Nimue
In the Quest of the White Hart, a damosel appears and loudly with much crying requests the return of her
brachet which chased the white hart. A mounted knight appears and forcefully takes her and departs and Pellinore is dispatched
to bring her back to court. We shall soon learn that the damosel is Nimue who was one of the damosels of the lake.
When Pellinore returns her to Arthur's court, Merlin becomes assotted of her, constantly at her side. One
might say, he was a little mad, for his fore-knowledge of his death was not enough to overcome his lust for her. Nimue allowed
his presence, learning all that he could teach her. But she tired of his attention and left the court. Merlin warns Arthur of the
future and tells him that his own time is near to be put into the earth quick (buried alive) and follows her.
Merlin would have had her without her willingness but she made him swear that he would not use enchantments
to make her sleep with him. And so they left Britain and traveled across the channel to Benwick where Merlin visited King Ban
and his wife Elaine and their young son, Launcelot. Merlin continues his travels with Nimue showing her many wonders and
finally crossed back over to Cornwall. Once there, Nimue became more afraid of Merlin's advances and when he showed
her a great wonder wrought by enchantment under a massive stone, she worked her charms to get him to enter to show her the
marvels and then wrought so that he could never come out for all of his crafts. And so she departed leaving him locked away.
Following her imprisonment of Merlin, Nimue seems to take on certain of his aspects, including councilor and
protector of Arthur. During the battle with Accolon in which Arthur had to protect himself from Morgan le Fay's treachery,
Nimue has pity on Arthur for his great heart and warrior spirit and cast a little enchantment to cause Accolon to drop Excalibur.
Arthur regains his sword and defeats Accolon and thus learns of Morgan's betrayal. Once healed from his wounds and back
at Camelot, Nimue again saves his life. Morgan sends Arthur a gift of a strange mantle. Nimue counsels Arthur to force the bearer
to put on the mantle before he or any of his men do. When Arthur follows her advice, the young damosel that brought the mantle
from Morgan is killed.
During the Quest of the Triple Goddess, after Gawaine betrays Pelleas with Ettard,
Pelleas determines to end his life, never to emerge from his pavilion alive. But Pelleas is not destined to get his wish to die in
sorrow, for the Lady Nimue finds one of Pelleas' knights wandering in dole through the forest. Hearing the story, she
visits Pelleas and falls in love with him. She places an enchantment of sleep on him and orders his men to keep him secure.
She brings the Lady Ettard to the pavilion and shames her for her acts toward Pelleas. In punishment, she casts an enchantment
that reverses the fortunes of love, for now Ettard loves Pelleas without bounds and Pelleas hates her more than any other. He
casts Ettard from his presence and Nimue declares her love of him. Their love will endure throughout their lives and never will
he think of Ettard again, who dies of her sorrow.
At the next Pentecost, Nimue arrives at Arthur's court with Pelleas. A joust is held and Pelleas declared
the victor. Arthur rejoices and names him and Marhaus to the Round Table. Malory foretells of events that will happen to
Pelleas, for he will be one of the four to achieve the Sangreal and of how Nimue kept Pelleas away from Lancelot and the
tournaments where Pelleas would have to meet Lancelot in combat. Did she have foreknowledge of a disastrous outcome to
such a meeting that she prevented or is this a trite explanation of why there were no tales of Launcelot and Pelleas as foes?
