The Lady of the Lake

Guide Note:

The Lady of the Lake is an archetypal figure in Arthurian legend.

Fast Facts:

  1. Divided into several characters over time
  2. Also known as Viviane, Nimue, Niniane and sometimes Morgan le Fay
  3. Gifted the sword Excalibur to King Arthur
  4. Both lover and rival of Merlin
  5. Has roots in both Greek and Celtic Myths

Brief Background

The Lady of the Lake is a fictional character from Arthurian myth. She appears under various names and is credited with giving the sword Excalibur to King Arthur. She is also written to have raised Lancelot.

Many have drawn parallels between The Lady of the Lake and the goddess Thetis from Greek mythology. Thetis was married to Peleus and their son was Achilles, the greatest warrior in Greece. Thetis strove to make Achilles invulnerable to harm. Similarly, the Lady of the Lake raised Lancelot, one of the greatest Arthurian warriors, and gave him a ring that would protect him from magic.

The Lady of the Lake is also credited with bewitching the wizard Merlin.

The Mahalo Top 7

  1. Wikipedia: Lady of the Lake
  2. King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table: The Lady of the Lake
  3. AncientSpiral.com: The Lady of the Lake
  4. Timeless Myths: The Lady of the Lake
  5. Lundy, Isle of Avalon:The Lady of the Lake
  6. Britannia: The Lady of the Lake
  7. Best Syndication: "The Serpent and the Lady of the Lake" (2006)  Jennifer: Awesome essay

The Lady of the Lake in History and Legend

The Lady of the Lake Literary Evolution

Contemporary Fiction

The Lady of the Lake Images

The Lady of the Lake Videos and Media

The Lady of the Lake Books and Merchandise

Notable The Lady of the Lake Films and Musicals

 WARNING: Pop-upsNote: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

The Lady of the Lake in News and Culture