The Morgana and Rhiannon Connection

By: Maranda Wabik September 28, 2021September 28, 2021 Arthurian LegendArthurian, Britain, Celtic, Faerie, Faery, featured, Goddess, Legend, MagicLeave a Comment

For today’s post I would like to look at the connection between Morgan Le Fay and Rhiannon! I have already done a post looking at Rhiannon’s connection to Guinevere, and this can be seen as almost a companion post to that one. Many may question how one goddess can be connected to both…

The Rhiannon and Guinevere Connection

By: Maranda Wabik September 12, 2021September 12, 2021 Arthurian LegendArthurian, Britain, Celtic, Faerie, Faery, featured, Goddess, Legend, LoveLeave a Comment

I have written about Guinevere’s connection to goddesses and historical figures before. Today I want to focus on the connection between Guinevere and one of my favorite goddesses, Rhiannon! Rhiannon is the Welsh Celtic goddess of sovereignty, horses, and a faerie queen. Guinevere is the wife of Arthur and queen of Camelot…

The Elizabeth Woodville and Guinevere Connection

By: Maranda Wabik August 15, 2021August 16, 2021 Arthurian Legend, Royal HistoryArthurian, Britain, Celtic, Faerie, Faery, featured, Legend, Magic, Royal HistoryLeave a Comment

For today’s post I would like to discuss the connection between the legendary figure of Guinevere and the real queen Elizabeth Woodville! This may seem a bit far fetched, but given the prevalence of Arthurian legends during the medieval period, many real royals would take inspiration from these legends. Elizabeth Woodville’s daughter and…

Guinevere as Arthurian Adulteress

By: Maranda Wabik July 16, 2021July 17, 2021 Arthurian Legend, Femme Fatale FridayArthurian, Britain, Celtic, featured, Legend2 Comments

Welcome to the first ever Femme Fatale Friday here at White Rose of Avalon! For this first post in this themed Friday series I have chosen to discuss a figure I have talked about often on this site, Arthur’s wife Guinevere. Today I want to specifically look at Guinevere’s role as an adulteress…

The Blodeuwedd and Guinevere Connection

By: Maranda Wabik April 19, 2021July 24, 2021 Arthurian Legend, LegendArthurian, Britain, Celtic, Faerie, Faery, featured, Goddess, Legend, MagicLeave a Comment

Blodeuwedd and Guinevere have many commonalities in their tales. Both could be seen as sovereignty goddesses that had marriages that gave kingship to their husbands. Both had marriages that began as happy, but devolved into unhappiness on the part of the wives. Both found true love when they were already married, and…

Guinevere and Isolde

By: Maranda Wabik March 17, 2021April 19, 2021 Arthurian LegendArthurian, Britain, featured, Legend, MedievalLeave a Comment

The tales of legendary queens Guinevere and Isolde are very similar in many ways. Both of these woman were in love triangles where they fell in love with knights that served their husbands. Both were willing to risk their very lives for the love that consumed them. Both were nearly burned at…

Arthurian Love Triangle

By: Maranda Wabik March 12, 2021March 13, 2021 Arthurian LegendArthurian, Faerie, Faery, featured, Legend, LoveLeave a Comment

The most famous of the romantic Arthurian legends is of course the love triangle amongst Lancelot, Guinevere, and Arthur. I am someone absolutely obsessed with the romantic relationships within the world of Arthur! I actually love both sides of this love triangle, and I go back and forth over which relationship is my…

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

By: Maranda Wabik January 17, 2021April 19, 2021 Arthurian LegendArthurian, Britain, Celtic, Faerie, featured, Legend, MedievalLeave a Comment

Guinevere is the wife of Arthur in the Arthurian cycle. In most versions of the legends it is a given that she betrayed Arthur with a close friend or family member during their marriage. In the most common versions of the legends Guinevere betrayed Arthur by falling in love with Lancelot du Lac,…

Arthurian Legends

This page is dedicated to Arthurian Legends! The tales of Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, Morgan, and Nimue/Vivian are enchanting. Throughout this blog you will find limitless discussion on the subject of Arthur and his knights of the Round Table! There are so many fascinating figures in the realm of Arthurian legends. The tales within these…

Fairytales

Various fairytales are regular subjects of discussion on this blog! These tales are very important to the development of our psyches (as we grow up) and to the development of culture (as they have influenced culture). I believe that fairytales teach us a lot. Some of my favorite fairytales are Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the…

