Lady of the Lake (mythology)
The Lady of the Lake is a central figure in British mythology, particularly within the Arthurian legends. She is often depicted as an otherworldly sorceress or fairy who resides in a mystical lake near Avalon, a legendary isle associated with healing and eternal spring. The Lady is most famous for bestowing the magical sword Excalibur upon King Arthur, symbolizing his rightful power to rule. Various tales also describe her as the adoptive mother of the knight Lancelot, or as having a complex relationship with the wizard Merlin, whom she may have loved or even imprisoned. Her name varies across stories, known as Nimue or Vivianne in many accounts, and she embodies elements from earlier Celtic and Roman mythologies.
The character's portrayal fluctuates, with some versions presenting her as a benevolent figure while others depict her more ambiguously. The legend of the Lady of the Lake intricately intertwines with the broader narrative of King Arthur's rise and fall, emphasizing themes of magic, power, and destiny. As a key player in these stories, her influence is felt throughout the tapestry of Arthurian lore, encapsulating an enduring fascination with the mythical past.
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Lady of the Lake (mythology)
The Lady of the Lake is a mysterious figure in British legends who is said to have given the heroic King Arthur his magical sword, Excalibur. In most stories, the Lady is an otherworldly sorceress or a fairy spirit who inhabits a lake surrounding the magical isle of Avalon. In some tales, she is also the adoptive mother of the brave knight Lancelot or the lover, and later captor, of the wizard Merlin. She is best known for presenting Excalibur to King Arthur and later receiving the sword back to her keeping after his death. Depending on the account, the Lady of the Lake goes by several names, including Nimue or Vivianne, and at times is described as two different sorceresses. The origin of the Lady likely comes from Celtic folklore and can possibly be traced farther back to Greek and Roman mythology.
Background
Modern historians are divided on whether the tales of King Arthur are based on a real person. Scattered references to a warrior named Arthur or Arturus date back to the fifth and sixth centuries on the island of Britain. The accounts could have been derived from a fifth-century military leader named Ambrosius Aurelianus or culled together as a composite figure from tales of several different warriors. The oldest-known record of the Arthurian legend was written in 1138 by the historian Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of the Kings of Britain. Geoffrey’s account was the first to present Arthur as a great king and mentions his father, Uther Pendragon, and his advisor, the wizard Merlin.
While modern scholars believe that Geoffrey misinterpreted or invented much of his “history,” later writers built upon his accounts to add their own details to the legend of King Arthur. In 1155, a poet named Wace wrote a version of the story that included a round table where the king and his nobles could meet without arguing with each other. These and other accounts of King Arthur were passed down for centuries before inspiring the definitive source of the legend, Le Morte d’Arthur, written by British author Sir Thomas Malory, in 1485. Malory’s version presents a more chivalric Arthur, rather than the violent warrior-king from earlier tales. His account features the familiar characters associated with the legend, such as Arthur, Merlin, Queen Guinevere, Lancelot, Galahad, and the other Knights of the Round Table. In more than twenty-one volumes, Malory tells of Arthur’s rise to become king, the quest for the Holy Grail, the fall of his kingdom, and his eventual death.
Overview
The character of the Lady of the Lake appears throughout the Arthurian legends, although her name, motivations, and role in Arthur’s ascension to power often shift from version to version. In the earliest accounts of the story, she does not have a name, and in some versions, she is simply described as a “mermaid.” She may have been inspired by the Gwagged Annwn, lake fairies from Welsh folklore who wander the world seeking human husbands. In some stories, the Lady is called Nimue, which may have originated from the name Mneme, one of the Muses of Greek and Roman mythology who were sometimes pictured as water nymphs. In most cases, she is called Vivianne or Vivien, a name that likely evolved from the Celtic water goddess Coventina. In Le Morte d’Arthur, Malory describes two ladies of the lake, one that does not have a name and another called Nenyve.
In the most common versions of the Arthurian legends, the Lady resides in a lake surrounding the island of Avalon, a mythical land of eternal spring known for its healing properties. It was in Avalon that the magical sword Excalibur was forged. The sword was presented to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake as a symbol of the power to rule as king. In many versions of the legend, a young Arthur is able to pull out a sword lodged in a stone, fulfilling the prophecy that he is to be king. While in some cases this sword is called Excalibur, it is not considered to be the real magical sword. When Arthur later breaks the sword in battle, Merlin takes him to the lake, where the Lady appears and grants him the true Excalibur.
Only Arthur can wield Excalibur, and when he is mortally wounded in battle against his nephew, Mordred, he tells his knights to throw it back into the lake so that it may be returned to the Lady. Earlier in some of the legends, Arthur is gravely injured and taken to Avalon by the Lady to heal and recover his strength. After he dies in the fight with Mordred, Arthur’s body is escorted back to Avalon on a mystical boat by the Lady and two of her companions. In Malory’s account, an unnamed Lady gives Arthur his sword; after her death, the sorceress Nenyve becomes the true Lady of the Lake. It is Nenyve who escorts Arthur’s body to Avalon.
In some legends, the Lady of the Lake either kidnaps or adopts the knight Lancelot as a child and raises him as her own son. Early tales describe Lancelot’s adoptive mother as a mermaid or a water fairy. The Lady raises Lancelot in an undersea kingdom that is home to more than ten thousand women. She is also said to have given the young knight either a magic ring or magical armor and a fairy sword and sent him to serve King Arthur.
The Lady of the Lake is also portrayed as having a relationship with the wizard Merlin, although the nature of this relationship differs depending on the legend. In some tales, the Lady is a young sorceress who falls in love with Merlin and learns the ways of magic from the wizard. In Le Morte d’Arthur and other stories, it is Merlin who falls in love with the Lady who is not interested in his affections. Instead, she fakes interest in the wizard, so she can learn his spells. When she becomes a powerful sorceress, the Lady imprisons Merlin, either in a tower with invisible walls, an underground cave, or a large tree. In some versions, Merlin can foresee his imprisonment and eventual death but is powerless to stop it.
Bibliography
Avalon, Annwyn. “Lake Witches.” Water Witchcraft: Magic and Lore from the Celtic Tradition. Weiser Books, 2019, pp. 107–132.
Boyar, Jenny. “The Lady of the Lake.” The Camelot Project, d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/theme/lady-of-the-lake. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.
Lord, David Nash. “Nimue Alias Vivienne, Lady of the Lake.” Early British Kingdoms, 2001, www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/nimue.html. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.
Howes, Hetta Elizabeth. “The Legends of King Arthur.” British Library, 31 Jan. 2018, www.bl.uk/medieval-literature/articles/the-legends-of-king-arthur. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.
“Lady of the Lake.” King Arthur’s Knights, 2019, kingarthursknights.com/arthurian-characters/lady-of-the-lake/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.
Mark, Joshua J. “Excalibur.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 17 May 2017, www.ancient.eu/Excalibur/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.
Matthews, John, and Caitlín Matthews. The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero. Inner Traditions, 2017.
Mingren, Wu. “Where Did King Arthur Acquire Excalibur, the Stone or the Lake?” Ancient Origins, 26 Sept. 2017, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/where-did-king-arthur-acquire-excalibur-stone-or-lake-008851. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.