Isolde

by Isolde (v1. 1) [html]

  And always in the place of their hearts, the island the Old Ones loved. Always they would feel the call of the green hills, the longing to be in the land of the green trefoil. An island of heroes and poets, of scholars and scoundrels and those who loved the craic.

  Ireland.

  Erin.

  Home.

  ~~~

  The Characters

  A'isha Gypsy fortune-teller, leader of wandering band of Gypsies pursued by Kay, Gawain, Lucan, and Bedivere

  Amir "The Beloved One," only son of Arthur and Guenevere

  Andred, Sir Cousin of Tristan and nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, son of Mark's younger brother

  Arthur Pendragon, High King of Britain, son of Uther Pendragon and Queen Igraine of Cornwall, husband of Guenevere, father of Amir, and leader of the Round Table fellowship of knights

  Bedivere, Sir Knight to King Arthur, one of his first companion knights, who takes part in the hunt for the fortune-teller to clear Arthur's name

  Black Lands, King of Vassal king of Arthur as High King, combatant at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Brangwain Lady-in-waiting and personal maid to Isolde, formerly maid to Isolde's mother the Queen and nursemaid to Isolde when she was a child, born in the Welshlands and thought to be "Merlin's kin"

  Claig, Sir Knight of the Queen of Ireland and suitor to be her chosen one

  Cormac Chief Druid of Ireland, formerly of the Summer Country, in love with Isolde

  Cullain, Sir Isolde's late father, knight of Ireland, once the first champion and chosen one of the Queen and leader of her war band

  Darath Prince of the Picts, only son of the King, young warrior at the tournament in Ireland held by the Queen for Isolde's hand

  Dominian, Father Christian priest, head of the Christian community in Cornwall and father-confessor to King Mark, abandoned as a child and cared for by Brother Jerome

  Doneal, Sir Veteran knight of Ireland, member of theQueen's council

  Ector, Sir Foster father to Arthur, father of Sir Kay, knight of King Ursien of Gore

  Eilan, Sir Lover and chosen one of the Queen of Ireland

  Elizabeth, Queen of Lyonesse Late mother of Tristan, wife of King Meliodas, and sister of King Mark ofCornwall, lost in the forest when her husband was imprisoned and died there giving birth to Tristan

  Elva, Lady Mistress of King Mark, lover of Sir Andred, wife of a courtier, and enemy of Isolde

  Emrys One of the names of Merlin, "Merlin Emrys theBard," when disguised as a child

  Epin of the Glen, Sir Knight at the court of the Summer Country, combatant at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Earamon, King King of the Green, friend of Arthur, and combatant at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Einneail, Sir Knight of the Queen of Ireland and suitor to be her chosen one

  Eortis, Sir Lover and chosen one of the Queen of Ireland, who took on the best of Arthur's knights in a joust and broke his neck

  Gawain, Sir Arthur's first companion knight, eldest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, brother of Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth

  Gillian, Sir Leader of the Queen of Ireland's council, knight of Ireland, and loyal to Isolde

  Glaeve Sword of Power given to Tristan by the Lady of the Sea, inscribed with runic script

  Guenevere Queen of the Summer Country, daughter of Queen Maire Macha and King Leogrance, 'wife of Arthur, lover of Sir Lancelot, mother of Amir, and friend to Isolde from their girlhood days studying with the Lady of the Lake on Avalon

  Gwydion of the Welshlands Welsh Druid, surgeon and healer, and Isolde's Druid master

  Houzen, Sir Knight of Ireland and leader of the knights of Sir Marhaus, the champion of the Western Isle

  Igraine, Queen Queen of Cornwall, wife of Duke Gorlois, beloved of King Uther Pendragon, mother of Arthur, Morgause, and Morgan Le Fay, and supporter of Isolde

  Ireland, Queen of See Queen of Ireland

  Isles, Lord of the Knight of Scotland, combatant at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Isolde, "La Belle Isolde" Princess of Ireland, daughter of the Queen and the Irish hero Sir Cullain, lover of Tristan, wife of King Mark, and Queen of Cornwall

  Jerome, Brother Christian hermit and holy man, foster father and spiritual counselor of the abandoned Dominian

  Kay, Sir Son of Sir Ector of Gore and Dame Arian, foster brother of Arthur and knight of the Round Table, one of the companion knights of Arthur from the time he was proclaimed King

  Lady of Broceliande Ruler of the Lake and waterfall in Little Britain, modern Brittany, Sir Lancelot's foster mother, youngest sister of the Lady of the Sea and of the Lady of the Lake, and priestess of the Great Mother

  Lady of the Lake Ruler of the Sacred Island of Avalon m the Summer Country, younger sister of the Lady of the Sea and of the Lady of Broceliande, and priestess of the Great Mother

  Lady of the Sea Ruler of the sea, older sister of the Ladies of the Lake and of Broceliande, and chief priestess of the Great Mother

  Lancelot of the Lake, Sir Knight of the Round Table, lover of Queen Guenevere, son of King Ban and Queen Elaine of Benoic

