Tammy’s Reviews > King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table > Status Update

Arthur encouraged them to go onboard for an adventure and an adventure it was. It got dark and candles on the bulwarks lit automatically. Twelve fair maidens fed them the sweet meats and they drank wine. There was a heavy scent of sweet flowers. They each went to a room with a bed of their own and fell asleep. The next day, Morgana’s dh woke up in his bed and he was confused how he got there.

His tomb could be in many places and one was BRAGDON WOOD! Yes, as in That Hideous Strength. WOW!!!! Arthur, Morgana la Fey’s husband, and some knight from Gaul were following hart, deep in the woods of southern Wales. They rode so fr and for so long that they were lost. Then the hart died from exhaustion. They noticed down a steep bank was a ship fitted with rich silks.

Wow! Dante and Lewis all in one spot!!! Nimue sat under a hawthorn tree and wove nine (Dante) circles of magic around Merlin. He laid his head on her lap and fell asleep. He asked her to stay but Arthur was in danger because Morgana le Fay was weaving evil magic around him. Merlin had to sleep until the appointed time. He was sleep walking down steps into the ground and laid on a stone slab. Image of Christ.

He wil be one of the best knights and he and Lady Elaine will have a son Galahad who will rank as high as Lancelot. I guess the boy was returned at some point because Merlin blessed him and Pant and Elayne marveled at these words (echo of the wise men’s visit to Mary and Joseph). Then Merlin followed Lady Nimue who played a Welsh harp and led Merlin deeper into the woods.

Arthur begged Merlin to stay but Merlin accepted his fate (although he warned Arthur about his fate) to be laid into the ground by Lady Nimue. Merlin went deeper and deeper into the woods, led by Lady Nimue. When they reached northern Wales, they reached King Pant and Queen Elayne and told them a strange story. The Lady of the Lake (Nimue) had kidnapped their son Lancelot to raise him.

Ch. 4 Wild ride ensues! The day after Pentecost Arthur rode in the woods, mourning the loss of Merlin. He bumped into Merlin who warned him to hang onto Excalibur and his scabbard. An evil woman will try to steal it and her son will kill him. BUT, she will bring Arthur to Avalon (is that like the Grey Havens?) and the Ladies of Avalon will tend him. The evil woman’s sins will be purged.

Then Merlin announced that he was going to his great sleep until the time of awakening when a new circle of Logres would be formed on Earth. Huh! I think That Hideous Strength will make more sense now. Also, Lady Nimue left as well. That is suspicious. She showed at the oddest times.

I was wondering if their failure led to chivalry. After hearing Gawain tell what happened and his self-imposed penance to always show mercy, Arthur announced it. Basically, it is the Great Commandment on steriods, except that they must show particular mercy to women and widows (the most vulnerable in society). All knights must swear on the Blessed Sacrament to follow the code at their annual feast every Pentecost.

Pellinore and Tor caught up with Gawain and they arrived at Camelot together. Arthur and Guinevere had them narrate their quests. Arthur forgave Pellinore for not rendering aid to the lady who turned out to be his own daughter Alyne and her husband Sir Miles. He had been searching for his daughter for many years. Arthur said that Tor had done well (yeah, I read that right). Then he wondered about the headless woman.

The one of the knights killed Sir Pellinore’s horse and he split the knight’s helmet into as well as the knight’s head. The other knight stopped fighting and explained that Lady Nimue is his cousin and he will gladly let Pellinore have his horse so that he can take Lady Nimue to Camelot. His name is Merliot and he’s the guy who owned the castle where Balyn escorted the damsel who had to give blood.