KW Keller writes...

Well, I'm not Todd, but in response to the history of Excalibur, Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Caliburn" is thought by some to be derived from the Welsh "Caledfwlch" (Breton "Kaledvoulc'h"), or from the Irish "Caladbolg" or "Caladcholg." Caledfwlch appears in several Welsh Arthurian stories, especially "Culhwch ac Olwen." Caladbolg, "hard dinter," was the lightning sword of Fergus Mac Roth. Caladcholg was a similar sword owned by Fergus Mac Leti. Various people have argued at one time or another that the modern idea of Excalibur was taken from one of these sources.

Anonymous writes...

Who are Morgana's parents?
How can she beat Merlin? I mean Merlin is the son of Oberon who is one of the most powerful fay. Does that mean she also has a unique parentage like Merlin?

Anonymous writes...

What class of fay is Lady of the Lake? Power class?

Anonymous writes...

Does the Lady of the Lake have any biological children? Have you mentioned the name of any of her children on Askgreg?

Entity writes...

Hi Greg,

Don't let the death of Team Atlantis get you down, true brilliance is never recognized in its own time.

Anyway, I was wondering about your personal opinion on something: pop Arthurian Legend. First there was the "Merlin" miniseries, now there's another one on TNT called "The Mists of Avalon." Both take the traditional story of King Arthur and try to present its elements of magic to contemporary TV audiences in the guise of religion. Instead of accepting magic as a part of the legend, which I guess TV execs think is too "silly" or maybe even "controversial," they turn the Arthur legend into a morality tale about the old verse the new, Paganism verse Christianity, imagination verse logic, etc... take your pick.

What's your take? Do you think this is a constructive and innovative approach to telling the story, or a distracting and childish one?

Todd Jensen writes...

One question which I'll confess I've occasionally found myself asking about Arthur's quest for Merlin. Why does Arthur feel that he really needs Merlin by his side again? After all, in the traditional legends, he spent the majority of his reign without Merlin being there (Merlin's departure in the "Arthurian canon" took place almost directly after Arthur married Guinevere and set up the knights of the Round Table), and fared well enough on his own (not to mention that I don't think that Merlin could have seriously prevented the fall of Camelot even if he had been there, seeing that it was brought about through the one thing that his magic could not overcome, the human heart, as Macbeth pointed out in "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time"). Furthermore, at least some versions of the legend (including T. H. White and Roger Lancelyn Green) indicate that part of the reason why Merlin left Arthur's court (ultimately to wind up in the Crystal Cave) was because Arthur needed to stand on his own rather than constantly leaning on the wizard for help.

So why does Arthur feel that he still needs Merlin's help? (Admittedly, he does seem in a rather vulnerable situation at present, given that he's now in a world that's unfamiliar to him and very different from 6th century Britain - and he hasn't had the advantage that Macbeth had of being able to watch it change gradually and adjust accordingly - it's all been thrown upon him at once, just the way that it was on Goliath and his clan).

Todd Jensen writes...

Do you imagine New Camelot being anything like the Savage Land in Marvel Comics (though taking its "echoes of the past" element from the mythical Arthurian Age of Chivalry than from the Mesozoic, obviously)?

zakhur writes...

I've been hearing a lot of someone called Nimue, who is she? sorry if this question been asked, but I haven't seen it in the archives

Todd Jensen writes...

Have you ever read "Camelot 3000"?

Todd Jensen writes...

You've mentioned before that one of your favorite Arthurian works, and one which you've used quite a bit as a "primary source" (it clearly was at least a major influence for your handling of Percival and Blanchefleur) was Roger Lancelyn Green's "King Arthur". Have you ever read any of R. L. Green's other rehandlings of myths and legends (he wrote one on Greek mythology, "Heroes of Greece and Troy", one on Norse mythology, "Myths of the Norsemen", and one on Robin Hood)?

Punchinello writes...

I just noticed a question you answered concerning Duval/Percival. If I had not seen the two names adjacent to one another I would never have seen any potential connection. I know that the name Percival is derived from parsi - fal or "pure fool."

I have no idea what Duval means, although I now see the structural similarity in the name.

I also have absolutely no recollection of these characters from your story. I only know the names from the context of Arthurian legend.

