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The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, taking the dying king to Avalon after the Battle of Camlann, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. Different writers and copyists give her name variously as Nimue, Viviane, Elaine, Niniane, Nivian, Nyneve, Nimueh and other variations. The Lady of the Lake is an ambiguous figure that can be found in a variety of forms in Arthurian tales. Scholars have typically attributed her roots to a combination of pre-Christian traditions, including Gallic, Greek, Roman and Celtic mythologies. The motif of water, particularly lakes and fountains, was frequently associated with various feminine mythological archetypes. Critics have suggested that the name "Nivian" is in fact borrowed from the name of the Roman goddess of woods and waters. It may also be likely that the Lady and Morgan le Fay may have been derived from the same tradition. The first mention of Avalon, a magical island with which the Lady and Morgan are frequently associated, is in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae; Geoffrey says Arthur's sword Caliburn was forged there, and says Arthur was taken to the isle after his battle with Mordred to have his wounds healed. However one of the Lady's earliest appearances isn't in the form of a water spirit or nymph but a mortal girl. In the Suite Du Merlin. The Lady of the Lake is called Nivaine the Huntress. In this tale she is a fifteen-years-old girl with a very wild and cunning nature. She is compared often to the Roman goddess, Diana, who is goddess of the hunt. There are many references to this goddess throughout the story. One reference is the Lake of Diana where Merlin, who is in love with Nivaine, builds her a special house that is invisible to everyone except those who live in the household.
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