Nimue and Circe: Legends of Magic
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ScribdTranslationsNimue and Circe: Legends of Magic
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ScribdTranslationsNIMUE (The Lady of the Lake)
In the Arthurian romances, Nimue is one of the names given to an interesting but dark figure.
character: The Lady of the Lake, a water fairy who gives King Arthur the sword of power,
Excalibur. Its name varies according to the legends, as it is also known as Niniane, Niviane or
Viviane. In her figure, traits of the water goddess Coventina can be discerned, to whom offerings were made.
offerings in the form of coins, pearls, and other valuable objects.
In some legends, Nimue appears as the daughter of the Lady of the Lake, and in others as the lover.
of the wizard Merlin. According to Chrétien de Troyes, The Lady of the Lake (named Viviane) is the
Lancelot's adoptive mother. Likewise, she appears in the romances not only as the fairy that
delivers Excalibur to Arthur but also the one that demands that the sword be returned to the Lake (which can
identify with Avalon) when Arthur is mortally wounded on the [Link] the work of
Malory is one of the three fairies who escort King Arthur to Avalon.
A legend says that Merlin met Nimue near the Barenton spring in Brittany, and that
He fell in love with her so deeply that he agreed to show her the secret of his magical powers.
Nimue became his lover and his scribe and carefully recorded the wizard's prophecies.
Years passed, and Nimue's arts became almost as powerful as those of her master, and,
taking advantage of the trust that the magician had placed in her, she deceived him and locked him in a
cave (or in a crystal tower or in the trunk of an oak, according to the different versions). In the
more modern traditions, Nimue's role as Merlin's pupil and as the evil culprit
from her fall, it is transferred to Morgana Le Fay.
In some legends, she is referred to as the queen of the fairies of the enchanted forest, protectors of
the Knights of the Round Table in their quest for the Holy Grail. In the Mists of Avalon,
Nimue is the daughter of Lancelot and Elaine and the successor of Morgana as Lady of the Lake and Mistress of
Avalon. Nimue receives a very special mission that will lead her to death: to punish Kevin, the
Merlin of Brittany (in the novel it is not a proper name but a title), for treason to Avalon and to
the ancient gods.
With a charm, Nimue makes Merlin fall in love with her and tricks him into...
I accompany Avalon where he is executed. After a fierce battle, Arthur was mortally wounded by the
sword of Mordred. Feeling himself dying, he ordered one of his knights to throw Excalibur into a
a nearby lake, but when the sword fell into the waters, Nimue emerged, who picked it up, wielded it three
times and disappeared with her into the depths.
This Lady has been called by different names, Nimue, Nemue, Vivianne, and Vianna. She is believed to
All these names derive from Coventina, the water goddess of the ancient Celts.
The myth of Circe
Circe is well known for her role in the development of Homer's famous epic,
the Odyssey, but it also has a role in the legends of the Argonauts.
His father is Helios (the sun), and his mother is Perseis, in some traditions, although in others his mother
she is Hecate. She is the sister of Aeetes -king of Colchis and guardian of the Golden Fleece- and therefore is
Medea's aunt. She is also the sister of Pasiphae, wife of Minos.
His home is on the island of Ea, which apparently corresponds today to the peninsula called
Mount Circeo. Circe is considered a very powerful witch.
Odysseus (Ulysses, in the Latin tradition) arrives at this island of Circe after being in the land of the
lestrigones. Half of their men are sent to scout the island, under the command
of Eurylocus. They all enter the island and arrive at a valley where there is a shining palace.
Everyone enters, except Eurylocus who prefers to stay on guard. Circe -who is the owner
From the palace - warmly and hospitably receives the Greeks, and invites them to a banquet. Eurylocus is
witness that once her friends have tasted the delicacies, Circe touches them with a wand and the
turn into various animals, such as lions, pigs, and dogs, depending on the nature
true of each one.
Once this is done, Circe locks everyone in stables filled with similar animals. Upon seeing
this, Eurylocus escapes and goes to tell Odysseus everything he has seen. Odysseus decides to go rescue his
men, and while he was thinking of a plan, Hermes (the messenger of the gods) appears to him and gives him the
secret to overcome the magical arts of Circe: you must add a plant called moly that she provides
Hermes, to any potion that she gives him and he will be safe.
Thus, Odysseus presents himself before Circe who does the same thing she had done with his companions and
offers a drink. Odysseus accepts, but first he adds the molly plant to the potion, so that when
Circe tries to turn him into an animal with her wand, nothing happens.
Odysseus draws his sword and makes Circe swear that she will not harm him and that she will free his men.
Having done this, Odysseus stays with Circe for a year of pleasures (although for others it is a month), but
never forgets Penelope. Circe has Telégono and Casífone with Odysseus. According to some versions
She also had Latino. Furthermore, Circe is the mother of Faunus, who was born from her union with Zeus.
In the legend of the Argonauts, Circe makes her presence known on the journey back when Jason comes.
with Medea -who has helped him obtain the Golden Fleece and is completely in love with him-.
The Argos arrives at the island of Aea, where the sorceress Circe receives them and purifies Jason and Medea.
death of Apsirto, but does not give hospitality to Jason, and is limited to conversing at length with his
niece.
Also, Circe transformed Scylla into the monster that was a woman in her upper part, but that
from its lower part, horrible dogs emerged that devoured everything that came near, for
According to some versions, she fell in love with the sea god Glaucus, who preferred the love of Scylla.
According to another version, Poseidon had fallen in love with Scylla and Amphitrite, jealous, had asked him to
Circe said she would make the transformation.