Guinevere

(by Snafflewyrm)

The wife of King Arthur. Her character varies greatly between legends. In the most common version of the Arthurian saga, Guinevere contributes to the downfall of Arthur’s kingdom by engaging in an affair with Lancelot. Mordred took her (or tried to take her) as his own wife when he rebelled against Arthur. In the aftermath of the final battles that destroyed Arthur’s kingdom, Guinevere sought refuge in a nunnery.
She appears first in the Welsh Culhwch and Olwen (c. 1080). The Welsh version of her name, Gwenhwyfar, means “white ghost.” A Welsh Triad says that Arthur had three wives of this name—the daughters of Cywyrd, Gwythyr, and Gogfran—which may have inspired the French tradition of the True and False Guineveres. (The cross discovered at “Arthur’s Grave” in Glastonbury identifes Guinevere as his second wife.) Another Triad calls her one of the “faithless wives” of the Isle of Britain. A third Triad talks of an episode in which Mordred visited Arthur’s court and beat Gwenhwyfar, and a fourth says that the battle of Camlann (Arthur’s last battle) somehow began over a feud between Gwenhwyfar and her sister, Gwenhwyach.
Geoffrey of Monmouth (1138) latinized her name as “Guinevere.” He tells little about her, except to say that she was raised in the house of Cador of Cornwall and was ravishingly beautiful. Guinevere and Arthur were married after the Saxon wars. When Mordred revolted against Arthur while Arthur was fighting the Roman War, he took Guinevere as his wife, and Guinevere seemed to be a willing collaborator. Arthur returned, and as the battles between Mordred and Arthur raged, Guinevere fled to Caerleon and took the veil.
Two major themes follow Guinevere throughout the development of the Arthurian legend: her infidelity, and her abductions. In many texts, these themes are intertwined, with her rescuer becoming her lover. Chrétien de Troyes, in his Lancelot (C. 1180), is the first to mention her affair with Lancelot, which may have been invented by Marie de Champagne, Chrétien’s patroness. The acceptance of Andreas the Chaplain’s De Amour—which glorified adultery—in Marie’s court may explain Chrétien’s ability to portray Guinevere as both a noble queen and an unfaithful wife. On the other hand, Celtic queens were free to take lovers at their pleasure, and the affair may therefore have a Celtic origin, with the element of tragedy inserted by authors of different sensibilities.
Though her most famous affair is with Lancelot, Guinevere’s earliest lover, as we’ve seen, seems to have been Mordred, with whom she is a willing consipirator in the chronicles. In Marie de France’s Lanval (c. 1170) as well, she is said to have a number of lovers, and she propositions Sir Lanval. In several romances, she fails a variety of chastity tests, suggesting affairs with any number of other knights. In the romance of Yder (c. 1225–50), her infatuation with Yder and his subsequent marriage to a woman named Guenloie (a variation of Guinevere) may indicate an earlier tradition in which Guinevere and Yder were lovers. There is allusion to this tradition in the Folie Tristan of Berne (c. 1190). According to the Vulgate Merlin (c. 1230), she apparently had a dalliance with a knight named Gosengos before her marriage to Arthur.
Even the earliest Arthurian bards seem to have attached an abduction story to Guinevere. Such a tale is represented on an cathedral archivolt in Modena, Italy (c. 1135): Guinevere is abducted by Carados of the Dolorous Tower, who gives her to Mardoc, his master. Arthur gathers his knights and mounts a rescue, and it appears to be Gawain who successfully retrieves the queen, though Yder is also present. Another depiction appears in Caradoc of Llancarfan’s The Life of St. Gildas (c. 1130), where Guinevere’s kidnapper is King Melwas of the Summer Region (probably the origin of Meleagant). Although Arthur (presented in the tale as a tyrant) rouses warriors from Devon and Cornwall to pursue, it is the Abbott of Glastonbury and St. Gildas who shrewdly win her freedom.
