Igraine

1. Overview

Igraine is a central figure in Arthurian legend, renowned primarily as the mother of King Arthur. She is first introduced as the wife of Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, and later becomes the wife of Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father. Her story is pivotal to Arthur's origin, involving Merlin's magic and Uther's deception to conceive the future king. Across various medieval texts, her character and family relationships evolve, shaping the lineage of many key figures in the Arthurian cycle.

2. Names and Aliases

Igraine is known by several names and spellings across different literary traditions. In Latin, she is referred to as Igerna^Latin. In Welsh, her name appears as Eigr^Welsh, with the Middle Welsh form being Eigyr^Welsh. French texts use Ygraine^French, while Old French variants include Ygerne^{French, Old} or Igerne^{French, Old}. In Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, her name is spelled Ygrayne^English, often modernized to Igraine or Igreine^English. In Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, she is called Arnive^German.

3. Family and Lineage

Igraine's lineage is detailed in various Welsh genealogies and texts, connecting her to significant figures. The 11th/12th-century Welsh text Culhwch and Olwen indirectly refers to her as Arthur's unnamed mother, stating that Culhwch is Arthur's cousin through his mother, Goleuddydd, who is identified as a daughter of Amlawdd Wledig. This text also lists several brothers of Arthur's mother: Llysgadrudd Emys, Gwrbothu Hen, Gweir Gwrhyd Ennwir, and Gweir Paladyr Hir. Additionally, it mentions that she had another son, Gormant, with Ricca, the chief elder of Cornwall.

The 12th-century Life of St Illtud further reinforces these connections, stating that Illtud was the son of Rieingulid, another daughter of Amlawdd Wledig, and a cousin to Arthur. These accounts collectively suggest that Igraine, Rieingulid, and Goleuddydd were among the many children of Amlawdd Wledig. Welsh genealogies specifically name Igraine's mother as Gwen, a daughter of Cunedda Wledig, and her father, Amlawdd Wledig, is presented as a descendant of Enigeus, the sister of Joseph of Arimathea. Around 1400, monks at Glastonbury Abbey modified these genealogies to establish the Maimed King as either Igraine's grandfather or great-grandfather through Amlawdd Wledig.

4. Marriage to Gorlois

Igraine's first marriage was to Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall. This union is a foundational element in the Arthurian narrative. In Geoffrey of Monmouth's seminal work, Historia Regum Britanniae, Igraine is introduced as Gorlois's wife. Their marriage produced several daughters, though the number and names vary across different literary traditions.

In Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Igraine and Gorlois are the parents of three daughters: Elaine, Morgause, and Morgan le Fay. Other texts present different accounts; for instance, Geoffrey's Historia does not name any daughters from this marriage, implying Arthur had only a younger sister. The Brut Tysilio and John Hardyng's Chronicle mention Cador of Cornwall as their son, with Hardyng's work calling Cador Arthur's brother "of his mother's syde."

5. Conception and Birth of Arthur

The circumstances surrounding King Arthur's conception are central to Igraine's story, involving deception and magic. Geoffrey of Monmouth describes Igraine as possessing a beauty that "surpassed that of all the women of Britain." Uther Pendragon, the High King, became infatuated with her and attempted to force his attentions upon her at his court. Igraine, distressed, informed her husband, Gorlois, who then departed with her to Cornwall without Uther's permission. This sudden departure provided Uther with a pretext to declare war on Gorlois.

Gorlois conducted the war from his castle of Dimilioc, but for her safety, he placed Igraine in Tintagel Castle. Uther, still consumed by his desire for Igraine, sought the aid of the sorcerer Merlin. Merlin magically disguised Uther to appear exactly like Gorlois, enabling him to gain entry into Tintagel. Believing she was with her husband, Igraine unknowingly lay with Uther, and through this deception, she became pregnant with Arthur. Her husband, Gorlois, died in battle that same night. The precise timing of Gorlois's death relative to Arthur's conception-whether it occurred before or after-is a point of disagreement among later accounts. The child conceived through this non-consensual encounter, due to Uther's deceit, was King Arthur. According to the Korean source, Arthur was then handed over to Merlin as the price for the magic used in his conception.

6. Death of Gorlois and Marriage to Uther Pendragon

Following the death of Gorlois in battle, Igraine married Uther Pendragon. Geoffrey of Monmouth states that "from that day on they lived together as equals, united by their great love for each other." However, Geoffrey does not specify whether Igraine ever became aware of Uther's deception regarding Arthur's conception. In contrast, Layamon's Brut suggests that Uther immediately contacted Igraine after Gorlois's death, sending her a token of their encounter in bed and commanding her to surrender Tintagel Castle, as her lord was dead.

Beyond Arthur, Geoffrey of Monmouth's account indicates that Igraine also bore a daughter to Uther Pendragon. This daughter, named Anna, became Arthur's full sister and the future mother of prominent figures such as Gawain and Mordred.

7. Later Life and Legacy

Accounts of Igraine's life after Uther Pendragon's death vary across different Arthurian romances. Some traditions suggest that she disappeared, taking with her valuable treasures of gold and silver to reside in a castle built on a rocky hill in a northern region. In these portrayals, she is sometimes depicted as a white-haired queen, described as having a beautiful face despite her age, often dressed in white and adorned with flowers in her hair.