Royal History

The topic of the lives and loves of royals is an important subject on this blog! The stories of kings and queens is very fun to read. I am particularly fond of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, and Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV! It is always fun to read about kings marrying commoners for true…

Lizzie Siddal as Inspiration for Lucy Westernra

By: Maranda Wabik October 28, 2021

Gothic WeekGothic, Horror, VampireLeave a Comment

For today’s entry in Gothic Week I have chosen a bit of a unique topic. I want to look at how Bram Stoker may have been inspired by Lizzie Siddal when he wrote the character of Lucy in Dracula. It has been said that Stoker was living in London (when he moved from…

Sleepy Hollow as Iconic American Gothic

By: Maranda Wabik October 27, 2021

Gothic WeekGothic, HorrorLeave a Comment

For today’s entry in Gothic Week I have decided to choose one of the essential American Gothic tales. Sleepy Hollow tells the tale of school teacher Ichabod Crane as he maneuvers his new role in the town of Sleepy Hollow, in upstate New York! When arriving in Sleepy Hollow he meets the lovely…

My Top 5 Gothic Films Not Based on Books

By: Maranda Wabik October 26, 2021

Gothic WeekGothic, HorrorLeave a Comment

For today’s entry into Gothic Week I have chosen to do a list of Gothic films, not based on books. Once again the films will not be ranked, instead just a list of what to watch for a taste of the Gothic! Meridian (1990) ~This 90s classic, of a sort, starred Sherilyn Fenn, and…

My Top 15 Essential Gothic Reads

By: Maranda Wabik October 25, 2021

Gothic Week, Literary LoveGothic, LiteratureLeave a Comment

Hello my lovely readers, and welcome to Gothic Week on White Rose of Avalon! For day one I have decided to write up a list of my 15 essential Gothic reads. This will not be a ranked countdown like most of my lists, as it is nearly impossible for me to choose a…

YouTube Update

By: Maranda Wabik October 24, 2021

Arthurian LegendCeltic, Faerie, Faery, MagicLeave a Comment

I just wanted to let everyone know I am in the process of uploading my video. I has to be in three parts because apparently my 31 minute video was too long for the level of account I have. I hope you will like Origins of Morgana le Fay parts 1-3!

Announcing Gothic Week!

By: Maranda Wabik October 24, 2021

Gothic WeekGothicLeave a Comment

So I am announcing that the week leading up to Halloween is Gothic Week! I plan on doing Gothic Week every year, and I hope you will enjoy joining me for Gothic Week 2021. This first year will focus on the Gothic in the form of Gothic literature and films. So expect a…

Rocky Horror: The Ultimate Cult Classic

By: Maranda Wabik October 24, 2021

Horror, SupernaturalHorrorLeave a Comment

In 1975 American audiences were introduced to an already iconic stage show from England when it was produced as a film. That film was Rocky Horror Picture Show. It starred Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Barry Bosworth as Brad Majors, and Susan Sarandon as Janet Weis! It was directed by the original…

Morgana Le Fay as La Belle Dame Sans Merci

By: Maranda Wabik October 23, 2021

Arthurian Legend, Literary LoveArthurian, Britain, Celtic, Faerie, Faery, Legend, Literature, Love, MagicLeave a Comment

For today’s post I would like to analyze the poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats. This particular analysis will focus on my belief that the Belle Dame of the poem is none other than Morgan Le Fay! Within the poem we meet a knight who is lying near death and tells…

Sally Skellington: Pumpkin Queen

By: Maranda Wabik October 22, 2021

Fairytales, Femme Fatale FridayFairytales, MagicLeave a Comment

Most people who read this blog will know I adore Tim Burton’s work, and especially Nightmare Before Christmas! So for today’s Femme Fatale Friday here at White Rose of Avalon I will discussing Sally Skellington. Sally was the lead female of this film, and she is getting her own continuation novel (due out…

Morgana as Vampire Faerie

By: Maranda Wabik October 21, 2021

Arthurian Legend, SupernaturalArthurian, Britain, Celtic, Faerie, Faery, Legend, Magic, VampireLeave a Comment

Today’s post will be one that I have been thinking about since I first saw Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty. It is my favorite ballet of all time, and I loved that he used the premise of faeries also being vampires in order to allow the prince and Aurora to fall in love before the…