  Lienore Daughter of Earl Sweyn, mother of Young Sweyn, lover of an unknown knight at a tournament and insistent that the father of her son is King Arthur himself

  Lot, King King of Lothian and the Orkneys, onetime ally of King Uther Pendragon, husband of Morgause, father of Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth

  Lucan, Sir Knight to King Arthur, one of his first companion knights, who takes part in the hunt for the fortune-teller to clear Arthur's name

  Lyonesse, Queen of See Elizabeth

  Marhaus, Sir Champion knight of Ireland and chosen one of the Queen, opponent of Tristan

  Mark, King King of Cornwall, brother of Elizabeth Queen of Lyonesse, uncle of Tristan and Andred, lover of Lady Elva, and husband of Isolde

  Meliodas, King King of Lyonesse, husband of Elizabeth and father of Tristan, rescued by Merlin from imprisonment when his wife was lost in the forest and gave birth to Tristan

  Merlin Welsh Druid and bard, illegitimate offspring of the house of Pendragon, adviser to Uther and Arthur Pendragon, former lover of the Queen of Ireland, and protector of Tristan

  Morgan Le Fay Younger daughter of Queen Igraine and Duke Gorlois of Cornwall, placed in a Christian convent by King Uther her stepfather, Arthur's half sister and lover, wife to King Ursien, and mother of Mordred

  Morgause Elder daughter of Queen Igraine and Duke Gorlois, given as wife to King Lot by King Uther, Arthur's half sister, mother of Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth, and, later, lover of Sir Lamorak

  Murrein of the Greenway, King Vassal king under Arthur as High King, combatant at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Nabon, Sir Leader of the council of King Mark of Cornwall, supporter of Isolde

  Nain, the Wise woman and Old One of Ireland, adviser to the Queen, mistress of herbal lore and maker of the elixir of love shared by Isolde and Tristan

  Nevin, Sir Lover and chosen one of the Queen of Ireland, who betrayed her by philandering with her maid

  Norsemen See Saxons

  Palomides, Sir Saracen king and knight at the court of the Queen of Ireland, Isolde's suitor and opposed to Tristan, defeated by Tristan at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Pelles, King King of Terre Foraine and the custodian of the Grail tradition, father of the Grail virgin Elaine and grandfather of the Grail knight Sir Galahad

  Penn Annwyn Lord of the Underworld in Celtic mythology, the Dark Lord who comes to take his children home

  Picts, the Fiercely war-like tribe of the north of modern Scotland, ancient enemies of Ireland, called Picti, "the Painted Ones," by the Romans for their custom of vividly tattooing their faces and bodies in a variety of colors

  Queen of Ireland Ruler of the Western Isle in her own right, descendant of a line of warrior queens, widow of the hero Cullain, mother of Isolde, and lover of many
companions of the throne

  Queen of Lyonesse See Elizabeth

  Quirian, Sir Knight of Cornwall, member of the council of King Mark, much obsessed by genealogy

  Ronan Forester starving in the snow, who meets Merlin in the guise of Emrys

  Saffir, Sir Combatant at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Saxons, the Invaders from modern Scandinavia and the east coast of Germany, starving tribes now often called the Vikings, precursors of the Anglo-Saxons who helped to shape the history of the British Isles, also called "the Norsemen" and "the Horned Ones"

  Simeon Pupil of Father Dominian, novice monk of the Christian community in Cornwall

  Sweyn, Earl Rapacious lord of a large estate, father of Lienore and grandfather of Young Sweyn, determined to father the boy on King Arthur and also to avoid contributing to the cost of fighting the Saxon invaders

  Sweyn, Young Son of Lienore and grandson of Earl Sweyn, father uncertain

  Tantris Name given to Tristan by Merlin when they go to Ireland to seek a cure for Tristan's poisoned wound

  Tennel, Sir Combatant at the tournament in Ireland for Isolde's hand

  Tolen, Sir Young knight of Ireland, descendant of a line of chosen ones who becomes the Queen's chosen one after the death of Sir Marhaus

  Tristan, Sir Knight of Lyonesse, son of King Meliodas and Queen Elizabeth, nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, favored by the Lady of the Sea, and lover of Isolde

  Turath, Sir Lover and chosen one of the Queen of Ireland, who betrayed her by falling in love with another, marrying her, and fleeing the land

  Turquin, Sir Rogue knight of the Summer Country determined to win a place at the Round Table, who preys upon other knights to prove his prowess

  Uther Pendragon, King of the Middle Kingdom, High King of Britain, lover and, later, husband of Queen Igraine of Cornwall, kinsman of Merlin, and father of

  Arthur

  Vaindor, Sir Knight of Ireland, former champion and chosen one of the Queen, member of her council and hopeful of attracting Isolde

  Wisbeck, Sir Veteran knight of the council of King Mark of Cornwall

  Zrladic King of the band of Gypsy travelers, father of A'isha