I like fools. It bothers me that I did not see the meaning to be decoded in the name Duval before now. I shall need to go investigate it.

Perhaps you will save me from the effort? Or at least acknowledge if you intended a connection?

Punchinello

Lord Sloth writes...

2198 questions:
1a) how many heads do the space spawn have? Does it varry? b) Do the Space spawn's general appearance varry from one another? By alot?

2a) Is New Camelot still around in 2198? b) Are Arther's decendands running it or anything(I'll be really surprised if you answer THAT) c) Is it connected to Master Matrix?

3) Do the Illuminati still fund the Quarry men in 2198?

Anonymous writes...

Which came first the Master Matrix or New Camelot? Who created the Master Matrix?

Gipdac writes...

I had a question/comment. This is the history of Excalibur I got from one of the most brilliant people on the face of the Earth, my English teacher, Dr. Randy Lee Eickhoff, about a year ago:
Excalibur was forged by Hephaestus in Greece around 1000 BC. Then it was taken by a band of nomads (they have a name, and I honestly can't remember it), who traveled through Europe, and ended up in England. From then on the sword was handed down from great warrior to king, etc. Then Fergus Mac Roth, a King of Ulster, gained control of the sword Excalibur, at this time it was called Caliburn. Fergus was a key player in the story of Medb (Maeve), the warrior-queen of Connacht, and Cuchullain. Later Fergus and Medb had a love affair and one day while they were making love on a raft in the middle of a lake Medb's husband found them, he picked up Fergus' sword, Excalibur, and throw it at him. The sword stabbed him through the heart, and his body, still on the raft, floated down stream. And that is how the Lady of the Lake obtained the sword.
I was just wonder if that is close to the history of Excalibur in the Gargoyles Universe.
*Just a couple of quick notes:
Most people believe that Mab and Medb could have been the same person, and anyone who enjoys Irish myths should read "The Raid" by Randy Lee Eickhoff

Gipdac writes...

Okay, you'll need your timeline out, so please have it handy or don't answer these questions until you have it. Thank you.
In the Gargoyles Universe, what years were the following people born:
(all the original one's from the Arthur legends)
1) Merlin?
2) Morgana le Fay?
3) Nimue?
4) Gwenyvere?
5) Lancelot?
6) Blanchefleur?
7) Gawain?
8) Percival?
9) Galahad?

Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

I already know that this isn't true, but a friend and I have a bet, and I'd like to settle this.

Morgana is not one of the Weird Sisters, is she?

Sloth writes...

Another one for "Pendragon".... Why does MacBeth show so much contempt for Arther after speaking so grandly of him and Merlin in "lighthouse"? By the end of the episode he sounds more like himself, but durning the race for the sword, I thought he should of treated him as more of a worthey opponent.

Sloth writes...

In Pendragon, Arther gives the order to fire the lightning weapon at the base of the water elemental. Once this is done, the elemental is destroyed. Since I was never good at science, explane how electrisity would destroy the elemental and leave Arther unharmed.

Anonymous writes...

Who has more magic? Merlin or Morgana?

Anonymous writes...

Is it a coincidence that both New Camelot and the Master Matrix are in Antarctica?

Anonymous writes...

What does the Master Matrix and the LXM robots have to do with the Matrix that we see in Walkabout?

matt writes...

why did you and the writers decide not to have Macbeth join Arthur as one of his knights?

Anonymous writes...

Have the names of Oberon and Titania's kids been mentioned in AskGreg?

Anonymous writes...

Did Ra's al Ghul of Batman fame influence the character of Duval/Percival?

Todd Jensen writes...

When you came up with the notion of having King Arthur and Griff join forces, did you ever notice the parallel between their backgrounds in that both, during their original time periods, were defending Britain from Germanic invasions (King Arthur versus the Saxons and Angles at Badon, Griff versus the Nazis in the Battle of Britain)?

Vashkoda writes...

You've already given away that Morgana is a changeling. Have any other changelings appeared in the series? Will any appear in the spinoffs you've planned?

Anonymous writes...

1.Why can't Oberon and Merlin get along? Whose fault is it?
2.Does Merlin recognize Oberon as his father?
3.How many other children did Oberon have with mortals? Care to give the names of his children?

