Uther Pendragon

Hey there!  This post is going up a little early, since I'm going to be super busy tomorrow.  I figured early was better than late, right?
Did any of you see the eclipse?  I was quite lucky to have borrowed some binoculars from my grandfather for a different astronomy project.  My brother called to let me know about the eclipse, and I was able to use the binoculars to get a closer look.  It was quite lovely - I hope you got a chance to see it!

This week's post is about a character named Uther.  It's kind of sad that I'm more familiar with the Uther of World of Warcraft than I am with the Arthurian one.  While writing this post I kept referring to him as "Uther the Lightbringer" in my head.

Anyway!  On to the post!

Before I talk about Arthur it is important to discuss the circumstances behind his birth.  The story of Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, showcases just how important Arthur was.  Uther's story shows that the great wizard Merlin had an interest in Arthur before he was even conceived.  The story also sets the stage for many events to follow, including the birth of Gawain, one of Arthur's knights, and Mordred...who would one day kill Arthur.

But I've jumped ahead in the story.  Let me start at the beginning.

Uther was not originally a king.  He was the youngest son in his family, and so it was his elder brother who inherited the throne when Uther's father died. Uther was a loyal brother and did not seek power for himself.  Instead, he fought his brother's battles for him.

During a campaign against a nearby kingdom Uther met the wizard Merlin, who aided him in his endeavors.

It was Merlin who bestowed the epithet of "Pendragon" upon Uther.  While out riding one day Uther spotted a comet shaped like a dragon shooting across the sky.

(One wonders if this was the inspiration for the comet in A Song of Ice and Fire...)

Uther pointed the comet out to Merlin, who took it as a portent of things to come.  The wizard claimed that the comet showed the coming death of Uther's brother, and Uther's subsequent rise to power.  Based on the shape of the comet he named him Uther Pendragon.  Basically, the title translates to "leader of warriors".

Shortly after this, Uther returned to his lands and found that his brother the king had been murdered.  Uther became king in his stead, and he adopted the dragon as his symbol because of the comet.

King Uther ruled well for a time.  Eventually his army won a great battle and Uther threw a celebration for his victory.  Many of Uther's allies attended the party - one was a man named Gorlois, who brought his beautiful wife Igraine with him.  As soon as he saw her Uther fell in love with Igraine - which was somewhat awkward, since she was married and all.

When he made his feelings known to Igraine, she and her husband fled from the king.  Gorlois hid his wife in a well-defended castle.  Thinking her safe from Uther, Gorlois walled himself away in another castle and prepared to fight all the king's horses and all the king's men.

Completely smitten with Igraine, Uther started a war to win her.  Gorlois' and Uther's men clashed on the fields, and there were many casualties on both sides.

Unfortunately for Gorlois, Uther had a wizard as an ally.

Uther called upon Merlin, who went to the king's aid.  In exchange for his help, Merlin extracted from Uther a promise that anything which resulted from his night with Igraine would belong to Merlin.  Uther readily agreed.

The wizard fashioned a spell which would disguise Uther, temporarily making him look like Gorlois.  Merlin instructed the king to go and spend the night with Igraine before returning to his forces.  He cautioned Uther to not say too much during the night; the more he spoke, the more likely Igraine was to realize that Uther wasn't her husband.

I'm torn about how to feel about this.  On the one hand, Merlin is pretty much the ultimate wingman here.  On the other hand, Uther is plotting to sleep with a woman who wants nothing to do with him, while trying to kill her husband.  There's some seriously disturbing undertones of rape and adultery here, for all that the story is told from a romantic point of view.

What interests me most about this part of the story are the parallels it has to a couple of other famous stories.  First off: the tale of King David from the book of 2 Samuel.  David falls in love with the wife of one of his soldiers.  He plots to kill her husband, and sleeps with her while the man is out in the field.  Eventually David manages to get the soldier killed and takes the woman as his own wife.  However, he never adopts the form of her husband.  No, that tactic is more along the lines of Greek mythology.  It was one of Zeus' favorite techniques to sleep with a married woman.

I found it quite interesting that the story of Uther and Igraine blended elements from Greek and Jewish stories.

Anyways, Uther successfully spends the night with Igraine.  In the morning he leaves to return to his war camp.  Upon arriving, King Uther is greeted with joyous news: Gorlois was slain in battle during the night.

Of course, Igraine isn't particularly joyful when she hears the same news.  It isn't just that she's mourning her husband's death; Igraine is a smart woman, and she realizes that the man who left her that morning could not possibly have been Gorlois.  Afraid, Igraine keeps silent on the matter.  To admit to sleeping with a man she wasn't married to would have been a great crime - she could have been tried and punished for adultery.

