# VII: Birdalone Telleth the Tale of Her Wandering Up the Valley of the Greywethers explained — The Water of the Wondrous Isles

> Chapter companion for The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris.

## What happens

Birdalone confesses to the Champions and ladies her journey to the Black Valley of the Greywethers, seeking fulfilment of desire. She recounts her adventures with the strange knight, his death, and her return. The group forgives her, and Arthur proposes a war against the Red Hold to avenge Baudoin, which Hugh and the others support.

## Themes in this chapter

### Female Agency and Autonomy

Birdalone takes initiative to seek the Black Valley adventure herself, acting on her own desire for fulfilment despite the risks.

### Journey and Quest

Birdalone recounts her wandering up the Valley of the Greywethers, a quest for fulfilment, and the Champions plan a new quest against the Red Hold.

### Identity and Transformation

Birdalone's confession and forgiveness transform her standing within the fellowship, and Arthur's proposal shifts the group's purpose from quest to war.

## Character check-ins

### Birdalone

Tells her full story of wandering up the Valley of the Greywethers, seeking fulfilment of desire, and recounts the death of the strange knight.

### Viridis

Brings the others to the solar, weeps at Birdalone's sorrow, and leads her to Sir Hugh for reconciliation.

### Hugh the Green Knight

Bids Birdalone sit, pardons Leonard, kisses Birdalone kindly, and supports Arthur's plan for war against the Red Hold.

### Arthur the Black Squire

Speaks in Birdalone's defense, absolving her of blame, and proposes a war against the Red Hold to avenge Baudoin.

### Atra

Weeps on Birdalone's bosom, then speaks with glittering eyes about sorrow leading to doughty deeds, supporting the war.

### Aurea

Kisses Birdalone coldly, thanks Arthur for his words, and says her man shall rejoice in Paradise.

## Key lines

> I am here as one that hath done amiss; but I will tell you, so that ye may not think worse of me than ye should, that when ye were gone, ye Champions, and the time wore long that ye came not again, it lay heavy on my heart, and hope waned and fear waxed, and my soul so grieved my body that I thought to fall sick thereof, and I knew that it would be ill for you to come home hither and find me sick; so that I longed sore to do somewhat which should make me whole again.

Birdalone explains that she acted out of despair during the Champions' long absence, fearing she would fall ill, and sought to heal herself by undertaking the adventure.

_Birdalone justifies her solo journey to the Black Valley as a response to emotional and physical distress._

> Herein hath been the hand of Weird, and hath been heavy on us; but no blame have we to lay on our sister Birdalone, nor hath she done light-mindedly by us; though maybe she erred in not trusting to the good-hap of the Quest to bring us back in due time: and all that she saith do we trow as if it were written in the Holy Gospel.

Arthur declares that fate is responsible, not Birdalone, and that they believe her story completely, though she might have trusted more in the Quest's success.

_Arthur absolves Birdalone of blame, attributing events to fate._

> I mean that the Quest of our ladies being now accomplished, we should turn what is left of the fellowship into a war against the Red Hold and its evil things; and that so soon as the relics of Baudoin are laid in earth, we gather force and go thither in arms to live or die in the quarrel, and so sweeten the earth, as did the men of ancient days when they slew the dragons and the giants, and the children of hell, and the sons of Cain.

Arthur proposes that after Baudoin's funeral, the fellowship should wage war on the Red Hold to cleanse the land of evil, like ancient heroes.

_Arthur shifts the group's mission from quest to crusade against the Red Hold._

## Links

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- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se
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