Ladies of the Lake

Rating:
Summary: surprisingly good and useful
Review: I am not at all a fan of Bradley's Avalon books, finding them exploitative at best, and I am not usually a follower of the scholarship of John and Caitlin Matthews, finding their slant normally too esoteric and new-agey to be a source of useful information about Arthurian matters. However, I picked up this book recently after consciously avoiding it for years, and was very pleasantly surprised: if you gloss over the "goddess archetype" premise, and simply read the different sections, you will find some interesting, useful, well-researched, well-presented information regarding some potential roots of each character they address. The Matthewses shouldn't be the only scholars you follow - the works of Geoffrey Ashe, Norris Lacy, Roger Sherman Loomis, Jean Markale, Ronan Coghlan, and many others are useful and valid for those interested in the topic - but you could do a lot worse than to add "Ladies of the Lake" to your armory of Arthurian knowledge.

Rating:
Summary: Not a story - more of an encyclopedia!
Review: I bought this book not realizing it wasn't a novel. It's basically a compilation of what seemed like spells and explanations of who characters are supposed to be. I'm a big fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley's books, but I'm a fan of her ability to spin her tales. Her stories bind you to them and keep you so interested you don't want to put them down (even when they're over). Unfortunatly I was dissapointed with this book. If you want some great books try Bradley's Mist's of Avalon, The Forest House, Or Lady of the Lake. I'm going to give this book another try, but think twice about this book because it's unlike Bradley's books as it doesn't pull you into it. You have to give it some real effort.

Rating:
Summary: RECOVER FORGOTTEN TREASURES
Review: I first encountered the poetic Celtia of John and Caitlan Matthews when I read THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CELTIC WISDOM back in the early 90s. Since that time I have tried to get my hands on everything they have written, either together or individually. By a wide margin, LADIES OF THE LAKE is my hands-down, favorite Matthews' gem of Celtic handiwork.

Like most people, I was introduced to the world of Avalon through stories of Arthur ... gallant and handsome knights, damsels in distress, a table in-the-round, a magical, Holy Grail and a quest for the immortality of the Soul. But while these stories were fiercely entertaining, they were particularly one-sided, one-dimensional and often succumbed to simple-minded, patriarchal and wholly Christian clichés to explain away the underlying magic of a much older system of beliefs about the nature of the world and the Soul. At every important juncture in these timeless stories of adventure, courage and faith, stood a woman - but the focus of most of the written accounts remained strictly on the male protagonists. We reveled in the male "hero's journey", while the stories of the women remained untold. In a nutshell, the voices of these pivotal women had effectively been silenced. Why? What was their story? Why did Morgan do what she did? How could Igraine accept such a fate? Could the struggle for Guinevere's love truly have toppled a kingdom?

With the publication of THE MISTS OF AVALON and its two prequels, Marion Zimmer Bradley made a valiant attempt to answer these questions. But it wasn't until I read LADIES OF THE LAKE that I comprehended the full depth and power of the symbolism underlying the Arthurian Ladies. From the remnants of the past, Caitlin Matthews has pieced together a beautiful tapestry of ancient symbolism and feminine power that holds as much value today as it did when Avalon was a place and not just a legend. This book is a must have for anyone who desires a soulful understanding of the Celtic mind.

While I was visiting Glastonbury, Somerset in 1998, I stayed at a lovely, little B&B, affectionately called The Tor Down and located just at the base of Glastonbury Tor - the legendary Avalon and mythological home of the Ladies of the Lake. Just down the road was the famed Chalice Well. Most every afternoon, I would pull out my well-worn copy of LADIES OF THE LAKE and read beside the trickling waters at the well head. Every evening I would take the winding path to the apex of the Tor to watch the mists roll in. Then I would descend to the Inn, sit beside the hearth and polish off another chapter of LADIES OF THE LAKE before falling asleep. This book was a perfect compliment to that magical experience and I plan to take it with me every time I return to that mystical kingdom known as Avalon.

Rating:
Summary: A Refreshing Perspective on a Tired Story
Review: I have always had an interest in mythology and Arthurian legend and have found that few books really touch on the individual personalities or archetypes of the women of Arthurian legend beyond the usual over dramatized stereotypes of "Morgan = Evil sorceress, or confused seeker", "Morgause = "Malignant Manipulator, Power-monger", "Guenevere = Insecure Harlot".

