Enigmatic Empowering Entity: Difference between revisions

Whether her gift to the hero is a [[Protective Charm]], a [[MacGuffin]], [[The Magnificent|a fancy title]], or [[Super Empowering|something else]], the [['''Enigmatic Empowering Entity]]''' is the mysterious being behind his power and glory.

There is a saying that "Behind every great man there's a great woman", and this trope often follows this theme: The receiver tends to be a man, usually a mortal [[Muggles|muggle]], while the [['''Enigmatic Empowering Entity]]''' tends to be female -- oftenfemale—often a divine/supernatural female of mysterious origin and identity.

One of her most common incarnations is The Lady of the Lake, originally from the King Arthur mythos -- thusmythos—thus making this [[Public Domain Character]] an [[Internal Subtrope]] of this trope. Characters such as the [[Fairy Godmother]], [[Santa Claus]], and even [[God]] sometimes (but far from always) also fill this role. A person empowered this way may be [[Touched by Vorlons]].

* In several versions of The Holy Grail, the Lady of the Lake acted on God's behalf when she gave King Arthur Excalibur and the right to rule over all Britons. (This may or may not include Monty Python's Film version, making the anarcho-syndicalist protester either a [[Flat Earth Atheist]] or someone correctly pointing out [[The Presents Were Never From Santa]]. In either case: The Dennis quote belongs in that ''trope'', not here.) However, in most, it was the mysterious Sword in the Stone -- whichStone—which is not Excalibur -- thatExcalibur—that announced he was the rightful king of Britain. Excalibur was just a sword.

* Sephrenia, in the ''[[Elenium]]'' trilogy by [[David Eddings]], turns out to be one of these. A side story (presented as a prologue to one of the three novels) gives the entwined history of the royal house of Elenia and the house of Sparhawk. Both the Elenian monarch and the current generation of Sparhawk wear a special diamond ring, which this story reveals was given to their ancestors by Sephrenia, who most likely was acting on the orders of the delightfully meddlesome Child-Goddess Aphrael. Notably, this revelation is provided for the reader only -- notonly—not to the characters.

* Common to all versions of "[[Cinderella (novel)|Cinderella]]". Where the Perrault and Disney version have a Fairy Godmother, other versions include a magical tree, the bones of a fish, a talking bird -- whichbird—which always connect somehow to the spirit of the girl's departed mother. Some versions, such as in Mexico, have the actual Blessed Virgin Mary herself act as the Fairy Godmother. This entity is often very cruel to Cinderella's tormenters -- intormenters—in [[The Brothers Grimm (creator)|The Brothers Grimm]], her friendly birds peck out the eyes of her sisters in retaliation. Ouch.

* Arguably, the original ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' game contains a trio of ''male'' embodiments of this trope -- thetrope—the three old men who provide Link with his swords.

* This trope goes through a [[Double Subversion]] in the first episode of ''Doraleus And Associates''. The being called "The Lady of the Lake" is obviously supposed to be a [[Enigmatic Empowering Entity]], guarding the [[Infinity+1 Sword|Zephyr]] [[Sword of Plot Advancement|Blade]] in waiting for [[The Chosen One]] to wield.