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Igraine. In the Matter of Britain, Igraine (/ iːˈɡreɪn /) is the mother of King Arthur. Igraine is also known in Latin as Igerna, in Welsh as Eigr (Middle Welsh Eigyr), in French as Ygraine (Old French Ygerne or Igerne), in Le Morte d'Arthur as Ygrayne —often modernised as Igraine or Igreine —and in Parzival as Arnive.
Igraine comes from the Welsh name Eigyr. She was the mother of King Arthur and the daughter of Amlawdd. She married Gorlois, by whom she had a number of daughters. (This husband is sometimes called Hoel.) Uther Pendragon had a relationship with her while he was under a spell which made him resemble her husband. That night Igraine conceived Arthur.
In the Vulgate romances, she dies of unknown causes shortly before Uther Pendragon’s death, or shortly after Arthur’s coronation. Her counterpart in Wolfram’s Parzival is named Arnive. Husbands and children. Igraine’s children by Duke Gorloïs were Morgawse (Geoffrey of Monmouth calls her Anna), Elaine, and Morgan le Fay.
- In The Pseudo-Historical Texts
- In Verse Romances
- In The Story of Merlin
In Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae
Geoffrey of Monmouth tells in his Historia Regum Britanniaethat King Uther Pendragon held a court at London on Easter Day. Among those present was Duke Gorlois of Cornwall who brought his wife Ygerne. Ygerne was the most beautiful woman in Britain. Uther immediately desired her, bestowed numerous gifts and favors on her, and kept forcing himself on her in conversation. Gorlois, seeing this, withdrew himself and his wife from the court without taking leave. Uther became angry and ordered Gorlo...
In Other Pseudo-Historical Texts
Other Pseudo-Historical texts say much the same. Lawman’s Brutexpands on Ulfin’s search for Merlin and tells that Elves took Arthur as soon as he was born and gave him three gifts: to be the best of knights, to be the richest of kings, and to have long life. They also gave to him virtues, especially generosity. The Welsh adaptations of Geoffrey name Ygerne as Eigyr, and say that she is daughter of Amlawdd Wledig, as is Arthur’s unnamed mother in Culhwch and Olwen. The Gesta Regum Britanniae,...
The pseudo-historical documents provide not the slightest indication that Arthur was not brought up in his fathers court and the verse romances, in the few cases where they concern themselves with Arthur’s boyhood, assume likewise. Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzivalmentions the young Arthur searching for his missing mother in Uther Pendragon’s time....
Arthur is Begotten
The Story of Merlintells mostly the same account, with some variations. Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, becomes the anonymous Duke of Tintagel. When he first comes to court, to Carlisle, with his wife Ygerne, he also brings an unnamed son who is not mentioned again. Uther here also attempts to seduce Ygerne, but not so obviously that the Duke of Tintagel notices. Ygerne tries to avoid Uther, for Ygerne is as virtuous as she is beautiful and very loyal to her husband. The same thing happens at anot...
Peace Arrangements
Unlike Geoffrey’s account, Uther does not just capture Tintagel, but has a negotiated peace arranged. Ulfin prompts Uther’s advisors to suggest that Uther should marry Ygerne, and that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Tintagel should marry King Loth of Orcanie. This is done, and another daughter is married to King Neutre of Garlot. Text differ here. Some variants identify Neutre’s wife with Morgain the Fay while in others Morgain is a third daughter. See Duke of Tintagel’s Daughters. The up...
Arthur is Born and Given to Antor
When Uther first lies with Ygerne, he pretends then to first notice that she is with child, who cannot be the Duke’s child, as the Duke of Tintagel had not been with Ygerne, but in his own camp. Ygerne weeps and tells the story of the visitor who seemed to be the Duke. Uther says that this must be kept secret, for it would bring shame upon Ygerne, and that since the child is neither his nor legitimately Ygerne’s, Ygerne must give the child up to the person whom Uther will choose, and the matt...
Igraine. In the Vulgate Merlin Continuation, the sister of Arthur with whom he committed incest. Dutchess of Tintagil and later Queen of England. Arthur's mother, she "was called a fair lady, and a passing wise". Welsh tradition She has her roots in the Welsh character Eigyr in Culhwch and Olwen, in which she is the daughter of Amlawdd Wledig ...
Jul 3, 2014 · The sister’s. Igraine is said to have had at least three daughters by Gorloris: Morgause, a second daughter named Elaine or Blasaine and Morgan. According to Monmouth through Uther its said she had one other a child, a daughter they named Anna. This creates a whole lot of confusion since Monmouth also credits Anna as the wife of King Lot and ...
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Gorlois, sometimes known as Hoel, was the Duke of Tintagel and, in some accounts, Duke of Cornwall. Renowned as the first husband of Igraine, his fate was entwined with Uther Pendragon's infatuation, famously manipulated by Merlin's magic to deceive Igraine. This resulted in Arthur's birth. Accounts vary on the number ...
