Arthur's Short Story: Merlin Was Here

The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart is a new twist on the classic King Arthur tale with the spotlight on protecting Arthur for the sake of the kingdom's destiny. Over the course of the book many important men, or lack thereof, have big influences on Arthur’s life and how he will be as a leader or family member in the future.

Who was King Arthur? Most people would tell of a great King; a devoted circle of heroic knights; mighty castles and mightier deeds; a time of chivalry and courtly love; of Lancelot and Guinevere; of triumph and death. Historians and archaeologists, especially Leslie Alcock, point to shadowy evidence of a man who is not a king, but a commander of an army, who lived during the late fifth to early sixth century who may perhaps be the basis for Arthur. By looking at the context in which the stories of King Arthur survived, and the evidence pertaining to his castle Camelot and the Battle of Badon Hill, we can begin to see that Arthur is probably not a king as the legend holds.

A king was expected to sit on his throne, give demands to his people and rule his kingdom. It is unheard of for a medieval King to charge around on his horse and organize knights or to look for the Holy Grail. According to the information that has been given; King Arthur has fought in twelve battles. However, based on the facts, these battles took place in so many different times and places that it would have been impossible for one man to participate in all of them. The actions of King Arthur do not correspond with the typical actions of a king because after the death of his mother, Merlin (the powerful wizard) took him away. Merlin gave young Arthur away to Sir Ector, who raised young Arthur as his son. However, Sir Ector did not know that young Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon (King of Britain). Eleven years later, the young Arthur ends up pulling the sword out of the stone and becomes the king of Britain. For a kid to pull the sword out of the stone subsequently and being crowned after that event is very extraordinary.

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.

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s, The Coming of Arthur is a long poem that explains a fragment of King Arthurs journey to becoming the king of Cameliard. In this writing the author takes scenes that may require a long description and sums them up in under ten lines, while scenes that need less detailed descriptions are explained in over twenty lines. An example of this would be the stanzas where Arthur and Guinevere get married. These stanzas could easily be summed into ten or less lines but Tennyson decides to take care with his words in this scene and explain all he can. The reason the wedding scene is so heavily descripted is because it is a representation of how far Cameiliard has come and a celebration of its strong beginning. This idea can be explored through events that caused the wedding, the significance of the wedding scene, its hidden symbols in the text and its foreshadowing to a great reign.

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.

It was about six in the morning on Saturday, and Arthur heaved himself out of bed, then, still half-asleep, flung himself into a warm shower. By the time he hopped out and toweled himself off, Merlin was already in front of Arthur’s flat, leaning on his horn.

But each night, he’d sneak by Guinevere’s modest cottage, and when he’d peek through her window and see soft candlelight illuminating the home’s interior, he’d breathe a sigh of relief. She was still there. As long as she was in Camelot, there was still hope.

    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.

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.

Merlin was born April 24th, 1885 at Plymouth, Devon. She grew up as an only child to her parents’ Mr. and Mrs. Carly. She went to an all girls school 5 minutes away from her tiny but comfortable house. Merlin always grew up as a quiet and mannered girl. