The Idylls of the King - A Victorian Camelot Part 2

 "...To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yeild..."

The Idylls of the King.

Last time we started to looked at Alfred, Lord Tennyson's, The Idylls of the King -- if you missed the post you can read it here!

I am going to start where I left off...in this post I am going to explore the poem a little more.

Guinevere

"O Lancelot, if thou love me get thee hence."
And then they were agreed upon a night
(When the good King should not be there) to meet
And part for ever."

Guinevere by Henry Justice Ford c.1910

For the good of Camelot and to save her own reputation, Guinevere decides to end her affair with the noblest of knights. But there are many spies at court and their farewell is witnessed by Mordred. 

Guinevere seeks sanctuary at the convent in Almesbury - she refuses to reveal her identity, but she does befriend a young novice.

But even the sanctuary of a convent can not protect Guinevere from who she is or what she has done. She learns that Arthur and Lancelot are at war, then later she hears of Mordred's usurpation. 

Her friend, the novice, innocently describes about the glorious kingdom in her father's day....

"..before the coming of the sinful Queen..."

Arthur comes to her. She falls to his feet in grief. Arthur forgives her. Guinevere remains in the abbey, later becoming an Abbess. 

And finally, lets take a look at...

The Passing of Arthur

"...To war against my people and my knights,

The King who fights his people fights himself..."

Arthur kills the usurper, Mordred, but in turn, he receives a mortal wound.

The Death of Arthur, by John Garrick 1862

Scattered on the battlefield are the bodies of his knights. Only Sir Bedivere has made it through the fray.  Sir Bedivere carries Arthur to Avalon. Arthur commands Bediever to throw Excalibur back into the lake. Bedivere is reluctant to throw such a great sword into a lake, but eventually he obeys this last order from his king. He watches with astonishment as the Lady of the Lake, takes back the sword.  Arthur dies.

The Idylls of the King - A Victorian Camelot?

Gustave Doré's illustration of Camelot for Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King 1868

There was a great deal of interest in the notion of courtly-love back in the Middle Ages - this 'idea' was once again embraced in the Victorian era.

Arthur is portrayed as the "ideal man" with Victorian values. His Camelot is a Victorian one.

I have never felt truly comfortable with Arthur cast in this roll.  He is the '...blameless..." one. He could do not wrong.

It is Guinevere's immorality that brings down the kingdom - it had nothing whatsoever to do with Arthur - because he was just so...perfect?!

Likewise, at the final battle, everyone, apart from Sir Bedivere dies...? I have never really bought that ending and I don't think I ever will - which is partly why I wrote The Du Lac Chronicles in the first place. Still, its a good poem...isn't it??!

 

The Idylls of Kings - A Victorian Camelot?

“This madness has come on us for our sins.” 

Idylls of the King.

As I have said before, there is something so appealing about King Arthur and his Knights that their story has become - I am not too sure how to express it - timeless?

The story, the legend - as it is now- has ancient roots, dating back to the 4th and 5th Centuries. The tales, traditionally oral in the telling, have been fascinating every generation from the very beginning. Can you imagine being some of the first people to sit and listen to the tales of Arthur? It must have been captivating.

We can surmise, that for a story to become so popular, it must have had a very good beginning.

Just take a look at some of the great bards who, through the centuries, have retold the tale. Nennius, Bede, Monmouth, Malory - to name but a small handful - have in their way, shaped the stories of Arthur and his Knights. And we love them for it.

Have you ever heard of the Victorian poet,  Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)?

Yes. No. Maybe...

Well, lets just check out one of his most famous poems...take a gander at this..

'Half a league, half a league, half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death,

Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"

"Charge for the guns!" He said:

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.'

The charge of the Light Brigade (1845)

Charge of the Light Brigade by Richard Caton Woodville, Jr

  Recognize him now? Good. Tennyson also wrote the Idylls of the King (first published in 1859) and that is what I am interested in. It is said that Tennyson was under a great amount of pressure to compose a poem of epic proportions. It is hardly surprising that Tennyson turned to the greatest British hero who ever lived, to draw inspiration from. And on the plus side...everyone loves a good King Arthur story. It was bound to be a hit!


Tennyson drew from the works of Malroy and the Mabinogion. The Idylls is actually split into parts - each dealing with a different aspect of the Arthurian tale - but with a slight Victorian twist on the story!

I am not going to go into too much detail of the Idyllas as a whole, for it would take too long and this post would go from being a few minutes read to an hour - and I am sure you have something you really should be doing, so I will keep it as short as I can. Needless to say, Tennyson drew on the usual cast-list  - Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin.. they are all there.  What I am going to do is just take a quick look at a few of my favourites.

The Coming of Arthur

There would be no Camelot without Arthur and this is where Tennyson's story begins. Britain is divided into waring principalities. Aurelius and Uther, had tried to unite the kingdoms, but they were not successful. It was only Arthur, who could bring unity to a divided land.

"...And through the puissance of his Table Round,

Drew all their pretty princedoms under him,

Their king and head, and made a realm, and reigned."

