| Lady of the Lake (Viviane / Nimue) | |
|---|---|
| Matter of Britain character | |
 The Lady of the Lake in Lancelot Speed's illustration for James Thomas Knowles' The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights (1912) | |
| First appearance | Vulgate Cycle |
| Based on | Disputed origins, earlier and unnamed versions of the character in Lanzelet and Lancelot |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Fairy or human |
| Title | Lady of the Lake |
| Occupation | Enchantress |
| Family | Dyonas (father) |
| Spouse | Pelleas |
| Significant other | Merlin, sometimes others |
| Children | Bors, Lancelot, Lionel (all adopted) |
| Home | The lake, Brocéliande, Avalon |
The Lady of the Lake (French: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, Welsh: Arglwyddes y Llyn, Cornish: Arloedhes an Lynn, Breton: Itron al Lenn, Italian: Dama del Lago) is a title used by multiple characters in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. As either actually fairy or fairy-like yet human enchantresses, they play important roles in various stories, notably by providing Arthur with the sword Excalibur, eliminating the wizard Merlin, raising the knight Lancelot after the death of his father, and helping to take the dying Arthur to Avalon after his final battle. Different Ladies of the Lake appear concurrently as separate characters in some versions of the legend since at least the Post-Vulgate Cycle and consequently the seminal Le Morte d'Arthur, with the latter describing them as members of a hierarchical group, while some texts also give this title to either Morgan or her sister.[1]
- ^ "Morgan is also later said to be either a sister or the Lady herself. Descriptions of [the Lady] as a fairy queen are also similar to Geoffrey's depiction of Morgan on the Isle of Avalon to whom Arthur is taken to be healed after Camlan." Sullivan, Tony (2020). King Arthur: Man or Myth. p. 172.