Week 11, Reading Diary, Reading Diary B, King Arthur

Myth-Folklore Unit: King Arthur

HOW SIR GALAHAD FOUND THE GRAAL

Therewith he kneeled down before the table and made his prayers, and while he was praying, his soul suddenly left the body and was carried by angels up into heaven, which the two Knights right well beheld. Also they saw come from heaven a hand, but no body behind it, and it came unto the Vessel, and took it and the spear, and bare them back to heaven. And since then no man has dared to say that he has seen the Holy Graal.

This is the coolest thing that I found in this half of the unit. I love that a hand just pops out of nowhere and takes the Vessel and the spear and disappears. I feel some fairy magic about to happen! 

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Week 11, Reading Diary, Reading Diary A, King Arthur

Myth-Folklore Unit: King Arthur

THE PASSING OF MERLIN

• Sir Pellinore, brought a damsel of the lake to Arthur's Court, and when Merlin saw her he fell in love with her, so that he desired to be always in her company....whom some call Nimue and others Vivien, and wherever she went, Merlin went also.

Okay cool, now we meet the immortal Lady of the Lake, the owner of Excalibur. She has the sword as it was returned to her upon the death of King Arthur. Nathan has been sent to retrieve the sword by his immortal soon to be wife Melusina. Nimue is Melusina's maternal grandmother. Melusina and her sister Melior have been magically trapped on a piece of property owned by the crusader family of Raymond of Toulouse, and Nathan is on an errand to find the sword in order to free Melusina. 

• The damsel laughed in secret at Merlin but made use of him to tell her all she would know, and the wizard had no strength to say her nay, though he knew what would come of it. For he told King Arthur that before long he should be put into the earth alive, for all his cunning. 

Like Nathan, the seeker, the pure of heart, even the powerful Merlin is defenseless against the guiles of the women of the line of the lady of the lake. The river goddess woman are unstoppable when they decide on doing something.

• put forth all her Powers and told Merlin how she longed to see the wonders beneath the stone, and, in spite of all his wisdom, Merlin listened to her and crept under the rock to bring forth the strange things that lay there. And when he was under the stone, she used the magic he had taught her, and the rock rolled over him and buried him alive, as he had told King Arthur....— now that she knew all the magic he could teach her.

I wonder if this is how Nathan and Melusina will wind up, after he passes the initiation and retrieves what Melusina is after. What exactly is it that she is after? Why do we need Excalibur? and what about the other swords, Joyeuse, and Cortana?