The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer BradleyThe Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is not only an example of medieval romance, but tells also the story of the women who supported King Arthur during his infamous reign in the Middle Ages. The term "Medieval Romance" does not necessarily mean that the play using it contains any kind of romance. Three criteria must be met to form a medieval romance. (1) The plot must be divided into clearly separate episodes which often do not seem connected in an obvious and casual way. (2) Plots usually take the form of tests they must pass to achieve their goal. (3) The protagonist fails the tests, which often involve acts of moral and spiritual perception, to the point that he eventually follows the advice. This book is not a typical medieval novel, but it contains all the important aspects. This novel explains the reasoning and decisions made by Arthur from the perspective of the women involved. The Mists of Avalon is a variation of the Arthurian tales told by the four women who played a pivotal role in the story: Gwynhefar, Arthur's wife; Igraine, his mother; Viviane, Lady of the Lake, High Priestess of Avalon; and Morgaine, his sister, lover and heiress of 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 central to it. By telling the story from a woman's perspective, The Mists of Avalon offers a female insight into the depths of 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 Igraine, sister of Viviane, became High King of Great Britain after the death of his father, Uther Pendragon. At that time, people studied two religions. One was under Christian vows. They believed that there was only one god, theirs. They believed that all other gods were false and sinful. In Christian beliefs, women were considered the ultimate sinners. According to this belief, they always felt submissive to their men. The other religion was under the Goddess, whom the inhabitants of the mystical world of Avalon believed to be responsible for man and all his creations. It says in the middle of the paper......that I had wanted a baby and had no ill will towards Avalon. The same goes for Morgaine, there was no malice in her actions, and we see that since her actions are told from her own point of view, not a man's. Arthur betrayed Avalon and this is the result. In the male perspective of Arthurian legend, we only see the actions of women. In this tale told by women, we see their thoughts behind their actions. These thoughts were not known from the man's perspective, but with the woman's insight into these matters, we see it more clearly. In a world where men largely dominate Arthurian legend, The Mists of Avalon gives us a profound feminine vision. The Arthurian world of Avalon and Camelot with all its passions and adventures is revealed as its heroines experienced it: Queen Gwynhefar, Igraine, Viviane and Arthur's sister, Morgaine. It is the story of a 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 an Arthurian legend was told from the perspective of the women involved in the story. The ideas these women brought to history are truly profound.