In Ulrich’s Lanzelet (c. 1200), Guinevere’s abductor is King Valerin of the Tangled Wood. Valerin had lost, in combat against Lancelot, a claim that Guinevere should be his because of a promise of marriage made when Guinevere was a girl. Unsatisfied with his loss, Valerin kidnapped Guinevere and hauled her back to his fortress of the Tangled Wood. Arthur besieged the magic fortress—an effort that proved futile until he enlisted the aid of the wizard Malduc, who destroyed the palace’s defenses and allowed Arthur and his knights to seize the castle. Guinevere’s son Loüt played an important role in the rescue.
Heinrich von dem Türlin (c. 1230) presents an interesting abduction tale: Gasozein of Dragoz arrives at Arthur’s court claming that Guinevere is actually his wife. Guinevere refutes his claim, but her brother Gotegrin believes her wrong and kidnaps her, intending to kill her for her wickedness. Gasozein rescues her, but then kidnaps her himself and tries to **** her. She is finally saved by Gawain, who forces Gasozein to confess the falseness of his claim.
In Durmart le Gallois, she is kidnapped by Brun of Morrois and rescued by Durmart. Finally, in the Livre d’Artus (c. 1240), she is kidnapped and briefly held by King Urien during the war between Arthur and the rebellious kings.
The version told by the French prose cycles (c. 1215–1240) and subsequently by Malory (1470) builds on Geoffrey’s account and forms the basis for most modern tales of Guinevere:
Guinevere is the daughter of King Leodegan of Carmelide. She has an identical half-sister, also named Guinevere, who is the daughter of Leodegan and his seneschal’s wife. The two Guineveres are distinguished only by a crown-shaped birthmark on the legitimate Guinevere’s back.
Merlin has predicted her marriage to Arthur. Arthur comes to her father’s land shortly after his coronation because King Rions and the Saxons have invaded. Arthur falls in love with Guinevere and marries her as soon as he has achieved victory. On their wedding knight, enemies of Leodegan attempt to kidnap Guinevere and substitute Guinevere’s half-sister in Arthur’s bed, but Arthur’s knights foil the plan.
Guinevere forms her own body of knights called the Queen’s Knights, whose ranks include Gawain, Yvain, and other young warriors.
When Lancelot arrives at court, he falls in love with the queen at first sight. She presents him with a sword. He falls into trances of rapture whenever he gazes upon her. At first she is amused by his adoration. After Lancelot ends Arthur’s war with Galehaut, Galehaut brings about a meeting between Lancelot and Guinevere, and Lancelot confesses his love. Guinevere rewards him with a kiss.
Saxons invade Britain and Arthur opposes them at Saxon Rock. Guinevere goes with him. Lancelot also arrives. One night, while Arthur is sleeping with Gamille, a Saxon enchantress, Lancelot visits Guinevere’s chambers and their affair begins.
Guinevere the False, Guinevere’s half-sister, sends a message to Arthur claiming to be the true queen, as if the wedding-night ruse had worked. The false Guinevere enchants Arthur and he accepts her as the true queen. The real Guinevere is exiled and goes to live in Sorelois, Galehaut’s land. The ruse is eventually discovered, the false Guinevere dies or is executed, and the queen returns to court.
Morgan le Fay learns of the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere and tries to reveal it to Arthur. Her plans are never entirely successful. Morgan hates Guinevere because Guinevere has ended an affair between Morgan and Sir Guiomar, Guinevere’s cousin.
Meleagant abducts Guinevere from Arthur’s court and takes her to his castle in Gorre. Bagdemagus, Meleagant’s father, prevents Guinevere from being mistreated. Lancelot arrives and fights Meleagant to a draw. One night, he enters Guinevere’s chambers in Meleagant’s castle and spends the night with her. He has a wound, and he leaves blood on the bed. When Meleagant sees the blood, he believes the queen has slept with Kay, who is wounded and sleeping in the queen’s outer room. Lancelot schedules a duel with Meleagant at Arthur’s court to prove her innocence.
