#morgause of lot

[sonayesul]

Junior Thesis

some stuff I worked on for my junior thesis project earlier this year. Ill share the full finished comic later on but for now enjoy these character designs and such 🫶

the watercolor version of the cover looked too much like bradley james when that was like, not the point of the assignment, which is why the finished digital version looks so much different. I still prefer the original watercolor version but i tend to always favour my watercolor versions of things

In depth explanation below cut

the junior thesis assignment was the adapt a book into a six page comic and we could have creative freedom with certain things and the book only ever mentioned the color of guenever's hair and eyes, NOT her skin color or features and so I had my fun with her design. the ONLY description they give lancelot in the entire book is that hes ugly and beauty is subjective so i gave him "non traditional" features. In one of my original sketches for him, he was going to have crooked teeth, but unfortunately i do not draw teeth well LMAO. I wanted Arthur and Lancelot's designs to contrast each other as well. Arthur is shorter and stockier where Lance is taller and thinner, Arthur keeps his feelings quiet while Lance wears them on his chest, and then i wanted there to be the stark color difference too between them.

Morgause and Mordred were fun, but they both had a lot more descriptive descriptions in the book, so I didn't get as much creative control outside of their outfits. I assigned the Lot family the color blue and the Camelot cotizens red to try and contrast better throughout the story and it was kinda fun cause it made mordred look like an ice prince or something.

also despite gwen lance and arthur being around the same age at the point of my comic, i wanted to try and make arthur look the oldest, sort of visually show how much being king and his decisions has weighed on him, especially since the scene I adapted was pretty heavy.

also i did have a reference page for gwen but at some point it got deleted? so in this its just a fun drawing I did of her holding excalibur instead. I do also have a full reference drawing for exacalibur in my files that was useless because i never ended up drawing it in the comic LMAO

the last photo is the cornwall sisters, Elaine, Morgan and Morgause. With their designs i had fun trying to make them look related to each other, to Arthur and their parents but also try to not make them all have the same face. Elaine looks like her mother, Morgan looks like her father, Morgause looks like a mix of both (Uthers hair color but Ygraine's hair style, Uther's face but Ygraine's eye color) and Arthur looks like a perfect blend of both too. I sort of did the same with Mordred where I took features from both morgause and arthur to make him look related but like his own person. Ygraine and Uther are only in one panel so there's no proper ref for either of them.

This project was a five month process, six if you count writing the script to fit within a six page comic without losing any details from the book and creating my pitch for my professor (all of which was done over winter break)

The project took FOREVER and I definitely am not happy with the final result but its due to the fact i had frequent doctor visits and hospitalisations and wasnt able to work on it as much as I had wanted, PLUS i had an eight page comic for another class i worked on also over the same five months (and i was more focused on that one as it was my own original characters)4

regardless though, i do still like it, just wish it cane out better in the end lmao

will prolly post the full comic in a day or two :3

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

Morgause is so funny (I love her in every single iteration)

[queer-ragnelle]

Merlin by Edwin Arlington Robinson | More quotes at Arthuriana Daily

[naumaxia-art]

The rest of the Orkneys!! (and also Morgan because why not)

Also if it wasn't clear, I have a real soft spot for Gaheris, don't judge me

[gawrkin]

King Lot in the Chronicle Traditions, pt. EX: Historia Scotorum

(Thanks to an anonymous person, who gave me a link to the Philological Museum, I was able to have a look at how King Lot presented in the Scottish narrative by Hector Boece. Kudos to him/her. Link is HERE)

Lot introduced. In Boece's work, Lot is a Pict, rather than a Northern Briton from Hen Ogledd/The Old North. Keep in mind this Chronicle has a Pro-Scottish bent, hence the appropriation of Lot and his family as Pictish. You may now imagine Gawain and co. being heavily tattooed.