Uther still wants Igraine, so during the truce that follows Gorlois' death he asks for her hand in marriage.  Igraine has been left in charge of her husband's forces, but her advisors tell her that they cannot hope to beat Uther's armies.  Left with no choice, Igraine reluctantly agrees to wed King Uther and become his queen.

It takes a month or two for the wedding to be finalized and the vows exchanged.  Shortly after the wedding, it becomes obvious that Igraine is pregnant.  The poor woman is terrified when Uther asks her who the father is.  She confesses everything that happened the night of Gorlois' death.  Igraine swears that she doesn't know who impregnated her, since he looked like Gorlois.

At this point Uther finally spills the beans.  He admits that he disguised himself with magic to have sex with her.  Since they're now married, Igraine has nothing to fear - the child will be legitimate.  (Bastards were very looked down upon in those times - as was the mother who birthed one, particularly if she was noble.  Igraine had very good reason to be terrified.)

I really do feel bad for Igraine.  Uther not telling her the truth as soon as they were married - and particularly his confronting her about being pregnant with another man's child - is just cruel.  The books I've read try to romanticize his actions, but it's kind of hard to make such things sound pretty.

Still, something good came of the act.  Several months later the child of Igraine and Uther was born.  He's kind of famous - maybe you've heard of him: Arthur.  As soon as the child was born Merlin whisked him away, sending him to be the foster son of a knight named Sir Ector.

As far as the king is concerned - unfortunately, Uther's choice in women would eventually catch up to Arthur, and one day lead to his death.  Igraine had a few kids from her previous marriage, you see.  One was a daughter named Morgan le Fey.  The other, also a girl, was called Morgause.  In a very Luke/Leia plot twist, Arthur would grow up to sleep with Morgause (without knowing she was his half sister).  The child of this union, Mordred, would grow up to kill his father...but that's a story for another time!

What did you guys think?  Is Uther a colossal jerk or what?

If you're familiar with the TV show Merlin, the story is quite a bit different from the legends.  However, King Uther is portrayed brilliantly by Sir Anthony Stewart Head.

I confess to only having seen the first season of Merlin, quite a while ago - before I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and realized how much I adore its character of Giles, also played by Head.  Have you guys seen Merlin?  Should I revisit the show?

Have a great week!

Intro to Arthurian Legend

Hey guys!  Once again, I apologize for the lateness of this post.  I came down with an ear infection on top of recovering from having my appendix removed, and looking at the computer screen made my head spin like crazy for several days.  I'm slowly getting better, but this post is likely to be a bit shorter and more brusque than usual due to my medical stuff.  Hope you all are doing well!

Arthurian legends are the stories about King Arthur and his knights.  While some of the stories take place before his birth, and some after his death, they all revolve around Arthur - hence the title of Arthurian.

But who is King Arthur?  It has been debated as to whether he actually existed in history, or whether he is entirely made up.  If Arthur did exist, his exploits have been drastically exaggerated in the tales told of him.  Arthurian legend is called such because legends may or may not have had some historical basis.

The stories of King Arthur originated as early as the 6th century.  The tales modern audiences are most familiar with come from a book from the late 15th century.  In the hundreds of years between them huge changes were made to the original stories.  Additional characters were added; those that already existed were hugely embellished.  More drama became present, as did large quantities of romance and unrequited love.  Magic grew in importance, and family trees became complicated as unbeknown incestuous relationships were formed (think Luke and Leia from the first Star Wars).

For a long time most of the stories of Arthurian legend were told in the form of poems.  Perhaps the best known of these poems was the French Vulgate cycle  (When I say poems, I mean as in epics like Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.  These things were long.)  That changed when a knight named Thomas Mallory was imprisoned.  Mallory spent his confinement adapting the Vulgate cycle into a prose form for English audiences.  Several French concepts, such as that of courtly love (a complicated concept that I'll explain more in a later post), were discarded or modified into something that Mallory thought made more sense.  He called his book Le Morte d'Arthur - The Death of Arthur.  (Spoilers!  In the very title!)Le Morte d'Arthur was published in 1485.  Most later adaptations of Arthurian legend stem from this book.

 

As I mentioned, Arthurian legend is full of drama and heartbreak.  You start off knowing that the main character is going to die - of course there's drama!  It focuses on Arthur and his various family and friends.  Main characters include Lancelot, Merlin, Guinevere, Uther, Galahad, Morgan le Fay....the list goes on and on.  We'll focus more on specific characters in later posts.  Many of the cast of Arthurian legend show up in popular culture, ranging from the BBC TV show Merlin to Disney's Sword in the Stone to the many books by T. A. Barron.

