The Fionavar Tapestry is a book series of fantasy novels by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, published between 1984 and 1986.

Five University of Toronto senior law and medical students who are drawn into the 'first world of the Tapestry' by the mage Loren Silvercloak.

The story puts an emphasis on the importance of free will, as demonstrated in Jennifer's decisions to keep Darien and later to send Lancelot away, Finn's choice to follow his destiny with Owein and the Wild Hunt, Paul and Kevin's acceptance of the role of sacrifice (though in different ways), Diarmuid's decision to take the final battle with Uathach on himself enabling Arthur to survive the last battle, and the importance of Darien's ultimate choice of allegiance at the end.

The Dalrei are shown to share many aspects of Native American lifestyle, beliefs and ritual, including being nomadic, and the significant role of shamans.

Kay uses a fragment of the Arthurian cycle, the May Babies, to explain Arthur's punishment of repeated rebirth/death in battle against evil, as shown in "[T]he Weaver had marked him down for a long unwinding doom.

When Leyse of the Swan Mark, a member of the lios alfar, gives up her life as a result of her hopeless love for Lancelot, she lies down in a boat and sails away, which is a retelling of Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott," and the story of Elaine.

A number of the deities may have Celtic or Welsh roots: Paul is known as Pwyll after his sacrifice, while Macha and Nemain are directly taken from Irish mythology.