The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer BradleyThe Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is not only an example of a medieval novel, but also tells the story of the women who stood behind King Arthur during his infamous reign in the Middle Ages. The term “Medieval Romance” does not necessarily mean that the piece using it contains any kind of romance. There are three criteria that must be met to form a medieval novel. (1) The plot must be divided into clearly separate episodes that often do not appear to be united in an obvious and casual way. (2) Plots generally take the form of trials that they must overcome to achieve the goal form. (3) The protagonist fails tests, which often involve acts of moral and spiritual perception, to the point where he ultimately follows the advice. This book is not a typical medieval novel, but it contains all the important aspects of one. This novel explains Arthur's reasoning and decisions from the perspective of the women involved. The Mists of Avalon is a twist on the Arthurian tales told by the four women instrumental in the story: Gwynhefar, Arthur's wife; Igraine, his mother; Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, High Priestess of Avalon; and Morgaine, his sister, lover and heir to Avalon. The story is told by each person as they saw it happen. In this novel, the legend of King Arthur is told for the first time through the lives, visions, and perceptions of the women at its center. By telling the story through a woman's perspective, The Mists of Avalon provides a female vision of the depths of the previously male-dominated Arthurian legend. The struggle between Christianity and the religion of Avalon is one of the central parts of the story. Arthur, whose mother was Viviane's sister Igraine, grows up to become High King of Britain after the death of his father, Uther Pendragon. In this era there were two religions that people studied. One was under Christian vows. They believed that theirs was only one god, theirs. They believed that all other gods were false and sinful. In Christian beliefs, women were believed to be the ultimate sinners. Based on this belief they were always made to feel submissive to their men. The other religion was under the Goddess, who people in the mystical world of Avalon believed was responsible for man and all his creations. It states that... halfway down the paper... I wanted a child and held no ill will towards Avalon. The same goes for Morgaine, there was no malice in her actions, and we see this as her actions are told from her point of view, not that of a man. Arthur betrayed Avalon and this was the result. In the male perspective of Arthurian legend we only see the actions of women. In this story told by the women we see their thoughts behind their actions. These thoughts were not known from the male perspective, but with the woman's view in these matters we see it more clearly. In a world where men largely dominate Arthurian legend, The Mists of Avalon gives us profound feminine insight. The Arthurian world of Avalon and Camelot, with all its passions and adventures, is revealed as its heroines might have experienced it: Queen Gwynhefar, Igraine, Viviane, and Arthur's sister Morgaine. This is a story of deep conflict between Christianity and the ancient religion of Avalon. It was the story of Arthur's betrayal of Avalon. It was the first time that an Arthurian legend had been told from the point of view of the women involved in the story. The insights these women brought to the story are truly profound.