"Sir Mordred" (1902) by H. J. Ford

Mordred or Modred (/ˈmoʊdrɛd/; Welsh: Medraut, Medrod, etc.) is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by one of his half-sisters, Morgan le Fay or Morgause. In earlier literature, he was considered the legitimate son of Morgause, also known as Anna, with her husband King Lot of Orkney. His brothers or half-brothers are Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth. The name (from either Old Welsh Medraut, Cornish Modred, or Old Breton Modrot) is ultimately derived from Latin Moderātus.^[1]

Mordred in Arthurian legend[link]

Mordred appears very early in Arthurian literature. The first mention of him, as Medraut, occurs in the Annales Cambriae entry for the year 537:^[2]

Gueith Camlann in qua Arthur et Medraut corruerunt.

"The strife of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut fell."

The Annales themselves were completed between 960 and 970, though their authors drew on older material.^[3] Mordred was associated with Camlann even at that early date, but as Leslie Alcock points out, this brief entry gives no information as to whether he killed or was killed by Arthur, or even if he was fighting against him; the reader assumes this in the light of later tradition.^[4] But even if he was not the notorious villain he would later become, his appearances in the Welsh Triads and genealogies show he was at least a well known personage.

The earliest full account of Mordred is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, where he, for the first time in literature, plays the role of traitor to Arthur. Geoffrey introduced the figure of Mordred (whom he calls Modredus) to the world beyond Wales, detailing that Arthur left Mordred in charge of his throne as he crossed the English Channel to wage war on Emperor Lucius of Rome. During Arthur's absence Mordred crowns himself king and marries Guinevere, forcing Arthur to return to Britain. The Battle of Camlann is fought, and Mordred dies while Arthur is taken to Avalon. Arthur's successor, Constantine III of Britain, has to deal with the remainder of Mordred's army, led by his two sons.

A number of Welsh sources also refer to Medraut, usually in relation to Camlann. One triad, based on Geoffrey's Historia, provides an account of his betrayal of Arthur;^[5] in another, he is described as the author of one of the "Three Unrestrained Ravagings of the Isle of Britain" – he came to Arthur's court at Kelliwic in Cornwall, devoured all of the food and drink, and even dragged Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) from her throne and beat her.^[6] Medraut is never considered Arthur's son in Welsh texts, only his nephew, though The Dream of Rhonabwy mentions that the king had been his foster father. However, Mordred's later characterization as the king's villainous son has a precedent in the figure of Amr, a son of Arthur's known from only two references. The more important of these, found in an appendix to the Historia Britonum, describes his marvelous grave beside the Herefordshire spring where he had been slain by his own father in some unchronicled tragedy.^[7][8] What connection exists between the stories of Amr and Mordred, if there is one, has never been satisfactorily explained.

In Geoffrey and certain other sources such as the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Mordred seduces and marries Guinevere, after which he seizes the throne. However, in later writings like the Lancelot-Grail Cycle and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Guinevere is not treated as a traitor and she flees Mordred's proposal and hides in the Tower of London. Adultery is still tied to her role in these later romances, however, but Mordred has been replaced with Lancelot.

Geoffrey and the Lancelot-Grail Cycle have Mordred being succeeded by his two sons. In Geoffrey, Arthur's successor Constantine tracks them down and kills them in their sanctuaries; in the Lancelot-Grail, the elder son, Melehan, is killed by Bors, while Lancelot slays his brother.

Mordred's background[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

The illegitimacy angle was introduced in the Lancelot-Grail (Vulgate) Cycle, and has been taken up in most subsequent versions. In those versions, the incest is usually accidental; the participants are ignorant of their kinship. In one version Morgause mistakes Arthur for her husband visiting her in the night. In another Arthur rapes his half-sister, overtaken by lust for her. In any case, the discovery of the incest is usually disastrous; after hearing a prophecy that a child born on May Day, as Mordred was, will destroy him and his kingdom, Arthur rounds up all the noble May Babies and sends them away on a rickety ship. The ship sinks, and the only child to survive is Mordred, who is rescued and eventually returned to his parents.

Mordred in later works[link]

Virtually everywhere Mordred appears, his name is synonymous with treachery. He appears in Dante's Inferno in the lowest circle of Hell, set apart for traitors: "him who, at one blow, had chest and shadow / shattered by Arthur's hand;"^[9] (Canto XXXII).

