Guinevere Lady Hawk is a photograph by John Straton which was uploaded on May 17th, 2014.
Guinevere Lady Hawk
Guinevere is frequently abducted in Romance, sometimes by King Melwas of Somerset, sometimes by Mordred and sometimes by the marauding tribes from... more
by John Straton
Title
Guinevere Lady Hawk
Artist
John Straton
Medium
Photograph
Description
Guinevere is frequently abducted in Romance, sometimes by King Melwas of Somerset, sometimes by Mordred and sometimes by the marauding tribes from the north. She meets her end sometimes in a convent at Amesbury or Caerleon and sometimes she dies at the vengeful hand of Lancelot. Scottish stories, recorded by Boece, indicate she died as a prisoner of Mordred's followers at Barry Hill in Strathmore. She was buried at Meigle where her memorial can still be seen. Despite this, her bones either were or were not found by the monks of Glastonbury when they discovered the grave of Arthur in 1191, depending upon which version of the burial cross inscription you read.
Giraldus Cambrensis says the cross claimed Guinevere as Arthur's "second wife". This appears to echo the story of the False Guinevere of French Romance: an identical half-sister of the Queen fathered on the same night who persuaded Arthur that she was his true wife. For two and a half years, the King was separated from the real Guinevere until the deception was uncovered. There is also an ancient Triad of the Island of Britain which records Arthur's "Three Chief Queens": Gwenhwyfar daughter of Cywryd, Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr ap Greidiol and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Ogrfan Gawr. This may further indicate the confusion over the lady's parentage as already alluded to. Alternatively, the three Guineveres could show a common Triple-Goddess motif at the root of many later Celtic characters.
Whatever Guinevere was or was not, she has been a useful tool in the hands of the romancers throughout the centuries and has greatly enhanced the legends of King Arthur.
Uploaded
May 17th, 2014