As one would expect, this first Idylls tells off Arthur coronation, his accession and his marriage to Leodogran's daughter, the fair Guinevere. The future is bright. Arthur is portrayed as the perfect man - someone to aspire to.

Surprisingly,  Arthur isn't in every episode of the Idyll, but his influence / or presence, what ever you want to call it, most certainly is!

Gareth and Lynette

Oh the wows of the youngest son. This is one of my favourite stories. Gareth, brother to Gawain, starts life in Arthur's court disguised as a kitchen boy! 

'So Gareth all for glory underwent

The sooty yoke of kitchen-wassalge;

Ate with young lads his portion by the door,

And couched at night with grimy kitchen-knaves.

And that is only the beginning of the adventure. I posted about Sir Gareth not so long ago - you can read his story...here! Needless to say, it is full of noble quests, adventure and a woman!

Lancelot and Elaine

'What fools those mortal's be....' Shakespeare

1888 John William Waterhouse. The Lady of Shalott (1888)

Once upon a time, Arthur came across two skeletons - one of which was wearing a crown which had nine diamonds. Arthur helped himself to the diamonds and at the annual tourneys, he awarded a diamond to the tournament winner.

Well, no one could fight in tournaments as well as Lancelot. He won the previous eight. Guinevere makes an excuse not to attend the ninth tournament and Lancelot does also. Fearing that the court will put two and two together, Lancelot agrees to attend the tournament, but in disguise. To aid his disguise, he agrees to wear Elaine's token of favour - which is something he has never done before "for any woman."

"...For silent, though he greeted her, she stood

Rapt on his face as if it were a God's..."

Elaine admits her love to Lancelot, but when he tells her that their love can never be - she wishes for death. She dies.

Guinevere has a tantrum when Lancelot presents her with the diamonds. She throws them out the window - one of the diamonds falls on to Elaine's funeral barge - the diamond then slips into the water- thus fulfilling Elaine's strange dream.

Lancelot fears he has made the most monstrous mistake. He should have returned Elaine's love. He fears that Guinevere's love has turned bitter with jealousy. He wishes himself dead. Pleasant..isn't it??!

I think, even by these brief extracts of Tennyson's work, we can see the influence it has had on modern interpretations of the Arthurian story. I am going to leave it there for today, but no doubt I will come back at a later date and talk more about this very interesting 'epic' poem!

Friday Knights - Mordred - a good knight or a villainous traitor?

The traitor who brought down the greatest Kingdom and the greatest King of all times.

Okay, so most of us have heard of Mordred. He did, along with Lancelot, play a pinnacle part in the fall of Arthur at the Battle of Camlann.

Mordred was the son of Morgause - Arthur's sister -  but there is debate as to who his father was. Some say his father was Morgauses' husband, King Lot of Orkney, which would make Gawain his brother. While others say he was Arthur's illegitimate son, begot with his sister. Poor kid, no wonder he was so messed up

 

Alexander Vlahos - played Mordred in Merlin

But what else do we know of him?

Firstly, Mordred is mentioned really early on in the tales of Arthur and his knights.

"Gueith Camlann in qua Arthur et Medraut corruerunt."

   ("The strife of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut fell.")

This was what was written in Annales Cambriae for the year 537.

The Annales Camriae was written between the years 960 - 970. Although they cannot be counted as a primary source, they do however draw on older stories - probably verbal - of the telling of this great battle. If you have not already noticed, the quote above says nothing about Arthur fighting Mordred at Camlann. It states that both men fell (died) at Camlann - has Mordred therefore been wronged in the later telling of the tale? 

So let's assume that Mordred was a knight, who fought bravely by Arthur's side and died next to him in battle. This begs the question..who is responsible for turning Mordred into a villain?

Come on, can't you guess??!!

Yes, that's right. Geoffrey of Monmouth strikes again.

It is Monmouth who suggests that it was Mordred, who was left in charge of Camelot while Arthur crossed the channel to rage war on Emperor Lucius of Rome. It is Monmouth who states that Mordred saw this as an opportunity to take Arthur's throne. It is Monmouth who states that Mordred not only took the kingdom, but also forced Guinevere to marry him. It is Monmouth who states that Mordred and Arthur met at Camlann. 

And we believed him.

 Sir Mordred  H.R Ford (1902)

In the ancient Welsh texts Mordred is associated with Camlann. The two seem to go hand in hand. But Monmouth's casting of Mordred as the villain was soon accepted as the truth and others  expanded upon this story making Mordred something of an Anti-Christ - or an Anti-Arthur. 

Time passes and the story changes. Lancelot enters the tale and some of Mordred's villainous activities are passed on to Lancelot - such as the affair with Guinevere. Malory goes as far as saying that Guinevere fled from Mordred's disgusting proposal and hid in the Tower of London, which I always found considerably clever of her, considering the Tower was not built until after the Norman invasion! But hey, anything is possible in Arthur's Britain.

In the Lancelot-Grail Cycle, Mordred was succeeded by his sons. The sons, like their father, have treachery running through their veins. In older text it is Constantine who tracks the brothers down and kills them. In later versions it is Lancelot and Bors.

