#i hate lancelot

[storytellerknight]

Also, John Larroquette as Galahad is the best thing ever.  The imagery around Galahad is so often 'tragic youth who left us before his time'.  I love the idea of Galahad as a cranky old man whose grown up and realized that Camelot maybe isn't the be all end all of civilization.  Who's trying to look forward instead of always looking back.  It's a radical re-imaging of the character--for a character who is in desperate need of a radical change to his story.  I'm really digging this.  

I hope the Librarians gets renewed and John Larroquette comes back.  He is the best.  

[storytellerknight]

Night At The Museum's portrayal of Lancelot warmed my heart. More Lancelots like this one.

[storytellerknight]

lucrezianoin replied to your post “I’m starting to put the pieces together in my head for an Arthurian...”

arthurian: a journey in slowly becoming sympathetic to Lancelot XD - also I love the creepy grail. My favourite version of the grail is when there is something suspicious and wrong about it

I'd still make him a twat, though.  A well meaning, oblivious twat.  Like, he's easy to get along with until you're cleaning up his messes, then you hate him.  And at first Gwen wants nothing to do with him, but he's so earnest and open and adores her while Arthur drifts further and further away.  She really just wants to be first and foremost in someone's mind again.  

I don't think I'd make the grail itself creepy.  I think I'd go the way of McKenzie and make the grail a scam.  A false promise to break the table.  And then Galahad defies all odds and finds it...but those who created the scam are heavily invested in ensuring he doesn't make it back with the cup.  

[tonguetiedbyyou]

GO AWAY LANCELOT LEAVE MY GWENNIE BE

[storytellerknight]

Thirty Days of Arthurian Literature

Day Fourteen: A character you think is largely over-represented

Lancelot.  Look, I won't get into my feelings regarding Lancelot again.  I have a tag you can search if you're interested reliving (or reading for the first time) all the rants.  My evidence here has nothing to do with Lancelot and everything to do with Bedivere.  Bedivere, who is most often used as a stand-in for Lancelot in the modern era because authors realize that Lancelot's not historically accurate but want to use his story anyways.  Bedivere, who is very rarely allowed to exist outside of being a Lancelot impersonation.  Let's just accept the fact that Bedivere's place in modern Arthurian literature speaks to how over-represented Lancelot is and leave it at that.     

[storytellerknight]

Thirty Days of Arthurian Literature

Day Twelve: A storyline you are sick and tired to see everywhere 

Lancelot and Guinevere.  Anyone surprised?

Look, it's not necessarily that I'm sick of them per-say.  If I were to pick up a book that was like "Lancelot and Guinevere!  Revel in their angst!' I would never pick up that book, I would be totally fine reading the two of them going on and on about how much they love each other but they love Arthur too and woe is them their love is so tragic.  Fine.  Whatever.

The problem is the degree to which books that are supposedly telling the whole story of Arthur's reign focus on these two.  The degree to which the fall of Camelot is focused around these two when there are lots of other reasons for Camelot to fall.  These two have sucked up so much oxygen in the legend that I would just like stories that encompass the legend as much as possible to move away from them as a focus.  Or, at the very least, do something more interesting than having them constantly wangst about how pure their love is and how life is so unfair but they actually really love Arthur so they wouldn't have it any other way.  

I bet I would like these two more if I saw a lot less of them.  

[storytellerknight]

Thirty Days of Arthurian Character Development

The List

Day Fifteen: Lancelot

1. Have you ever written something about them?  What?

Lancelot is a minor character/villain in Heart.  Because it was my book and I could do things like that.  

2. If you could write a perfect Arthurian Novel about them, what would their story arc be? 

I'm of two minds on this.  Honestly, there's a part of me that really wishes I could just cut him out of the story entirely.  I don't think he really serves any sort of purpose in the story (aside from being the father of Galahad, who I do like which is my major complication).  As I grow older, the Lancelot/Guinevere thing interests me less and less and would really like to see something else focused on in modern retellings instead of the their agonizingly painful love whatever.  

On the other hand, I think Lancelot is the best representation of everything that's wrong with Camelot and he's a large reason for why it falls.  He is, superficially, the perfect knight.  He's devastatingly handsome, one of the greatest if not the greatest fighter and he follows all the rules of chivalry to a T.  He's also unable to keep it in his pants, has a penchant for running away from his personal problems (especially from the women in his life including Guinevere and both Elaines) and at the end of the day has no problem betraying everything he supposedly believes in.  He's pretty and makes for a good hero, so he receives high praise  and his stories are told while knights who aren't as pretty and don't make for the conventional hero (Gawain, Kay, Bedivere, Palamedes, Percival) get lost and their stories are shunted aside (or, worse, they're presented as a villain or antagonist to Lancelot's heroism and greatness).  So I think it would be interesting to write a story that focuses like a laser on this disconnect to how Lancelot presents himself and what he really is.  Unfortunately, this would be a really nuanced story and when it comes to Lancelot, my dislike for him is as obvious as a sledgehammer and I'm not sure if I could pull of the intricacies of such a story.   

