Who is the Lady of the lake in The Haunting of Bly Manor? Find out

The new Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor was released on October 9, 2020. The show has many likeable and strong characters such as Dani Clayton, Hannah Grose and etc. Almost every character on the show has a strong and intricate storyline. Aside from having deeply developed characters, the show also has a riveting storyline, which grips its viewers very early on in the show. Like its predecessor from The Haunting Anthology (The Haunting of the Hill House), The Haunting of Bly Manor is also set in a seemingly haunted house. Read on to find out, "Who is the Lady of the Lake?"

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Who is the Lady of the Lake?

The Haunting of Bly Manor is an extremely complex story of familial bitterness, injustices and horror. Across its nine episodes, the series weaves a sprawling, haunting narrative which is well-populated with serval characters having their own tragic backstory. Many mysteries and spooky happenings occurred in various dark corners of the manor.

One of these stores is that of the Lady in the Lake. She is a figure that is one of the greatest menaces of the Bly Manor from the first episode. However, her dark backstory does provide a lot of explanation behind her unsettling actions. Throughout the season Flora keeps making vague references to the lady of the lake but her story unfolds in episode 8.

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The Romance of Certain Old Clothes

The heart-wrenching story of episode 8 (The Romance of Certain Old Clothes) of the series revolves around Viola (Kate Siegel) and her younger sister Perdita (Catherine Parker), who was living in the middle of 17th century. These girls were the heirs to Bly Manor but were orphaned when their father died. After their father’s passing, the girls immediately got busy in making sure that the estate stayed within the family.

They ensured this by wooing a wealthy suitor named Arthur Floyd. In Henry James’ tale of these two sisters, it has been revealed that both of them shared a love of fashion and finery. One other thing they shared, was a strong affection towards Arthur. Sadly, for them, Arthur could only choose one. It was the cunning older sister Viola who won Arthur’s hand. 

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Viola grew restless in spite of finally having what she had always wanted. At night she would often stray from her marital bed, she would sleep, she would wake, and she would walk. The birth of her beloved daughter Isabelle brought some joy into Viola’s life, but she soon fell sick with “the lung.” Her doctor informed her that she merely had a few months to live and was quarantined away from her family in order to protect her daughter. 

As a result of Viola’s illness, Perdita and Arthur only grew closer. As Viola’s body started to twist and contort with sickness, so did her spirit and grew even more cruel, bitter and jealous. However, Viola was unwilling to give up. When the priest arrived at her death bed, she was unwilling to participate in the Last Rites. Arthur pled for her soul, but Perdita stood by her sister’s will. “God should know better, she is as he made her,” Perdita clapped back. 

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Gradually a rumour began spreading across the town, claiming that death came for Viola nightly until, after being rejected too many times, it would come no more. Viola kept getting sicker in body and in spirit. Viola had locked away her best gowns and jewels for their her daughter, she also made her husband promise her the chest would not be opened until Isabelle was of age to claim it. One day when Arthur was out of town, Perdita could not take it any more and she smothered her sister to death.

In her afterlife, Viola awoke and discovered that she was trapped along with her finery in her sickbed. But her daughter soon came in and opened the chest prematurely. With nothing else to do Viola began roaming around the estate. One day she wanted to see her beloved daughter but instead crossed paths with Perdita, her treacherous sister. Finally fulfilling her desire for revenge, Viola strangled Perdita to death. When Arthur and Isabelle found Perdita dead, they decided that something was wrong with the estate. Hence, they dropped the chest, and Viola along with it, into the lake, believing it was cursed and left the estate forever.