Chroniclers may pass, but the history of
Avalon is still unfolding. The following chronology is accurate as of
1 September, 2007. The numbers in parentheses after each book
indicate the order in which they were written. Note that the middle
section of Lady of Avalon
is chronologically within the period covered by
Priestess of Avalon.
- 2000-1995 B.C.E. (approximate):
Ancestors of Avalon
(5)
- The time for this book is predicated on current archaeological dating
for the building of Stonehenge IIIa.
- 40-61 C.E.:
Ravens of Avalon (6)
- Ravens tells the story of the conquest of Britannia
by the Romans as seen through the eyes of the young Lhiannon and
Boudica, who remain friends though their ways part, Lhiannon to
become a priestess and Boudica to be queen of the Iceni, ending
in her ill-fated rebellion.
- 81-96 C.E.:
The Forest House
(2)
- This story takes place during the reigns of the Emperors Titus
and Domitian, when Agricola is governor of Britannia.
- 96-118 C.E.:
Lady of Avalon,
Part I ("The Wisewoman") (3)
- This section of the book is a direct sequel to
The Forest House,
and ends with the working that separates the timeline of Avalon
from that of the mortal world.
- 259-271 C.E.:
Priestess of Avalon,
Part I ("The Way to Love") (4)
- When Helena arrives at Avalon she is ten and her cousin Dierna
is two years old. She leaves at the age of twenty-two.
- 271-285 C.E.:
Priestess of Avalon,
Part II: Chapters 8-11 ("The Way to Power") (4)
- Helena lives with Constantius in various parts of the Empire.
- 285-293 C.E.:
Lady of Avalon,
Part II ("The High Priestess") (3)
- Dierna is now twenty-four and Lady of Avalon. She will remain in
that post (at least) for the next twenty-two years.
- 293-306 C.E.:
Priestess of Avalon,
Part II: Chapters 9-14 (4)
- Carausius' rebellion takes place between chapters 8-9. The story
picks up again when Constantius leaves Helena to make a State
marriage and continues to the year when her son Constantine
became emperor.
- 307-329 C.E.:
Priestess of Avalon,
Part III ("The Way to Wisdom") (4)
- Part III covers Helena's life as mother of the emperor, up to the
year when she disappeared from history.
- 440-452 C.E.:
Lady of Avalon, Part III
("Daughter of Avalon") (3)
- This story is a direct prequel to
Mists, and covers
enough of Viviane's life to show how she became the person she is
in that book...
- 461-539 C.E. (approximate):
The Mists of Avalon
(1)
- Marion was notoriously allergic to dates, and furthermore, had
intentionally decided to detach the Arthurian story from history.
The date given here as the begininng is calculated on the assumption
that Viviane, who is said to be in her thirties as the story begins,
was born in 426, and the date for its end assumes that at that time
Morgaine is around 80. These dates do cover the period during which
Arthur probably lived.
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on Friday, 24 August, 2007 at 22:14:50.
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"The symbol is nothing; the reality is all." -- Marion Zimmer Bradley.