  ~~~

  List of Places

  Avalon Sacred isle in the Summer Country, center of Goddess worship, home of the Lady of the Lake, modern Glastonbury in Somerset

  Broceliande Forest in Little Britain, modern Brittany, site of the sacred Lake and waterfall where the Lady of Broceliande fostered Sir Lancelot of the Lake

  Camelot Capital of the Summer Country, home of the Round Table, modern Cadbury in Somerset

  Castle Dore Stronghold of King Mark, on the east coast of Cornwall

  Cornwall Kingdom of Arthur's mother, Queen Igraine, and of her vassal King Mark, neighboring country to Lyonesse

  Dubh Lein Stronghold of the Queens of Ireland, modern Dublin, "the Black Pool"

  Gaul Large country of the continental Celts, incorporating much of modern France and Germany

  Gore Christian kingdom of King Ursien in the northwest of England where Arthur and Kay were raised

  Island of the West Modern Ireland, the sacred island of the Druids and home to Goddess worship and the uniquely Celtic form of Christianity

  Little Britain Territory in France, location of the kingdom of Benoic, native land of Sir Lancelot, modern Brittany

  London Major city in ancient Britain, important site of Christian colonization of the British Isles

  Lyonesse Kingdom below Cornwall, home of Tristan, under the rule of Tristan's father, King Meliodas

  Middle Kingdom Arthur's ancestral kingdom, lying between the Summer Country and Wales, modern Gwent, Glamorgan, and Herefordshire

  Orkney Islands Cluster of northerly islands of the British Isles, and site of King Lot's kingdom, birthplace of Gawain

  Saxon Shore, the East coast of mainland Britain, site of the invasions by the tribes of what is now Scandinavia and east Germany

  Summer Country Guenevere's kingdom, ancient center of Goddess worship, modern Somerset

