Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin
In all the long history of literature, some fictional characters have loomed above others, written about again and again by various authors of various eras. Arthurian literature is one area of fiction that has always been popular for writers to recreate in new versions, and one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian literature is Merlin, the magician/ prophet who aids Arthur early in his reign. As the Arthurian saga develops, so does Merlin, changing from an aloof, druidical character into a more human, magical being, though always retaining some traces of his Welsh origins.
Merlin gains his first mention in eight ancient Welsh poems attributed to the
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Here we first meet the character Merlinus ("Merdinus," a more exact Latinization of the original Welsh, was impractical because of its similarity to the Latin or French word for excrement, surely an inappropriate name for a great hero). (Bruce) Yet the Merlin of this story is not the great magician of later works. In his tale, Geoffrey uses not the Latin word "magus," which would imply that Merlin was some sort of sorcerer, but rather the word "vates," commonly indicating a poet or, often, a prophet or seer. (Tatlock) Merlin does exhibit many features of a mystic in Geoffrey's Historia: he uses clairvoyance in the familiar case, borrowed from Nennius, of Vortigern's vanishing tower; he foretells Vortigern's death and prophesies to Aurelius and Uther of Arthur's coming reign, also making several predictions about political events occuring just prior to the publication of the Historia; and he interprets to Uther Pendragon a portent of the death of the king Aurelius Ambrosius. (Bruce) Clairvoyance, prophecy, and the interpretation of dreams are all rather shamanistic actions that would fit Merlin's Welsh character as a druid.
Merlin is not yet a romance magician in Geoffrey's work: the few feats later expanded into mighty demonstrations of magic are not so in Geoffrey. Merlin disguises Uther as Gorlois for his rendevous with Igerne using "medicamenta," which could include
We first see Merlin awaiting a scrawny, young fellow about twelve years old; Arthur. Being the clumsy little thing he apparently is, Arthur found himself being chased by an angry Kay who wanted his arrow when it flew into a dark forest by Arthur's fault. When Merlin is proving his magic abilities to Arthur, they transform into many types of animals where Arthur becomes worried and fragile. Through this, it is understood that Arthur is clumsy, scrawny, and rather weak. However, Geoffrey of Monmouth states that Arthur was fifteen years of age when found and he was of outstanding courage and generosity, and his inborn goodness gave him such grace that he was loved by almost all the people. Perhaps for a more understood plot, Arthur’s character did not match the more reliable account of Arthur's
Since very few individuals could write, stories of Arthur were mainly told by word of mouth. Oral stories did not get written down until later; Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote down the stories as one of the first written manuscript of Arthurian legend in 1139. Word of mouth was the way in which Arthur's story is passed down through the years, and it is safe to assume that during that time, the story transformed and evolved. Stories are embellished and added to, depending on the audience, in order to make it more exciting. As discussed before in this paper, local tradition had placed Camelot in an area that was proven
He was also the first to use the name "Camelot" for Arthur's headquarters, and it was he who first told us of the Grail, though he didn't associate any religious meaning to it (It was Robert de Boron who is responsible for transforming the grail into a holy symbol, in 1210). He was "the first to supply the literary form of the romance, to the transmission of the stories of Arthur." (Britannia web page)
King Arthur is an outstanding British leader of the 5th and the 6th centuries, son of Uther Pendragon and the Lady Igraine. Arthur is one of the greatest mythical heroes that the world has ever known. Arthur has had a great influence on other people and many of them looked up to him. The coming of Arthur was prophesied years before he was even born. Arthur was born into a world of chaos and disorder, full of love and tragedy. Nowadays, many of the scholars continue to argue whether or not King Arthur was a real person or just a mythological figure. Based on facts however, many believe that Arthur was not a real person; just a legendary British leader in the 5th and 6th centuries. According to history, there wasn't anyone named King Arthur
Yes, that is easy to figure out, the author tells us, but it is how she does it that is remarkable. She changes the view of the story, by centering it on Merlin. The book doesn’t start with the birth of Arthur, no instead it starts with the birth of Merlin. We follow Merlin’s life, not Arthur’s. We watch as this boy becomes a man and build an emotional connection with him. Just as two friends become closer when they learn about the other’s past, so too do we become closer and closer to Merlin. Each turn of the page reveals a new segment of his life, deepening the bond more and more like a hammer swing against a
The Arthurian legends are well known in today's society. However, very few people know of the "real" Arthur -- who he was and what his accomplishments were. This paper will establish a difference between legend and truth, show evidence to support and explain who the real Arthur was, and shed some light on the sometimes confusing Arthurian legends.
The legend of King Arthur has inspired, and continues to inspire, many retellings of the well known stories and cast of characters. Ranging from film to literature to art, these retellings often include depictions of two key characters in the legend: King Arthur and and the wizard Merlin. Disney’s The Sword and the Stone (1963) and the British Broadcasting Corporation program Merlin (2008-2012) both showcase the relationship between Merlin and Arthur in the development of Arthur, but they differ in approach; in the animated version, Merlin assumes the role of a mentor while the television program depicts Merlin as a friend to Arthur.
