Avalon Series
Encyclopedia
The Avalon Series is a series of fantasy
novels written by Marion Zimmer Bradley
, with help from Diana L. Paxson
. Paxson later took over sole authorship after Bradley's death in 1999. The series focuses on the legendary island of Avalon
and the various women who have shaped its history and that of Britain
.
from the point of view of the women behind the throne. Through a set of stories that spans several centuries, it tells of how the mystic isle of Avalon was created, its history, life in Britain under Roman authority
, and how Avalon and its ancient traditions faded from the world because of a new religion, Christianity
. All stories are told by women who were powerful during their lifetime, such as Eilan, High Priestess of the Forest House, Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, and Morgaine, High Priestess of Avalon (later remembered as the sorceress Morgan le Fay
).
The series explores the King Arthur
story and related legends through a feminist lens, as well as incorporating historical figures and events, elements of Celt
ic paganism
, and contemporary neo-pagan
traditions. The ideological conflict of the pagan and Christian characters, as well as the belief that there is wisdom to be found in both traditions, are frequent themes of the series.
The novels are connected via Avalon itself and the implication (strongly hinted at, though never outright stated) that several pairs of lovers throughout the series are the same two souls reincarnated
.
, the series' version of the legendary island is notably different from other depictions, though it draws from and expands earlier legends. As in Geoffrey of Monmouth
, Avalon is ruled by an order of women, explicitly identified by Bradley with the pre-Christian Brythonic
religion. Drawing from legends that associate Avalon with the town of Glastonbury
in Somerset
, England, Bradley establishes her Avalon as a parallel universe
of sorts to Glastonbury, co-existing in the same area but accessible only by summoning a magical mist.
Avalon's ruler, the Lady of the Lake
(a figure featured in several Arthurian stories) is identified as a High Priestess in the series. As multiple names are assigned to this character in legend, Bradley's Lady is a title passed from one generation to the next. All the Arthurian Ladies of the Lake (Viviane, Niniane, Nimue, etc.) are established as separate characters in the novels and original characters are added to the office's history. Bradley takes a similar approach to the character of Merlin
, here cast as a series of Arch-Druid
s.
The central figure of Avalon's religion is the Mother Goddess
, a name Bradley associates with several Celtic deities. The author was influenced by traditions of neo-paganism (which Bradley herself once practiced) that conflate or associate similar pagan deities and emphasize a matriarchal religious structure.
. It focuses primarily on Morgaine
, half-sister to King Arthur
and priestess of Avalon. Morgaine's desire to preserve the matriarchal pagan religion of her people leads her to develop an enmity for Christianity, a newly rising power in Britain, and to come into conflict with her brother. In addition to Morgaine's story, the novel focuses on other Arthurian women, including Arthur's mother Igraine
, Viviane, the High Priestess of Avalon, and Arthur's queen, Gwenhwyfar
, whose Christian piety leads to further conflict with Morgaine.
occupation of Britain, The Forest House (1993) focuses on the pagan religious order which predated the founding of Avalon. Based on the opera Norma
, it tells of the romance between Eilan, a British priestess, and Gaius, a Roman soldier. The Forest House was co-written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson, with the latter uncredited.
and the birth of their son Constantine, who is destined to become Emperor. Priestess was begun by Bradley and completed by Paxson following the original author's death.
who settle in Britain. They found the area known in later centuries as both Glastonbury and Avalon. This was the first volume of the series written by Paxson alone, though it draws elements from Bradley's earlier novel, The Fall of Atlantis (1987), bringing it officially into the chronology of the Avalon series. All subsequent books of the series are by Paxson.
of the Iceni
tribe, who resists the invasion of Britain by the forces of Rome. Vowing vengeance for the invaders' violent rape of her daughters, Boudica raises an army and calls upon the Goddess in her fearsome warrior aspect.
, Sword of Avalon (2009) focuses on the rightful heir to the throne of Britain being sold into slavery while the cruel sorcerer Galid usurps control of the land. Avalon's Lady, Anderle
Part II
Part III
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novels written by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
, with help from Diana L. Paxson
Diana L. Paxson
Diana L. Paxson is an author, primarily in the fields of Paganism and Heathenism. Her published works include fantasy and historical fiction novels, as well as numerous short stories...
. Paxson later took over sole authorship after Bradley's death in 1999. The series focuses on the legendary island of Avalon
Avalon
Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
and the various women who have shaped its history and that of Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Overview
The Avalon series retells the Matter of BritainMatter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...
from the point of view of the women behind the throne. Through a set of stories that spans several centuries, it tells of how the mystic isle of Avalon was created, its history, life in Britain under Roman authority
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, and how Avalon and its ancient traditions faded from the world because of a new religion, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. All stories are told by women who were powerful during their lifetime, such as Eilan, High Priestess of the Forest House, Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, and Morgaine, High Priestess of Avalon (later remembered as the sorceress Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
).
