The Mists of Avalon - Characters

Characters

• Morgaine — Narrator, protagonist. Her character is capable of second sight (a gift of her Goddess) and transfiguration. Portrayed as a tragic character, Morgaine is torn between her loyalty to Avalon and her unfulfilled love to Lancelet, although she has other lovers in the book, notably Arthur, Kevin, and Accolon. She often considers herself the victim of fate, having no choice in the decisions she makes in life. She is doomed to witness the demise of the old ways of Avalon, but in the end makes peace with certain aspects of Christianity, as she sees that she never fought the religion itself, but rather the narrow minded views of some of its priests. She concludes that some memory of the ancient beliefs of Britain will live on, feeling that the Goddess she worshipped did not die with the coming of Christianity: rather, the Goddess just took another form in the image of the Virgin Mary.
• Uther Pendragon is the nephew and War Duke of the dead High King Ambrosius and an ambitious warlord who falls in love with Igraine. After being betrayed by his ally Gorlois (out of jealousy rather than out of political reasons), he killed him and became the High King of Britain. He fathered King Arthur and died when Arthur was a teenager.
• Igraine is the wife of Gorlois and later Uther, the younger sister of Viviane, and the mother of Morgaine and Arthur. She was brought up in Avalon and given as a wife to Gorlois at the age of fifteen, a mostly unhappy union for her. She is destined by Viviane and Taliesin to betray her husband, seduce Uther and produce the saviour of the Isle (her son King Arthur). At first, she rebels, stating she is not a breeding mare, but ultimately falls in love with Uther and helps him defeat his enemies. However, the guilt about Gorlois torments her to the end. Igraine adores Morgaine before Uther enters, but she then ignores Morgaine when she and Uther marry and when Arthur is born.
• Gorlois is Igraine's husband and Morgaine's father. Because Igraine was so young when they married, their relationship has been strained, but Gorlois did his best to make her feel comfortable, giving her gifts and letting her keep her daughter Morgaine. Igraine does not see how he loved her until it's too late. When Gorlois suspects that Igraine has an affair with Uther, he turns on her, accuses her of being a whore and a witch, and even breaks his oath to Uther. In the end, Uther kills him for treachery.
• King Arthur is the son of Igraine and Uther and half brother to Morgaine. He is portrayed as a strong king, who marries Gwenhwyfar by arranged marriage. His compassion for his suffering wife — who is tormented by her childlessness and her love for Lancelet — ultimately becomes his downfall. A twist is that he is actually aware of Gwenhwyfar's and Lancelot's affair, and how unhappy both are to constantly betray him. But Arthur stays outside because he loves both his wife and his best friend too much to make them unhappy. It is suggested that, while he does love Gwenhwyfar, his deepest love is saved for Morgaine.
• Gwenhwyfar is Arthur's beautiful, but unhappy wife. She is brought up by a cold, unloving father, which left her with a deep inferiority complex and intense agoraphobia. Failing to produce an heir and unable to be with the love of her life, Lancelet, she falls into a deep depression and — hoping for salvation — becomes an increasingly fanatic Christian. Gwenhwyfar and Morgaine are depicted as two polar characters.
• Lancelet is Arthur's First Knight, Viviane's son and Morgaine's cousin and first love. He is an extremely gifted warrior and admired for his very handsome appearance, but has a lifelong fear of his mother Viviane. Gwenhwyfar and he are utterly infatuated, but they neither have the courage (or ruthlessness) to elope. He also loves Arthur, and perhaps loves Gwenhwyfar even more because she is so close to him. He is conflicted because of his bisexuality and his infatuation with both Arthur and Gwenhwyfar.
• Mordred, a.k.a. Gwydion, is the illegitimate son of Morgaine and King Arthur. He is an unscrupulous, cunning intrigant, but in contrast to mainstream versions his motives are understandable. He sees his father Arthur as corrupt and decadent, and is convinced that he has to remove him to save Camelot. It is strongly hinted that his childhood under the cold, cunning Morgause makes him think the way he does. Mordred does share one notable trait with his mother Morgaine: he truly believes that he is a pawn of fate, with no real free will to choose his path in life. At one point, Mordred even lists his father's good qualities and admits that he admires Arthur in several ways. Nevertheless, Mordred remains committed to pulling his father down from the throne of Camelot.
• Morgause is Morgaine's aunt, the younger sister of Viviane and Igraine. She is depicted as a vain, cunning character and in contrast to her sisters, she acts purely for her own gains. She feels no regret in her regular adultery and plans to use both Morgaine and Mordred as vehicles for her power.
