The Ferryman is a character that shows up only briefly in book 2 of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen. However, his role is important.
It is the Ferryman who carries the Palmer answer Guyon to the Bower of Bliss.
While Guyon and the Palmer do a lot of thinking during this trip, and talking about what they should do, it is the Ferryman that actually does a lot of the action.
It is he that guides them past whirlpools, jagged cliffs, angry sirens, and more.
In short, he is a representation of taking action and doing what is right, rather than just talking about it.
See our complete list of Arthurian characters for more entries like this one.
Arthurian Bibliography
- Norris Lacy, Geoffrey Ashe, Debra Mancoff – The Arthurian Handbook (Second Edition)
- Alan Lupack – The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend
- Ronan Coghlan – The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Arthurian Legends
- Anonymous – Lancelot-Grail, the French Vulgate
- Sir Thomas Malory – Le Morte d’Arthur
See also my ever-expanding list of primary and secondary sources.
