The Mists of Avalon

Morgaine storms into the Camelot fields after the argument between Gwenhwyfar and Arthur, thinking that Avalon’s cause is surely lost. As she ruminates, she runs into Accolon, son of King Uriens of North Wales. She recognizes him as the young man from her dream and is drawn to the blue serpents tattooed on his wrists—a symbol given to men dedicated to Avalon. Accolon asks her to join him at the Pentecost feast.

At the feast, Gwenhwyfar sees Elaine and Lancelet. Elaine is pregnant again, which hurts Gwenhwyfar deeply. Arthur approaches Gwenhwyfar and expresses his concern that she did not attend mass. He begs her forgiveness and asks her to find Morgaine. Gwenhwyfar says, “I care not—I wish she were in hell!” (560). Arthur tells her that Morgaine has suffered enough, and this concern upsets Gwenhwyfar further. Arthur sighs and walks to join Father Patricius, beckoning him out of the room so that they can talk.

Gwenhwyfar sees Arthur return looking pale and sullen. He refuses to eat and instead asks that Morgaine play the harp. After her performance, King Uriens approaches Arthur, asking to marry Morgause. Arthur says he cannot ask her since she has already married and had several children. Gwenhwyfar, wanting revenge, suggests that he offer Morgaine. Thinking it would be a good match and looking for an excuse to send her out of court, Arthur calls her over to ask if she would like to go to North Wales. Morgaine blushes, saying she would be happy to and would not mind the age difference, but when Arthur announces the marriage, “Morgaine [stands] still as stone” (566). Gwenhwyfar realizes that Morgaine assumed that she was being offered to Accolon and smiles smugly.

Present-day Morgaine reflects on her marriage to Uriens, saying that despite his piety, he never judged her for her past at Avalon or her previous son. Instead, Morgaine served as a foster mother for his nine-year-old son Uwaine. She formed a close bond with Uwaine and got along well with Uriens’s older son Avalloch.

Accolon returns home from his travels, and Morgaine finds that all of her old feelings for him have returned. She asks him for news from Camelot, and he mentions that Elaine has given birth to Lancelet’s daughter. He discusses Cornwall, and Morgaine reveals that she is its Duchess. Uriens asserts that under Roman law, he is Duke of Cornwall, much to Morgaine’s chagrin. Uwaine tells Accolon that they are about to pick the Spring Maiden for Midsummer—a pagan ritual that has since been Christianized.

On the day of the ritual, Uriens tells Morgaine to hand out candy to the crowds and bless the Maiden. Morgaine laments the life at Avalon that she left behind and wishes she had not discarded her priestesshood so easily. When the Maiden approaches her, Morgaine instinctively “[takes] on the half-forgotten stance of a priestess in blessing, and [feels] for an instant the old awareness of something shadowing her, above her, beyond” (585).

Morgaine falls into a trance while spinning and sees several visions including a wounded man lying in the barge of Avalon, decorated for a funeral. Accolon’s arrival breaks her trance, and he tells her he was impressed by the ease at which she channeled the Goddess. They kiss and go outside to have sex as they would have during the old Midsummer rituals.

Present-day Morgaine describes this as an intensely spiritual experience that inspired her to return to the ways of the Goddess. As she continued to play the part of Uriens’s doting housewife, she also left gifts for the little people living in the mountains in the hopes of winning their favor. Over the next few years, she painstakingly retrained herself in the ways of the priestesses, until she received a gift of mushrooms that “could open the gates to the Sight […] a gift more sacred than gold” (591). She viewed these gifts as sacred signs that she would be a priestess once again.

Kevin is in Avalon consulting with Niniane, who became Lady of the Lake after Viviane’s murder. He tells her that Gwydion is now at the Saxon court studying battle and that he has grown into a formidable fighter. The Saxons have given him the name Mordred, meaning “Evil Counsel.” Kevin remarks how far Avalon seems to have drifted from the mainland, saying that it has grown increasingly difficult to summon the mists. However, there is hope in Morgaine and Accolon, who are able to infuse the land with the traditions of Avalon. Kevin feels that Morgaine may be able to pick up where Viviane left off. This hurts Niniane, who has limited Sight and is only able to keep the land stable.

Niniane hopes for Gwydion to be Arthur’s heir instead of Galahad since he has Pendragon blood. She says that at Midsummer, he should be crowned the King of Avalon. Kevin warns that he is not ready, but Niniane says Avalon needs a new ruler as soon as possible. Kevin wonders if Avalon is meant to go on. He says that despite Arthur’s Christianity, the people do love him, and that there is “now another heart in the land, and it shines forth from Camelot” (596). He also fears that declaring a King of Avalon would cause unnecessary trouble for Arthur, as he has a new foe in Lucius, the self-proclaimed Roman emperor. Niniane realizes that “Avalon is drifting, dying; few come here for the ancient teachings, and there are none to keep the rites…and one day there will be no one at all” (598). A few days later, Gwydion arrives in Avalon.