Mordred by Kamille Freske
Sir Mordred has held my interest for a couple of weeks and I wanted to write my next sonnet about him. I didn't find much out about him online. He was the bastard son of Arthur by Morgause (some say by Morgan le Fay). Morgause was Arthur's half sister. It is unclear whether the King raped Morgause or whether she mistook him for her husband or enchanted him.
I found it interesting to try and play devil's advocate by understanding how Mordred might have felt growing up and how he became the villain of the tales. In pursuing this vein of thought I discovered that Rosemary Sutcliff wrote some books on Arthurian legend (which I have ordered a trilogy of) and another she wrote is called Sword at Sunset. Hint hint, if anyone wants to get me a Christmas present I'd love this book! I was a huge fan of Sutcliff when I was 11 and 12 and The Eagle of the Ninth left a lasting and good impression on me.
It's been another productive week for me as I finished a different poem I have been working on since Sunday tonight too. I think I'll move onto Lancelot next maybe.
Mordred
Child you are learning to detest this world,
roaming the forests alone and forming
a genesis from rumour and half told
truths. I sigh to see you old becoming.
With a heart full of negativity
you are lost in the flames of revenge, fate,
despair and self loathing. Depravity
would seem to be an inherited trait.
This land will one day be yours to govern
and you will take a queen that is not yours
to hold when Arthur is on soil foreign;
your father and uncle by ill powers.
Still now a boy for your mother to mould,
if only innocence could hate unfold!
Orla Fay
I'm sure you are aware of the Meath and Trim Arthurian connection Orla. T.H. White who wrote the Once and future King lived near Trim during the Second W War. This from Wikipedia: "In February 1939, White moved to Doolistown, (in Boardsmill, Trim) Ireland, where he lived out the international crisis and the Second World War itself as a de facto conscientious objector.It was in Ireland that he wrote most of what would later become The Once and Future King." He also wrote a book in which he apparently made fun of some local characters and there was a lot of ill will towards him in the area because of this.
ReplyDeleteno way, I didn't know that, that's interesting.
ReplyDeleteWould that book be "The Elephant and the Kangaroo"? I remember Tommy mentioned something about it a while back.
ReplyDeleteFM.
I don't know Frank, thanks for the comment :)
ReplyDeleteYes Frank that's the one. Never read it myself.
ReplyDelete