  Terre Foraine Kingdom of King Pelles in northern England

  Tintagel Castle of Queen Igraine on the north coast of Cornwall

  Welshlands Home to Merlin and Brangwain, modern Wales

  ~~~

  About the Author

  Roselind Miles, Ph.D., is a well-known and critically acclaimed English novelist, essayist, lecturer, and BBC broadcaster. Educated at Oxford and the universities of Leicester and Birmingham, she is the founder of the Center for Women's Studies at Coventry Polytechnic in England. Her novels, including I, Elizabeth and the Guenevere trilogy, have been international bestsellers. She divides her time between homes in England and California. For more information, visit the author's website at www.Rosalind.net

  ~~~

  ISOLDE

  QUEEN OF THE WESTERN ISLE

  the first of the tristran and isolde novels

  ROSALIND MILES

  ~~~

  A READER'S GUIDE

  ~~~

  A conversation with Rosalind Miles

  Isolde's story seems to intersect frequently with the famous tales of King Arthur, but she is less well-known than her Arthurian sisters Guenevere and Morgan le Fay. Why is that?

  Isolde's story is as important as those of Guenevere and Morgan le Fay in Arthurian sources like Sir Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur, and there are more historical sites associated with Isolde's name in both Ireland and Cornwall. But she has suffered from centuries of English enmity toward all things Irish, and stories of Irish heroism in particular. Later on, in modern times, Wagner's opera "Tristan und Isolde" gave rise to the totally false impression that Isolde was a German heroine, and she became deeply unpopular all over again because of German involvement in the two World Wars. On a personal level, some have shrunk from Isolde's story because of the man she married, the cruel and cowardly King Mark. We would prefer her husband to have the nobility and heroism of King Arthur, in the golden setting of Camelot.

  What about her story was appealing to you as a writer?

  Most of us have a long search to find our partners in life, and there is usually at least one failed love affair or broken marriage along the way. Isolde is lucky enough to experience that rare and special thing—the one great love—to which she remains faithful all her life. She never loves anyone except Tristan nor is she attracted to another man, and I find the idea of a flawless union with the One True Love deeply romantic and compelling.

  Isolde also appealed to me strongly as a woman. She is gifted, visionary, and deeply sensitive, but at the same time she is resourceful, strong, merry, and attractive, with her smiling Irish eyes. When she meets adversity, she deals with it head-on and does not rely on anyone else to solve her problems for her.

  You portray Isolde's mother as a sexually magnetic woman whose political alliances were often romantic ones as well. Were there truly queens like this in Celtic Ireland?

  The Queens of Ireland and Irish women in general were notably bold and freethinking from the earliest recorded times. History and legend tell of heroines like the warrior Queen Aoife, who fought the Irish hero Cuchulain then took him as her lover for a year; and the even-more powerful Queen Maeve of Connaught, famed for her willfulness throughout the land. These and others were known to be as formidable in bed as they were on the battlefield, and Maeve was reputed to have shared the friendship of her thighs with thirty men in one night.

  As late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a pirate queen called Grace O'Malley (Grainne Mhaol) of County Mayo visited London and negotiated fearlessly with the English Queen on equal terms. Like many others, she conformed to the portrayal of the Roman historian Tacitus, who described the women of the Celts as more fearsome than their men.

  Isolde is a highly skilled healer whose surgical techniques and success rate seems almost modern. Was medicine truly this advanced in her day?

  There was an astonishing level of medical knowledge and s
kill in the ancient world, some of it at a level still practiced today. Trepanning, for instance, the technique of removing part of the skull to relieve pressure on the brain, was known to the ancient Greeks, the Egyptians and the Chinese, and is even found in prehistoric skeletons. The Caesarean section, still used in modern childbirth, was known in the time of Julius Caesar (100-44 BC), even if we cannot trust the tradition that it was named after him. This knowledge spread to the West by sea and by land, via sailors from Syria and Phrygia who got as far as ancient Britain, and those who plied the silk route from the far East overland. We know that Druids and Celtic priests also traveled East in search of knowledge. Herbal lore too was sophisticated and well established in the British Isles. But so much of this knowledge and skill was lost during the Dark Ages and the witch-hunts that followed, that it is very hard to recapture the sense of it now.