The Three Damosels by Vera Chapman
"The Three Damosels" is a trilogy of novels by Vera Chapman that weaves together Arthurian legend through the interconnected stories of three main characters, particularly Lady Lynett. The series begins with "The King's Damosel," where Lynett seeks aid to rescue her sister from the Red Knight, leading to a complex exploration of her relationships and past traumas, including her marriage to Gaheris and her unrequited love for Gareth. The narrative transitions into "The Green Knight," which retells the classic tale of Sir Gawain, presenting a younger Gawain as the nephew of the original Sir Gawain, while also introducing new characters and perspectives that enrich the traditional lore. Finally, "King Arthur's Daughter" introduces Ursulet, the daughter of Arthur and Guinevere, who faces political turmoil and the challenge of reclaiming her rightful place as queen amidst Saxon invasions. Throughout the trilogy, themes of destiny, sacrifice, and the continuity of Arthurian legacy are explored, particularly through Lynett's journey from revenge to redemption and the preservation of Arthur's bloodline. Chapman's work offers a fresh take on familiar legends, blending traditional narratives with original character development, inviting readers to engage with the depth of these timeless stories.
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The Three Damosels
First published:The Three Damosels (1978, as trilogy); previously published as The Green Knight (1975), The King’s Damosel (1976), and King Arthur’s Daughter (1976)
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Fantasy—mythological
Time of work: The sixth century c.e.
Locale: Arthurian Britain
The Plot
Although published in one volume as The Three Damosels, these three books can be read separately, although the third volume benefits greatly from an understanding of the earlier events. The books are linked by their common Arthurian theme and, to some extent, by the character of Lady Lynett. Because of her role and the value of following the stories chronologically (although inevitably many of the events take place contemporaneously and overlap), the best reading sequence is The King’s Damosel, The Green Knight, and King Arthur’s Daughter.
In each of these novels, Vera Chapman creates characters of her own making, but in The King’s Damosel she remains closest to Arthurian tradition. This is the story of Lynett, who, in Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (1485), is depicted as a shrew of a girl who comes to King Arthur’s court to seek help in rescuing her sister from the Red Knight. No one will help except a kitchen scullion who, it later transpires, is Gareth, the brother of Sir Gawain. Lynett does not know this and feels affronted that no knight will come to her aid. The King’s Damosel reports this story in flashback and begins with Lynett’s marriage to Gaheris, Sir Gareth’s brother. Lynett, though, loves Gareth who, at the same ceremony, is to be wedded to Lynett’s sister Leonie. Unknown to Lynett, Gaheris similarly has no love for her, and he deserts her on her wedding night. This becomes a double insult. She already had been bracing herself to reveal that she was not a virgin, having been raped a few years before by King Bagdemagus. These events make Lynett sour, but Merlin reveals to her her destiny as a messenger, a destiny that becomes significant in the final volume. Arthur duly appoints Lynett as his royal messenger, and her first journey is to King Bagdemagus. So begins her quest for revenge that transmutes itself into the quest for the Holy Grail and an expiation for her sins. As the novel develops, Chapman succeeds in shifting from the mundane to the mystical, as Lynett’s experiences prepare her for the most holy of quests. This transformation is what lifts the novel above the normal Arthurian story and develops Lynett as a fascinating and believable character.
The Green Knight is Chapman’s retelling of the fourteenth century romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. She takes a number of liberties with accepted tradition. In seeking to reconcile the Gawain of that tale with the Gawain in Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, Chapman decides that the Gawain who faces the Green Knight is a younger man and suggests that he is the son of Sir Gareth and Lady Leonie, and thus the nephew of the elder Sir Gawain.
Chapman takes the same liberties with Vivian, making her the granddaughter of the elder Vivian (also called Nimuë), and the daughter of Merlin’s daughter Blaisine. This new generation of Arthurian characters allows Chapman to develop them as she wishes while remaining true to the core of the legend. This includes Morgan le Fay’s designs to destroy the power of Arthur and his knights. It is under Morgan’s power that Bertilak, the Green Knight, and the younger Vivian seek to destroy Gawain, but his goodness and chivalry prevail. Love blossoms between Vivian and Gawain. The novel alternates its viewpoint between them, allowing an interesting interchange of perspectives, but in its final portion the viewpoint moves to that of Melior, a student of Merlin. Morgan, with her plans thwarted, takes her revenge upon Gawain and Vivian and murders them both. Merlin becomes psychically aware of the events and travels to Stonehenge to avenge Morgan. By sacrificing his own life he restores life to Gawain and Vivian. Merlin believes that Arthur’s bloodline will continue through Vivian and that Britain will one day be saved.
These events are precursors to the main story, King Arthur’s Daughter, the longest of the trilogy and the most significant. Chapman creates a daughter for Arthur and Guinevere, named Ursulet. She makes the case that kings’ daughters are usually forgotten by history, yet their bloodline continues, often re-emerging at significant moments. Although Arthur has declared Ursulet as his heir, after the confusion of the battle of Camlann, Ursulet first retires to a convent and then becomes a serving girl to the Saxon invaders. Mordred, who survives Camlann, claims himself as Arthur’s successor and is supported by Morgan le Fay, but Lady Lynett opposes her and proclaims Ursulet as queen, though she must first be found. Ambris, the son of the younger Gawain and Vivian, is knighted and sets out to find Ursulet. Amid many adventures, Ambris finds Ursulet, and she claims her rightful throne. The onslaught of the Saxons, however, cannot be stopped. As the climax develops, Melior summons the spirit of Merlin to learn how Arthur’s kingdom can be saved. He discovers that Merlin had sacrificed his life to ensure that Arthur’s line would survive through his daughter’s children and that at some distant time his descendants will emerge again to reclaim the land. Through the ensuing battles Lynett and Melior strive to save Ursulet and Ambris and to secure for them a future to preserve the bloodline of Arthur.