100 Kick-Ass Female Characters: #49
49. Queen Gwenhywfar, as seen in the novel Mists of Avalon by Marian Zimmer Bradley and the miniseries Mists of Avalon, portrayed by Samantha Mathis
I love all things Arthurian. From the moment I watched The Sword in the Stone as a child, I was mildly obsessed with Arthurian legend. In my english class sophomore year of high school, we were doing an entire unit on Arthurian legend, which was to culminate in everyone doing some sort of big project. Because I am physically incapable of making any kind of poster board or other artistic project, I decided instead I'd read one of the books on the "alternate tellings" list and give a presentation. I picked Mists of Avalon because it was told from the women's POVs and because, given the length of the book, you got an extra two weeks to finish the project. (Yeah, I'm that kid.) What I didn't expect was just how much I'd love the book.
As I said, The Mists of Avalon tells the Arthur legend from the women's perspectives. It starts with Igraine, Arthur's mother, but also features POVs from Viviane (the Lady of the Lake), Morgaine (Arthur's half-sister and a priestess of Avalon), Morgause (Arthur's scheming aunt), Elaine (Lancelot's wife), and, of course, Gwenhywfar, Arthur's wife and queen as well as Lancelot's lover.
In this telling, Gwenhywfar is the extremely sheltered daughter of King Leodgrantz. She first encounters Lancelot and Morgaine when she accidentally wanders into the mists surrounding Avalon, and she falls in love with Lancelot instantly (and vice versa.) She does not want to be Arthur's queen; in this book, Gwenhywfar is a highly anxious, scared person after having spent so much of her life locked away in a convent, and she does think herself ready to be queen. Her love and concern for Lancelot is especially blatant to Morgaine, who also loves Lancelot, but Gwenhywfar truly does try to love Arthur. It is only after Gwenhywfar is raped by her half-brother who kidnaps her that she is able to admit her desire for Lancelot, having realized as a result of her assault that she no longer wants to feel the pain of denying herself when there is already so much pain in the world. Gwenhywfar also understands how deeply Arthur and Lancelot love each other. When Gwenhywfar cannot conceive, she takes both Arthur and Lancelot to bed at the same time so that they will never be able to tell who fathers her child; she understands that Arthur could only love a child of Lancelot's as much as he'd love his own. However, Gwenhywfar was raised a highly devout Christian, and, since threesomes definitely weren't on Jesus's approved list, she removes the fertility charm Morgaine gave her, which was the only way she could have counteracted the curse she does not know Morgause placed upon her to ensure only Mordred is Arthur's heir.
As in all Arthurian legends, Gwenhywfar's affair with Lancelot is discovered by Mordred, who tells Arthur. Rather than punish them, Arthur allows them to escape, Gwenhywfar taking refuge in a convent while Lancelot returns to fight alongside Arthur one last time. It is not a happy ending, but I can't exactly remember any Arthurian legend ending happily.
Of all the characters in this book, Gwenhywfar seems to receive the most criticism. I understand why it's easy to overlook her; with characters as overpowering as Morgaine, Viviane, and Morgause, the subtly of Gwenhywfar's story often gets unnoticed. Gwenhywfar is also painted unsympathetically by the other female characters; Morgaine despises her because she is a devout Christian whom Lancelot loves more than he loves her. Igraine thinks Gwenhywfar is an idiot, and neither of Arthur's aunt cares at all for his queen. But, for all the claims of Gwenhywfar's passivity, she isn't; she's just not as blatant in her actions. She carries on a long-term affair with Lancelot, she schemes to marry off Morgaine to a man old enough to be her father leagues away so she cannot be near Arthur or Lancelot; Gwenhywfar does not play as much of a role in the political and religious storylines, but Mordred's rise could not have been facilitated with Gwenhywfar's actions with Lancelot.
But I think the real reason Gwenhywfar is such a great character is because her storyline is the most realistic of any character in this book. Historically, women, even queens, did not have power over their lives; they were property to be owned by their fathers and then their husbands. Igraine is married off to Gorlois but eventually falls pasionately in love with Uther; Viviane has multiple bastard children without ever taking a husband; Morgause is married off to Lot but takes lovers of her own and has a fair amount of power within Lot's court, especially once Mordred comes along; Morgaine is used for the Great Marriage where she sleeps with Arthur and is married off as well, but she spends the majority of the story making her own way by making her own choices, including the not-so-subtle subtext that she is actually in love with Arthur. Only Gwenhywfar is literally at the mercy of the men around her, and she has to learn to operate within that context; Gwenhyfar was raised to serve, and it is anathema to her to even consider another way of life. Gwenhywfar is as much victim as she is queen, but, of all the women in the story, only Gwenhywfar finds peace, sheltered away in Glastonbury. Only Gwenhywfar is able to look upon the chaotic world they lived in and say, "I don't want to be here. I want to walk away," and was able to do it; the others had tied themselves too tightly to the men of the story to ever truly escape. Only Gwenhywfar was able to break away and find happiness for herself.
