Nimue

Arthurian romances use several names and identities for the Lady of the Lake, including Nimue, Viviane and Niniane. Depending on the version, she raises Lancelot, gives Arthur a sword, assists the court or learns Merlin’s knowledge before confining or replacing him.

Their relationship combines affection, instruction and the transfer of authority, recasting traditions that often portray the woman primarily as a deceiver who entraps him. The Lady of the Lake traditions connect Arthur’s supernatural authority, Merlin’s disappearance and the continuation of magical knowledge. Nimue was born in Britain (legendary).

In Mary Stewart’s The Last Enchantment, The arrival of the gifted young woman Nimue brings companionship, love and the possibility of succession, yet Merlin knows that legend has assigned her another place in his fate.