History Literature / LadyOfAvalon

No matter how we count the volumes making the Avalon series (and this is [[http://dragonmountbooks.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/the-avalon-series-by-bradley-paxson/ not obvious]]), ''Lady of Avalon'' (1997) cannot be treated as one part in the internal chronology, as it has three parts, of which only two take place before ''Priestess of Avalon.'' However, [[http://www.avalonbooks.net/reincarnations.html according to]] WordOfGod, all parts have, in a sense, the same main character, who reincarnates and learns new things in every life. Every time she becomes another Lady of Avalon: in the first part she is Caillean, who made the decision about veiling the island with mists, then she is reborn as Dierna, a cunning politician and efficient leader, to eventually return as strong-willed Viviane, first guardian of the Holy Grail. The book reveals important parts of the history of Avalon, its origin and its connection with both first Christians and the Fair Folk. The last part is a direct prequel to ''Literature/TheMistsOfAvalon'' and substantiates many decisions made by Viviane in the latter book.

%%* HolierThanThou: Father Paulus, TheFundamentalist.

* JesusWasWayCool: Sn important motive, especially in the first part. Partially explains the relations between Avalon and Inis Witrin in ''Literature/TheMistsOfAvalon.''

* WorldSundering: This is roughly what Caillean (with the help of Faerie Queen) does to conceal Avalon from the uninitiated. This is an interesting example, because Caillean had lived in Atlantis in her previous lives, and Atlantis is famous of having been subjected to WorldSundering before. (Creator/JRRTolkien consciously made his [[Literature/TheSilmarillion Sundered World,]] [[Literature/UnfinishedTalesOfNumenorAndMiddleEarth Númenor,]] to have the features of both Atlantis and Avalon.)

* LineageComesFromTheFather: Strongly averted. In Avalon, lineage comes always from the mother, which is meaningful in shaping political connections.

%%* MacGuffin: A golden classic: [[KingArthur The Holy Grail.]]

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/avlady_9977.jpg]]

* ArrangedMarriage: Carausius and Teleri.

* DeathOfTheOldGods

* {{Druid}}: Gawen, Brannos, Ceridachos, and a few others.
* EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity: All the Ladies of the Lake are this.
* TheFairFolk.
* GoodShepherd: Father Joseph.

* HolierThanThou: Father Paulus, TheFundamentalist.
* IronLady: Dierna and Viviane are this to some degree, but Ana is a model example.

* TheLowMiddleAges
* MacGuffin: A golden classic: [[KingArthur The Holy Grail.]]
* MaritalRapeLicense: [[spoiler: Carausius and Teleri.]]
* NatureAbhorsAVirgin: Viviane.
* ReincarnationRomance: [[spoiler: Dierna and Carausius.]]
* VirginSacrifice: Viviane [[spoiler: and Vortimer.]]

* TheRomanEmpire

No matter how we count the volumes making the Avalon series (and this is [[http://dragonmountbooks.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/the-avalon-series-by-bradley-paxson/ not obvious]]), ''Lady of Avalon'' (1997) cannot be treated as one part in the internal chronology, as it has three parts, of which only two take place before ''Literature/PriestessOfAvalon''. However, [[http://www.avalonbooks.net/reincarnations.html according to]] WordOfGod, all parts have, in a sense, the same main character, who reincarnates and learns new things in every life. Every time she becomes another Lady of Avalon: in the first part she is Caillean, who made the decision about veiling the island with mists, then she is reborn as Dierna, a cunning politician and efficient leader, to eventually return as strong-willed Viviane, first guardian of the Holy Grail. The book reveals important parts of the history of Avalon, its origin and its connection with both first Christians and the Fair Folk. The last part is a direct prequel to ''Literature/TheMistsOfAvalon'' and substantiates many decisions made by Viviane in the latter book.

!!Provides examples of:

* {{Atlantis}}: some characters lived there in their previous lives.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: strongly connected with {{Atlantis}} and ReincarnationRomance.
* DaddysGirl: Viviane and Taliesin (though [[spoiler:he is not really her father]]).
* DeathOfTheOldGods.
* DeusSexMachina: [[spoiler:Viviane]] and [[spoiler:Vortimer]], in a very dramatic moment with a direct divine intervention, magical trance, the threat of death, and gigantic monoliths. [[spoiler:Gawen]] and [[spoiler:Sianna]] are associated with this very explicitly ("...he heard her whisper, "I am the altar..." He answered, "...and I am the sacrifice," and, answering, found release at last for the passion of the man and the power of the god." [[spoiler:Dierna]] and [[spoiler: Carausius]] may also count.

