Women of the Arthurian Legend

by: Katherine Marsh (Author)

from: The Camelot Project  2001

The women of Camelot have often been overshadowed by the men; the stainless king, noble knights, and mage Merlin possessed sufficient complexity to entertain all audiences. Just as the men of the legend have overshadowed the women, so, too, have male authors, translators, and artists enjoyed a greater degree of recognition. There are, however, a number of female artists and illustrators who have subjected the legend to their own gaze and gifts. The translations of Lady Charlotte Guest, writings of Jessie Weston, and works of Sara Teasdale have greatly enriched Arthurian lore. Julia Margaret Cameron brought her unique vision to Tennyson's Idylls of the King and produced the first series of photographic images to accompany the legend. Jessie M. King not only reproduced the legend in her line drawings, but perpetuated the tales in works of stained glass and batik. Many other women have treated the Arthurian legend in a manner that merits attention, and the following creations, renditions, and translations are a celebration of those contributions and skills.

• Artists, Illustrators, and Photographers
• Authors and Translators
• Female Characters of the Legend

Artists, Illustrators, and Photographers

Brickdale, Eleanor Fortescue (1872-1945)

• "Before the Coming of the Sinful Queen" (1911)
• "Elaine and Lancelot" (1911)
• "Elaine Being Carried to the Barge" (1911)
• "Elaine Sewing a Cover for Lancelot's Shield" (1911)
• "Elaine with Lancelot's Shield" (1911)
• "Enid" (1911)
• "Enid and Geraint" (1911)
• "Enid, Guinevere, and Vivien" (1911)
• "Geraint in Rusty Armor" (1911)
• "Geraint Wounded" (1911)
• "Guinevere in the Golden Days" (1911)
• "Guinevere in the Nunnery" (1911)
• "The Journey of Enid and Geraint" (1911)
• "Lancelot" (1911)
• "Lancelot and Guinevere" (1911)
• "Lancelot Musing on Elaine's Death" (1911)
• "Merlin" (1911)
• "Merlin and Vivien" (1911)
• "Merlin Finds the Baby Arthur" (1911)
• "Vivien" (1911)
• "The Wife of the Eastern Potentate" (1911)

Brundage, Frances (1854-1937)

• "The Lady of Shalott"

Cameron, Julia Margaret (1815-1879)

• "Alfred Lord Tennyson" (1875)
• "The Corpse of Elaine in the Palace of King Arthur" (1875)
• "Elaine in the Barge" (1875)
• "Elaine, the Lily Maid of Astolat" (1875)
• "Enid" (1875)
• "Gareth and Lynette" (1875)
• "Julia Margaret Cameron"
• "King Arthur" (1875)
• "King Arthur Wounded Lying in the Barge" (1875)
• "The Little Novice and the Queen" (1875)
• "The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere" (1875)
• "Sir Galahad and the Nun" (1875)
• "Vivien and Merlin" (1875)
• "Vivien and Merlin" (1875)

Galbreth, Jessica

• The Lady of the Lake (2000)
• "Morgana Le Fey" (2000)

Harrison, Florence (1884-1955)

• "Excalibur" (1912)
• "The Grail Maiden" (1912)
• "Lancelot and the Fairy Circle" (1912)
• "The Passing of Arthur" [black and white] (1912)
• "The Passing of Arthur" [color] (1912)
• "Queen Guinevere Had Fled the Court" (1912)

King, Jessie M. (1875-1949)

• "Perceval Goeth Toward the Deep Forest" (1903)
• "The High History of the Holy Graal" (1903)
• "The Damsels of the Car" (1903)
• "Messire Gawain Departeth from the Castle" (1903)
• "A Clerk Brought a Golden Vessel to the Fountain" (1903)
• "The Graal Appeareth to Messire Gawain at the Feast" (1903)
• "Launcelot Went his Way" (1903)
• "A Damsel Mounteth the Steps" (1903)
• "A Knight Riding a Great Pace toward the Forest" (1903)
• "She Filched away the Sword" (1903)
• "Dindrane Prayeth Succour" (1903)
• "Perceval Seeth the Questing Beast" (1903)
• "The Knight of the Burning Dragon" (1903)
• "Perceval Departeth from the Hermitage and Carrieth the Banner" (1903)
• "The Knights Come through the Forest with such a Rushing" (1903)
• "The Lord of the Castle Findeth his Daughter Weeping" (1903)
• "Launcelot's Vigil by the Queen" (1903)
• "The Joy of Perceval's Sister" (1903)
• "He Espied at the Door a Squire" (1903)
• "Meliot Findeth the Weeping Damsel" (1903)
• "And a Damsel Kept Watch over a Dead Knight" (1903)
• "Four Clad in White Garments" (1903)
• "A Damsel of Passing Great Beauty Held His Head in her Lap" (1903)
• "Perceval Winneth the Golden Cup" (1903)

Kirk, M[aria]. L[ouise]. (1860-193x)

