No, tell me more! Johanna

Yes, do tell, Caroline. I may want to add it to "my list." :-)

I'm not sure I should....no, I'm not being coy here. It's about the Post-Roman Arthur and Guinevere, not the medieval ones,and it's well, a bit different, and absolutely fascinating. It is a fairly recent publication(1995?), and I'd love to discuss it with someone. But I guess you have to read it first!

Caroline: Is the book historically true to the 6th century? Then Arthur must be a Romanized Briton, with all that Celtic stuff going on. I still cherish my visions of a Camelot set in Middle Ages, due to Mallory. But Rosemary Sutcliff has done a good job fictionalizing "the historic Arthur", and if you're interested, the Arthurian scholar Geoffrey Ashe has written some great books on the subject.

Amy, I grew up reading things like "The Sword at Sunset" and Geoffrey Ashe's writings on Stonehenge. Geoffrey A concentrates on Arthur, and most scholars do the same, Guinevere is practically ignored. Some say she's a Medieval addition, like Lancelot. This lady says something totally different. You may find it hard to believe her, but whether you do or not, it's interesting reading.

That sound pretty darned interesting. I know that MZB in MISTS OF AVALON basically re-told the whole story from the P.O.V. of the _women._ Yeah, I can't remember reading any mention of Guinivere in the early source material - is she even in de Troyes? Glad to hear you're familiar with Ashe -- I've really learned a lot from his books. One time, I had a question -- I wrote him, and he was nice enough to write back! I think he lives in Glastonbury.

Arthur was both Roman and Celtic, in all probability- descended, paternally, from the Roman emperor Constantine; maternally, a great grandson of Cuenedda Wledig, who founded the royal house of Wales. After Rome withdrew from Britain (mid-fifth century), a series of Roman/Celtic "imperatores"- essentially, calvary commanders- attempted to rule. Arthur was among the last of these (several sources attest his title to have been "dux bellorum", or "duke of Britain"). Guinevere has likewise been referred to in some texts as having been "a noble Roman". Even if this was so, she was likely a Pictish princess, from the northeast (Scotland), as was Lancelot (from the northeast, I mean- not a princess). Guinevere is without a doubt one of history's most unfairly maligned figures. In fact, she was a great warrior queen, in the tradition of Boudicca. Because of the libels of de Troyes, and his ilk, however (the relationship between she and Lancelot was invented, whole clot , to entertain various bored royal personages, and their courtiers), her name has become synonomous with faithlessness and adultery. Do hope she if fairly depicted in "Guinevere"... And do agree, incidently, that Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthure" is the most beautiful of all the texts...

I love this book!!!!! Even if one doesn't believe in past lives, I would imagine that they would enjoy this story....