A few works of the Middle Ages and today, however, portray Mordred as less a traitor and more a conflicted opportunist, or even a victim of fate. The 14th century Scottish chronicler John of Fordun even claimed that Mordred was the rightful heir to the throne of Britain, as Arthur was an illegitimate child (in his account, Mordred was the legitimate son of Lot and Anna.) This sentiment was elaborated upon by Walter Bower and by Hector Boece, who in his Historia Gentis Scotorum goes so far as to say Arthur and Gawain were traitors and villains who stole the throne from Mordred. Even Malory, who depicts Mordred as a villain, notes that the people of England rallied to him because, "with Arthur was none other life but war and strife, and with Sir Mordred was great joy and bliss".

Mordred is especially prominent in popular Arthurian texts of the modern era, especially in fiction, film, and television, and the comics medium.^[10] Some modern Arthurian works such as Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon replace Morgause as Mordred's mother with Morgan le Fay (traditionally her sister). Mordred remains a major villain in many modern takes on the legend, including John Boorman's film Excalibur, T.H. White's novel The Once and Future King (where Mordred plays the role of a bitter but successful populist and faux-Bolshevik) and the musical based on it, Camelot, and Hal Foster's popular comic strip Prince Valiant. In the 2008 episode "The Beginning Of The End" of the BBC television series Merlin, a prequel to and re-imagining of the Arthur legends, Mordred appears as a young Druid boy whom Merlin protects despite being warned that he would one day kill Arthur.

In the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica by James A. Owen, Mordred is the main villain. In the third book, The Indigo King, it is revealed that Mordred was born as Madoc in a place called the Archipelago of Dreams, from which he was exiled for trying to use knowledge of the future to shape it. He and his twin, Myrddyn, were sons of Ulysses.^{[clarification needed]} Mordred was banished by his brother until he was allowed to come back to fight to become High King, taking on the name Mordred. He fought Myrddyn, who is now Merlin, defeating him but losing to Arthur, Merlin's son and Mordred's nephew.

Other works treat the character differently. The Victorian poet George Augustus Simcox wrote a poem titled "Mordred My Master" from the perspective of Mordred's dog. Rosemary Sutcliff's portrayal of 'Medraut' in Sword at Sunset is fatalistic but fairly ambiguous, showing him as a product of his mother's hate, inexorably compelled towards his doom. Mary Stewart's The Wicked Day is told from his perspective and portrays him more sympathetically than usual, as a victim of fate and the machinations of his mother, whom Stewart identifies as Morgause, illegitimate daughter of Uther. Elizabeth Wein's The Winter Prince portrays him similarly, as a conflicted young man doomed by his mother's manipulations and his own jealousy of his legitimate half-brother Lleu. In Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles, Mordred is the club-footed, legitimate grandson and heir of Uther Pendragon, and Arthur serves as the kingdom's regent during his minority. In Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle, Medraut is even half-Atlantean (as is Myrddin), since Lawhead makes his mother Morgian (here Myrddin's aunt) a refugee from Atlantis. In Vivian Vande Velde's The Book of Mordred, Mordred is portrayed as the protagonist of the story, killing an evil wizard and saving a telepathic girl, her mother, and a witch named Nimue, who was Merlin's student. Similarly, Douglas Clegg's Mordred, Bastard Son portrays the character as not only sympathetic but heroic (he and Lancelot save Guinevere from a murderous plot), and in a new twist, he is Lancelot's lover.

See also[link]

• Illegitimacy in fiction
• King Arthur's family

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Alcock, Leslie (1971). Arthur's Britain, p. 88. London: Penguin Press.
• Bromwich, Rachel (2006). Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain. University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1386-8
• Lacy, Norris J. (Ed.), The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, pp. 8–9. New York: Garland. ISBN 0-8240-4377-4.
• Lacy, Norris J.; Ashe, Geoffrey; and Mancroff, Debra N. (1997). The Arthurian Handbook. New York: Garland. ISBN 0-8153-2081-7.

External links[link]

• Several accounts of Mordred's death
• Mordred at BoardGameGeek

Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian in Malmö, Sweden, September 21, 2006. L-R: Olbrich, Ehmke, Kürsch, Siepen, Schüren, Holzwarth
Background information
Origin	Krefeld, Germany
Genres	Power metal, progressive metal, speed metal, thrash metal
Years active	1984–present
Labels	No Remorse, Virgin, Century Media, Nuclear Blast
Associated acts	Demons and Wizards, Gamma Ray, Helloween, Iced Earth, Iron Savior, Savage Circus, Schattentantz, Power Quest
Website	www.blind-guardian.com
Members
Hansi Kürsch André Olbrich Marcus Siepen Frederik Ehmke
Past members
Thomas "Thomen" Stauch Markus Dörk Christof Theißen Hans-Peter Frey Mathias Wiesner

Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, West Germany.^[1] They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.^[2][3] Blind Guardian is a part of the German heavy metal scene that emerged in the mid-1980s.

The band's lyrics, written by vocalist Hansi Kürsch, are inspired by the fiction of fantasy authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin as well as traditional legends and epics.^[4] Over the years, a running theme has developed personifying the band members as travelling bards, leading some fans to refer to the band affectionately as "The Bards".

Biography[link]

Formation as Lucifer's Heritage (1984–1987)[link]

Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 in Krefeld, Germany, by Hansi Kürsch (vocals, bass) and Andre Olbrich (guitar) under the name Lucifer's Heritage. The band first released two demos in 1985 and 1986, despite undergoing chaotic lineup changes: Markus Dörk (guitar) and Thomen Stauch (drums) were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively. Finally, in 1987, Marcus Siepen joined and Thomen came back to form the lineup which would stay consistent for the next 18 years.

Name change and rise to success (1988–1996)[link]

After Lucifer's Heritage signed a contract with No Remorse Records, the band changed their name to Blind Guardian to avoid any speculations about Satanism (in a bio it was stated that they also wanted to distance themselves from the black metal movement, as their demos were placed in with black metal albums at local record shops). They released their debut album Battalions of Fear in 1988, which was essentially a speed metal album heavily influenced by Helloween.^[5] These two German bands had close ties, and Helloween founder Kai Hansen made a guest appearance on Blind Guardian's second LP, Follow the Blind (1989), where the band revealed some thrash metal influence.^[6][7] Their third LP, Tales from the Twilight World (1990), had a much more melodic and "epic" feeling, with usage of choir and classical music influence.

Blind Guardian signed with Virgin Records in 1991, and released their fourth studio album Somewhere Far Beyond in 1992 and the live album Tokyo Tales in 1993. Flemming Rasmussen, former Metallica producer, began working with the band in 1994, producing their fifth studio album Imaginations from the Other Side, released in 1995, and The Forgotten Tales, an album that contained half covers and half original work, released in 1996.

Later years and departure of Thomen Stauch (1997–2009)[link]

In 1998, Blind Guardian released their epic album Nightfall in Middle-Earth. "Complete with anthemic choruses, spoken word story lines, and plenty of bombastic power metal punctuating every dramatic turn", says Allmusic's Vincent Jeffries, "Nightfall in Middle-Earth is perhaps Blind Guardian's most triumphant".^[8] A concept album based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion,^[4] Blind Guardian's music demonstrated some folk rock influence, but also featured heavy use of Queen-style layered backing vocals. Since Nightfall, bass guitar has been played by sessional member Oliver Holzwarth, and Hansi has been able to devote all his attention to singing. Nightfall was also the last Blind Guardian album produced by Rasmussen.

Lead vocalist Hansi Kürsch

A Night at the Opera, named after the Queen album, was released four years later. On this album, the band's sound lacked almost all influence of their original speed metal. Power and progressive metal abound, with over the top orchestral backing and a consistent vocal and guitar layering throughout.^[9] Though not a true concept album, many of the lyrics dealt with the common themes of religion and relations between human and divine powers. It was followed by a live album in 2003 and a DVD, Imaginations Through the Looking Glass, in 2004, which was the last recorded Blind Guardian material to feature Thomen Stauch on drums. He left the band due to musical differences and was replaced by Frederik Ehmke. The first album with Ehmke was A Twist in the Myth, which came out in 2006.

Blind Guardian participated in the soundtrack for the In the Name of the King: a Dungeon Siege Tale fantasy movie (Uwe Boll), which came out in 2008.^[10] The band also recorded a theme song for Sacred 2 Fallen Angel role-playing video game, the prequel to Sacred.^[11]

Recent events (2010–present)[link]

André Olbrich performing in 2009

"A Voice in the Dark" was the next single from Blind Guardian that was released 25 June 2010. On July 30, 2010 the album followed, called At the Edge of Time. The band started "The Sacred Worlds and Songs Divine Tour 2010", the European dates will have the opening acts Enforcer and Steelwing. The 22 October in Gothenburg, Sweden only Steelwing was the opening act. The US dates will have Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms and later they were announced that they would play at Wacken Open Air in 2011.

