|
Nimue (also known as Vivien, Eviene, Viviane,
Nineve, Nina, Viviene and Niniane) was thought to be a "Lady of the Lake".
There seems to be more than one "Lady of the Lake", but in Malory's Morte
d'Arthur, Nimue is responsible for Merlin's downfall. Nimue's father was
Diones, a vavasor (a landholder, but less than a baron). She met Merlin
when she was 16 years of age. Merlin fell in love with Nimue. He was so in
love with her that he was constantly at her side. Nimue accompanied Merlin
on a
journey so that she might learn his magic. Knowing that Merlin could take
her unwillingly, she made him swear that he would use no magic to make her
lay with him. As they traveled, Nimue became more and more afraid of
Merlin's advances. In some versions of the legend, Nimue traded her love
for lessons in sorcery. Merlin foresaw his own death,
but was so smitten with Nimue that he was helpless to avert his own tragic
end. There are different versions of his death. One version has Nimue
tiring of him and turning one of his own spells against him and seals him
in a cave forever. Other versions have her trapping him in a bush or
Hawthorne tree where his voice is sometimes heard. Some tales have him
living forever in his confinement and others tell of his death or his
descension into madness.
After Merlin's imprisonment, Nimue took on the aspect of being King
Arthur's counselor and advisor. She became the lover of Sir Pelleas, whom
she married.
Source
|