• "'And Down the Long Beam Stole the Holy Grail'" (1912)
• "'And the Dead, Oared by the Dumb, Went Upward with the Flood'" (1912)
• "And in the Flame Was Borne a Naked Babe" (1912)
• "A City of Shadowy Palaces" (1912)
• "'Damsel, Let Me First See this Cloak upon You, That I May the Better Observe It'" (1912)
• "For Two Hours More They Fought" (1912)
• "'Here by God's Rood Is the One Maid for Me'" (1912)
• "'I Shall Never Make Thee Smile Again'" (1912)
• "'Lo, Thou Likewise Shalt Be King'" (1912)
• "The Princess Drew Back Blushing" (1912)
• "'Thou Art Not Knight but Knave'" (1912)
• "'Yea, Little Maid, for Am I Not Forgiven?'" (1912)

Rutland, Florence

• "The Lady of Shalott" (1896)

 
Authors and Translators

Bannerman, Anne (1765-1829)

• "The Prophecy of Merlin" (1802)

Bartlett, Gertrude (1876-1942)

• "The Ballade of Tristram's Last Harping" (1916)

Brereton, Jane (See Melissa) (1685-1740)

• "Merlin: A Poem Humbly Inscrib'd to Her Majesty" (1735)
• "Merlin's Prophecy. Humbly Inscrib'd to his R. H. the Prince of Wales" (1735)

Cooke, Rose Terry (1827-1892)

• "The New Sangreal" (1888)

Costello, Louisa Stuart (1799-1870)

• "A Dream" (1815)

Craik, Dina Maria Mulock (1826-1887)

• "Jack the Giant-Killer" (1863)
• "Tom Thumb" (1863)

Guest, Lady Charlotte (1812-1895)

• Culwch and Olwen (translated by Lady Charlotte Guest as Kilhwch and Olwen)
• The Dream of Rhonabwy (translated by Lady Charlotte Guest)
• Geraint the Son of Erbin (translated by Lady Charlotte Guest)
• Owain (translated by Lady Charlotte Guest as The Lady of the Fountain)
• Peredur the Son of Evrawc (translated by Lady Charlotte Guest)

Haywood, Eliza (1693?-1756), and William Hatchett (fl. 1730-1741)

• The Opera of Operas or Tom Thumb the Great (1733)

Hemans, Mrs. Felicia (1793-1835)

• "Taliesin's Prophecy" (1822)

Higley, Sarah t,ed.

• The Spoils of Annwn (Preideu Annwn), edited and translated by Sarah Higley

Jewett, Sophie (1861-1909)

• "The Dwarf's Quest: A Ballad" (1905)

Kilmer, Aline (1888-1941)

• "For All Ladies of Shalott" (1921)

Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1802-1838)

• "A Legend of Tintagel Castle" (1833)

Lounsbery, Grace Constant (1901-19xx)

• "An Iseult Idyll" (1901)

McNary, Sarah F.

• "Beowulf and Arthur as English Ideals" (1894)

Melissa (See Brereton, Jane)

Mumford, Ethel Watts (1878-1940)

• Merlin and Vivien: A Lyric Drama (1907)

Palfrey, Sara Hammond (1923-1914)

• "King Arthur in Avalon" (1900)

Phelps, Elizabeth Stuart (1844-1911)

• "The Christmas of Sir Galahad" (1871)
• "Elaine and Elaine" (1883)
• "Guinevere" (1880)
• "The Lady of Shalott" (1871)
• "The Terrible Test" (1878)
• "The True Story of Guenever" (1876)

Reynolds, Marion Lee

• Geraint of Devon (1916)

Smith, Judyth Schaubhut (See Chausson, Ernest)

• Le Roi Arthus (1892-1896); translated by Judyth Schaubhut Smith

Sweetman, Elinor

• "Pastoral of Galahad" (1899)
• "Pastoral of Lancelot" (1899)

Teasdale, Sara (1884-1933)

• "Guenevere" (1911)
• "Galahad in the Castle of the Maidens" (1911)

Trask, Katrina (1853-1922)

• "Kathanal" (1892)

Weinberger, Mildred

• Elaine: A Poetic Drama (1923)

Weston, Jessie (translator) (1850-1928)

• "Knights of King Arthur's Court" (1896)
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Jessie Weston (1900)

Whitney, Helen Hay (1875-1944)

• "When Tristan Sailed" (1907)

Young, Ella (1867-1955)

• The San-Grail
• "A Song That Trostan Made" (1922)
• "Trostan Made This" (1922)

 
Female Characters of the Arthurian Legend

• Elaine of Astolat/ The Lady of Shallott
• Elaine of Corbenik
• Enid
• The Grail Maiden
• Guinevere
• Isolt (Isolde, Iseult)
• The Lady of the Lake
• Lynette
• Morgan le Fay
• Morgause
• The Novice
• Ragnell/The Loathly Hag
• Sandy
• Vivien (Nineve, Nimue, Niniane)