The Mists of Avalon

Viviane and Morgaine arrive at Avalon after a difficult journey. As Viviane struggles to summon the barge that will take them to the island’s shores, she wonders how much strength she has left. She resolves to live until Morgaine and Gwydion are grown, since the fate of Avalon depends on them. They travel through a mysterious landscape. Although Morgaine seems frightened, Viviane says nothing, as she must grow accustomed to discomfort. When the thick fog breaks, Morgaine sees a beautiful land filled with light, music, and magic. She immediately feels at home.

Morgaine and Viviane rest and receive care from a young woman named Raven, who is under a vow of silence. Viviane says that eventually, Morgaine will know if the Goddess has called her. If so, she will take a vow and receive the mark of a moon on her forehead. Morgaine asks what it means to be vowed to the Goddess, and how it differs from the vow Father Columba has taken to Jesus Christ. Viviane reveals that the Christian God is the same omnipresent being, saying “God is called by many names, but is everywhere One […] when you pray to Mary, mother of Jesus, you pray, without knowing it, to the World Mother” (134).