The Mists of Avalon

This is our first real introduction to Avalon: the world that so many of the Christian characters view as blasphemous and threatening. Zimmer Bradley uses descriptive language to depict Avalon, but what stands out is its illusory quality. Descriptions of Avalon often refer to what “seems” as opposed to what “is.” For example, when the barge arrives, Morgaine thinks, “Draped at one end in black and silver, it glided so silently that it seemed to skim over the water like some waterfowl” (130). Similarly, the oarsmen strike her as too mystical to be real: “One of the tattooed men held out his hand to Morgaine to help her step on board, she half expected it to be insubstantial, a vision like the boat, but instead his hand felt calloused, hard as a horn” (130). Viviane describes “the awe in her voice” when she asks, “Lady, is it real?” (131).

Chapter 11 elaborates on Viviane’s ideas about Christianity, which she views as not necessarily bad, but narrow-minded. She tells Morgaine, “God is called by many names, but is everywhere One; and so, when you pray to Mary, mother of Jesus, you pray, without knowing it, to the World Mother in one of her many forms.” (134). Her ideas show the stark contrasts between the religion of the Holy Isle and Christianity. The Christian rulers we have seen thus far, especially Gorlois, have disdained the Holy Isle and to some extent any other religion. Gorlois repeatedly expresses his intent to stamp out any remnants of the Old People in Igraine and Morgaine, and he blindly asserts that Christianity is superior. In contrast, Viviane and the Merlin hold their beliefs to be the truest while acknowledging the truth behind other religions. This presents a model for how people of different faiths can exist together in harmony.

Chapter 12 shows Morgaine struggling with the expectations of her gender and her budding sexuality. Morgaine experiences her first feelings of desire for Lancelet. She feels as though she must hide her magical self from him to be attractive, which her struggle to summon the barge and lift the mists demonstrates: Morgaine “charg[ed] herself for the magical act, knowing she must concentrate all her strength, intensely angry at herself for her own awareness of the man’s eyes on her [...] I want him to see the woman, not the Goddess, not even the priestess” (143). Morgaine views priestesshood as a form of undesirable femininity and assumes that Lancelet, having been out of Avalon for so long, will prefer Christian gender norms. Her fears appear confirmed when Lancelet falls for Gwenhwyfar’s traditional, doll-like appearance. Even though the Isle does not encourage women to feel shame, Morgaine feels that her Druid blood and power give her unwomanly—and therefore undesirable—strength.

This is another twist on the theme of gender and power. Many female characters come to believe that they must sacrifice their femininity for power, and vice versa. This is particularly evident in Lancelet’s relationship with Viviane. Lancelet feels that his mother was not an ordinary woman, telling Morgaine, “I would rather have a loving mother than a stern Goddess whose every breath bids men live and die at her will” (144). In Lancelet’s eyes, acting as the Goddess is expressing femininity in a way that is incompatible with motherhood. Lancelet’s lament defines motherhood in traditional terms of gentleness and caring. Since serving the Goddess also involves having many partners and many children, it can encourage emotional detachment, which clearly impacts Lancelet.

The reader gets Viviane’s perspective on this idea in Chapter 13. Viviane feels as though her dedication to Avalon’s well-being precludes her from experiencing true love. She compares herself to Igraine, who had a terrible marriage and now holds the restrictive role of High Queen. Despite this, she envies her, explaining, “What I envy her is the love she has known…I have no daughters, my sons are strangers and alien to me…I have never loved […] Nor have I known what it is to be loved. Fear, awe, reverence…these have been given me. Never love” (165). Duty has defined all of Viviane’s relationships, and as a woman, this is the only way she commands respect. The conflict between femininity and power has harmed both Viviane and Lancelet in equal but different ways.