The alliance of Lot, Conranus and Aurelius

After the triumph over the Saxons, Lot is wed to Anna, Aurelius' sister, and fathers Valvanus (Gawain), Mordred and Thametes (Teneu). Geoffrey of Monmouth himself flip flops on whether Anna was a sister of Arthur or a sister of Uther and Aurelius. Boece elected to go with "Sister of Aurelius and Uther" to frame the injustice Arthur and the Britons commit regarding Mordred's eligibility to the Throne.

Uther sires Arthur, in which Boece emphasizes it's illegitimacy. The treachery towards the Scots and Picts begins here.

Due to his sons being cheated out of succession, Lot allies with the Saxon King Occa (Octa/Osla Gyllelvawr, Hengist's son and Rowena's brother)

Lot breaks off with the Saxons and Occa retaliates as a result.

Lot pushes for him and his sons for succession, presumably under an old Celtic system similar to Tanistry. Sadly, Racism gets in the way.

Because of the Saxons, Arthur makes a deal with Lot: The next successor after him will be Mordred. Also, Mordred's marriage. Huh, that's weird. You'd think it would be Gawain, since he is usually portrayed as the eldest. Perhaps he's not in Boece, since Mordred is always mentioned first before Gawain?

Lot vs. Colgern

Years later, King Lot sadly dies offscreen. :( And the Mordred drama ensues because, again, racism. Arthur breaks the treaty and designates Constantine of Cornwall as heir to the throne, etc. etc. And that's it for King Lot in Boece's chronicle. The following three entries are some interesting tidbits Boece included as part of his narrative:

King Brude, one of Lot's nephews, succeeds the Pictish Throne. By which brother, unknown. It ought to be Auguselus, but Eugenius is King of the Scots and Urien and Ywain aren't part of this narrative, so...

The story of Thametes/Teneu and St. Kentigern/Mungo.

Lothian retains it's name to the present day, in memory of King Lot

King Lot got a peculiar sidegrade here compared to in Historia, still having lost the "King of Norway" element (as he is now a pict), as well not having a role in the endgame - unlike in Didot Percrval and AMA - having died early so that Mordred is King of the Picts when it all goes down.

In exchange, more emphasis is place on the political intrigue and struggles: Lot's role in both Aurelius and Arthur's wars against the Saxons, his fight to have his family maintain their rights to the throne despite Briton resistance to the idea, etc.

Personally, I do love the idea of Lot and the Orkney bros being Norse/Pictish/Briton mixed race (and maybe, Urien and Augusel as well). Also, the idea of Mordred having a hand in government long before the Revolt, being in-charge of Lothian, Orkney and the Picts. It gives him something cool to do since Mordred lacks a lot of noteworthy adventures, enhance the flaws (percieved or otherwise) about Arthur's rule and helps contrast him with Gawain, who I've complained before about how he should be a responsible King in the French narratives, rather than the adventurer-hero he, and his fellow Round Table Knights, have been pigeonholed into by the French writers.

Link to Part I: HERE

Link to Part II: HERE

Link to Part III: HERE

[tamyonmyonmyon]

Story so good you end up doing fanart of your fave's parents.

[malorydaily]

Malory tells us repeatedly that Igrayne was a “passyng good woman,” and holds her up as a model of proper feminine behavior, reasserting the idealized and absolute dependence of women upon men in the chivalric project. Upon learning that her husband has not only been killed, but also passed away hours before her sexual encounter with Uther in the likeness of Cornwall, Igrayne “mourned pryvely and held hir pees” (9.30); she offers no objection when the nobles of the land decide to wed her to Uther, the man responsible for the death of her husband; when Uther reveals to her his deception and that he is in fact the father of the child she is carrying, Malory tells us that “Thenne the quene made grete joye whan she knewe who was the fader of her child” (10.31–32); and upon the death of Uther, her second husband, Malory relates that as was the case with the passing of her first, “fayre Igrayne made grete sorowe and alle the barons” (12.10). Igrayne stands out as the exemplary female in Malory’s text, quickly and silently adapting to the needs and wants of the men who fight over and exchange her.