But the extent of Mordred's treachery does not end there.

"...him who, at one blow, had chest and shadow / shattered by Arthur's hand..."
                                 (Canto XXXII)

 
This quote is from Dante's Inferno. If you seek Mordred you would find him in the lowest circle of Hell - a place set aside for traitors.

Mordred is cast as a magically Druid boy in the BBC show Merlin (2008 - 2012). He becomes a Knight of Camelot and has no notion of treachery until his beloved is sentenced to death. Ironically, if Merlin had accepted Mordred as a source of good, then Arthur would never have died - but hey, what kind of story would that have made?

Merlin 5x02 "Arthur's Bane Part 2" Mordred is knighted

 So there we have it. Of all the knights, I think Mordred is probably the least understood and the most wronged. Monmouth needed a villain and Mordred was it. I like to think that Mordred did not turn against Arthur, but fought by his side at Camlann - sacrificing his life, for his King. What do you think? Be sure to leave a comment below.

Only 0.99 on Kindle - Limited time only - The Du Lac Chronicles

"...the intimacy in their relationship is tender, vulnerable and real, one of the best romantic relationships I've read..I loved, loved, loved this book and can't wait to read the next in the series..."

                                                                                                    M.M. Carter, Amazon Reviewer 

* Only 0.99 on Kindle - Limited time only *

A generation after Arthur Pendragon ruled, Briton lies fragmented into warring kingdoms and principalities.

“It is dangerous to become attached to a du Lac. He will break your heart, and you will not recover.” 

 So prophesies a wizened healer to Annis, daughter of King Cerdic of Wessex. If there is truth in the old crone’s words, they come far too late for Annis, who defies father, king, and country to save the man she loves.

Alden du Lac, once king of Cerniw, has nothing. Betrayed by Cerdic, Alden’s kingdom lies in rubble, his fort razed to the ground and his brother Merton missing, presumably dead. He has only one possession left worth saving: his heart. And to the horror of his few remaining allies, he gives that to the daughter of his enemy. They see Annis, at best, as a bargaining chip to avoid war with her powerful father. At worst, they see a Saxon whore with her claws in a broken, wounded king.

Alden has one hope: When you war with one du Lac, you war with them all. His brother Budic, King of Brittany, could offer the deposed young king sanctuary—but whether he will offer the same courtesy to Annis is far less certain.

Book Extract. 

"...I hear you surrendered,” he said, a faint hint of glee in his eyes.

Alden, who was still contemplating what Oeric had told him about his brother, looked up. “Good news travels fast.”

“As does bad.”

“It wasn’t something I wanted to do. I had no choice.”

“That is what they all say, isn’t it?” Oeric laughed. “And who is this fine-looking woman by your side?” Oeric turned his attention to Annis.

Annis raised her head reluctantly. She had never met King Oeric, although she had heard a lot about him, mainly about his skill as a warrior from her brother, who liked to talk about worthy opponents to anyone who cared to listen. His appearance surprised her. Oeric was an old man, older than her father was. His hair was a soft white, his face wrinkled. His eyes were watery and the colour of a foggy blue sky. His clothes were lavish and skilfully embroidered. He smiled a welcome, showing gaps in his mouth where his teeth had been knocked out. Alden was right; she could see he was mentally undressing her with his eyes. He made her feel sick.

“What is your name, my dear?” Even the way he spoke to her was lewd.

“Annis.”

“Annis?” Oeric raised his bushy white eyebrows. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.” He licked his lips. “And what are you doing in the company of Lord du Lac?”

Alden had to stop himself from saying king. The slight on Oeric’s part hit its mark well.

Annis nervously glanced at Alden. “I am his wife,” she whispered, fearing the lie.

“His wife?” he whispered back and then he laughed, turning his attention away from her and back to Alden.

“You lose a kingdom, but have the time to find a wife. Where did you pick her up? The dungeons?” Those gathered in the hall laughed at their king’s jest. “What did you do, my dear? Was it something horrid?” he asked Annis, stepping closer to her.

 

Alden’s arm shot out and pulled her closer to him. “The where and why has nothing to do with you.” There was a warning in his tone that he meant for Oeric to hear.

“You speak to me like a King. You forget yourself,” Oeric said, his eyes blazing with anger. “You cannot speak to me as an equal anymore. Annis, Annis.” He rolled her name over his tongue. “Of Wessex?” he stated, his eyes widening. “You married his daughter?”

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Where can I get my hands on a copy of this book?

Amazon US 

Amazon UK

  About the author

Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury—the fabled Isle of Avalon—was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.

At nineteen, Yarde married her childhood sweetheart and began a bachelor of arts in history at Cardiff University, only to have her studies interrupted by the arrival of her first child. She would later return to higher education, studying equine science at Warwickshire College. Horses and history remain two of her major passions.

Yarde keeps busy raising four children and helping run a successful family business. She has many skills but has never mastered cooking—so if you ever drop by, she (and her family) would appreciate some tasty treats or a meal out!

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