Ygraine

Ygraine, also written Igraine or Igrayne, is a legendary figure in Arthurian literature. In most medieval accounts she is the wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, and the mother of King Arthur. Her origins vary by tradition, and she is not always given a fixed lineage in the earliest sources.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth and later romances, Uther Pendragon, aided by the wizard Merlin, takes on the likeness of Gorlois to approach Igraine at her castle. She bears Arthur as a result of this deception; Gorlois dies in battle, enabling Uther to marry Igraine.

Arthur is raised away from the court of Cornwall, traditionally by Sir Ector, and later revealed as Uther's son. Igraine is said to die soon after Arthur's birth in many versions, though the details differ among stories.

Ygraine's role is primarily as Arthur's mother and the emblem of royal consent for his claim to the throne; her dramatic arc helps establish Arthur's birth and legitimacy. The figure appears in many works, including Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, with varying details about her parentage and death.