matt writes...

would Macbeth ever reconsider Arthur's invitation to be one of his knights?

Todd Jensen writes...

What angle do you take (in general) on the imprisonment of Merlin in the Crystal Cave by Nimue? The Malory version where she locks him up because she fears that he will seduce her, or the Roger Lancelyn Green version where it's more Nimue giving an old, exhausted wizard rest from his labors in bringing Arthur to the throne?

Todd Jensen writes...

Just out of curiosity, where do you imagine the original Camelot (the sixth century one) being located in the Gargoyles Universe? Winchester (as per Malory), South Cadbury in Somerset (the current trend thanks to Leslie Alcock's excavations there in the late 60's), or somewhere else entirely?

Ithica writes...

About Milord Arthur:

Who provided the voice for King Arthur? I loved his performance, and I'd like to know his name.

Also, my favorite thing about him is the way you designed him. It's the best visual embodiment of the Pendragon that I've yet seen. What talented person or persons designed him?

Thanks.

Ithica writes...

A little while ago, I asked you why you thought Gawain filled the bastard role. You answered "It's his behaviour. His ability to be the hero or the villain depending on the situation. His betrayal of family. His defense of family. He's so torn. He's such a bastard."

Now that I think about it, you're assessment of his hero/villain tendencies is rather accurate. But the only instance of that I can think of is at the end, near Logres's fall, when Launcelot slew Agravaine, Gaheris, and Gareth. Is that what you're assessing from? Because then, I understand your thoughts. He's forgives Launcelot for the death of Agravaine because A deserved it; he wants to kill L for the deaths of Gaheris and Gareth because they didn't deserve it, which is understandable but wrong. In the first case he acts nobly and in the second case he acts vindictively and vengefully. So there I see your reasoning.

But is that the only instance from which you drew your conclusion? Because that's the only point in time I can think of that marks Gawain as a bastard. Otherwise, he seems to me the epitome of courty knighthood, and my favorite of Lot and Morgawse's children. Do you have any other instances from which you draw your bastard conclusion?

Also, you indicated that his "betrayal of family" was a factor. If you'll pardon my ignorance, do you mean when he wasn't angry over the death of his brother Agravaine?

Thank you---

Yttrium writes...

Hello, Greg;

I must confess I am not at all well-versed in Arthurian legend, though I am working toward it, so I was immediately curious about your PENDRAGON spin-off. I have an Arthurian-related question or two for you.

1a) I recently finished a version of GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT (great piece of literature, bless the book) which is my current favorite of the adventures I've read. Someone else asked about the current status of the Green Horse already, so I won't ask again. But what about the Green Knight's lady, who by his will tempted Gawain and gave him the green lace? Is she a fairy? I mean, if the Knight's a fae...

1b) Is the aforementioned lady still around? If not, what happened to her?

2) Are you aware of the versions of Arthurian legends that include Phembar, Arillo, Rhayne, etc?

3) Have you read any Geoffrey of Monmouth?

Thanks,

---Ytt

LSZ writes...

Another Camelot-influenced question:

What were the weather conditions of Camelot?

LSZ writes...

A weird question, but I just finished the movie version of Camelot, so: can King Arthur of the Gargoyles universe sing well?

Anonymous writes...

How old is Merlin biologically in 1996?

Oberon writes...

1) Why did Morgana Le Fay and Nimue ever agreed to take Arthur to Avalon?
2)Did someone have to convince them?
3) if so, who?

Todd Jensen writes...

Somebody asked you earlier about Merlin's connection with the "Merlin Wylt" of pre-Geoffrey of Monmouth Welsh legends, and you mentioned that you didn't remember the details too well. I thought that I'd give a little information here (Merlin being a subject that I've always been strong on).

Merlin Wylt (also known as Myrddin or Lailoken) was apparently "the original Merlin", though he lived a few decades after Arthur's time period; he served as a bard and advisor to one King Gwenddolau, who lived in what is now Scotland in the late 6th century. When Gwenddolau was killed at the Battle of Arderydd in 573, Merlin Wylt went mad with grief and fled into the woods nearby, where he began uttering prophecies about Britain's future.

His name became so well-known, and attached to prophecies, that when Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote "The History of the Kings of Britain", he decided to bestow the name "Merlin" upon Ambrosius, the boy prophet who met with Vortigern, and thus created the familiar figure of Merlin, who was afterwards known as "Merlin Ambrosius". (I recall that Mary Stewart mentioned once that the "Merlin Ambrosius" version of Merlin's name was what inspired her with the notion that Ambrosius, Uther Pendragon's older brother and Arthur's uncle, was Merlin's real father, in "The Crystal Cave").

Of course, because of the dates, the two Merlins were probably not the same person (and indeed, I doubt that "Merlin Wylt" could have been the same as *the* Merlin in the Gargoyles Universe given that, from what you've said, Arthur's Merlin has been in the Crystal Cave since before Arthur's departure for Avalon, which was about thirty years before the Battle of Arderydd; it would have to have been a different guy with the same name).

Ithica writes...

I was reading through the PENDRAGON archive, and came across a statement of yours that interested me. My question, based on the statement, is why do you think that Gawain fills the "Bastard" Achetype?

Ithica writes...

