Status Updates From The Faerie Queene

V.9, almost there

Book III, Canto III, which continues Britomart's origin, where she meets Merlin, who gives her a prophecy that she will begat a line that will culminate with Elizabeth I. Britomart gains the armor of a Saxon virgin, along with Bladud's magic spear, so that her armor combines the strength of the Saxons with the strengths of the Britons. We return to the present, and she parts ways with the Red Cross Knight.

V.3

IV.11

III.11

Book III, Canto II, wherein Britomart lies to the Red Cross Knight about her origins, and uses her wiles to get the Red Cross Knight to tell her how wonderful Artegall is. Then we learn how she first saw Artegall in a magic mirror created by Merlin so her father, a king, could see invaders to his realm. Britomart's nurse, Glauce (now her squire), tries to remove the love from young Britomart with magic, but fails.

III.7, getting better all the time

Book III, Canto I, wherein we meet Britomart, a female knight. She battles Sir Guyon and then befriends him and Arthur. Later she rescues the Red Cross Knight and meets Malecasta, who thinks Britomart is a beautiful androgynous man, and sneaks into Britomart's bed, which sets Britomart ready to stab Malecasta (just not the kind of stabbing Malecasta wanted).

III.2

II.8

Book II Canto XII, wherein Sir Guyon and the Palmer travel to the Bower of Bliss, encountering many of the obstacles of the Odyssey. They find Acrasia and bind her, and destroy the sinful Bower. As they leave, they turn the monsters back into humans, and one does not want to be changed back, and it is said that virtuous people always strive for virtue, and wicked, immoral people aren't likely to change either.

II.2

Book II Canto XI, where Arthur must defend Alma's castle (the human body) against Maleger's forces (the seven sins that hit the heart and the five vices that overpower the five senses). Maleger is aided by two hags, Impotence (makes the body weak) and Impatience (makes the heart more willing to take shortcuts and sin). Like Hercules with Antaeus, Arthur must lift Maleger from the earth and cast him into a lake.

Book II Canto X, wherein Prince Arthur reads the legendary history of Britain, ending with Uther Pendragon, and Sir Guyon reads the legendary history of Fairyland, ending with the rule of Gloriana. Even though it draws on Geoffrey of Monmouth's chronology, I enjoyed the mythos of it. They were legendary ancestors, moral exemplars, cautionary tales, and symbols of Britain's destiny.