When word comes that Cornwall has been defeated by Uther’s forces, Malory tells us that “alle the barons by one assent prayd the kynge of accord betwixe the lady Igrayne and hym” (9.31–32), to which request the king accedes and charges Sir Ulfius to make the arrangements for the wedding. As with the decision to attack Cornwall, the king’s subsequent marriage is represented as not only the result of his own personal desire, but also as an act that will fulfill some perceived need of the community over which he presides; it is a body of—again, significantly male—nobles who comes to this decision. Just as she became the largely silent object of the erotic triangle of king, duke, and lady, Igrayne is the silent corner once again in the development of a plan to reincorporate Cornwall into Uther’s larger kingdom: “‘Now wille we doo wel,’ said Ulfyus; ‘our kyng is a lusty knyght and wyveles, and my lady Igrayne is a passynge fair lady; it were grete joye unto us all and hit myghte please the kynge to make her his quene.’ Unto that they were all well accordyd and meved it to the kynge. And anone, lyke a lusty knyghte, he assentid therto with good wille, and so in alle haste they were maryed in a mornynge with grete myrthe and joye” (9.36–39, 10.1–4).

While the king’s assent to the will of his people is important to the re- establishment of order, Igrayne’s explicit consent is deemed unnecessary for the act of reintegrating her first husband’s realm into that of her second. Igrayne is the gift, an object that is exchanged for peace, property, and a means of establishing male homosocial bonds within this patriarchal, kin-based social order. In a striking example of community solidarity, several other important unions are consecrated at the same time that Uther and Igrayne are wed: “And kynge Lott of Lowthean and of Orkenay thenne wedded Margawse . . . and kynge Nentres of the land of Garlot wedded Elayne: al this was done at the request of kynge Uther. And the thyrd syster, Morgan le Fey, was put to scole in a nonnery. . . . And after she was wedded to kynge Uryens of the lond of Gore” (10.5–12). This is the first time that the theme of wedding proliferation occurs in Malory; the text insistently repeats this pattern, each time pointing to the importance of such unions in affirming social bonds and the critical role that women play in this exchange and alliance of power and kinship.

Silently, passively, obediently, women are circulated or “gifted” away— by, to, and for men—serving, in their transfer from one male to another, to reinforce and strengthen the homosocial ties that bind the Arthurian community together. Wedding proliferation supports and reinforces the validity of those institutions; the occurrence of these other marriages at the same time as Uther and Igrayne’s sanctions the king’s actions. At the same time, King Lot and King Nentres derive for their own unions important significance in that they are connected in a special way with the power and status of King Uther. Each of these marriages affirms and increases the significance of the other, and a double benefit is derived: for the community, which is strengthened through this act of solidarity, and for each of the individuals of this community, who derive for themselves some mea- sure of extra power and influence through their participation in this socially important ritual.

– Dorsey Armstrong, Gender and the Chivalric Community in Malory's Morte D'Arthur

[ofglories]

They're both affectionate golden retriever types, but also...

They're ready and able to kick ass when needed.

[seokjinite]

its just . harder and harder for my man to hide it

[marthalmary]

The orkneys

There vibes as Songs

Morgause - ?????

Lot - ?????

Gaheris - ?????

Agravaine - ?????

Gareth - JOYRIDE - KESHA

Gawain - ?????

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

There's this play that I think you'll find fascinating. It was written by James Bridie in 1944. It is titled "Holy Isle". Here's the plot:

"Morgause is one of the main characters in this play, set during Arthur’s reign. However, the story is not based on any part of the traditional legends. An island is discovered, and a priest, a businessman, a sailor, and a queen (Morgause) converge there, each trying to convert the islanders to his or her own idea of civilization."

You can find it here. It's in page 78 -> https://archive. org /details/playsforplainpeo0000jame/page/n5/mode/2up

One of my favorite things is that Morgause is an enchantress and her husband Lot respects her. It's a fun play.

Ohhh wow I have never heard of it!! I shall add it to the list!