In one Arthurian legend, King Uther Pendragon was obsessed with lust for Morgan’s mother, Ygraine. With Merlin’s help, Uther tricked her into sleeping with him by taking on the shape of Ygraine’s husband, the Duke of Gorlois, after he had already murdered the Duke. Her new stepfather could not abide Morgan since she suspected him of his ignoble deed, so Uther sent Morgan to Ygraine’s sister, Viviane - the abbess at the convent on Avalon. Here, safe among the nuns, Morgan was taught the art of sorcery. She furthered her education in magic as a student of Merlin’s when she came to King Arthur’s court. During this transition time between the old religion and the new, the convent could well have been a Druidic college for women.
In the movie, Arthur was a Roman Calvary officer, the son of a Roman father and a Celtic mother. In the classic tale however, he was the son of King Uther and Igraine the duchess of Cornwall. He was born for the throne. His knights were forced to serve with him for fifteen years in the movie. They were Sarmatians. In the classic tale, they were not forced to be one of Arthur's knights and serve with him but instead chose to be. In the movie, Merlin was a Woad, the chief of the indigenous people of Britain. He was said to have magical powers. In Monmouth's story, Merlin was the son of a nun and either a devil or incubus and the grandson of King Demetia. In other legends, He was the friend and advisor of King Arthur. Also, In the movie "King Arthur", Guinevere was a Woad and did not have an affair with Lancelot. In fact, Lancelot died before Arthur and Guinevere were married. In Chretien de Troyes's story, The Knight of The Cart, Guinevere and Lancelot have an affair (Arthur and Guinevere are already married). Guinevere is the daughter of King Leodegrance, not a Woad, in this story. On top of that, Guinevere is a warrior in the movie. In all of the other stories of King Arthur (that contain Guinevere) she is a princess or a damsel in distress. In the stories mentioned, she is weak and not at all like the strong bow-wielding woman she is in the movie "King Arthur". Another difference is in the movie "King Arthur", Excalibur was Arthur's father's sword and he pulled it out of his father's burial mound. In Robert de Boron's poem "Merlin", it says only the rightful king, Arthur, can pull the sword from the stone. This is the more common image when you think of King Arthur: him pulling Excalibur out of a
Most Americans recall lying gleefully in front of the television, arms and legs splayed across the carpet, enchanted by an eccentric cartoon of Merlin’s antics. A few of us might even remember Gawain’s short segment from Between the Lions on PBS. King Arthur’s legend is certainly many a child’s favorite fairytale, but some historians propose that a fairytale is all King Arthur is. Significant evidence, such as a lack of credibility and personality consistency, prove their points. However, according to other historians, there is still reason to believe in Arthur’s legend. Without one examining both sides of the argument and Arthur’s role in history, it is impossible to determine whether Arthur is fact or fiction.
Merlin, the wizard with a giant pointy hat on his head, doing magical acts to please the crowd. That is what Merlin has become today, a shadow of his meaning in the Arthurian legends. Another misconception of the stories are the stories’ of Taliesin and Merlin. Most confuse either or some mix both and make them into one. The beginnings or Merlin are confusing and muddled within the stories. While Taliesin has a set story similar to that of Moses in the Bible.
The Arthurian Legends were an effect of the Romantic Era and resulted in abstract thinking, as well as the arts including music, painting, poetry, and writing. The birth of the Arthurian Legends came from Celtic mythology and medieval romance, while the existence of magic confirms the conception of artistic intellect. Whether or not King Arthur truly existed, his influence dramatically changed the English society and English Literature to its current form (Arthurian Legends Vol. 1).
In order to refine the broad topic of Arthurian legend, I conducted extensive research and readings of online articles and websites as well as watching documentaries, as to make my own knowledge and understanding of the legend more in depth and exhaustive. This research process of literature reviews and internet search allowed
Although King Arthur is one of the most well-known figures in the world, his true identity remains a mystery. Attempts to identify the historical Arthur have been unsuccessful, since he is largely a product of fiction. Most historians, though, agree that the real Arthur was probably a battle leader of the Britons against the Anglo-Saxons in the sixthth century. In literature, King Arthur's character is unique and ever changing, taking on a different face in every work. There is never a clearly definitive picture that identifies Arthur's character. It is therefore necessary to look at a few different sources to get better insight into the character of Arthur, the once and future king.
but the king was in love with the Duke's wife so the king went to the wizard Merlin for help but with a prize that that if a kid is born it would be Gavin to merlin Uther agreed and Merlin places a spell on Uther that made Uther just like the Duke the Uther disguise as the Duke went to his home and spent the night with the Duke's wife then shortly after the real Duke was killed in battle then Uther married the Duke's wife Ukraine 9 months later Ukraine gave both to a baby boy and he was named Arthur but he was given to Merlin as promise and that's why Arthur is the rightful king in arthur last days he is looking for the holy grail. The Holy Grail is a made up object and symbol associated with Jesus. In earliest Grail literature it was described as the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and was said to possess miraculous powers.the holy grail is a made up started by people who did not read the bible