3. What point in their life would you set their story?

I honestly see no point in telling a story about Lancelot pre or post Camelot.  It really comes from the Sueness of the character.  Other characters have lives and purposes outside of Camelot and the story of Arthur, but because of the way Lancelot was introduced to the tale and the way he ends up wrapped up in it, it's like before or after Arthur doesn't exist for him.  Whoever he was before or after doesn't matter, for me it's all about who he becomes while there.  

4. Are they more suited for a pre or post-Camlann story?

Pre, obviously.  

5. Which characters would you ship them with in the story? 

No one.  Because Lancelot doesn't have the emotional capacity to handle an adult relationship.  He's all about the chivalric love that occurs from afar.  Once an actually relationship begins to occur, Lancelot is going to be out of there like a bat out of hell.  

6. What would be their relationship with other characters?

Lancelot is a very polarizing character.  Those who like him idolize him.  They worship the ground he walks on-- following him around like lost puppies, singing praises of his great deeds.  Those who don't like Lancelot see him for what he really is-- an emotional coward who doesn't believe in anything beyond his own greatness.  They prefer to avoid Lancelot and his followers in order to avoid starting anything.  

The one exception to this Arthur who, while he knows Lancelot isn't perfect, sees a great deal of potential in the knight tries guide Lancelot towards being a better man.  It doesn't work out so well.

I honestly go back and forth on how Guinevere sees Lancelot.  Sometimes I think she's completely enamored by him, sometimes I think she sees him as a useful tool and sometimes I think she's creeped out by him and wishes he would spend as much time away from Camelot as possible.  

7. What’s the most crack storyline you’d like to see this character star in? 

In my Star Wars King Arthur Style story, Lancelot was going to be a hallucination given to Arthur by the Emperor in an attempt to turn Arthur to the Dark Side.  

[storytellerknight]

Thirty Days of Arthurian Romances

The List

Day One: Lancelot/Guinevere

1. Do you ship them?

No.  I have stated several times that I find nothing appealing or interesting about this ship.  I find Guinevere and Lancelot interesting on their own but the moment they fall in love with each other and wangsting about how they can never be together because they both love Arthur but oh it feels so good to be with each other and they don't know how they'll ever... no... no!  Restraint!  They must restrain... 

Blah blah blah, I'm so bored just writing about it.  

2. Is this your OTP for these characters?

No.  My OTP for Gwen is Arthur and my OTP for Lancelot is a deep dark hole where I don't have to listen to him, thank you very much.  

3. What do you like/dislike about this pairing

You know what I really hate?  Their free pass.  How writers over and over again portray their love as something deep and profound and beyond understanding.  Something worth forgiving because it was so amazing.  Something only an evil evil person would spit on or thing poorly of.  My problem with this pairing is authors often try to stuff down my throat how I'm supposed to feel about these two instead of just letting me hate them in peace.  That's what really burns me.  

4. When did you start shipping them

Never.  Never, ever.  I was horrified the moment I learned this pairing existed.

5. Favorite and least favorite portrayal of this couple in novels

I really like Bernard Cornwell's portrayal of these two in the Warlord Chronicles where they're both petty, awful people doing a petty awful thing because they can.  And they get called on it on every turn.  And when it blows up in their face, Guinevere grows up and learns from her mistakes and Lancelot remains a hated asshole forever.  Just the way I like it.

I really hate them in Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey.  Mainly because Lancelot is so ridiculously perfect (he sprains his own goddamn wrist by being the most amazing, most ferocious fighter ever).  And it has the godawful trope of Lancelot healing all of Guinevere's rape wounds.  Hate hate hate!

6. Favorite art or song you associate with this pairing

Miles to Go by Heather Dale.  Where Guinevere tells Lancelot that she can't be with him anymore and it's time for their paths to part.  

7. One headcanon about the pairing

Um, pretty much the way it happened in Bernard Cornwell's books.  If these two are together, they had better be petty awful people and unapologetic about what they're doing.  At least then I don't have to listen to them go on and on about how  much in love they are and how hard it is that they can't be together.