Missing Mothers (and Sisters): More Thoughts on Female Characters on Merlin

[zahrawithaz]

Since next week's Merlin episode focuses on Morgause, it seemed a good time to post this.

Not long ago I had an idea for a Merlin vid, using a song that’s about parent-child relationships. The chorus uses the words “father” and “mother” fairly often, though, as as I started planning out clips I realized I had a problem.

Merlin puts a lot of

Comments

[zahrawithaz]

Yes, and part of my point is that while these medieval sources were often misogynistic, they included quite a lot of women who were critical to the story. It wouldn't be hard to take these characters and create arcs for them that are more in keeping with our supposedly more egalitarian world-view.

I'm not sure halfway through the first season is the critical turning point; I think the problems have always been there but have grown more obvious with time, as the writers repeatedly make choices that value the male characters over the female ones.

[copracat]

Both Welsh and French versions of the story gave Guinevere an identical twin sister.

OMG FOR REALS?

*researches*

and that Morgause won’t be evil and dead by the end of the episode.

Chance would be a fine thing.

[zahrawithaz]

Yes, the evil identical twin story goes back to the Middle Ages.

Actually I probably shouldn't say twin, as she's actually Gwen's half-sister (same dad with another man's wife), but she looks enough like Gwen that she's able to convince Arthur he married the wrong woman! (He doesn't clue in until she confesses.) And I probably shouldn't say evil, either, since she's being forced to impersonate her sister by their father's enemies; the plot is fairly complicated. Of course, a contemporary author could do a lot more with this character than just the one plot.

For research help, the story is in the Vulgate Cycle, which has 5 parts--I think it's in the Prose Lancelot. And in the Welsh version her name is Gwenhwyfach, which translates as little Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere).

[copracat]

What a wonderful character for Morgana and Gwen to meet on their quest/road trip/escape from Camelot.

Thank you for the info. :)

[elphie_uk]

Yup, I agree with pretty much everything that you've said

[eska_rina]

Not the OP, but...

It would be reaaally interesting if it turns out that Morgana and Arthur actually ARE related...

The Lady of the Lake has never been called Freya (The name isn't even used in the Arthurian Legend), and I'm not sure if said character is supposed to be the Lady of the Lake or if they fucked up with the names (The Lady of the Lake has been known as Vivian(ne)) OR WHAT, but it definitely looks iffy to me :/ *is a sad Merlin/Vivianne-shipper*

[zahrawithaz]

I suspect they're keeping the Vivian-as-temptress idea but applying it to Arthur instead of Merlin. I'll be very interested to see how these next three episodes work out.

I am surprised that they haven't picked up on the one aspect of the Lady of the Lake that would seem to fit best with the "before they were famous" premise--that she raises Lancelot.

[zahrawithaz]

Thanks

[eska_rina]

One of the reasons to why I've always been fond of the Arthurian Legend(s) is because they are so many female characters in it. Some of them are evil, some of them are "weak", some of them are really shitty role models, but, bloody hell, there are many - which is more than you can say about many other legends, where there maybe is one or two female (often secondary) characters... So, yeah, agree with your post. It really does look like a deliberate choice - and one there is really sad.

And one thing that I really find confusing - and annoying - is why, when they have so many female characters, they don't use their names instead of making up new ones? I can't remember if Sophia is used in the original tale(s) - I don't think so -, but SPOILERS FOR FUTURE EPISODES, highlight to see it [Freya is not a name used in the tale, and that they put Vivian(ne) with Arthur is just plain weird - unless they don't know - how could they not?! - that *~hello~* Vivian(ne) is actually a rather important character in the legend already... :/Actually,

[zahrawithaz]

Off the top of my head

[tielan]

It’s a choice to ignore and erase female characters who already exist in the tradition, or to accord them no importance

*sigh* This.