Of course, if I'm going to talk about popular culture references to Arthurian legend, there are two things I must mention.  Firstly, the TV show The Librarians.  The Librarians is a spin-off of a movie series that I've watched and enjoyed for years - very cheesy, but very fun.  The TV show has a great cast (Christian Kane, anyone?) and some rather lovely nods to Arthurian legend.  Morgan le Fay shows up, and several characters have their own mysterious ties to Arthurian legend.  I definitely recommend the show!

The other thing I want to mention is a movie called Quest for Camelot.  Until recently, Quest for Camelot was about all I knew of Arthurian legend.  I grew up watching the movie, and I absolutely adore it.  It's one of those animated movies that I always think must be a Disney movie because it is so good, but isn't - like Anastasia!  If you love knights, strong characters, musicals, dragons, and touching stories, I highly recommend you watch Quest for Camelot.

I'll be back next week to tell you about Uther, the father of King Arthur.  See you guys then!

Delayed

My Intro to Arthurian Legend will have to go up later in the week.  I apologize.  I went into the ER last week and wound up getting my appendix removed, and I'm still pretty out of it as I recover from the surgery.  I'll make sure and let you know on Facebook and Twitter as soon as I get the post out.

UPDATE: Came down with an ear infection on top of my recovery.  Head spins like crazy when I look at the computer.  Intro to Arthurian Legend will go up on Monday the 21st.  Sorry for the delay.

Lovesick Sneak Peek

Hey guys!  I believe I promised you something exciting this week!

I announced several months ago that my second book, Lovesick, would be coming out later this year.  I am pleased to report that it will be coming out a month sooner than I had anticipated, so look for it on Amazon in mid October!  (Don't worry, I'll do a post as soon as it comes out.)

For today, I'd like to give you an exclusive sneak peek at Lovesick.  Without further ado, here is the first chapter!

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Flynn Carter sat in front of his computer, his office darkened around him.  The screen glared brightly at him as the black cursor blinked in white emptiness, taunting him with his failure.

It should have been so easy; the first novel was the one that ought to have caused him problems.  He had started off with some cheesy supernatural romance novel, knowing that there was a market for it.  The publishers had leapt on the story and the populace had loved it.  Flynn was given his big break, and knew that he could now write anything he wanted - it would be so much easier to get it published as an already successful author.

That had been over a year ago.  He had enjoyed a few months off and then sworn to the reporters that something new and even better was coming.  A deadline had been set, and he had sat down and prepared to write.

And then - it struck.  The dreaded writer's block.

Now Flynn sat before his computer, with only two weeks left before he was supposed to hand something over to his agent.  He had tried everything, from historical action to sci-fi mystery, and even another paranormal romance like his first.  Nothing clicked; no story seemed as good as his first book, and that had been terrible.  He was stuck, and swiftly running out of time.

His watch chirped three and Flynn cursed softly, running a hand through his slick black hair.  His page stared blankly at him, the cursor still silently mocking him from its emptiness.  Flynn groaned as he leaned back, wishing that the inspiration he had once felt would return to him.

There was a soft knock on the front door, and Flynn blinked.  He looked again at his watch, verifying the time, and then glanced incredulously down the hall towards the door.  Perhaps he was imagining things.

Flynn heaved a sigh and turned back to his monitor, refusing to call it a night until he had written something, however bad.  He reached for the keyboard -

Again there came a knock on the door, this time more insistent.  Flynn turned to look at it, grumbling to himself.  He obviously was not imagining things, which made this an all-time low for the reporters.  Sure, they had ambushed him before, but never this late - or rather, this early, he corrected himself.  Maybe if he ignored them they would go away, buying him a little more time before he had to admit his failure.  Logically speaking he should be asleep at three in the morning, right?  Hopefully they would take his silence as a sign of his slumber.

Flynn turned to his computer once more, determined.  Perhaps he would write a story about a nosy reporter who got caught up in nasty business and received their comeuppance...it was a better idea than some he'd had, and the thought of it filled him with a certain vindictive pleasure.  He reached for the keyboard again -

A fist pounded hard on his door several times, and Flynn let out a loud curse.  He shoved back his rolling chair so hard that it hit the bookshelf on the opposite wall and stood, seething as he walked towards the door.  This reporter was going to get what was coming to him, that was for sure.  Flynn was not amused at being bothered this late, and he would make sure that he made that clear.  Flynn flung open his door with murderous intent...and found his tirade brought up short.

