Guendoloena (Merlin's wife)

Vita Merlini

• attestation: The messenger sings of the dire groaning and pitiful tears of Guendoloena (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

  "« O diros gemitus lugubris Guendoloenae ! O miseras lacrimas lacrimantis Guendoloenae " ! Me miseret miseræ morientis Guendoloenae!"

• attribution: Guendoloena was the most beautiful woman in Wales, surpassing goddesses in brightness (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

  "Non erat in Waliis mulier formosior illa. Vincebat candore deas, foliumque ligustri, Vernantesque rosas, et olentia lilia prati."

• attribution: Guendoloena had starry beauty in her eyes and golden hair, but all beauty has perished from sorrow (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

  "Sidereumque decusgeminis gestabat ocellis, Insignesque comas auri fulgore nitentes. Hoc totum perit; perit decor omnis in illa,"

• attestation: Guendoloena does not know if her husband lives or is dead, and wastes away in sorrow (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

  "Nescit enim quo dux abit, vita ne fruatur An sit defunctus : languet miserabilis inde, Totaque deperit longo liquefacta dolore."

• attestation: Guendoloena is summoned; she comes supplicant, begging Merlinus to remain, but he spurns her (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

  "Denique cum nullus posset retinere volentem Ire virum, jussit citius regina venire Ejus ad abscessum, absentem Guendoloenam. Illa venit, supplexque virum remanere precatur : Spernit at ille preces, nec vult remanere,"

• attribution: Guendoloena grieves, tears flowing, tearing her hair and scratching her cheeks, rolling on the ground as if dying (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

  "Illa dolet, fletuquefluit, laniatque capillos, Et secat ungue genas, et humi moriendo volutat."

• attestation: Guendoloena comes out smiling, marvelling that Merlinus rides a deer and commands so many wild beasts like a shepherd leading sheep (Vita Merlini > Merlin at War and in Madness)

  "Ocius ergo venit subridens Guendoloena, Gestarique virum cervo miratur, et illum Sic parere viro, tantum quoque posse ferarum Uniri numerum, quas præ se solus agebat Sicut pastor oves quas ducere suevit ad herbas."