The Mists of Avalon is lauded as one of the most original and emotional retellings of the familiar Arthurian legend. Bradley received much praise for convincing portrayal of the main protagonists, her respectful handling of the pagan ways of Avalon and for telling a story in which there is neither black and white or good and evil, but several truths.

Critics point out that The Mists of Avalon writes a romanticized version of a "pagan culture" which never existed in that way, leaving out gory details like human sacrifices. Then, the book arguably reads like thinly-veiled feminist propaganda. The main male cast comes off arguably badly. Arthur and Lancelot are depicted as so tortured, insecure and brooding that it is hard to suppose that they are two of the finest warlords ever, Gwenhwyfar's father is a prototypical family tyrant, Gorlois comes over as a typical wife-batterer, Taliesin as near-senile and Patricius as a rabid religious zealot. In addition, to provide a contrast to clever, strong-willed Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar is cast as a dumb, spineless simpleton (i.e. the prototypical "weak woman"), although she was a queen for several decades in an unstable era. All this contributes to the argument that Bradley uses her story to promote an agenda rather than to tell a story.

However, The Mists of Avalon remains a highly lauded work, and it is commonly regarded as a modern classic.

Miniseries

The book was adapted in 2001 by American cable channel TNT into a miniseries directed by Uli Edel.

Cast

• Angelica Huston as Viviane
• Julianna Margulies as Morgaine
• Joan Allen as Morgause
• Samantha Mathis as Gwenhwyfar
• Caroline Goodall as Igraine
• Edward Atterton as Arthur
• Michael Vartan as Lancelot
• Michael Byrne as Merlin
• Hans Matheson as Mordred
• Mark Lewis Jones as Uther
• Clive Russell as Gorlois
• Biddy Hodson as Elaine

Reference

• Marion Zimmer Bradley. The Mists of Avalon. c1982.

Le nebbie di Avalon The Mists of Avalon As Brumas de Avalon