Other romances present her as still alive and active after Uther's passing. In Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail, Igraine and her daughter, Gawain's mother, are discovered by Gawain in an enchanted stronghold known as the Castle of Marvels. This discovery occurs after Gawain had long believed both his mother and grandmother to be deceased. Similar accounts appear in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival and Heinrich von dem Türlin's Diu Crône. In these versions, it is explained that Igraine had been abducted, with hints suggesting her willing participation, by the magician who cast the enchantment on the castle. The French Livre d'Artus, an incomplete alternative ending to the French Vulgate Merlin, mentions that Igraine resides secretly in Corbenic, the castle of the Holy Grail. This tradition appears to be linked to the enchantments of the Grail castle, which bear similarities to those found in Chrétien's Castle of Marvels.

8. Literary Depictions and Evolution

Igraine's character and narrative undergo significant evolution across various medieval literary works, reflecting changing perspectives on her role in Arthurian legend and the development of Arthur's family tree.

8.3. Other Medieval Texts

Diverse medieval romances and chronicles offer varied depictions of Igraine, expanding upon or altering her story and family connections.

• Layamon's Brut**: In Layamon's early 13th-century Brut, Igraine expresses sorrow that "so many men should be lost for her" due to the conflict between Uther and Gorlois. After Gorlois's death, Uther sends a token to Igraine, commanding her to surrender Tintagel.
• Robert de Boron's Merlin**: In Robert de Boron's 13th-century poem Merlin, Igraine's first husband is an unnamed Duke of Tintagel. By him, she has two unnamed daughters. One marries King Lot and becomes the mother of Gawain, Mordred, Gaheriet, and Guerrehet. A second daughter, sometimes named Morgaine, marries King Nentres of Garlot. Robert de Boron's account uniquely states that Igraine died before her second husband, Uther. This text also introduces a third, illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Tintagel, who, after extensive schooling, becomes the powerful sorceress Morgan the Fairy. This is distinct from other medieval accounts, which do not portray Morgan as illegitimate or Arthur's stepsister.
• Vulgate Cycle's Merlin**: The Vulgate Merlin, part of the Lancelot-Grail cycle, provides Igraine with an even more complex marital history. It states she had two earlier husbands. The first, named Hoel (identified with Gorlois), fathers two daughters: Gawain's mother and a daughter named Blasine, who marries King Nentres of Garlot. After Hoel's death, Igraine marries the Duke of Tintagel and has three more daughters with him: a third daughter who marries a King Briadas and becomes the mother of King Angusel of Scotland (a unique claim, as Angusel is not typically Arthur's nephew in other texts); a fourth daughter named Hermesent, who marries King Urien of Rheged and becomes the mother of Ywain the Great; and a fifth daughter, Morgan. Other accounts do not consistently present Ywain as Arthur's nephew, though he is sometimes Gawain's cousin.
• Other Nephews and Nieces**: Arthurian tales frequently created new siblings for Arthur to establish heroic nephews. Lancelot is presented as the son of Arthur's sister Clarine in Ulrich von Zatzikhoven's Lanzelet. Caradoc is Arthur's sister's son in the Prose Lancelot, and Percival is the son of Arthur's sister Acheflour in the English romance Syr Percyvelle. Richard Carew's 1602 Survey of Cornwall mentions a sister of Arthur named Amy, born to Igraine and Uther.

9. Etymology and Place Names

The name "Igraine" and its variants have been associated with geographical locations in Cornwall, suggesting potential linguistic and historical connections. Henry Jenner, a Cornish scholar, proposed that the name of the Bosigran promontory fort in Zennor parish, Cornwall, means "the Dwelling of Igerna" (an alternative spelling of Igraine). Jenner also pointed out the close proximity of Bosigran to Bosworlas, located in St Just parish, which he interpreted as "the Dwelling of Gorlois." He theorized that Gorlois might have been a real petty-chief in 5th or 6th-century Dumnonia, suggesting a historical basis for these legendary figures and their associated places.

10. Modern Adaptations

Igraine's character continues to be reinterpreted and featured in various forms of modern popular culture, including novels, television series, and films.

• In Jack Whyte's A Dream of Eagles series, Igraine is portrayed as the daughter of Athol, an Irish ruler. Her narrative involves a forced marriage to Lot, the Duke of Cornwall, from whom she flees to seek refuge with Uther Pendragon, Lot's arch-enemy.
• The BBC series Merlin (specifically Season 2, Episode 8: "The Sins of the Father") depicts Ygraine as Uther's deceased wife at the beginning of the series. Unable to conceive a child, Uther sought the magical assistance of the sorceress Nimueh. While Igraine successfully gave birth to Arthur, the use of magic for his conception demanded a life in return. Igraine's death became the tragic price, sparking Uther's profound hatred and subsequent persecution of all magic users within his kingdom.
• In Guy Ritchie's 2017 film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Poppy Delevingne takes on the role of Igraine, depicted as Uther's wife.