RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON KING ARTHUR’S REIGN IN MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY’S THE MISTS OF AVALON
Weronika Łaszkiewicz
Instytut Neofilologii Uniwersytet w BiałymstokuAbstract
The aim of the following paper is to examine the conflict between the cult
of the Mother Goddess and Christianity, which affects King Arthur’s reign in Marion
Zimmer Bradley’s original retelling of Arthurian legends – The Mists of Avalon (1983).
The religious conflict presented in the novel is inextricably linked with representations
of femininity and the figures of Morgaine (Morgan le Fay) and Queen Gwenhwyfar, who
are dedicated, respectively, to Avalon and the Church. By investigating both women’s
beliefs, actions, and relationship with Arthur, this paper will demonstrate how in Bradley’s
retelling the transition from the worship of the Goddess to Christianity conditions King
Arthur’s reign and ultimately contributes to his downfall.
Keywords:
Marion Zimmer Bradley, King Arthur, Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, Christianity, fantasy fictionReferences
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Works Trust. In: http://www.mzbworks.com/thoughts.htm [Access 7 V 2017].
Bradley Marion Zimmer. 2010. Mgły Avalonu. Trans. Chojnacka D. Poznań: Zysk i S-ka.
Cotterell Arthur. 2006. The Encyclopedia of Mythology: Norse, Classical, Celtic. London:
Hermes House.
Larrington Carolyne. 2006. King Arthur’s Enchantresses: Morgan and Her Sisters in
Arthurian Tradition. London: I.B. Tauris.
Monaghan Patricia. 2004. The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore. New
York: Facts On File.
Pugh Tison and Weisl Angela Jane. 2013. Medievalisms: Making the Past in the Present.
London-New York: Routledge.
Riggs Don. 1998. The Survival of the Goddess in Marie de France and Marion Zimmer
Bradley. “Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts” vol. 9, no. 1: 15-23.
Ruud Jay. 2006. Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature. New York: Facts On File.
Sharpe Victoria. 1998. The Goddess Restored. “Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts”
vol. 9, no. 1: 36-45.
Shinn Thelma J. 1986. Worlds Within Women: Myth and Mythmaking in Fantastic
Literature by Women. “Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy”
no. 22. New York: Greenwood Press.
Spivack Charlotte. 1987. Merlin’s Daughters: Contemporary Women Writers of Fantasy.
“Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy” no. 23. New York:
Greenwood Press.
Spivack Charlotte and Staples Roberta Lynne. 1994. The Company of Camelot: Arthurian
Characters in Romance and Fantasy. “Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction
and Fantasy” no. 61. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. 1997. Eds. Clute J. and Grant J. London: Orbit.
Thompson Raymond H. 2004. Twentieth-century Arthurian Romance. In: A Companion
to Romance: From Classical to Contemporary. Ed. Saunders C. Oxford: Blackwell
Publishing: 454-471.
Łaszkiewicz, W. (2017). RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON KING ARTHUR’S REIGN IN MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY’S THE MISTS OF AVALON. Acta Neophilologica, 2(XIX), 133–143. https://doi.org/10.31648/an.647
Weronika Łaszkiewicz
Instytut Neofilologii Uniwersytet w Białymstoku
Instytut Neofilologii Uniwersytet w Białymstoku
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