"Enemy of God" Characters Online Quiz | Authors

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who is the narrator of "Enemy of God," who also becomes Arthur's champion?

Answer: Derfel

Derfel was a Saxon child who was captured by Britons, Arthur's people. Saved from the death pit, Derfel became a favorite of the Druid Merlin, and eventually came into the service of Arthur. His full name was Derfel Cadarn. Cornwell probably drew the character of Derfel from an historic Welsh saint named Derfel Gadarn.

2. Which character, well-known to even casual acquaintances of the Arthur legend, does Cornwell portray as a high priestess of Isis in "Enemy of God"?

Answer: Guinevere

Cornwell's portrayal of Guinevere, Arthur's wife, is of a strong-minded, willful, and powerful woman who uses her position as priestess of Isis and wife of the warlord Arthur to shape the events around her. Her role in the power struggle within the story of "Enemy of God" reaches a powerful and tragic climax in the book's final pages.

3. The story of which pair of illicit medieval lovers does Cornwell include in "Enemy of God," which puts Arthur on the horns of a dilemma and causes a major break between him and Derfel?

Answer: Tristan and Iseult

The story of Tristan and Iseult is a medieval Welsh tale predating the Arthurian legend. Tristan is the son of the Cornish King Mark and Iseult is Mark's young bride, brought to Kernow from Ireland. Cornwell weaves a magnetic episode into the story in "Enemy of God." Culhwch and Olwen is an even earlier story from the Welsh Mabinogion. Abelard was a 12th-Century philosopher and theologian who shared a love affair with Eloise, who was a French nun, scholar, and abbess. Paris and Helen were the mythological Greek lovers, whose affair led to the Trojan War.

4. Perhaps portrayed as the most villainous main character in "Enemy of God," who was the Prince of Benoic who became King of Siluria as well as King of the Belgae?

Answer: Lancelot

Cornwell's portrayal of Lancelot is certainly at odds with the traditional view of Sir Lancelot from the "Morte d'Arthur." The cowardly Lancelot of "Enemy of God" gets even more despicable as the story continues. Cuneglas is Prince, and later, King of Powys.

5. Who was the druid in "Enemy of God" who was trying to gather together the Thirteen Treasures of Britain?

Answer: Merlin

Merlin is certainly mercurial in "Enemy of God." He goes from being a near-dead wisp of humanity to a tall and powerful magical force, depending on how much Derfel needs Merlin's powers as a druid. His greatest powers come from how much his viewers believe he has any power or not. It's up to the reader to judge whether Merlin is actually powerful or whether he is just a charlatan.

6. Who was the priest, bishop, and, later, saint who most opposed Arthur because he was a pagan?

Answer: Sansum

Sansum is an eternal thorn in the side of Derfel, as well as Arthur, and his allegiance to Lancelot and desire to obliterate paganism cause constant problems in Derfel's quest for a quiet life and for Arthur's seeking to create a Camelot under the rule of Mordred. Derfel and his men despise Sansum and call him the mouse-lord.

7. Who were the Silurian twins who claimed to be druids, but also claimed to be Christians? As it turns out, in the final chapter of "Enemy of God," they were also priests of Isis.

Answer: Dinas and Lavaine

Like Merlin, the powers of Dinas and Lavaine are dependent on the belief system of their audience. The role of the dastardly twins in the story is certainly a powerful one, especially in the last chapter.

8. Whom does Arthur struggle throughout "Enemy of God" to maintain as King of Dumnonia and the High King of Britain?

Answer: Mordred

This is a reversal of the roles of Arthur and Mordred in the Arthurian legend we get from Mallory and Chretien de Troyes. In "Enemy of God," we see how Arthur's naive clinging to oaths and legalism causes him great problems.

9. Who is the scarred, one-eyed priestess of Merlin who was once Derfel's lover, who also possesses great powers as a witch and seer?

Answer: Nimue

In other Arthurian romances and stories, Nimue is an alternate name of The Lady of the Lake. She and Derfel are bound by blood, and their stormy relationship permeates Derfel's power and outlook in "Enemy of God."

10. Who is the beautiful young princess of Powys who was once betrothed to first, Arthur, and then Lancelot, but who became Derfel's life partner? She was also instrumental in Merlin's gaining possession of the Cauldron.

Answer: Ceinwyn

Ceinwyn was betrothed to Lancelot, but she spurned him, running off instead with Derfel after secretly swearing an oath to Merlin to never marry so she could help him obtain the Cauldron. Staying true to the oath, she nonetheless became Derfel's partner and bore him three daughters.

Source: Author shvdotr

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"Enemy of God" Characters Trivia Quiz

Cornwell's vision of the King Arthur stories differs from the traditional view, but hopefully you can still recognize these characters in his "Enemy of God," the second of "The Warlord Chronicles" series.

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