The Lady of the Lake

Welsh Mythology:

The Lady of the Lake

The Lady of the Lake (Dame Del Lac in French) was a woman of great magical power. She resided in the lake. The lake was a Celtic Otherworld. A great enchantment was cast upon her castle, to hide her land from intruders.

There seemed to be several "Lady of the Lake". The most important Lady of the Lake was Niniane (also known as Viviane, Vivien or Nimue). Some even say that Morgan le Fay was also the Lady of the Lake, though most often Morgan was referred to as one of nine sorceresses of Avalon.

Another Lady of the Lake, who gave the magical sword, Excalibur, to King Arthur (according to Suite du Merlin (Post-Vulgate, c. 1240) and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (1469) [Book I, chapter 25]). She was given no other name apart from her title as the Lady of the Lake, yet she was different from Niniane. This unnamed Lady was killed by Balin le Savage [Le Morte d'Arthur, Book II, chapter 3]. Niniane later became the guardian of the sword, especially when the dying Arthur returned Excalibur to the lake.

It is now generally believed that the Lady of the Lake, including her connection to Arthur's sword Excalibur, is of Breton origin. The Lady of the Lake is generally said to live in the forest of Brittany. Arthur receiving a new sword from the Lady and when the dying Arthur ordered the sword to be thrown into the lake. There are no earlier Welsh or English than the French/Breton version about these events.

In a few tales, a maiden or a fay had trapped Merlin in an enchantment. The most famous was the Lady of the Lake. Again, there are few versions involving his death at the hand of the Lady of the Lake.

The Lady of the Lake was a powerful sorceress and the lady of Otherworldly realm, hidden by the illusionary lake. The Lady of the Lake was known by several other names, such as Niniane, Viviane and Nimue. Further confusion resulted when some author listed several women with title the Lady of the Lake.

She was the foster-mother of Lancelot and sorceress who had trapped Merlin in an enchantment.

The Lady of the Lake had first met Merlin, when she was only twelve. She was amazed by the power of Merlin. She promised to love him if Merlin would teach her all his crafts. Years later, Merlin met Niniane again. Through subterfuge, Niniane seduced and used her magic to confine in an enchanted tower in which Merlin was powerless to leave, while the Lady could visit and leave the tower at will.

She used Merlin's love, so that he would teach her his magic. In return, for the lessons in magic, Niniane offered to return his love, was nothing more than a subterfuge to gain power to trap the wizard. Merlin had also built her home at Lake of Diana, within the forest of Broceliande, probably in Brittany. With his power, he hid her domain from mortal eyes, so that anyone who travelled by, would only see the lake instead of her home.

At the dolorous forest of Broceliande (some called it Darnantes), Niniane used Merlin's own magic against the sorcerer; she entombed Merlin in a rock.

Source: timelessmyths.com

Image: The lady of the lake by Imalia-DA