Before him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.  Her auburn hair fell in gentle waves to her slender waist, and her long white dress showed off her tanned skin.  A simple golden band wrapped its way up her forearm, perfectly matching the metal of her intricately woven belt.  Her bodice was low cut but tasteful, a thin chain necklace dangling just low enough to make Flynn wonder.  Her lips were full, her cheekbones stunning.  Wide olive eyes gazed at him without any hint of self-consciousness.  If the woman wore any makeup, it was subtle enough to not be noticeable - but Flynn doubted she wore any.  She simply didn't need it; she was honestly perfect.  Had she been a character in his book, Flynn could not have described her in any way to make her seem more beautiful.  Even her bare feet added to her elegance and mystery.

Flynn finally realized that he was staring and blinked.  "You're not a reporter," he guessed.

She threw back her head and laughed, which did interesting things to her neckline.  Flynn fought to keep his focus on her face.  "Indeed not, Flynn Carter.  But I do very much wish to interview you."

He frowned, disappointed.  "I'm sorry, lady, but maybe another time.  It's pretty late."

She pouted, just a little, and Flynn's heart skipped a beat.  "I understand, but I really do need to talk to you.  You see, I'm in terrible trouble."

Flynn raised an eyebrow.  "I don't know how I can help you, then.  I'm just a writer."

The woman breathed a sigh.  "Oh, you're much more than that, Flynn.  Please, can we not sit down?"  She breezed past him and glided into his apartment as though she owned it, and Flynn didn't even try to stop her.  He was obviously hallucinating - why not just let it play out?  He nudged the door shut behind him as he followed her into the living room.

The woman was already stretched out and lounging on the couch when he entered, and Flynn gingerly sat across from her, afraid that any sudden moves would make her disappear.  She smiled languidly at him as he settled down, and once again he had to blink and force himself to stay focused.

"What kind of trouble are you in, my lady?" he asked.

She beamed at him.  "Ooh, such a gentleman!  Well, it is a matter of some delicacy.  You see, my son has been stolen, and I fear that you are the only one who will believe me."

Flynn's eyes widened, his disappointment at her motherhood - and possible husband - outweighed by his concern.  "If your son has been kidnapped, then you should be talking to the police!  I'd be happy to take you down to the station -"

She shook her head, her hair flowing behind her as she did so.  "No, you still don't see.  Perhaps it would be simpler if you knew who my son is.  His name is Eros."

The writer frowned as his mind turned.  The name was familiar, but he couldn't think where he knew it from.  The woman leaned forward as if she sensed his confusion.  "Yes, Eros - but you might know him better by his Roman form, Cupid.  And I, noble sir, and Aphrodite."

Flynn felt his eyebrows climb as she settled back onto the couch.  For some reason his subconscious had decided to introduce him to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.  Well, fine - this was a story just begging to be told, and he wanted to see where his hallucination led him.  "Alright, sure.  Who took your son?"

She beamed and clapped her hands.  "Oh, I just knew you would believe me!  But you see, that's the thing.  I don't know who took him.  All I know is that he disappeared a week ago, and I'm terribly worried.  None of the other gods know anything - or if they do they're keeping quiet."

Flynn frowned and leaned forward in his chair, struggling to channel some mystery novel hero.  What would they do in this situation?  What would Nathan Fillion do?  "Well, it's true that I believe you, but how do you think I could possibly help?" he hedged.

Her smile grew.  "Ah, but that is the easy part!  You will be my champion.  I'm going to send you on a quest.  We gods have been doing that for quite some time now, you know."

"Hold on - I'd love to help you, but I don't think I'm qualified for a quest-"

She cut him off.  "Oh, nonsense!  Besides, I doubt you'll be alone.  Other heroes always seem to show up to help on quests like this.  I just need you to be the one to lead the quest; you see, you possess the mind of a writer, always dissecting and looking for plot and motivation.  You'll be able to get to the bottom of this, I just know it!"
Flynn stared at her incredulously.  "And just where would you suggest I start looking for a stolen god?"

Aphrodite frowned delicately, not seeming to catch his sarcasm.  "Well, that is the question!  I don't know who took my son, but it must have been someone of some power.  I would think another god the mostly likely suspect, maybe even one of the other pantheons.  I'm afraid I just can't think who would do this to me!  Unless..."

"Unless?" he prompted eagerly.

She bit her lip, a move that made her look incredibly vulnerable.  "Well, you see - you do know the myths, don't you?"

