logo

101 pages 3 hours read

Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists of Avalon

Marion Zimmer BradleyFiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1982

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 7-10Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Mistress of Magic”

Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary

After a brief return to Tintagel, Gorlois leaves again, hoping to ambush Uther’s army. Igraine feels that he is acting irrationally, and that “he would deprive all Britain of her High King […] all because he was not man enough for his wife and feared that Uther would be” (87).

Igraine waits for Uther to find her at Midwinter. On a particularly frigid night, Igraine invites an old peasant woman inside, hoping to gain some idea of the outside world. She says that battle has overtaken Britain, and that the combined chaos of the infighting between the dukes and Saxon invasion has reached the Holy Isle, where she lives. She mentions that Viviane has given birth to a baby boy, Galahad. Viviane says that Galahad, whose father is King Ban of Less Britain, will serve another king’s child, suggesting that Igraine’s fate will come to pass.

Igraine decides to use sorcery to warn Uther. She recalls her brief training at Avalon and projects her soul through the land of dreams. Igraine sees Gorlois’s camp and hears him discussing how the Cornish weather will likely thwart Uther. She is shocked into returning to her physical body at Tintagel.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 101 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools