This story contains spoilers for the first season of Netflix’s “Cursed”.
The first time Nimue unsheathes the Sword of Power in the “Cursed” series premiere, she is standing on a large rock trying to fight a pack of wolves in the rain.
When he lifts the blade over his head, its markings glowing with magic, the importance of the moment is palpable. With her first blow, Nimue decapitates a wolf and quickly catches the sword on the stone it is standing on. You have to get it out before you can continue defending yourself.
Played by Katherine Langford, “13 Reasons Why’s”, Nimue, who is destined to become the Lady of the Lake, is the central character in the Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller fantasy series that reinvents the Arthurian legend. Based on the pair’s YA illustrated novel of 2019, the first season of 10 episodes is now available on Netflix.
The premise of this origin story is that before King Arthur and his famous adventures, the sword intended for the only true king was wielded by a queen.
Nimue holds the Sword of Power for the first time in an episode of “Cursed”.
(Netflix)
“Part of this legend has always been the sword stuck in the stone,” said Zetna Fuentes, who directed the first two episodes of the series. “This was a time when we felt we could play on that. … It was fun finding those nods to the legend that we could also spin and do it in a different way. “
Stories about the British hero King Arthur have been told and told for centuries. Wheeler and Miller’s shared affinity for these legends, and their hopes of bringing something new to the tradition, led them to focus their story on Nimue, one of the names associated with the Lady of the Lake.
“Nimue is the key to everything,” said Miller. “She is the thread to which we are exposed to everything about the myths we associate with Camelot and Arthur and all other aspects.”
Wheeler explained that the images and the mystery surrounding the character of Lady of the Lake is what captivated them.
“That image of this woman’s arm coming out of the water and offering the sword to Arthur, conjures up all these interesting questions,” Wheeler said. “Who was she? What is her relationship with Arthur? Why does she have the sword? And as we started working backwards from there, this idea that a woman was holding the Sword of Power before Arthur felt like a story worth telling. “
Arthur (Devon Terrell) examines the Sword of Power in an episode of “Cursed”.
(Netflix)
In “Cursed”, Nimue is a Fey teenager with powerful and sometimes uncontrollable magic. Due to her powers, she grows up as an outcast in her village. After a religious order of bigoted fanatics slaughter her people, she embarks on a journey to deliver the Sword of Power to Merlin, at her mother’s last wish.
Over the course of the first season, Nimue confronts the warring human factions to help save the remaining Fey.
According to scholars, there are numerous iterations of the Lady of the Lake, the earliest appearance of which dates back to 12th and 13th century French literature. Some authors have portrayed her as good, while others have portrayed her as evil.
In addition to the stories about how he gave Arthur the Excalibur sword, different versions of the character are known for raising Sir Lancelot, who became one of the most famous Knights of the Round Table; enchanting and imprisoning Merlin the magician; and accompanying Arthur to Avalon. In some stories, he even replaces Merlin as King Arthur’s adviser.
Upon approaching the show, Fuentes explained that, of course, they knew the literature and the various film and television adaptations of Arthurian legends, but were not indebted to any previous interpretations of the characters or their stories.
Gawain (Matt Stokoe) has known Nimue since she was a child.
(Netflix)
In addition to Nimue, “Cursed” is dotted with familiar characters from the tradition, such as Arthur, Merlin and Gawain. Arthur’s version of the series is a young mercenary who yearns to be more than a man burdened by his father’s debts, while Merlin is a drunk who can no longer use magic. Gawain, also known as the Green Knight, grew up in the same village in Fey as Nimue.
“Seeing him through Nimue’s eyes as a character we know exists, in our minds, before the traditional story begins gave us some freedom,” Wheeler said. “It gave us an opportunity to present these characters in different ways.”
The scholarship is divided on whether King Arthur, the legendary literary figure, was actually also a historical figure. Geoffrey of Monmouth is credited with popularizing the legend of King Arthur through his 12th-century book, “The Story of the Kings of Great Britain.” Some historians believe that Arthur could have been based on a 5th or 6th century royal warrior, while others believe that he is a composite of various figures, and others believe that Arthur’s legends are not based on anyone real.
The central elements of Arthur’s story, from various sources, that have been most remembered over the years, include how he drew a sword from a stone (and anvil) to demonstrate the legitimacy of his claim to the throne; his Knights of the Round Table and his quest for the Holy Grail; his guardianship by Merlin; and his marriage to Geneva.
It turns out that Sister Igraine (Shalom Brune-Franklin) has a different name.
(Netflix)
In legends, Arthur is generally understood to be the son of King Uther Pendragon and Igraine, a backstory that differs from the character of “Cursed.”
Over the course of the first 10 episodes of the show, the characters who were initially introduced with a single name eventually reveal themselves as characters with much more significant ties to the Arthurian legend.
Sister Igraine is revealed to be Arthur’s sister Morgana. Young Fey Squirrel is named Perceval, while Week Monk, bred to be used as a weapon against Fey by the Red Paladins, reveals that he is also kind to Fey and used to be called Lancelot. Also, the Viking captain known as Red Spear is actually Guinevere.
Morgana is best known in legends as Morgan le Fey, another woman whose characterization has fluctuated from benevolent ally to villainous nemesis with magical abilities. This ambiguity seems to be played out in “Cursed” when Morgana, a faithful ally of Nimue and all kinds of Fey, acquires some mysterious powers.
Gawain, Lancelot and Perceval are all Knights of the Round Table. Gawain is known to be an expert gentleman. Arthur’s nephew Lancelot is probably best remembered for his romantic entanglements. Perceval is central to the quest for the Holy Grail.
The weeping monk (Daniel Sharman) tracked down and destroyed Fey villages for the red paladins.
(Netflix)
Guinevere is best remembered not only for marrying Arthur, but also for his adventure with Lancelot, which leads to the end of Camelot. Like many of the women in Arthurian legends, she has often been defined more for her role in men’s stories. But the Geneva in “Damn” is also a warrior with her own history. – Another way in which the show is distinguished from the classical tradition.
Wheeler enjoys the freedom to reinterpret these characters, but says the goal is to take them to a more recognizable place.
“Something Frank insisted on, and rightly so, is that we can change them, we can push them, we can stretch them, [as long as we] stay true to them, “Wheeler said.” And make sure you know our map of who these characters are. “
“Even if we are not telling you who these characters are, somehow, their destiny has already been established,” Miller said. “We know what we are aiming for.”