Also what a heartbreaking day to find out the archive is offline and was hacked... absolutely shameful that among all the websites they decided that the one who is working to preserve media and culture is the one that deserves to go down.

[queer-ragnelle]

Hi there! Is there a retelling where Lot is a good, well-written character? So far I've seen he's usually portrayed as a full-blown villain or at least a complete jerk, and it makes me sad because I think that he is much more complex in the Vulgate and Le Morte (and also at the beginning in Les enfances Gauvain, 10/10)

Hello!

I'm a King Lot enjoyer and apologist, I got you. Good Lot is so hard to find. Actually the best Lot is trapped in a mediocre book, The Winter Knight by Jes Battis. He’s a single dad working constantly to support Gawain. It’s so cute. Sleepy depressed dad ily. But it's a reincarnation urban fantasy drowning in "quirky" modern references that really killed the vibes for me. Canadian Lot ain't cutting it. :^/

For a more medlit-abiding story, I like Lot in Bedivere by Wayne Wise particularly because even though Gawain (and eventually Agravaine) bend the knee to Arthur against his wishes, Lot is kinda proud of them for having conviction it was sweet. He was like "Noooo don't be your own men haha ;^)" And then he just....let's them do what they wanted without giving them shit for it. Refreshingly normal parent. He didn't fight [much] with Arthur either he's like, "Alright whatever me and my hot wife are going back north to the babies bye."

Lot and Morgause are both kinda funny in The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle just because Gareth is their favorite and they spoil him lol It actually made for a compelling kitchen boy story because it explains where Gareth gets his attitude which is what gets him in trouble with Kay. The whole court fawns over him to be in the king and queen's good graces and made Gareth a brat (affectionate).

Lot is barely a character in Sharan Newman's trilogy but he's a good dude and Agravaine is the only kid he actually sired so he likes him best. Surprisingly upstanding interpretation of them both. Here's a quote from The Chessboard Queen.

Not the step-dad but the dad who stepped up Lot? More likely than you think.

Lastly I wouldn't say Starz Camelot (2011) has a good Lot, but he's very sexy. He's in the first two episodes (and comes back as a vision in a later episode). He's definitely a bloody warlord killing whoever but he's really into Morgan. I mean duh, look at her. Things go downhill quickly but...James Purefoy the man that you are....

This turned into a long way of saying Gaheris is never the favorite kid. Anyway that's all the King Lot I have for you. Take care!

[joemerl]

The Whumps of March 2024: "Vengeance"

A series of vignettes based on Arthurian legend, collected on AO3 here.

Morgause was losing patience. “What do you expect me to say, Morgan? Arthur is the High King now. And our brother, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“Brother,” Morgan snarled, slamming her goblet in anger. “The son of the man who killed our father! Enslaved our mother! Sold us like pawns to his allies, turned us from our home and—"

“Yes, Morgan, I know why you hate Uther,” Morgause said pointedly. “So perhaps you should be happy that he is dead.”

Morgan’s gaze smoldered. Morgause held her breath for a moment, only mostly sure that her sorcerous sister wouldn’t lash out at her words.

“Arthur killed your Lot, didn't he?”

She spoke softly, but the words hung heavily in the air for a long moment.

“Yes,” Morgause said finally, icily. “Not personally, mind you. That was King Pellinore, as my sons are accustomed to remind me. But I have no interest in revenge. It was a war, and we lost. A wise queen accepts what is."

Morgan sneered. "So you'll accept the same treatment that our mother was forced to."

"We tried to take Arthur's throne. Because—” she spoke loudly, as her sister tried to interrupt, “like your Uriens, we imagined that we had a certain right to it, and were willing to make great risks to achieve it. That ended poorly for us, though Arthur has been noble in his victory.

"I’ve learned from my mistake, sister. Perhaps you should as well.”

[gawrkin]

The Orc boys, Lot and Anne's wee lads:

Gav(in), Aggy, Garry, Garth and Morty