Lancelot enters the tournament at Pomeglai, and Guinevere is present. To test his love, she tells him to act like a coward, and he does. At Arthur’s court, Lancelot kills Meleagant. In a later adventure, it appears that Lancelot is dead, and Guinevere is heartbroken. She rejoices when she learns he is alive.
Lancelot is triked into sleeping with the daughter of King Pelles twice; once at her castle, once at Camelot. He believes he is sleeping with Guinevere. Guinevere discovers him in bed with the lady, believes his actions to be deliberate, and banishes him from her sight forever. Lancelot goes mad. He is eventually cured by the Grail and is reconciled with Guinevere.
After the Grail Quest, Guinevere believes that Lancelot has fallen in love with the maiden of Escalot. She banishes him again. During a dinner, a knight named Avarlan tries to arrange for Gawain to eat some poisoned fruit. Guinevere innocently gives the fruit to Gaheris of Carahew instead, and he dies. Gaheris’s brother, Mador of the Gate, accuses Guinevere of murder. Meanwhile, the body of the maiden of Escalot arrives at Camelot in a boat, and Guinevere learns that Lancelot did not love her. Lancelot arrives in time to defend Guinevere against the charge. He exonerates her, and the lovers are reconciled.
Agravain and Mordred learn of the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere. Arthur begins to suspect. Arthur goes on a hunting party but makes Lancelot stay behind. Lancelot goes to Guinevere’s chambers. Agravain rouses a band of knights and catches the lovers in flagrante. Lancelot battles his way free and promises to return to rescue the queen.
Guienvere is condemned to execution. On the morning she is to be burned, Lancelot returns with a body of knights and rescues her from the stake. Guinevere and Lancelot flee to Joyous Guard and are pursued by Arthur. The Pope intervenes and forces Arthur to restore Guinevere as queen. Arthur continues the war against Lancelot, however, pursuing him to France.
While Arthur is gone, Mordred usurps the throne. He falls in love with Guinevere and asks her to marry him. Guinevere flees to the Tower of London and Mordred besieges her there. Arthur returns to Britain with his army and Mordred abandons the siege. Guinevere flees to Amesbury and, after she hears of Arthur’s death, takes the veil. She soon dies.
The are a number of notable variations to the version of Guinevere’s last days presented by Geoffrey of Monmouth and the prose cycles. In Perlesvaus (c. 1200), she dies of grief after learning of her son Loholt’s murder by Kay, and she is buried in Avalon. In La Tavola Ritonda (c. 1325–50), she falls down dead upon hearing of Arthur’s death. In Jean D’Outremeuse’s Ly Myreur des histors (c. 1350), she is slain by Lancelot and entombed with a living Mordred, who feasts on her flesh but eventually starves. In the Middle English tale of Sir Launfal (c. 1380), Guinevere, a wicked, adulterous floozy, is magically blinded by the sorceress Triamour. Finally, in Hector Boece’s Scotorum Historia (1527), following the final battle between Mordred and Arthur, she is kidnapped by the Picts (who supported Mordred) and lives out her days as a prisoner.
Reginald Heber’s Morte D’Arthur (1812) includes a tale of Guinevere’s youth in which she falls in love with a forester named Cadual. Later married to Arthur, she longs for her former love and comes to realize that Cadual was in fact Lancelot in disguise.
According to Tennyson, Guinevere fell in love with Lancelot when he first escorted her from her home to Arrthur’s court for her marriage (in the Vulgate Cycle, Lancelot is not yet born when Arthur marries Guinevere). She is seduced by his warmth and humor and liveliness and, when she reaches Camelot, she is repelled by Arthur, who is “high, self-contained, and passionless.” Her affair with Lancelot contributes to Arthur’s downfall not only at the end: during his entire reign, her infidelity sets a poor example and undermines with sin Arthur’s lofty ambitions. News of her adultery contributes to the madness of Balin and Pelleas. In the end, when she sees what destruction her actions have caused, she is repentant and ashamed to the point of groveling, realizing too late that she needn’t have looked any further than Arthur for the ideal husband and lover.