Guinevere
Guinevere is a pivotal figure in Arthurian legend, best known as the wife of King Arthur of Camelot. Her character is multifaceted, often depicted as beautiful and desirable, yet embroiled in controversy regarding her fidelity and agency. In various interpretations, she experiences abduction, betrayal, and romantic entanglement, particularly with the knight Lancelot, highlighting themes of love, loyalty, and treachery. Guinevere is typically portrayed as wise but has also been characterized as scheming in some tales. While there is debate about the historicity of both Guinevere and Arthur, the legends surrounding them are deeply rooted in folklore and were popularized through medieval literature, notably in texts by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Sir Thomas Malory. Alternative narratives about her exist, presenting her in different lights—ranging from an accomplice to betrayal to a victim of abduction. The character's legacy extends into contemporary culture, influencing numerous adaptations in literature, theatre, and television, reflecting the enduring fascination with her story.
Guinevere
Culture: Welsh, Celtic, Roman
Mother: Unknown
Father: King Leodegrance of Cameliard (Malory); Castell y Cnwclas (Welsh Tradition), King Garlin of Galore (Germanic tradition); or a Roman noble (Geoffrey of Monmouth)
Children: None (Malory); Lohat (Perlesvau)
Overview
Guinevere is best known as the legendary wife of King Arthur of Camelot. She is, however, a complex figure who appears very differently in the myths and legends of various cultures. In all versions Guinevere is said to be beautiful and desirable. In some versions, she is described as being unfaithful; in others she is abducted and raped. Guinevere is usually portrayed as wise, though in some cases she is described as scheming and unfaithful.
It is unlikely that Guinevere or Arthur were historical figures, though there is still debate on that topic. The Arthurian legends originate during Roman times, but the best known writings about Arthur and Guinevere date from much later. Geoffrey of Monmouth, for example, published his Historia Regum Britanniae in 1136, and Sir Thomas Malory’s Mort d’Arthur was not published until 1470. Descriptions of battles and events surrounding Arthur suggest that, if he was an historical figure, he most likely lived during the fifth century CE.
In Mythology
Stories about Guinevere revolve around her marriage to King Arthur and subsequent events. The most popular contemporary versions of the Guinevere story are based on Malory’s Mort d’Arthur, Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott, and T.H. White’s more modern novel The Once and Future King (on which the stage play, Camelot, is based).
Arthurian Legend
According to the best-known stories, Guinevere is the daughter of the Scottish King Leodegrance, a follower of Welsh King Uther Pendragon. Young Arthur, Uther’s illegitimate son, proves himself to be the rightful heir to the British throne by removing the sword Excalibur from the stone in which it was placed by the sorcerer Merlin. Arthur ascends the throne, and is soon married to Guinevere.
Arthur, with Guinevere by his side, founds the mythical court of Camelot. There, Arthur collects the bravest and purest knights of the realm—the Knights of the Round Table. Chief among these knights is Lancelot du Lac, who becomes Arthur’s dearest friend.
Despite their mutual regard for Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot become lovers. Guinevere’s infidelity is discovered by Mordred, Arthur’s illegitimate son. Angry at Arthur for not recognizing him as heir to the throne, Mordred reveals Guinevere’s secret.
Arthur, while he still loves both Lancelot and Guinevere, is required by law to sentence Guinevere to death. Before the execution can take place, however, Lancelot rescues the queen and carries her off to his castle in France. According to some versions of the legend, Guinevere ends her days in a convent in Glastonbury, England.
Alternative Myths
In addition to the better-known Arthurian tale, there are multiple alternative myths surrounding Guinevere, who is also known as Guenhumare, Ginevra, Gwenhwyfar (Welsh), and Jenefer (Cornish).
In the 1457 version of the story by John Hardyng, Guinevere is not betrayed by Mordred, but is actually his accomplice. In another version, instead of betraying Guinevere to her husband, Mordred abducts and rapes her. A Scottish version of the story has Guinevere dying as Mordred’s prisoner, while in other versions she becomes the mother of Mordred’s children.
A completely different French version of the Guinevere story includes a real and a "false" Guinevere. The false Guinevere—possibly the Queen’s twin half-sister—impersonates the queen, and is accepted by Arthur for more than two years.
A much older Celtic story describes "Three Chief Queens," all named Gwenhwyfar. This particular version most likely relates to a common Celtic "triple-goddess" theme.
Origins and Cults
The oldest versions of the Guinevere story may originate in Celtic myth. The early Welsh "first lady of the island" was named Gwenhwyvar. In Geoffrey of Monmouth’s twelfth-century publication Historia Regum Britanniae, she is a Roman noblewoman called Guanhumara. The Vita Gildae, published at about the same time, describes Guinevere as being abducted by the Welsh king Melwas and subsequently rescued by Arthur.
Later in the twelfth century, Chrétien de Troyes wrote Le Chevalier de la Charrette. In this version of the story, Guinevere is abducted by Meleagant and rescued by Lancelot.
The Vulgate Cycle, a cycle of Arthurian stories written in French during the early thirteenth century, is the source of many contemporary stories about Guinevere. The Vulgate Cycle includes well-known elements of the Arthur legends including the quest for the Holy Grail and Guinevere’s illicit affair with Lancelot. According to these stories, Lancelot’s relationship with Guinevere makes him unworthy of finding the Holy Grail.
In Popular Culture
Guinevere, as part of the Arthurian legend, has been the subject of books, films, and television programs. Relatively early popularizations of the story include Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and The Boy’s King Arthur, famously illustrated by N.C. Wyeth. Other retellings include T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave trilogy, which tells the Arthurian stories from Merlin’s point of view, and Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon tells the story of Camelot from a female perspective.
The story of Arthur and Guinevere has also been told on stage and on screen. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe’s musical Camelot became a Broadway classic, the television series Merlin includes an alternative version of Guinevere—a servant who becomes queen, and the television series Once Upon a Time features the character of Guinevere with a Castilian accent.
Bibliography
"Arthurian Timeline." Brittania. Britannia.com, 2007. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/timeart2.html>.
Frost, James. The Quest for King Arthur. p.: Trafford, 2010. Print.
"Guinevere." The Camelot Project. The University of Rochester River Campus Libraries. Alan Lupack and Barbara Tepa Lupack, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/theme/guinevere>.
"Guinevere." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2015 <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Guinevere>.
"Guinevere." Encyclopedia.com. Cengage Learning, 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Guinevere.aspx>.
"Guinevere." King Arthur.Brittania. Britannia.com, 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://www.britannia.com/history/biographies/guinever.html>.