• Patricius, modernized as St. Patrick, is Camelot's most powerful Christian priest who drove the "snakes" (druids) from Ireland. He is portrayed in an extremely negative light, as a ruthless, misogynist religious fundamentalist.
• Elaine is Gwenhyfar's cousin who eventually becomes Lancelet's wife. Elaine greatly resembles her cousin Gwenhyfar in looks (albeit not in personality), which plays into her plan to marry Lancelet under dishonest circumstances. Morgaine offers Lancelet to Elaine on the condition that she is given Elaine's first daughter to rear in Avalon. With Lancelet she has three children: Galahad, Nimue, and Gwenhwyfar (named after the queen).
• Viviane is — for the most time — the High Priestess of Avalon. She is misunderstood because her family has little contact with her and that she would have to do anything to keep Camelot and Avalon and the priestess of Avalon alive in everyone's heart. Viviane is portrayed as a strong religious and political leader; her tragic flaw is her willingness to use others in her quest to save Avalon without thinking of their emotional suffering. Viviane was killed by her son Balan's foster-brother, Balin.
• Taliesin (Merlin of Britain) is the old Archdruid and harpist of Avalon. He is revered by Christian and pagan alike as a wise, kind old man. He fathered Igraine, Morgause and Niniane. His mental health constantly deteriorates during the story. (In this retelling, "Merlin" is a title rather than a name).
• Kevin (Merlin of Britain) succeeds Taliesin after his death. He is a horribly disfigured hunchback, having been burnt by a fire when he was a child, but can sing like an angel. He becomes Morgaine's lover and later her worst enemy. Foreseeing the demise of pagan ways, he betrays Avalon. In an ultimate attempt to unite Christianity and Avalon, so Avalon will survive, he brings the Holy Grail to Camelot. To punish him for this atrocity, Morgaine sets up Nimue to seduce and then betray him, and wants to torture him to death as a traitor. But before the torture begins, Morgaine changes her mind and has him executed swiftly out of mercy, and at the same time, a bolt of lightning incinerates the Holy Oak of Avalon. Morgaine understands that Avalon is doomed.
• Raven is a priestess of Avalon who has taken an oath of silence. She sacrifices herself to help Morgaine save the Holy Grail from Patricius.
• Accolon is the second son of Uriens and a knight loyal to Avalon. He becomes Morgaine's lover, and she wants him to kill King Arthur and so restore the power of Avalon. However, Arthur slays him in direct combat, and when Morgaine's role becomes evident, she is disgraced.
• Avalloch is Uriens' eldest son. He intends to rule North Wales as a Christian king, though he is not such a good Christian himself. He uncovers Morgaine's affair and threatens to expose her if she does not sleep with him as well. She kills him to preserve her reputation and put Accolon in position to inherit the throne from Uriens.
• Uwaine is Uriens' youngest son and a knight loyal to Arthur. He regards Morgaine as his mother.
• Nimue is the beautiful daughter of Elaine and Lancelet. As Viviane's granddaughter, she is to be Lady of the Lake when Morgaine dies. She is kept in constant seclusion at Avalon, and Morgaine sees her as the ultimate weapon against Camelot. Nimue seduces Kevin in order to abduct him, but falls in love with him herself and kills herself when she betrays him.
• Niniane is Taliesin's daughter, making her Igraine and Morgause's half sister. She is a priestess who reluctantly becomes Lady of the Lake after Viviane is slain and Morgaine declines to take her place. Niniane is not as powerful or as politically astute as either Morgaine or Viviane, and Niniane is painfully aware of her shortcomings as Lady of the Lake. She becomes Mordred's lover, but when he announces his plans to betray Arthur, she turns on him and he kills her in a fit of rage (it is never specified whether this is accidental or intentional).
• Gawaine is one of Arthur's best knights of the Round Table. Son of Lot and Morgause. He is known for being very kind, compassionate, and devoted to Arthur.
• Gareth is another son of Morgause, and a knight of the Round Table. He is similar to Gawaine in both looks and personality, only more fearsome in battle. Lancelet is his childhood idol, although it is Lancelet who eventually kills him (by accident).
• Galahad is Lancelet and Elaine's son and Arthur's heir to the throne. Mordred predicts that Galahad will not live to see his own crowning. Prediction proving true, Galahad dies on the quest for the Holy Grail.