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Thursday, April 14, 2011

A-Z: Lady of the Lake

And near him stood the Lady of the Lake,
Who knows a subtler magic than his own ––
Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful.
She gave the King his huge cross-hilted sword,
Whereby to drive the heathen out: a mist
Of incense curled about her, and her face
Wellnigh was hidden in the minster gloom;
But there was heard among the holy hymns
A voice as of the waters, for she dwells
Down in a deep; calm, whatsoever storms
May shake the world, and when the surface rolls,
Hath power to walk the waters like our Lord.

–– Alfred Tennyson, Idylls of the King

3 comments:

  1. Excalibur and the legend of Arthur, the Late Roman version.

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  2. I recently read Mists of Avalon, which gives a different perspective on the Lady of the Lake from the standard.

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