Characters
in The Mists of Avalon
From the webpage http://arianwitch.tripod.com/thepurpleraven/id18.html
[Dr. K's
note: Watch for typos!]
Igraine-
Morgaine and Arthur's Mother. Sister to Viviane and Morgause. Married to the
late Gorlois and late Uther Pendragon. A strong, stubborn woman.
Gorlois- Duke
of Cornwall. Husband to Igraine. Father of Morgaine. Killed by Uther in order to
win over Igraine. Wasn't a very nice man, seeing that he beat Igraine and played
on her with her sister Morgause.
Morgause-
Sister of Igraine, Aunt to Morgaine and Arthur. Married to King Lot of Orneky.
Mother of Gawaine and Gareth. Stubborn like Igraine, male hungry, nice but sly.
When Lot dies, she wins over a young man, Lamorak. Foster mother to Gwydion/Mordred.
Morgaine-
Daughter of Igraine and Gorlois. Half sister of King Arthur. When she was 11 she
was taken from her home in Caerleon by Viviane, her Aunt, to be trained as a
Priestess in Avalon. Viviane was training her to be high priestess in her place,
but when Morgaine and Arthur make the marriage to the land and gets pregnant
with Gwydion, she flees Avalon and lives in Lothian, Camelot, and Cornwall.
After a time, she realizes her place is in Avalon and returns. Morgaine is very
serious but lively. People fear her, but respect her, but also call her a witch
behind her back. She is a lot like Igraine and her sisters, Viviane and Morgause.
Comes from the old royal line of fairy blood.
Uther
Pendragon- Igraine's second late husband. High King of all Britain. Father of
Arthur. Uther and Igraine had a love afair while she was still married to
Gorlois. Also there was a scandal over who was Arthur's real father, Gorlois or
Uther.
Viviane-
Igraine and Morgouse's older sister. While Igraine and Morgause are supposed
Christians, Viviane is very strongly still for the old Pagan religion. She lives
in Avalon where she is Lady of the Lake. Viviane was killed by her son Balan's
foster-brother, Balin.
Taleisin the
Merlin- The Merlin is the high Druid. Taleisin is the only non-Christian
councellor in Arthur's court. he works closely with Viviane and in fact fathered
Igraine and Morgause. Also father to Niniane, but not by Igraine, Viviane, and
Morgause's mother.
Arthur/Gwydion-
Arthur, as we all know, is the legendary Britain King. Son of Igraine and Uther,
half sister to Morgaine. Married to Gwenwyfar. He has a son he doesn't know
about, by Morgaine, named Gwydion. Viviane, in a way, tricked Arthur and
Morgaine into having sex by the great marriage, which is how their son was born.
Arthur is famous and loved for bringing peace to Britain by defeating the Saxons
and the Northmen. Owner of the legendary round table, and Excalibur. When Arthur
was first at his king making he vowed to stay true and prtect Avalon, and in
return he got Excalibur. But Gwenwyfar convinced Arthur to become a Christian
and eventually he renounced Avalon. Avalon spent a great deal of time trying to
recover Excalibur, and eventually did at his death.
Lancelet-
History will remember him as the "Perfect Knight." More handsome than
you could imagine, undefeated on the battlefield, High King's best friend and
cousin (until Gwen tears them apart that is) High Queen's champion, and every
young knight's idol. But on the quest for the Holy Grail, Lancelet goes mad, and
when he returns to Camelot, begins sleeping with Gwen, and that results in
Lancelet killing a few men and running off with Gwen, then being shunned by the
whole country.
Gwenwyfar-
Arthur's wife. You all know her, or have heard of her. In "The Mists of
Avalon" she is portryaed as a pious, controlling woman, contrary to popular
belief. She and Morgaine are mainly the two whose points of view the story is
told from. Gwen's life consists mainly of thinking of how she's sinned and her
love for Lancelet. Towards the end of the book her love for Lancelet wins over
and the two run off together.
Gawaine- One
of Arthur's best knights of the Round Table. Son of Morgause. Very kind,
compassionate, and devoted to Arthur.
Cai- Another
one of Arthur's favorite and most devoted knights of the Round Table, even
though he was crippled. He was Arthur's foster-brother. Kind of like a keeper of
Camelot. Had a very teasing sence of humor.
Gareth-
Morgause's other son who was a knight of Arthur. A lot like Gawaine, only more
fearsome in battle. Lancelet was his absolute idol, though it was Lancelet who
eventuallly killed him.
Kevin Harper-
Kevin was the Merlin after Taleisin died. He was very badly deformed from
childhood injuries, but he was still the best bard in all of Britain. In the end
he was executed in Avalon because he betrayed Avalon and let Arthur use
Excalibur for Christian use. Seduced by Nimue.
Elaine- Cousin
of Gwenwyfar. Good friend of Morgaine and Gwen. In order to keep Lancelet and
Gwewyfar away from eachother, Morgaine married Elaine and Lancelet. By him she
had 2 children, Galahad and Nimue.
Gwydion/Mordred-
Arthur and Morgaine's son. Morgaine left him as soon as he was weaned and he was
raised by Morgause in Lothian before he took to Avalon. Because he lived with
Morgause he took on some of her slyness and deceitful personality. He also had
the Sight, not a good combination if you can imagine. Gwydion met Niniane in
Avalon, and they were lovers until he accidently killed her. Gwydion also ALMOST
succeeded in wrenching Britain away from Arthur's rule, until Arthur killed him.
Niniane-
Taleisin's daughter, so Igraine and Morgause's half sister. Took Morgaine's
place as Lady of the Lake when she fled Avalon, thought she was not quite up to
the job. Gwydion's lover.
Uriens-
Morgaine's dottery old husband, king of somewhere in Wales. Father to Acclon,
Avalloch, and Uwaine.
Accolon-
Uriens son, and even though Uriens and Morgaine were married, Morgaine and
Accolon had been courting before their marriage, they continued to court through
it. Accolon was consort to Morgiane in her Goddess form, and was the planned
king to take over Wales and all Britian, which evidently failed.
Uwaine- The
only son Morgaine ever knew. Urien's son.
Galahad-
Lancelot and Elaine's son, Aruthur's heir to the throne. Gwydion predicted he
would not live to see his own crowning. Indeed, died on the quest for the Holy
Grail.
Nimue-
Lancelet and Elaine's daughter, was to be Lady of the Lake when Morgaine died.
She was given the task of seducing and bringing Kevin the traitor to Avalon
where they killed him, so she killed herself out of guilt in return.