Merlin (wizard)

For other uses ofterm Merlin, see: Merlin.

Merlin Ambrosius (Merlyn, Myrddin, Emrys), ispersonage best known asmighty wizard featuredaccountsArthurBritain startingGeoffreyMonmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. Earlier accounts describefar different Merlin.

The original Myrddin had nothingdoArthur. The earliest Welsh poems that concern the Myrddin legend present him asmadman livingwretched existence inCaledonian Forest, ruminating on his former existence anddisaster that brought him low:deathhis lord Gwenddolau, whom he served as bard. The allusionsthese poems servesketch outevents ofBattleArfderydd, where Rhydderch Hael kingRheged slaughteredforcesGwenddolau,Merddin went mad watching this defeat. The Annales Cambriae date this battleAD 573,name Gwenddolau's adversaries as GwrgiPeredur,sonsEliffer.

A versionthis legendpreserved inlate fifteenth-century manuscript, instory called LailokenKentigern. In this narrative, St. Kentigern meets indeserted place withnaked, hairy madman whocalled Lailoken, although said by somebe called Merlynum or "Merlin", who declares that he has been condemnedhis sinswander incompanybeasts. He added that he had beencause fordeathsall ofpersons killed inbattle fought "onplain between LiddelCarwannok." Having told his story,madman lept upfled frompresence ofsaint back intowilderness. He appears several times more innarrative until at last asking St. Kentigern forSacrament, prophesying that he was aboutdietriple death. After some hesitation,saint grantedmadman's wish,later that dayshepherdssKing Meldred captured him, beat himclubs, then cast him intoriver Tweed where his body was pierced bystake, thus fulfilling his prophecy.

Welsh literature has many examples ofprophetic literature, predicting military victoryall ofCeltic peoplesBritain who will join togetherdriveEnglish --laterNormans also -- back intosea. Somethese works were claimedbepropheciesMyrddin; someit was not, asexampleArmes Prydein.

It was GeoffreyMonmouth who introduced Merlin intomythosKing Arthur. He slightly altered Myrddin's nameMerlinavoidresemblance toobscene French word merde. While Geoffreyremembered mosthis characterArthur,was Merlin whom he concentrated on, makingprophetic bardcentral characterhis three books: Prophetiae Merlini, Historiae Regum Britanniae,Vita Merlini. Asresultthis introduction, Merlin becamesubordinate characterArthur,asArthurian mythos was retoldembellished upon, Merlin's prophetic aspects were de-emphasizedfavorportraying Merlin aswizardelder advisorArthur. Inlater medieval storiesMerlin, his eventual downfall came from his lusting afterwoman named Nimue, who coaxed his magical secrets from him, eventually turningmagic she had learned upon him against him,imprisoning himan oak tree. This was unfortunateArthur, depriving himMerlin's counsel when he most needed it.

A variationMerlin was seenT.H. White's Arthurian retelling, The OnceFuture King,which Merlin hascurious afflictionliving backwardstimeeveryone else. Dan Simmons used this notionhis Hyperion,young woman Rachelthis book suffering"Merlin Sickness", growing progressively youngerforgetting her life day by day.

In most modern popular interpretations such asfantasy literaturesuperhero stories, Merlindepicted aswizardultimate power.