Prithee, Acquaint Thyself with The Lady of the Lake

Nimue interpreted in HubPages

On this morrow, my good sirs and ladies, I am ever pleased to meeteth thou. I am Niviane, sometimes referred to as Nimue or Vivien, and I am the daughter of the king of Northumberland. Residing with great, mystical powers and wisdom beneath my murky waters, I am The Lady of the Lake, the titular ruler of Avalon.

Vivien and Merlin by Gustave Dorè

I met King Arthur’s druidic advisor, Merlin, when I was young. Over the years, we were friends and often travelled together, but he grew heavy with a lust for me that was nauseating and disgusting. Motivated by a fear that he would use his spells to take advantage of me and get what he wanted, I used my shrewdness to formulate a plan: I told Merlin that I would reciprocate his desires once he taught me all of his mystical powers. Thus, I served as a scribe of his prophecies and pupil of his knowledge for many a year until I was powerful enough to use his magic against him by trapping him and causing his death. At that point, Merlin was had been my nemesis. Merlin’s removal ultimately led to the downfall of King Arthur and his court, but this conquest of mine against Merlin serves to show that I am not like most ladies of my time. I work for the forces of good, but I will not sacrifice my own honor by shrinking in the shadows and succumbing to males who think I should. Instead, I fight back in my own, clever way.

In addition to my history with Merlin, one of my earliest roles was of foster-mother to a boy named Lancelot who later served as a courageous knight in King Arthur’s court. When his mother died, I saved him from chaos and brought him to my lake to raise him as my own son. Perchance I am merely a mother at heart, but I value compassion and help for those who are too weak or unable to help themselves.

I further exercised these values when King Arthur came to my lake. Seeking my help, he showed me great manners and respect. I enchanted a sword called Excalibur and bestowed it upon him so that he could be victorious in battle. By serving as a benefactor for King Arthur and his court, I aimed to be nothing but a force of good. King Arthur and his knights were my allies, and I was theirs for I believed in their cause. When King Arthur died in battle, Excalibur was returned to my misty waters, and I was one of three Queens to escort his body to the island of Avalon.

Lady of the Lake interpreted in ComicVine

• "Merlin" from Wikipedia
• "Lady of the Lake" from Wikipedia
• "Lady of the Lake" from Britannia's Arthurian Biographies
• "Nimue" from HubPages