On July 21, 2011, Hansi Kürsch announced on Blind Guardian's official website that they are working on an orchestral album.^[12][13] On September 1, 2011, Oliver Holzwarth joined Rhapsody of Fire as a full-time member, after 13 years as Blind Guardian's session bass player.^[14] On January 27th, 2012, the band released a compilation album, titled Memories of a Time to Come, containing re-recorded and remixed songs from the band's entire discography.^[15]

Musical style[link]

Blind Guardian with the band's definitive scenery in background

Blind Guardian's first two albums, Battalions of Fear and Follow the Blind, were more in the style of speed metal than their following works. Beginning with their third album Tales from the Twilight World, Blind Guardian gradually began to write more complicated compositions focusing less on speed. As of their sixth album, Nightfall in Middle Earth, Hansi stopped playing bass to focus on singing. At this point the band began to incorporate large amounts of orchestral arrangements, and utilized the technique of overdubbing, heavily influenced by the English rock band Queen.^[16]

Blind Guardian's music features the staccato guitars and double bass drumming characteristic of power metal, as well as the use of overdubs and numerous backing vocals to create a dense sound. This technique, especially notable in the guitar and vocal tracks, creates the impression of a vast army of musicians playing in unison and singing in harmony. This proved significant on all albums after the first two but most particularly on A Night at the Opera.

Another definitive feature of Blind Guardian music is frequent use of folk tunes and instruments, especially in power ballads such as "Lord of the Rings", "The Bard's Song", "A Past and Future Secret", "Skalds and Shadows" and "Curse My Name", among others.

Side projects[link]

Along with Jon Schaffer, the leader and founder of Iced Earth, Kürsch is a member of Demons and Wizards, where he is the lead singer.

Blind Guardian have been working on and off for eight years on an orchestral project writing music about The Lord of the Rings (negotiations failed to be included on the famous The Lord of the Rings film trilogy as the soundtrack, because the band wanted to concentrate on their next album). Although it will not be a power metal album, it will be published under the name of Blind Guardian because it matches the theme of the band's lyrics, according to Hansi.^[17]

Due to the tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, Blind Guardian began working with their former record company, EMI Music, and auctioned off an exclusive studio session for two in the Twilight Hall Studio in Grefrath, Germany for charity in which 100% of proceeds would be donated to the tsunami relief efforts.^[18] The auction ended on April 22, 2011 with a final bid of £1,171.00.^[19]

Line-up[link]

Current members[link]

• Hansi Kürsch – lead vocals (1984–present), bass (1984–1996)
• André Olbrich – lead guitar, backing vocals (1984–present)
• Marcus Siepen – Rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1987–present)
• Frederik Ehmke – drums, percussion, flute and bagpipes (2005–present)

With:

• Thomas Hackmann (sessional member) – backing vocals (1990–present)
• Oliver Holzwarth (sessional and live member) – bass, backing vocals (1997–present)
• Michael Schüren (sessional member) – keyboards, grand piano (1997-present)
• Olaf Senkbeil (sessional member) - backing vocals (1998–present)
• Pat Bender (sessional member) – keyboards, sound effects (2002–present)

Former members[link]

• Thomas "Thomen" Stauch – drums (1984–1985, 1987–2005)
• Markus Dörk – Guitars (1984–1985)
• Christof Theißen – Rhythm guitar (1986)
• Hans-Peter Frey – drums (1986)
• Mathias Wiesner – keyboards, effects (studio) (1989–2002)

Discography[link]

• Battalions of Fear (1988)
• Follow the Blind (1989)
• Tales from the Twilight World (1990)
• Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
• Imaginations from the Other Side (1995)
• Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)
• A Night at the Opera (2002)
• A Twist in the Myth (2006)
• At the Edge of Time (2010)

References[link]

Blind Guardian-Battlefield is the theme song for Robot Unicorn Attack heavy metal version

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Blind Guardian

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Blind Guardian

• Official website
• Blind Guardian on Myspace
• Blind Guardian discography at MusicBrainz
• Hansi Kurskch Interview With Metal Rules