Several women, who are often blurred in the legends, all carry this title. Some names include Viviane, Eviene, Viviene, Nimue, and Nina. In Malory she is the woman who gives Arthur Excalibur and later takes it back when it is thrown into the water. In some works she is responsible for raising Lancelot, and sometimes curing his madness. She is also Merlin's downfall in Malory, the Vulgate Cycle and other various forms of the legend. She enchants Merlin with the magic he taught her. In Malory, she is killed in Arthur's court by Balin, but later reappears, which leads to the speculation that the Lady of the Lake is a sort of title. Marion Zimmer Bradley uses this idea to its full advantage in her feminist revision of the tales, The Mists of Avalon. The Lady of the Lake plays a crucial role in this text.

Bibliography
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Arthurian Legends. Ed. Ronan Coghlan. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1993.
New Arthurian Encyclopedia. Ed. Norris J. Lacy. New York: Garland, 1996.
WebMagick: Pre-Raphaelite Collection. (Graphic taken from this site)

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