Vivienne was the wife of Gorlois, the mother of Morgause and Morgana Pendragon, and briefly the lover of Uther Pendragon. She was also a member of the House of Gorlois and a Lady of the court of Camelot.
Biography
Vivienne married Gorlois, a Knight of Camelot, and eventually gave birth to their daughter Morgause. Soon after Morgause was born, Uther was led to believe she had died, but she was smuggled to the High Priestesses by Gaius, the Court Physician. The reason for this deception is unknown (The Sins of the Father).
Sometime later, while Gorlois was away fighting on the Northern Plains, Vivienne had a brief affair with Uther that resulted in the birth of her second daughter, Morgana (The Crystal Cave).
Appearances
- Series 2
- The Sins of the Father (Mentioned only)
- Series 3
- The Crystal Cave (Mentioned only)
Trivia
- It is unknown whether Gorlois ever learned of Vivienne's infidelity (The Crystal Cave).
- It is unknown what happened to Vivienne after Morgana's birth. Though Morgana has often spoken fondly of Gorlois, she has never mentioned her mother (The Crystal Cave).
- Though both of her daughters possessed magical abilities, it is unknown what (if any) connection Vivienne herself had to magic (The Nightmare Begins, The Sins of the Father).
- Before they were separated, Vivienne gave Morgause a bracelet forged on the Isle of the Blessed, which some have taken to mean that Vivienne could have been a High Priestess. However, it is equally possible that she bought or was given the bracelet as a gift (The Sins of the Father).
In the Legend
Vivienne (alternatively spelled Vivien, Vivian, or Viviane) is one of several names for the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian Legend. She plays many important roles, such as providing King Arthur with his sword Excalibur, raising Lancelot after the death of his father, and taking the dying Arthur to Avalon.
Vivienne was also Merlin's lover and apprentice. After she learned all his secrets, Vivienne used her power to trap him in a cave or tree, effectively killing him. She later took over Merlin's role as Arthur's chief advisor and foiled many attempts on the King's life.