Knights & Ladies, or Gods & Goddesses?

There is much to be said about the various Knights of the Round Table, and the Ladies of Camelot, many of whom can be traced back to ancient Celtic deities with either solar aspects or underworld associations. While the book will offer an indepth discussion, we offer here a brief overview:

• Mordred: a deity of the Underworld who kills his father, the Sun-God Arthur, at the time of the year when the days grow shorter again. He is Dylan of Welsh mythology, and Midhir of Irish mythology.
• Gawain: a solar deity whose strength increases up till noon and then decreases up till morning, similar to the daily cycles of the sun. As a brother to Mordred, he is Lleu of Welsh mythology (the brother of Dylan) and either Lugh or Cúchulainn of Irish mythology.
• Morgan Le Fay: a goddess of death and the Underworld, as she accompanies Arthur on his last journey to the Isle of Avalon. She has also frequently attempted to encompass her brother's death. As a wife of King Urien, she is the goddess Modron of Welsh mythology. In Irish mythology, she can be compared with the Mórrigan.
• Guinevere: a goddess of fertility who is abducted to the Underworld until she is finally restored by either Arthur or Lancelot. She is Creiddylad of Welsh mythology, over whom the forces of light (Gwythr) and dark (Gwyn ap Nudd) fight annually at May Day or Beltane. In Irish mythology, she is found as Etain, Grainné and Findabhair.
• Merlin: a deity of the Underworld who is entombed into a hollow tree, cave or glass tower on an island in the West, where he guards the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. He could perhaps be seen as the aspect of the 'Setting Sun'. He is the magician god Math of Welsh mythology, and the Druids Math and Mathgen of Irish mythology.

Naturally, the book will discuss the divine characteristics of each of these Arthurian personalities in greater detail. Other characters will also be discussed at length, such as Bedivere, Kay, Pellinore, the Lady of the Lake, the Fisher King, and Tristan & Isolde. Much attention will also be given to the solar aspects of Arthur's court at Camelot, as well as the Underworld associations of Avalon and its parallels in Celtic and Greek mythology.