#karen cherewatuk

[malorydaily]

An examination of medieval dowry practice heightens these public political concerns. Feminist scholars – among them Felicity Riddy, Dorsey Armstrong, and Elizabeth Edwards – have called attention to the obvious but important fact that the Round Table is literally Guenevere’s dowry. This gift actually restores an interrupted male line of transmission, from Uther to Arthur through Lodegreaunce’s daughter, Guenevere. When she comes to court as Arthur’s bride, the new queen brings a powerful marriage portion: the Round Table and its hundred knights. The queen’s dowry thus brings to court men who will serve their new liege lord Arthur, but whose very presence owes everything to the transfer of the queen’s body from her father to her husband.

– Karen Cheretawuk, Marriage, Adultery and Inheritance in Malory's Morte Darthur

[caergwydion]

karen cherewatuk, 'Born-Again Virgins and Holy Bastards: Bors and Elyne and Lancelot and Galahad'

[malorydaily]

"[T]he opening of the Morte, famously narrated in rapid, chronicle style, is more tawdry than auspicious. Igraine draws the narrator’s sympathy as a good wife: “she was a passyng good woman and wold not assente unto the kynge.” Igraine first discerns King Uther’s designs and then warns her husband: “And thenne she told the duke her husband and said, ‘I suppose that we were sente for that I shold be dishonoured. Wherfor, husband, I counceille yow that we departe from hens sodenly’ ” (Works 7.11–13, 14–17, emphasis mine). While Igraine fears transgression of her marriage, the men in the tale – Merlin, Uther, and Ulfius – work their machinations.

First Merlin strikes the deal with Uther’s messenger, Ulfius:

“And yf kynge Uther wille wel rewarde me and be sworne unto me to fulfille my desyre, that shall be his honour and profite more than myn, for I shalle cause hym to have all his desyre.” “Alle this wyll I undertake,” said Ulfius, “that ther shalle be nothyng resonable but thow shalt have thy desyre.” “Well,” said Merlyn, “he shall have his entente and desyre. . . .” (Works 8.19–25, emphasis mine)

The noun “desire” surfaces four times in this dialogue, as if Uther and Merlin could simply substitute each other’s wants for their own. Merlin assures Ulfius that “honor” will accrue to the king, never noticing that this exchange of male “desire” requires “dishonoring” Igraine. The verb is hers, spoken as she advises Gorlois to flee Uther’s court (Works 7.15–16, quoted above)."

– Karen Cherewatuk, Marriage, Adultery and Inheritance in Malory's Morte Darthur