Mists Of Avalon
Recently I picked up a book that has really held my attention. “The Mists Of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a recreation of the King Arthur saga told from the point of view of the women that surrounded his noble life. This is the first in a three part series where the conflict between the Old Religion of the Druids which has held sway in the Island Kingdom of the Britons and the newly imported religion from the Roman occupancy – Christianity – are competing for centrality in the minds and hearts of the Britons. This story depicts the struggle of cultures at odds with each other. The point of view of this retelling of the Arthurian tale highlights the struggle through the eyes of two women; Morgaine, the half sister to Arthur and a high priestess of Avalon and the lovely Queen Gwenhwyfar wife of Arthur who is torn between her duty to her king and her Christian God. Her passion for the dashing Lancelet eventually leads her into her famous adultery. For Morgaine, there is only one quest- to keep Christianity out of Britain, and return it to worship of the Mother Goddess of the Druids. This conflict sets up the tension in this great new look at this famous tale. So why all the interest. This clash of cultures in legend is as timely to day as its roots thousands years ago.
In the words of Gloria Bauermeister in 500 Great Books by Women
It’s the legendary saga of King Arthur and his companions at Camelot, their battles, love, and devotion, told this time from the perspective of the women involved. Viviane is “The Lady of the Lake,” the magical priestess of the Isle of Avalon, a special mist-shrouded place which becomes more difficult to reach as people turn away from its nature- and Goddess-oriented religion. Viviane’s quest is to find a king who will be loyal to Avalon as well as to Christianity. This king will be Arthur. Gwenhwyfar, Arthur’s Queen, is an overly pious, fearful woman who successfully sways her husband into betraying his allegiance to Avalon. Set against her is Morgaine of the Fairies, Arthur’s sister, love, and enemy – and the most powerfully believable person in the book – who manipulates the characters like threads in a tapestry to achieve her tragic and heroic goals.
All in all I am finding the book tremendously readable and spiking my interest in the Druid world of the early British Middle Ages. I highly recommend this book for reading now. This is especially true for those that want a peak into what I have been thinking about and mediating on. Please enjoy it throughly. Let me know what your experiences are reading this book. I can not help but feeling that you will be as touched as I have been by the tenderness and raw power of the prose.