The series explores the King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
story and related legends through a feminist lens, as well as incorporating historical figures and events, elements of Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, and contemporary neo-pagan
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
traditions. The ideological conflict of the pagan and Christian characters, as well as the belief that there is wisdom to be found in both traditions, are frequent themes of the series.
The novels are connected via Avalon itself and the implication (strongly hinted at, though never outright stated) that several pairs of lovers throughout the series are the same two souls reincarnated
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
.
Bradley's Avalon
First established in The Mists of AvalonThe Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
, the series' version of the legendary island is notably different from other depictions, though it draws from and expands earlier legends. As in Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
, Avalon is ruled by an order of women, explicitly identified by Bradley with the pre-Christian Brythonic
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
religion. Drawing from legends that associate Avalon with the town of Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, Bradley establishes her Avalon as a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
of sorts to Glastonbury, co-existing in the same area but accessible only by summoning a magical mist.
Avalon's ruler, the Lady of the Lake
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
(a figure featured in several Arthurian stories) is identified as a High Priestess in the series. As multiple names are assigned to this character in legend, Bradley's Lady is a title passed from one generation to the next. All the Arthurian Ladies of the Lake (Viviane, Niniane, Nimue, etc.) are established as separate characters in the novels and original characters are added to the office's history. Bradley takes a similar approach to the character of Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
, here cast as a series of Arch-Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
s.
The central figure of Avalon's religion is the Mother Goddess
Mother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
, a name Bradley associates with several Celtic deities. The author was influenced by traditions of neo-paganism (which Bradley herself once practiced) that conflate or associate similar pagan deities and emphasize a matriarchal religious structure.
The Mists of Avalon
The original novel which inspired the series, The Mists of Avalon (1979) is set in Sub-Roman BritainSub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeological label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity: the term "Sub-Roman" was invented to describe the potsherds in sites of the 5th century and the 6th century, initially with an implication of decay of locally-made wares from a...
. It focuses primarily on Morgaine
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
, half-sister to King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and priestess of Avalon. Morgaine's desire to preserve the matriarchal pagan religion of her people leads her to develop an enmity for Christianity, a newly rising power in Britain, and to come into conflict with her brother. In addition to Morgaine's story, the novel focuses on other Arthurian women, including Arthur's mother Igraine
Igraine
Igraine , in Arthurian legend, is the mother of King Arthur. She is also known in Latin as Igerna, in Welsh as Eigyr, in French as Igerne, in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as Ygrayne— often modernized as Igraine—and in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival as Arnive...
, Viviane, the High Priestess of Avalon, and Arthur's queen, Gwenhwyfar
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
, whose Christian piety leads to further conflict with Morgaine.
The Forest House
Set in the first century CE during RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
occupation of Britain, The Forest House (1993) focuses on the pagan religious order which predated the founding of Avalon. Based on the opera Norma
Norma (opera)
Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
, it tells of the romance between Eilan, a British priestess, and Gaius, a Roman soldier. The Forest House was co-written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson, with the latter uncredited.
Lady of Avalon
Structured as a series of short stories, Lady of Avalon (1997) features several distinct episodes in the history of Avalon and the women who have served as its High Priestess. Among these are the stories of Caillean, the first High Priestess who helps found the island, Dierna, who arranges a marriage between a British princess and a Roman officer in an effort to secure peace, and Viviane, a character from the original novel. Paxson again shared co-writing duties but was uncredited.Priestess of Avalon
Set in the third century, Priestess of Avalon (2000) adapts a legend which ties the historical figure of Helena of Constantinople to the island of Britain. It tells of Helena (or Eilan)'s romance with Roman officer ConstantiusConstantius Chlorus
Constantius I , commonly known as Constantius Chlorus, was Roman Emperor from 293 to 306. He was the father of Constantine the Great and founder of the Constantinian dynasty. As Caesar he defeated the usurper Allectus in Britain and campaigned extensively along the Rhine frontier, defeating the...
and the birth of their son Constantine, who is destined to become Emperor. Priestess was begun by Bradley and completed by Paxson following the original author's death.
Ancestors of Avalon
Chronologically, the earliest book of the series, Ancestors of Avalon (2004) tells of a group of refugees from the lost continent of AtlantisAtlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
who settle in Britain. They found the area known in later centuries as both Glastonbury and Avalon. This was the first volume of the series written by Paxson alone, though it draws elements from Bradley's earlier novel, The Fall of Atlantis (1987), bringing it officially into the chronology of the Avalon series. All subsequent books of the series are by Paxson.