* JesusWasWayCool: an important motive, especially in the first part. Partially explains the relations between Avalon and Inis Witrin in ''Literature/TheMistsOfAvalon''.
* LineageComesFromTheFather: strongly averted. In Avalon, lineage comes always from the mother, which is meaningful in shaping political connections.
* LoveTriangle: [[spoiler:Dierna]], Carausius and Teleri.
* TheLowMiddleAges.
* {{MacGuffin}}: a golden classic - [[KingArthur Holy Grail]].
* MaritalRapeLicense: [[spoiler:Carausius and Teleri]].

* ReincarnationRomance: [[spoiler:Dierna and Carausius]].
* TheRomanEmpire.
* VirginSacrifice: Viviane [[spoiler:and Vortimer]].
* WorldSundering: this is roughly what Caillean (with the help of Faerie Queen) does to conceal Avalon from the uninitiated. This is an interesting example, because Caillean had lived in Atlantis in her previous lives, and Atlantis is famous of having been subjected to WorldSundering before. (Creator/JRRTolkien consciously made his [[Literature/TheSilmarillion Sundered World]], [[Literature/UnfinishedTalesOfNumenorAndMiddleEarth Númenor]], to have the features of both Atlantis and Avalon.)

* WorldSundering: this is roughly what Caillean (with the help of Faerie Queen) does to conceal Avalon from the uninitiated. This is an interesting example, because Caillean had lived in Atlantis in her previous lives, and Atlantis is famous of having been subjected to WorldSundering before. (Creator/JRRTolkien consciously made his [[TheSilmarillion Sundered World]], [[Literature/UnfinishedTalesOfNumenorAndMiddleEarth Númenor]], to have the features of both Atlantis and Avalon.)

* DeathoftheOldGods.

No matter how we count the volumes making the Avalon series (and this is [[http://dragonmountbooks.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/the-avalon-series-by-bradley-paxson/ not obvious]]), ''Lady of Avalon'' (1997) cannot be treated as one part in the internal chronology, as it has three parts, of which only two take place before ''Literature/PriestessOfAvalon''. However, [[http://www.avalonbooks.net/reincarnations.html according to]] WordOfGod, all parts have, in a sense, the same main character, who reincarnates and learns new things in every life. Every time she becomes another Lady of Avalon: in the first part she is Caillean, who made the decision about veiling the island with mists, then she is reborned as Dierna, a cunning politician and efficient leader, to eventually return as strong-willed Viviane, first guardian of the Holy Grail. The book reveals important parts of the history of Avalon, its origin and its connection with both first Christians and the Fair Folk. The last part is a direct prequel to ''Literature/TheMistsOfAvalon'' and substantiates many decisions made by Viviane in the latter book.

* JesusWasWayCool: an important motive, especially in the first part. Partially explains the relations between Avalon and Inis Witrin in ''TheMistsOfAvalon''.

* TheHecateSisters: Mentioned a couple of times, along with other motives from CelticMythology. Hecate herself also has cameo appearances in dialogues.

No matter how we count the volumes making the Avalon series (and this is [[http://dragonmountbooks.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/the-avalon-series-by-bradley-paxson/ not obvious]]), ''LadyOfAvalon'' (1997) cannot be treated as one part in the internal chronology, as it has three parts, of which only two take place before ''PriestessOfAvalon''. However, [[http://www.avalonbooks.net/reincarnations.html according to]] WordOfGod, all parts have, in a sense, the same main character, who reincarnates and learns new things in every life. Every time she becomes another Lady of Avalon: in the first part she is Caillean, who made the decision about veiling the island with mists, then she is reborned as Dierna, a cunning politician and efficient leader, to eventually return as strong-willed Viviane, first guardian of the Holy Grail. The book reveals important parts of the history of Avalon, its origin and its connection with both first Christians and the Fair Folk. The last part is a direct prequel to ''TheMistsOfAvalon'' and substantiates many decisions made by Viviane in the latter book.