Viviane, the Fairy, Kidnaps Lancelot

The Story of Lancelot
School of Evrard d'Espinques , Ca. 1475
Central France (Ahun)
BnF, département des Manuscrits, Français 113 fol. 156
Photo © Bibliothèque Nationale de France
The Lady of the Lake, sometimes confused with the fairy Viviane, kidnaps the infant Lancelot to raise him in her underwater palace. The red of her dress contrasts with the blue of the waves under which she is about to disappear.
The theme of the human child abducted and raised by fairies or magicians is deeply embedded in contemporary fantasy. Some authors prefer to reverse the motif: Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter are raised by normal humans, who seek as much as possible to hide the powers of their adoptees.