"Ladies of the Lake" give these women back the power taken from them by traditional legend and modern retellings and allows the reader to see them in a richly spiritual and human light. I found that like book "The Goddess in Everywoman", each "lady" carries attributes that most women can relate to in some form or another. There are 9 attributes examined:
1. Energizer
2. Measurer
3. Protector
4. Initiator
5. Challenger
6. Deliverer
7. Weaver
8. Preserver
9. Empowerer

I for one am pleased to see a book such as this that gives a fresh look at women who have been underrated in many tellings of Arthurian legend. While many books will touch upon the aspects and strengths of each of Arthur's many knights, this book gives the same, long awaited look at the women of the legends. I love many of the retellings of the Arthurian legends, such as the "Mists of Avalon" and subsequent books in the series by Marion Zimmer bradley and this book seems to give a lot more insight into the personalities and spiritual arttributes behind the traditional ladies.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in Arthurian Legend or who want to know more about the women of the Arthurian legend from a unique perspective.

Rating:
Summary: Ladies of the Lake
Review: I was VERY disappointed in this book. The authors' seams to be fixated on condemming religious belifes other than thier own. I was looking for more of a book about the ledgends. In this book you will recieve a lesson on the authors'new meanings... they have apparently devised their own meaning to words like "MYTH" and how a myth is really a truth. I would suggest other books on the subject. This book is NOT reader friendly and suggests that it's readers are inferrior and all other books on the subject are incorrect and distasteful.

Rating:
Summary: Like the Grail, a treasure worth the quest
Review: Like the Grail, the reward this book offers is apparently not available to all, judging from the variation of reviews. Personally, I found the painstaking research and revelation of parallels between various historical sources enlightening in the extreme. Through the work of John and Caitlin Mathews, the reconstruction of truths long lost to us comes to us as a precious gift. If ever there were a literary representation of "racial memory," this book must have at least a strong claim on this title.
I have been fascinated by Arthurian legend since my youth, but have never appreciated it before as I do now as a consequence of reading this wonderful work. If you can apply your intellect and your spirit in synergy and not in conflict, I suggest that you might find as much treasure in this book as I have.

Rating:
Summary: The gals of Camelot come into their own
Review: Most re-tellings of the Arthurian legends have focused on the men, giving the women a subordinate role.All this changed with Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel The Mists of Avalon (1982) which emphasized the role of women.Ladies of the Lake is about nine key women from the Arthurian tradition.Not active on the outer or physical level like the men, these women are powerful and active on the inner levels.Each one represents archetypal powers from Celtic tradition.There is Igraine, Guinevere, Morgan and Nimue, to name a few.There is a visualization exercise for each one, allowing the reader to access their power and purpose.I find these visualizations very helpful in accessing the inner worlds of Celtic tradition.This book takes us deeper into the Arthurian legends, and I recommend it highly.

Rating:
Summary: surprisingly good and useful
Review: This book is wonderful! The authors take stories of influential women fromthe Arthurian legends and frame their tales in the context of the Goddess mythology that lies behind the legends. They explain how each Lady of the Lake is actually a disguised version of a Goddess archetype, thinly veiled by later patriarchal tradition. Wonderful for anyone who loves mythology. Also includes guided visualizations dealing with the women, which explore the reader's own psyche as well as the archetypes. I devoured it.

Rating:
Summary: The Goddesses Behind the Legends
Review: This book is wonderful! The authors take stories of influential women fromthe Arthurian legends and frame their tales in the context of the Goddess mythology that lies behind the legends. They explain how each Lady of the Lake is actually a disguised version of a Goddess archetype, thinly veiled by later patriarchal tradition. Wonderful for anyone who loves mythology. Also includes guided visualizations dealing with the women, which explore the reader's own psyche as well as the archetypes. I devoured it.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: When I bought this book, I was so excited to begin my meditations focusing on Morgan, Igraine, Guinevere and Nimue. I didn't even get through the book. The meditations themselves are unique, but the book itself wasn't at all what I expected.

Instead of developing the connection with each of the women associated in the Authurian Legend, I felt "turned off" due to the technical slant of comparing different versions of the authurian myths and trying to put together some elements that were not included in all of the versions. I felt disconnected, like there was no sense of cohesion tying together the women I so respect. I wanted to learn more about the women in the legends, to feel like i was sitting across from them, having a conversation over a hot cup of tea. Instead, it felt like a cold, technical research paper not at all bringing to life the legends of the past. In short, I was deeply disappointed-- MZB is my favorite author, and I respect the Matthew's other works.