As promised, here is the review for Guinevere. This volume is an intriguing look into the historical and literary role of King Arthur’s queen, Guinevere. Goodrich delves into both historical records and medieval texts in an attempt to reconstruct, and pardon, one of the most famous adulterers of all time. According to Goodrich, it was a combination of male fear and misunderstanding that ultimately led to Guinevere unjustly gaining this reputation. She argues that rather than the unfaithful, traitorous queen with which modern society has grown acquainted, Guinevere was in a fact one of the most powerful pagan priestesses of her time.
Goodrich begins her examination of Guinevere with where she supposedly died, stating that she had found her gravemarker in the highlands of Scotland, an ancient Pictish monument carved with images of the queen.
She claims that :
Guinevere was not only a priestess, one that initiated Lancelot into her Mysteries and shared with an intimacy that transcended mere sexual union, she was also the true sovereign of Britain. Through her, Arthur gained a legitimate claim to the throne, and it is through her wisdom and guidance that his knights became world renowned. Goodrich examines the symbolism present in the legends and tales surrounding the queen, bringing them into the light and searching them for clues, tantalizing hints that could lead to the truth.If heroical epics had ever been written about women, heroines, of if epics had ever even portrayed a heroic woman, then that sort of biography would have suited Queen Guinevere.
While Goodrich’s detective work is top notch, she pays minute attention to detail and is meticulous about scouring texts for information, she takes up huge chunks of the book in simply re-telling the tales. Massive portions that could have been devoted to more theory and explanation of that theory are instead used inefficiently as repetition of stories that one could easily read for oneself on the internet or in any bookstore. Also, some of her evidence is less than convincing, and I wondered if some of conclusions were simply pulled out of the ether. There is no supporting evidence, for example, to support her claim that Lancelot was ever a king of Scotland, other than her unverifiable word that his name translates from old French to “Angus”, the old Scottish Gaelic word for king.
What she has to say about Guinevere specifically, however, does somewhat make up for her conjectures, because it’s simply fascinating from a Pagan point of view to not only contemplate the possibility that she was, in fact, just such a thing, but also that she was falsely accused and her name marred by a fearful, patriarchal society and church.
Overall, I would give this text a 3.8 out of 5. What Goodrich has to say is interesting, but her lack of concrete evidence makes me skeptical. Still, a very engaging and absorbing read.