The Mists of Avalon

No one knows the real story of the great King Arthur of Camelot.

Most of what you think you know about Camelot...

...Guinevere and Lancelot...

...and the evil sorceress known as Morgaine Le Fey...

...is nothing but lies.

I should know, for I am Morgaine Le Fey...

...priestess of the Isle of Avalon...

...where the ancient religion of the Mother Goddess was born.

It began in the midst of the most violent upheaval...

...Britain has ever seen.

The Saxon barbarians swept into my country...

...killing Christians and followers of Avalon's goddess alike.

Unless one great leader could unite Christians...

...and followers of the old religion...

...Britain was doomed to barbarism...

...and Avalon would vanish.

My Christian father, Gorlois...

...battled tirelessly against the Saxon hordes.

For Christ! For Britain!

Back home in Cornwall, I was only a child at the time...

...but I knew my mother, Igraine, was still a follower of the old religion...

...and secretly practiced its ancient magic.

Her sister, my Aunt Morgause...

...had lived with us for as long as I can remember.

She relished the power of Avalon.

Mother?

Mother, what's the matter?

Let her have her vision, lamb.

I want to know what the Sight brings her.

She's afraid.

Let her have her vision.

Father will be angry if she uses the Sight.

Then he won't hear about it, will he?

What is it?

Igraine...

...what do you see?

Anything for me?

A lover? A husband?

The Lady of the Lake is coming...

...and the Merlin of Britain with her.

We must make ready.

What do they want?

You can ask them yourself. They're here.

And so Viviane came to Cornwall.

The eldest of the three sisters...

...Viviane was the High Priestess of Avalon...

...and the voice of the Mother Goddess on earth.

She had just one goal...

...to save Avalon from the Saxons.

Sister, we have to bring this fighting to an end.

The Saxons will destroy this land.

Unless we prevent it.

How?

By giving this land a leader to whom both followers of Christ...

...and the Goddess can give allegiance.

Someone with the blood of Avalon in his veins.

The High King could still father a child.

But he'll be dead within six months.

Viviane has foreseen it.

He'll die without leaving an heir.

You mean my husband will become High King in his place?

That I will bear this leader that you speak of?

You will bear the king, Igraine. Yes.

But not to Gorlois.

You will bear the child to the man who wears this sign.

He is a follower of the Goddess, and he will be king.

I'm married to the Duke of Cornwall. I've borne him a child.

I will not betray him. I gave him my vows.

You gave them first to Avalon.

If you want this child to be born of Avalon...

...then you can bear this great new king yourself.

There is no need, Viviane.

Let me bear the child.

I have no husband to betray.

Let me bear the king.

Have you no shame, Morgause?

Leave us.

I have as much Avalon in my veins as she does!

Let me make this man fall in love with me.

I know the arts as well.

No man or woman can live another's fate, Morgause.

You have a king in your future, and sons.

Who?

You'll know when you see him.

Be content with that.

You must remember, Duchess...

...that Viviane is not just your sister.

She is the High Priestess of the faith...

...to which you have promised your very breath.

The violence can end.

The choice is yours.

But my word--

Sometimes we have to sacrifice small virtues to achieve great ones.

This year's harvest is tilled with the blood of your own men.

Morgaine!

What happened?

What is it, child?

A dead man.

Tell me, child.

Do you often see things others don't?

Yes. All the time.

She has the Sight already.

Three months later...

...the High King summoned all the great chiefs...

...to London to name his successor.

And he invited my mother as an honored guest.

But the Saxons will never forget the blows you dealt them.

You and I, Gorlois. We dealt them together.

But I think I shall be fighting no more Saxons.

Of course you will. It'll be many years...

That is why I have called this council.

It's why you're here.

I must tell you, Igraine...

...my priests don't like it that your priestess of Avalon...

...has been placed on an equal footing with them.

But I say that you both serve the Great One above us...

...by whatever the name.

And women are, after all...

...the carriers of original sin.

That's not quite how we advance it, sir.

Do you not say...

...that women are the means by which evil came into the world?

There is, in your Bible, a fantastic tale about an apple and a snake.

The Bible merely recounts the truth, good lady.

The old religion embraces yours, Bishop...

...but your priests deny the power of Avalon.

Perhaps people no longer believe in it.

Perhaps it's because you tell them not to.

-Igraine! -Your wife speaks her mind, Gorlois.

I honor her for that.

Back, you hounds from hell! Back!

My lord, forgive me.

You are forgiven, but get those dogs out of here!

Can't you go anywhere without them?

Allow me to introduce you, Uther Pendragon...

...to my wife...

...the Lady Igraine, Duchess of Cornwall.

And sister to the Lady of Avalon.

It's an honor to meet a daughter of the Holy Isle.

You will bear the child...

...to the man who wears this sign.

Excuse me, my lord.

Viviane.

Why are you doing this to me?

Now, listen to me.

What I am about to say will be of great importance to you all.

Did I do something to disturb you, lady?

I felt unwell, sir.

You left the moment you saw the dragon on my wrist.

I have no fear of dragons.

I'm a child of the old world myself, sir.

Why do you call me "sir" in such a manner...

...when you know that we are on familiar terms?

We have not met before.

Not in this life...

...but like all of us of the old ways...

...you must believe this is not the only life where we could have met.

There is something between our souls already.

You felt the power of it...

...and that's why you left the hall.

Am I right, lady?

If I am, could you rightfully resist it?

I am the sworn wife of Gorlois, and so I will remain.

So you know what I felt.

Come away with me.

Please, get back to the council.

There's nothing to do but give in to it.

If you do not come with me, then I will come for you...

...before the moon is full again.

My lord...

...is the council finished?

It is.

Let's get back to the proceedings then, shall we?

Don't you want to ask the leave of your new High King, lady?

-You? -No.

Ambrosius has named Uther Pendragon his successor.

Don't envy me, Gorlois.

The lady belongs to you.

You should take care to avoid gossip.

No chaste woman is safe with Uther Pendragon.

People may gossip if they like. It doesn't concern me.

It concerns me!

Are you questioning my honor?

I'm questioning your judgment.

Well, if your judgment is no better than that...

...then your word will cease to concern me as well.

How dare you play the shrew with me! I told you to avoid him!

-I'll teach you! -Think...

...before you strike me, Gorlois...

...or I will teach you that a daughter of the Holy Isle is the servant of no man.

And so, my father was caught up in Viviane's plots.

Sire!

A messenger for the High King. He waits at the gate.

He will speak with--

I have come, my lord--

To ask for my troops to aide the Pendragon.

It is the High King's bidding.

I need my men here in Cornwall.

The Saxons are massing off our coast.

The king believes it's just a feint, Gorlois.