And the fact that her actions aren't recognized as kick-ass makes me very sad.
I love all things Arthurian. From the moment I watched The Sword in the Stone as a child, I was mildly obsessed with Arthurian legend. In my english class sophomore year of high school, we were doing an entire unit on Arthurian legend, which was to culminate in everyone doing some sort of big project. Because I am physically incapable of making any kind of poster board or other artistic project, I decided instead I'd read one of the books on the "alternate tellings" list and give a presentation. I picked Mists of Avalon because it was told from the women's POVs and because, given the length of the book, you got an extra two weeks to finish the project. (Yeah, I'm that kid.) What I didn't expect was just how much I'd love the book.
As I said, The Mists of Avalon tells the Arthur legend from the women's perspectives. It starts with Igraine, Arthur's mother, but also features POVs from Viviane (the Lady of the Lake), Morgaine (Arthur's half-sister and a priestess of Avalon), Morgause (Arthur's scheming aunt), Elaine (Lancelot's wife), and, of course, Gwenhywfar, Arthur's wife and queen as well as Lancelot's lover.
In this telling, Gwenhywfar is the extremely sheltered daughter of King Leodgrantz. She first encounters Lancelot and Morgaine when she accidentally wanders into the mists surrounding Avalon, and she falls in love with Lancelot instantly (and vice versa.) She does not want to be Arthur's queen; in this book, Gwenhywfar is a highly anxious, scared person after having spent so much of her life locked away in a convent, and she does think herself ready to be queen. Her love and concern for Lancelot is especially blatant to Morgaine, who also loves Lancelot, but Gwenhywfar truly does try to love Arthur. It is only after Gwenhywfar is raped by her half-brother who kidnaps her that she is able to admit her desire for Lancelot, having realized as a result of her assault that she no longer wants to feel the pain of denying herself when there is already so much pain in the world. Gwenhywfar also understands how deeply Arthur and Lancelot love each other. When Gwenhywfar cannot conceive, she takes both Arthur and Lancelot to bed at the same time so that they will never be able to tell who fathers her child; she understands that Arthur could only love a child of Lancelot's as much as he'd love his own. However, Gwenhywfar was raised a highly devout Christian, and, since threesomes definitely weren't on Jesus's approved list, she removes the fertility charm Morgaine gave her, which was the only way she could have counteracted the curse she does not know Morgause placed upon her to ensure only Mordred is Arthur's heir.
As in all Arthurian legends, Gwenhywfar's affair with Lancelot is discovered by Mordred, who tells Arthur. Rather than punish them, Arthur allows them to escape, Gwenhywfar taking refuge in a convent while Lancelot returns to fight alongside Arthur one last time. It is not a happy ending, but I can't exactly remember any Arthurian legend ending happily.
Of all the characters in this book, Gwenhywfar seems to receive the most criticism. I understand why it's easy to overlook her; with characters as overpowering as Morgaine, Viviane, and Morgause, the subtly of Gwenhywfar's story often gets unnoticed. Gwenhywfar is also painted unsympathetically by the other female characters; Morgaine despises her because she is a devout Christian whom Lancelot loves more than he loves her. Igraine thinks Gwenhywfar is an idiot, and neither of Arthur's aunt cares at all for his queen. But, for all the claims of Gwenhywfar's passivity, she isn't; she's just not as blatant in her actions. She carries on a long-term affair with Lancelot, she schemes to marry off Morgaine to a man old enough to be her father leagues away so she cannot be near Arthur or Lancelot; Gwenhywfar does not play as much of a role in the political and religious storylines, but Mordred's rise could not have been facilitated with Gwenhywfar's actions with Lancelot.
But I think the real reason Gwenhywfar is such a great character is because her storyline is the most realistic of any character in this book. Historically, women, even queens, did not have power over their lives; they were property to be owned by their fathers and then their husbands. Igraine is married off to Gorlois but eventually falls pasionately in love with Uther; Viviane has multiple bastard children without ever taking a husband; Morgause is married off to Lot but takes lovers of her own and has a fair amount of power within Lot's court, especially once Mordred comes along; Morgaine is used for the Great Marriage where she sleeps with Arthur and is married off as well, but she spends the majority of the story making her own way by making her own choices, including the not-so-subtle subtext that she is actually in love with Arthur. Only Gwenhywfar is literally at the mercy of the men around her, and she has to learn to operate within that context; Gwenhyfar was raised to serve, and it is anathema to her to even consider another way of life. Gwenhywfar is as much victim as she is queen, but, of all the women in the story, only Gwenhywfar finds peace, sheltered away in Glastonbury. Only Gwenhywfar is able to look upon the chaotic world they lived in and say, "I don't want to be here. I want to walk away," and was able to do it; the others had tied themselves too tightly to the men of the story to ever truly escape. Only Gwenhywfar was able to break away and find happiness for herself.
And the fact that her actions aren't recognized as kick-ass makes me very sad.