Ravens of Avalon
Taking place prior to The Forest House, Ravens of Avalon (2007) adapts the story of the historical Celtic warrior-queen BoudicaBoudica
Boudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
of the Iceni
Iceni
The Iceni or Eceni were a British tribe who inhabited an area of East Anglia corresponding roughly to the modern-day county of Norfolk between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD...
tribe, who resists the invasion of Britain by the forces of Rome. Vowing vengeance for the invaders' violent rape of her daughters, Boudica raises an army and calls upon the Goddess in her fearsome warrior aspect.
Sword of Avalon
Set in the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, Sword of Avalon (2009) focuses on the rightful heir to the throne of Britain being sold into slavery while the cruel sorcerer Galid usurps control of the land. Avalon's Lady, Anderle
Series order
The books of the Avalon series encompass several centuries of ancient British history but were not published in sequence. Each volume tells a story set in a different historical era.Publication order
- The Mists of AvalonThe Mists of AvalonThe Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
(1979)- Mistress of Magic (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 1) (1994)
- The High Queen (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 2) (1994)
- The King Stag (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 3) (1994)
- The Prisoner in the Oak (audiobook edition of The Mists of Avalon, part 4) (1994)
- The Fall of Atlantis (1987)
- The Forest HouseThe Forest HouseThis is about the novel, for Forrest House, see Melbourne High SchoolThe Forest House is a fantasy novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson, though the latter is uncredited by the publisher...
(1993) (with Diana L. PaxsonDiana L. PaxsonDiana L. Paxson is an author, primarily in the fields of Paganism and Heathenism. Her published works include fantasy and historical fiction novels, as well as numerous short stories...
) (also now known as The Forests of Avalon) - Lady of AvalonLady of Avalon-Plot:Lady of Avalon is the sequel to The Forest House and the prequel to The Mists of Avalon. It is divided into 3 parts.-Part 1:The first part shows us Caillean and Gawen , who we know from the prequel, The Forest House....
(1997) (with Diana L. Paxson) - Priestess of AvalonPriestess of AvalonPriestess of Avalon is a 2000 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley and completed posthumously by Diana L. Paxson. It follows detailing the life of Helena, first wife of Western Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and mother of Constantine....
(2000) (with Diana L. Paxson) - Ancestors of AvalonAncestors of AvalonAncestors of Avalon is a 2004 fantasy novel written by Diana L. Paxson, and based on an idea of the late Marion Zimmer Bradley.The book is one of 7 prequels to Bradley's popular fantasy novel Mists of Avalon. The characters of Ancestors of Avalon have appeared earlier in Bradley's fantasy novel The...
(2004) (written by Diana L. Paxson) - Ravens of Avalon (2007) (written by Diana L. Paxson)
- Sword of Avalon (2009) (written by Diana L. Paxson)
In-universe chronological order
- The Fall of Atlantis
- Ancestors of Avalon
- Sword of Avalon
- Ravens of Avalon
- The Forest House
- Lady of Avalon
- Priestess of Avalon (Starts some time before Part 2 of Lady of Avalon)
- The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon
- MorgaineMorgan le FayMorgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
- Protagonist; Priestess of Avalon, half-sister of Arthur - GwenhwyfarGuinevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
- Arthur's queen - IgraineIgraineIgraine , in Arthurian legend, is the mother of King Arthur. She is also known in Latin as Igerna, in Welsh as Eigyr, in French as Igerne, in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as Ygrayne— often modernized as Igraine—and in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival as Arnive...
- Wife of Uther, mother of Arthur and Morgaine - Viviane - High Priestess of Avalon, Lady of the Lake
- TaliesinTaliesinTaliesin was an early British poet of the post-Roman period whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin...
, the MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
of Britain - Arch-Druid and Bard - MorgauseMorgauseMorgause , known in earlier works as Gwyar or Anna, is the sister or half-sister of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. In her earliest appearance she is Arthur's full sister by Uther Pendragon and Igraine; Gwyar is her name and she is the mother of Gwalchmei...
- sister of Igraine and aunt to Morgan le Fay and of Arthur - Uther PendragonUther PendragonUther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
- Husband of Igraine, briefly High King of Britain - King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
- High King of Britain - LanceletLancelotSir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
- Arthur's best friend and finest warrior, son of Viviane - MordredMordredMordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
- Son of Morgaine and Arthur - Kevin, the Merlin of Britain - Taliesin's successor
The Forest House
- Caillean - Priestess at the Forest House
- Eilan - Priestess, later Lady of the Forest House after Lhiannon's death
- Gaius - Roman soldier and lover of Eilan
- Ardanos - Arch-Druid of Britannia
- Cynric - Adoptive brother of Eilan
- Dieda - Cousin of Eilan, priestess at the Forest House
- Lhiannon - Lady of the Forest House
Lady of Avalon
Part I- Caillean - High Priestess of Avalon
- Gawen - Son of Eilan and Gaius
- Sianna - Daughter of the Faerie QueenFairy QueenThe Fairy Queen was a figure from English folklore who was said to rule the fairies. Fairy Queen may also refer to:*The Faerie Queene, a poem by Edmund Spenser*Fairy Queen , an Indian steam locomotive...
