N I G H T B R I N G E R . S E
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LADY
- Lady Lile of Avelon
Lile of Avalon, Avelion, Avilion
Called "the great lady Lile of Avelion". This enigmatic person may have been an enchantress. Avelion is almost certainly Avilion or Avalon, suggesting religion, mysticism, magic, and benevolence; yet Lady Lile helped the damsel "Malvis", whom Merlin characterized as wicked. Perhaps in this case Lile, although good, mistakenly helped the wrong side - the Round Table heroes were often enough guilty of helping the wrong side, through siding with the first party who appealed to them, or unquestioningly taking the part of any woman against any man.
Lile would not have been a Lady of the Lake, for Lancelot's Lady of the Lake, Viviane, was in France. Lile was the mysterious lady from Avalon who brought to Arthur's court a sword that only Balin could draw from its scabbard. When he had done so, she asked him to return it. When he refused, she foretold it would bring about his destruction and kill his dearest friend.
The first English Lady of the Lake came to demand the heads of Balin and the very damsel whom Lile had helped, and the second English Lady of the Lake was Nimue. I'm going with Phyllis Ann Karr's treatment with Lile in the notes as a person because in Malory she does seem definitely a person, not a personification, even though she remains an offstake figure. My opinion, however, is that this mysterious dame came into being when some scribe or translator mistook the French for "the island of Avalon" [l'ile d'Avilion] for a personal name.
- Lady Leech of Cornwall
Then the king [Mark] let send after all manner of leeches and surgeons, both unto men and women, and there was none that would behote [Tristram] the life. Then came there a lady that was a right wise lady, and she said plainly unto King Mark, and to Sir Tristram ... that he should never be whole but if Sir Tristram went in the same country that the venom [of Marhaus' spearhead] came from.
One can assume from the context that she was a leech or surgeon; she may, of course, have been an herb-woman or even one who simply knew how to speak out with authority. Mark and Tristram took her advice seriously and followed it, to Tristram's healing.
- Lady of Shalott
The name by which Elaine, the daughter of Bernard of Astolat, is possibly best known, appearing under this title in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's famous poem The Lady of Shalott.
- Lady of the Blonde Hair
Arthur’s paramour in Le Chevalier du Papegau. The Lady was the fairy sovereigness of the Amorous City, and she was plagued by a horrible creature known as the Fish-Knight. Arthur slew the monster after the Lady’s servant, Beauty Without Villany, came to Arthur’s court looking for assistance. The Lady of the Blonde Hair fell in love with Arthur, but angered him by making him promise to act as “the worst knight in the world” during a tournament at her castle. Arthur was so furious at this humiliation that he beat the Lady. Later, the two made up and became lovers.
- Lady of the Deadly Bed
The Dwarf of the Cart brought Lancelot and Gawaine to a castle or keep apparently held by this lady near the marches of Gore. [More]
- Lady of the Fair Hair
A fairy whom Arthur delivered from the Fish-Knight. He later became her lover.
- Lady of the Fountain
Wife of the Lord of the Fountain. When Owain killed her husband she married Owain, but renounced him when he spent a year away from her at Arthur’s court. After a number of grueling adventures, Owain was able to return to her graces. She is known as the Lady, or Countess, of the Fountain in the Welsh Owain, and as Laudine in other tales.
- Lady of the Isles
Queen of the Kingdom of the Isles. She swore to only marry the best knight in Britain, whom she perceived as Gawain. One of her vassals, Brian of the Isles, set out to defeat Gawain, thereby proving himself the best knight and earning the right to marry the Lady. Brian returned to the Kingdom claiming that he had slain Gawain, and the Lady prepared to marry him, but Gawain showed up on their wedding day and ended the marriage. The Lady’s sister was the Queen of Iceland.
- Lady of the Lake
The mysterious lady/ladies. [More]
- Lady of the Lands
A cousin of King Anguish of Ireland. See Maidens of the Moors.
- Lady of the Rock
A lady whose lands were stolen by Sir Edward of the Red Castle and Sir Hugh of the Red Castle. When she lodged Sir Yvain during his adventures, he heard her tale and became furious at the injustice. He called for a meeting with the two knights and challenged them to a duel for the lady’s lands. He defeated them both at once, killing Edward. Hugh gave the lands back to the Lady.
- Lady of the Rule
Mother of Alyne by King Pellinore.
- Lady Without Pride
A sister of Morgan le Fay rescued by Arthur from an attacker called the Knight of the Wasteland. Arthur won a tournament at the Castle Causuel in her honor, winning a parrot.
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