Resumo de The Mists Of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

This novel is about the life of the legendary King Arthur as seen through the eyes of his half-sister, Morgaine. Everyone knows about the love and tragedy surrounding the life of this king, but no author has told it better than Marion Zimmer Bradley.
The book begins before Arthur's birth when his mother, Igraine, visits the king, Uther, at his court with her husband, Gorlois. Igraine's sister, Viviane, is the High Priestess of the land and lives on the Isle of Avalon. Viviane sends their youngest sister, Morgause, to live with Igraine at Tintagel and sees the gift of the Goddess in Igraine's daughter, Morgaine. Viviane and her consort, Taliesin the Merlin, hold the old ways of England before the Romans and Christians came. They both see the end of Rome's rule upon the realm and know that they now have a chance for the old ways to gain strength again if a Briton takes the throne.
Uther falls in love with Igraine the moment he sees her, and before long, he leads an army to Tintagel to take Gorlois's wife. Gorlois dies in battle and the Merlin enchants Uther to look like the lord so the servants wouldn't be alarmed when he entered Tintagel. Needless to say, that night Arthur was conceived.
Igraine marries Uther but never sees her husband since he is at constant battle with the Saxons. Morgaine takes care of her little brother and loves him while Morgause is married to Lot, Lord of the Orkneys. Soon, Viviane and the Merlin come again and take both Arthur and Morgaine, telling Igraine that they would be safer away from court. Arthur is taken to live with the Merlin and is taught the old ways. Morgaine is sent to Avalon to become one day the high priestess in Viviane's stead.
As Morgaine learns the old ways, she meets Lancelot and falls in love. She also meets a girl named Gwenhwyfar, a frightened Christian girl who loses her way in the mists near Avalon. Lancelot also meets Gwenhwyfar and Morgaine sees the love for her in his eyes. Morgaine is also chosen to represent the Goddess and, one night a ceremony is held where the King Stag comes together with the Goddess. When Morgaine wakes the next morning she likes the stranger, but to her horror, as they talk more she figures out that he is no other than Arthur, her half-brother.
Morgaine runs from him and feels as though Viviane betrayed her. When she finds that she is pregnant, she flees to Orkney and has her son with Morgause at her side. Morgaine names the child Mordred and Morgause agrees to raise him as her son.
Arthur is soon made king and marries the beautiful Gwenhwyfar, making her queen. Soon, Gwenhwyfar presses Arthur to turn aside the old ways and accept Christianity. The knights of the round table are also present at this time and Lancelot also tells Arthur he should accept the church. Arthur is also given Excalibur. Morgaine, still angry with Viviane marries a knight named Uriens and has a son.
When Viviane is beheaded by a mad knight, it is the beginning of the end of her old ways. Gwenhwyfar cannot have a child and Morgause sends Mordred to Camelot, poisoning the young man's mind about his father.
As with every Arthurian tragedy, this one ends the same. Yet, when Arthur lies dying on the barge to take him to Avalon, Morgaine is there and his head is on her chest. He tells her that he loves her and that he sees the Goddess in her face and Morgaine tells him that she will never leave him again. Morgaine stays in Avalon, allowing the mists to grow thicker.
This story is about the end of an age and the beginning of a new one where the past is all but forgotten but for scraps of myths and pieces of legends. There is a great sadness to this story, yet it is very beautiful as well.

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