Guenevere, Guinevere, Gwenhwyfar - the beautiful woman with whom both King Arthur and Lancelot fell in love, the woman for whom a knight would willingly give his life - the crown jewel at Arthur's court at Camelot.



she is called the daughter of King Leodegrance (Lleudd-Ogrfan) of Cameliard by Malory, the daughter of King Ogrfan Gawr (the Giant) of Castell y Cnwclas (Knucklas Castle) by Welsh Tradition, the daughter of King Garlin

Queen Guinevere of Galore by Germanic tradition, the daughter of a Roman noble by Geoffrey of Monmouth and wife of King Arthur by everyone.

In all cases, she is surpassingly beautiful and desirable. She is either forced into or conceives and engineers an extra-marital relationship with Lancelot and is condemned, according to law. She either was a willing accomplice to Mordred's treachery against Arthur, as suggested in Wace and Layamon, or was forced into it against her will as stated in John Hardyng's "Chronicle" (1457). Early mentions of Guinevere, in the Triads of the Island of Britain, give tantalising glimpses of her original relationship with Mordred: he is shown forcing his way into Arthur's Court, dragging the Queen from her throne and striking her, but the reasons why are unknown. The incident may have been related to quarrels between Guinevere and her sister, Mordred's wife, Gwenhwyfach, which are said to have been the eventual cause of the Battle of Camlan.

Part of her marriage dowry to Arthur was supposedly the Round Table, formed by the infamous Merlin at the pronouncement of King Arthur's mysterious birth.

For more on Guenevere in literature, see this link

See also Page Four of Seascape and The Fisher King for more on women and legend and Dunstanburgh.