- Joseph of ArimatheaJoseph of ArimatheaJoseph of Arimathea was, according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion. He is mentioned in all four Gospels.-Gospel references:...
- Leader of the Christians of Inis WitrinGlastonburyGlastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census... - Paulus - Joseph's successor
Part II
- Dierna - High Priestess of Avalon
- Allectus - A Roman officer
- CarausiusCarausiusMarcus Aurelius Mausaeus Valerius Carausius was a military commander of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century. He was a Menapian from Belgic Gaul, who usurped power in 286, declaring himself emperor in Britain and northern Gaul. He did this only 13 years after the Gallic Empire of the Batavian...
- A Roman commander - Teleri - Princess training as a priestess of Avalon
Part III
- VivianeLady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
- Future High Priestess - Ana - High Priestess of Avalon, mother of Viviane and Igraine
- VortimerVortimerVortimer is a figure in British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for his fierce opposition to his father's Saxon allies...
- Son of the High King VortigernVortigernVortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
Priestess of Avalon
- Eilan (Julia Coelia Helena) – Daughter of Prince Coelius, consort of Constantius, mother of Constantine, and priestess of Avalon
- ConstantiusConstantius ChlorusConstantius I , commonly known as Constantius Chlorus, was Roman Emperor from 293 to 306. He was the father of Constantine the Great and founder of the Constantinian dynasty. As Caesar he defeated the usurper Allectus in Britain and campaigned extensively along the Rhine frontier, defeating the...
– The Roman noble she marries - Constantine – Helena's son, Emperor AD 306-37
- Crispus – Constantine's illegitimate son by Minervina
- Dierna – Helena's second cousin, later Lady of Avalon
- FaustaFaustaFausta Flavia Maxima was a Roman Empress, daughter of the Roman Emperor Maximianus. To seal the alliance between them for control of the Tetrarchy, in 307 Maximianus married her to Constantine I, who set aside his wife Minervina in her favour. Constantine and Fausta had been betrothed since...
– Daughter of MaximianMaximianMaximian was Roman Emperor from 286 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocletian, whose political brain complemented Maximian's military brawn. Maximian established his residence at Trier but spent...
, wife of Constantine, and mother of his legitimate children - Ganeda – Helena's aunt, Lady of Avalon
- Helena the Younger ("Lena") – A noblewomen of Treveri, wife of Crispus
- MaxentiusMaxentiusMaxentius was a Roman Emperor from 306 to 312. He was the son of former Emperor Maximian, and the son-in-law of Emperor Galerius.-Birth and early life:Maxentius' exact date of birth is unknown; it was probably around 278...
- Son of Maximian, Augustus in Italy and North Africa - Minervina - Constantine's Syrian concubine, mother of Crispus
- QuintillusQuintillusQuintillus , commonly known as Quintillus, was Roman Emperor for less than a year in 270.-Early Life and Election as Emperor:Quintillus was born at Sirmium in Illyricum. Originally coming from a low born family, Quintillus came to prominence with the accession of his brother Claudius II Gothicus to...
- Brother of the Emperor Claudius II, Constantius's great uncle - SeverusFlavius Valerius SeverusSeverus , sometimes known as Severus II, was a Western Roman Emperor from 306 to 307.- Officer in the Roman army :Severus was of humble birth, born in the Illyrian provinces around the middle of the third century AD...
- Caesar appointed by Galerius, executed by Maximian - VictorinusVictorinusMarcus Piavonius Victorinus was emperor of the secessionist Gallic Empire from 269 to 271, following the brief reign of Marius. He was murdered by a jealous husband whose wife he tried to seduce.-Reign:...
- Rebel Emperor in the West, AD 268-70
Ancestors of Avalon
- Damisa - Eldest of the acolytes
- Tiriki - Guardian of the Temple of Light, future priestess of Avalon
- Micail - Prince of Ahtarrah, husband of Tiriki
- Chedan - An acolyte of Atlantis before its fall
- Tjalan - Prince of Alkonath, cousin of Micail
Ravens of Avalon
- Lhiannon - Priestess, founder of the Forest House
- BoudicaBoudicaBoudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
- Celtic warrior queen who rebels against the Romans
Sword of Avalon
- Anderle - Lady of Avalon
- Galid - A sorcerer who usurps the rule of Britain
- Mikantor - Rightful king kidnapped and sold into slavery
- Tirilan - Anderle's daughter, who loves Mikantor but chooses priestesshood