Flynn nodded.  "I'm a bit rusty on my Greek mythology, but I remember the basics."

She bestowed an angelic smile upon him.  "Oh, good!  That will help considerably.  Well, you see, I have a husband - Hephaestus.  I was forced into the marriage, and neither of us have made it too easy on the other.  I'm afraid that Eros isn't his son...and I wonder if Hephaestus might be behind all of this."

The writer frowned, his mind turning.  "Where would I find Hephaestus?  And why not confront him yourself?"

Aphrodite gave a shudder, her eyes widening with fear.  "Oh, but he is a brute!  I don't know what I could do if he was the one who took my baby...and I'm afraid I don't know where to look.  You would need to have some way of contacting him, I suppose.  Perhaps someone in the Order?"

"What Order?  And what am I supposed to do if it is him?  I can't exactly take on a god!"
The goddess covered her mouth.  "Oh, I'm so embarrassed!  I haven't mentioned the Order yet?  Well, no need to worry, I'm sure someone will be along soon to explain it to you.  You'll need this, by the way."  Daintily she slipped off her bracelet, handing it to Flynn.  He stared in surprise as it changed from a feminine gold band to a thick masculine watch, almost an exact match of the one he wore.  Aphrodite smiled at him as he gawked at her.  "Don't worry, dear, that should help you.  As to what you should do when you find the kidnapper, well - as I said, I doubt you'll be alone.  And now I really must be off!"

Flynn stood as she headed for the door, his mind full of questions.  "Wait, but - please, I don't understand!"
She turned to him and gave him a stunning smile - literally stunning, as it stopped him in his tracks.  "You will understand soon enough.  Be well, Flynn; and please, find my son.  You're my only hope."

Flynn stared helplessly as she closed the door, shutting herself out of his apartment.  The room seemed dark without her there, as though all of the beauty had left with her.  Flynn hesitated for a moment before he made up his mind and flung open the door, determined to get some answers - only to find the outside hallway empty.  All that was left was the subtle scent of her perfume.

The writer heaved a sigh and closed his door, leaning against it as he slowly sunk to the floor.  This was definitely the most interesting dream he'd had in quite some time, and he couldn't wait to write it all down when he woke up.  This would make a great story!  Still, Flynn wished it made a little more sense.  He had too many questions and not enough answers - and he had absolutely no idea where to start.

He frowned, his eyes closed as he tried to sort things out.  What was this Order she had mentioned?  Who was going to explain it to him, and what, exactly, where they going to explain?  How in the world were other people going to join his quest when he himself didn't fully understand what the quest was?

Flynn opened his eyes and fingered the watch she had given him, eventually slipping it on in place of his old one.  It seemed to glow with a rainbow light, and Flynn ran a finger across the watch's prismatic glass face before standing.

Flynn blinked as he looked around.  It wasn't just the watch that shone with all the colors of the rainbow - it was his entire apartment.  The author stared as the beams grew more solid, the colors more vibrant.  A sort of cheer seemed to fill the air, though not nearly so strong as the emotions the goddess had brought with her.

The writer frowned, struggling to remember the name of the goddess who ruled over the rainbow image he saw before him.  Isis? he thought.  No, no Isis - "Iris!  Is that you?"

The rainbow shimmered and a sound like a thousand soft windchimes filled the air.  Flynn gazed in wonder as the rainbow before him solidified into a gate, which swung open to reveal a glimmering opalescent bridge that arced into the ceiling.  A pair of shoes appeared at the top, walking down slowly to reveal black slacks, a casual shirt with a flannel jacket overtop, and a head of curly black hair.  The man smiled shyly at Flynn as he descended, a glass pan that smelled strongly of cinnamon held out in front of him.  Flynn backed up, more to give the stranger room to get off of the bridge than out of fear.  At this point, he was way too interested to be afraid.

"Hello," the man said as he stepped into the living room, the rainbow bridge slowly fading behind him.  He seemed completely calm, as if he found himself transported by a rainbow goddess to a stranger's living room all the time.  Maybe he did, mused Flynn, as the man held out his hand.  "My name is Tom."

I hope you guys enjoyed chapter one of Lovesick!  I'd love to hear what you thought of it - please comment below or email me!  Your input is always appreciated.  As I said before, Lovesick will be coming out October of this year.  If you guys haven't read the first Chosen of the Gods book, Hammerfall, you can find links to Amazon and Barnes & Noble on the right.  Thank you for your support!

I'll be back with an Intro to Arthurian Legend next week.  I hope you have a wonderful week, and I'll see you then!