Igraine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Igraine |
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| Matter of Britain character | |
King Uther and Igraine after Gorlois's death, from Uther and Igraine by Warwick Deeping, illustration by Władysław T. Benda, 1903
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| First appearance | Historia Regum Britanniae |
| Created by | Geoffrey of Monmouth |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Duchess, queen |
| Family | King Arthur's family |
| Spouse(s) | Gorlois, Uther Pendragon |
| Children | Elaine, Morgan, Morgause (with Gorlois), Arthur (with Uther) |
| Nationality | Briton |
In the famous stories of the Matter of Britain, Igraine is a very important character. She is known as the mother of the legendary King Arthur. She became the wife of Uther Pendragon, who was a powerful king. This happened after her first husband, Gorlois, passed away.
Contents
Who Was Igraine?
Igraine is first mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, Historia Regum Britanniae. In this story, she is the wife of Gorlois, who was the Duke of Cornwall. Geoffrey described her as the most beautiful woman in all of Britain.
Igraine's Family
Igraine had several children. With her first husband, Gorlois, she had three daughters:
- Elaine
- Morgause
- Morgan le Fay
Later, with King Uther Pendragon, she had a son named King Arthur. Arthur grew up to become one of the most famous kings in legends. Some stories also say she had a daughter named Anna with Uther.
How Igraine Met Uther
The story of Igraine and Uther Pendragon is quite dramatic. King Uther fell deeply in love with Igraine when he saw her. He tried to get her attention at his royal court.
However, Igraine's husband, Gorlois, was not happy about this. He took Igraine and left the court without asking Uther's permission. This made Uther very angry, and he decided to start a war against Gorlois.
Merlin's Magic and Arthur's Birth
During the war, Gorlois kept Igraine safe in Tintagel Castle. He fought the war from another castle called Dimilioc. King Uther wanted to be with Igraine, so he asked the powerful wizard Merlin for help.
Merlin used his magic to make Uther look exactly like Gorlois. Uther, disguised as Gorlois, went to Tintagel Castle. Igraine believed he was her husband and welcomed him. That very same night, the real Gorlois died in battle.
After Gorlois's death, Uther Pendragon married Igraine. She soon became pregnant with Arthur. Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote that they lived together happily after that, united by their great love.
In some versions of the story, like Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Arthur was raised by Sir Ector. Arthur didn't meet his mother, Igraine, until he had grown up and become king himself.
See also
- King Arthur's family
