Ol School Library & Round Table

Vivienne is supposed to be the Lady of the Lake. I'm stepping away from pure literature for a moment to note that in the TV movie, Merlin, with Sam O'Neill, I liked how the Lady of the Lake was made the sister of Queen Mab. (Eventhough, that is a departure from any Arthurian references that exist - plus Mab is not a character of Arthurian legend). I think it was done more to make somekind of sense out of there being a lake spirit at all. As Mab is one of those ancient ritual-based entities that helped people connect sense to their surroundings ans seasons. As such, I also reason that the Fairie Queen would have been a part of the storytelling of Arthur's ancient Britain.

I've stepped away from the point; sorry. In Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, Vivienne (spelling is probably different) is a priestess on the island, guardian of Excalibur, can we surmise, of Arthur as he passes to the Misty Island himself. I haven't read this, one of my favorite books in sometime, but I recall a strong relationship for Morgan Le Fey with Vivien, even if strained at times.

Correct me there if I'm wrong.

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