Anonymous writes...

Is Nimue a villain in Pendragon?

Anonymous writes...

How many episodes did you plan to dedicate to Arthur' search for Merlin?

Anonymous writes...

Who created the stone dragon in Pendragon? Do we know their names?

Anonymous writes...

Is Gargoyles Merlin a prophet like the Merlin of legends?
If Morgana were to fight Merlin who would win

Anonymous writes...

How old is Merlin biologically and chronologically in 1995?

Anonymous writes...

What powers does Excalibur have? Can it cut through anything?

Rob(the Sloth)Irwin writes...

Fine, I guess I'll keep writing while everything is fresh in my mind. The questions are fading quickly so I'll get right to it.

1.Did Arther Pendragon have any adventures in the time before Avolon sent him to London in the skiff? It dosn't seem to fit that Goliath had been all around the world by the time it took Arther to get from Avolon to London.

2.If #1's answer is yes, will you tell me what thoese adventures were?

Thanks Greg.

matt writes...

in your most recent (and long awaited) batch of questions you said that a garg living at the poles in a 6-month day, 6-month night cycle would eventually adapt. do you mean the garg would adapt to be flesh for six months and stone for six months, or adapt so that occasionally the garg would be awake in daylight or asleep at night?

Vashkoda writes...

1) Who originally taught Griff's ancestors the "rookery poem" about Excalibur?

2a) Did the gargoyles that Arthur met during the years he was king also resemble lions, unicorns and griffons? b) Had he previously met any gargoyles of "Scottish stock" before he was introduced to Goliath and the Avalon clan?

3a) Was Arthur ever referred to simply as "Pendragon"? b) In the Gargoyles universe, how did the name "Pendragon" originate? In other words, what were the circumstances that led up to Arthur's father receiving that name? c) I'm asking the obvious, but what symbol and/or heraldic beast would be featured on Arthur's coat of arms?

Anonymous writes...

Who are Morgana"s biological parents?
Who are the Green Knight's biological parents?

Anonymous writes...

How does Arthur get around in Pendragon? Where does he get the transportation to go to Antarctica, Stonehenge and Tintagel? Does Arthur have a base before New Camelot is found? Care to tell us where it is?

Anonymous writes...

What purpose does Blanchefleur serve in Arthur's quest?
Why does she join Arthur?

Anonymous writes...

What other characters did you plan to add as regulars in Pendragon besides Griff, Merlin, Arthur and Blanchefleur?

Anonymous writes...

1. Did you ever have a love-interest planned for Arthur?
Who would she or they be?

Anonymous writes...

Were the Illuminati the only villains you planned for Pendragon or were there more? Care to list a few? Would they include a few down to Earth ones such as gangsters?

Anonymous writes...

Care to tell us how old Merline is biologically?

Anonymous writes...

1.Who made Castle Carbonek? Are they the same guys that made the Grail? If not who are they?

2.How does time pass there? Is it like Avalon where a hour there is a day in our world?

3.Who controls the travelling? The fisher king? If no one controls it then does it work like Avalon where it takes you to where you're needed?

Anonymous writes...

1.Which human specifically made the grail? If you can't tell us then could you tell us if he was ever mentioned in the show or the askgreg archives?

Todd Jensen writes...

In your most recent set of answers (as of this point), you pretty much confirmed what many of us have suspected for some time - that in your vision for the Arthurian portion of "Gargoyles", Nimue was the daughter of Gorlois and Igraine whom Morgana was secretly swapped for. Just out of curiosity - did Merlin know when he was associating with her that she was his pupil Arthur's half-sister?

Anonymous writes...

So have you planned a crossover with the casts of Pendragon, Bad Guys, Gargoyles and New Olympians appearing in the same episode?

Anonymous writes...

What happened to the mortal child traded for Morgana? Is it dead?

Anonymous writes...

What was that thing in Pendragon? Was it a actual dragon or was it a gargoyle seeing that it was protecting the sword?

Anonymous writes...

You said that there was actually an internal reason for all these heroes being reawakened in the Gargoyles Universe including Goliath and the clan. Could you tell us the reason? If not was this the same reason that Arthur was originally taken to Avalon?