kingmaker

i am standing knee-deep in the blood of britain.

image source: pinterest

Second in my series covering women in Arthurian legend is Igraine, mother of King Arthur. Igraine is the wife of Gorlois who is the Duke of Cornwall. In Le Morte d’Arthur, Gorlois and Igraine have three daughters: Elaine, Morgause, and Morgan (the number and names of daughters vary depending on which story you are reading). The High King of Britain, Uther Pendragon, falls in lust with Igraine who is uncomfortable with his advances. Gorlois and Igraine leave court abruptly and Uther declares war on Gorlois for departing without asking permission. While war is waged, Igraine is held in the impenetrable Tintagel Castle for her safety. However, with the assistance of Merlin and his magic, Uther enters Tintagel under a glamour that makes him appear as Gorlois. There, Uther rapes Igraine through deception. For his assistance, Uther makes an agreement with Merlin that the first-born child conceived between Uther and Igraine will be surrendered to Merlin. Through this violent and deceptive act, a child is conceived. After the death of Gorlois (which either occurs later that same night or before Uther enters Tintagel) Igraine marries Uther. When the child (Arthur) is born, Arthur is taken away by Merlin to be raised by adoptive parents until he is ready to fulfill Merlin’s prophecies.

Igraine is an interesting character to me for many reasons. She is not given a choice in her role. It is foced upon her without her knowledge. Her husband, body, and child are taken away from her to satisfy the whims and desires of men who do not care about her. And yet, without her, there is no King Arthur. In several ways, she reminds me of both Helen of Troy and Mary, the Mother of Jesus. As a result of her beauty, a war is begun. At the expense of her body, a king is created. And yet, at the end of it all, she is still a mother who must have loved her son no matter what.

kingmaker

i am standing knee-deep
in the blood of britain,
the guilt of helen
heavy in my chest.
all that i carry,
i carry alone
beneath
a dragon-star
that is not mine
to wish upon.

fate sets both night sky
and cornish coast alight.
i am a body held
hostage to fulfill
death prophecy.
what was once mine
becomes crown-servant
even before the
crowning.

the dragon-star
crashes to earth
and then
he is
gone.

i count my losses
on the rays of his crown:
two fortresses penetrated.
a brow i will never kiss.
a cheek i won’t press to mine.
a sacred pact made
at the expense of
a mother’s love.

how much collateral damage
is worth a savior destined to die?
only mary knows
such a grief.

do not forget it is in
my womb he is woven.
the magic-making
of cells, flesh, and blood
amalgamating into boy-king.
before he belonged to the
world he belonged only to
me.

over seas, over sands know this:
when his firelight burns out
i will be the one
to welcome him
home.
not to an isle of mystery
but to the warm embrace
of my waiting arms.

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