Now for some silly, irrelevant PENDRAGON questions:

You'll recall that in Gawain's adventure with the Green Knight, the said Knight rode on a courser (whom I affectionately call the Green Horse) that was as green as he was. I liked that horse, for some reason, so I'm going to ask some questions about him.

1. Seeing as normal horses do not occur in the color of green, and I doubt that the Knight would paint a normal bay or chestnut, is the Green Horse a magical creature, like a Odin's horse Sleipnir?

2. We know the Green Knight is a survivor. What about the Green Horse? (A knight can't go about without his horse!)

3. If the Horse isn't around, what does the Knight use instead?

3. Did you know that in Roger Lancelyn Green the Green Knight's name was revealed to be Sir Bernlak?

Okay, no more silly, irrelevant questions.

KW Keller writes...

Pendragon questions:

1. Who created Excalibur?

2. Why was it created?

3. Given that Excalibur was the Sword in the Stone and the one held by the Lady of the Lake:
a. How did Merlin acquire Excalibur?
b. How did the Lady of the Lake acquire Excalibur?

4. Was Ambrosius (Latinized from Emrys), Vortigern's child prophet in Nennius' texts, Merlin, as Geoffrey of Monmouth said, or was he someone different?

5. Was Merlin (or Myrddin) Wylt connected to the Arthurian Merlin?

LSZ writes...

Which of the songs in Camelot do you particularly enjoy?

Todd Jensen writes...

Since Aris recently brought up the part of the Arthurian legend where Arthur attempts to drown Mordred as a baby, I thought that I'd ask you on where you stand on one aspect of the story that often arises here.

Some Arthurian buffs have blamed Merlin for the whole "May Day Decree" business, on the grounds that it was his prophecy about Mordred's future evil and treason that led to Arthur making the attempt to get rid of him. I felt that this was rather harsh on Merlin, and felt that it was Arthur who was responsible for the incident instead. I was wondering what your take on the matter was (by which I mean, not whether Merlin was responsible in the Gargoyles Universe, but whether you consider him to blame for the incident in the original legend).

Aris Katsaris writes...

A really weird question: do Morgana, Nimue and Lady of the Lake (the three ladies which took Arthur to Avalon) form a virgin-mother-crone trio? And if so who is which?

LSZ writes...

In general, is your version of Mordred in the Gargoyles universe the revisionist hero that the Welsh and Scots have in their myths, or the traditional evil scum?

Shihuang and his trusty goat writes...

Do the rejuvination drugs the Illuminati give out to their senior members have any connection to the Holy Grail? I ask because their leader is the Fisher King, the keeper of the grail.

Aris Katsaris writes...

Regarding the May Day Decree you told me:
<<You're forgetting Moses, which I think is a much more direct parallel. >>

No, actually I wasn't forgetting Moses - but unlike you, I considered his case to be a more indirect parallel. The genocide ordered by the Pharaoh was made for reasons of population control. Both Herod's massacre and the May Day Decree ordered a slaughter so as to find and destroy only *one*, who was feared he would destroy the ruler.

Likewise, Moses is placed on the boat by his mother so as to be saved from the killing. Perseus and Mordred are placed in the boat by the *ruler* (who is also their father or grandfather), so as to be drowned...

Btw, it seemed to me you were avoiding the question? Do you feel that the May Day Decree took place in the Gargoyles Universe? I admit it still sounds to me a very non-Arthurian thing to do...

Todd Jensen writes...

Was one of the reasons that you chose Blanchefleur for Arthur's female companion the fact that she is/was Duval's wife? Given that Duval evidently will be the main antagonist for "Pendragon", I can see that having his wife being one of Arthur's companions would open the door to some good story possibilities.

Todd Jensen writes...

In one of the "Pendragon"-related questions that you answered just now, you mentioned that Excalibur had magic in its scabbard as well as the hilt and blade. Is this scabbard the same one from Malory which kept the wearer from bleeding?

Ithica writes...

Another PENDRAGON question:

The version of Arthurian legend I am most familiar with is that of the great RL Green, but my copy never satisfactorily explained where Mordred came from. I'd always believed he was the child of Morgana le Fay and King Urience, and the brother of Uwaine. Other versions I've read (Malory for one) say that he's the son of Arthur and Morgawse. I've heard elsewhere that he was Arthur's and Morgana's. What do you view his origins as?

Aris Katsaris writes...

Greg, what do you think about the place that the "May Day's Decree" has in the Gargoyle Universe? (the murder of a great number of infants so as to destroy Mordred)

I always felt that unlike most other parts of the Arthurian legend (which didn't have so obvious sources) , the "May Day Decree" seemed a complete copycat of Herod's massacre with a bit of Perseus thrown in. As such I felt it was perhaps the part which rung by far the most untrue...

Anyway, others in the comment room have disagreed ofcourse. Do you think it happened in the Gargoyles universe or not?

(And I really hope for something more clear than "All things are true" :-)

Todd Jensen writes...

1. What is the legal status of Percival/Duval and Blanchefleur's marriage at present? Are they still legally married (although clearly estranged)?

2. Do the marital problems that Percival and Blanchefleur are having at present have anything to do with the Illuminati's activities (particularly the less ethical ones such as the Hotel Cabal and the Quarrymen)?