The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
A Novel Providing Female Perspective on the Legend of King Arthur
Oct 6, 2008
In 1983 Marion Zimmer Bradley published a popular New York Times best seller called The Mists of Avalon. The novel reinterpreted the legend of King Arthur in a way that focused more on the women in his life and their roles in his kingdom as opposed to the more male centric versions of the legend that focus almost entirely on Arthur and his knights.
Character Differences Between Novel and Traditional Legend
While Bradley kept many of the character names the same in The Mists of Avalon, the true personalities of the main characters and the events that occur in the book are somewhat different than what most will remember in more traditional books on King Arthur such as King Arthur and his Knights. Readers who are familiar with the original legends will gain new insights into the story as it unravels in Bradey's version.
For instance, the kings wife Gwenhwyfar is portrayed as an overly pious, cranky, and somewhat weak person who the reader will come to find herself being annoyed with, whereas in traditional text she is seen as a saintly woman to be revered.
Arthur's half-sister Morgaine, sometimes referred to as Queen Morgana or Morgan of the Fairies in more traditional texts is not portrayed as the villain in this novel but as a strong and heroic priestess whose actions are less the result of malice than of trying to preserve the way of life of the magic people of Avalon.
Warning Against Spiritual Intolerance
Bradley's novel can serve as a lesson on the ways that religious intolerance can cause great tragedy and loss of beauty in the world. A major component of the story involves priests and overzealous Christians trying to force their way of life on all even to the extent of killing or banishing those who did not believe as they did.
Age old traditions of the fairy people and those who followed the ways of the magic land of Avalon were forbidden and cast aside and anyone who tried to engage in rituals of the past was looked down upon and criticized. Because of this the beautiful land of Avalon faded into the mists and lost its power and people. Great wisdom was lost as a result of this as well and the world was a far less kind and wise place to live because of it.
Showing the Power of Women
Bradley created a novel that allowed women to have great power in an age where men were the main rulers and women were expected to be obedient. Avalon was a land ruled by women and the characters who lived there or were educated in this land were smarter and more powerful than any man in the outer world.
Bradley also contrasted the personalities of these women to those who were born and raised outside of Avalon where female repression was the norm. The priestesses of Avalon were much more self-sufficient and wiser than the women reared to believe that their sole purpose in life was to serve a man they were often forced to marry and to give birth to sons.
The Mists of Avalon is an excellent book every female should read. While it is not a children's book because of some adult subjects, young adults can benefit from the lessons it can teach on the power and wisdom women can possess, even if they do not come from a magic land as described in the book.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Mists of Avalon. Ballantine Books, 1984. ISBN978-0-7857-8713-6.
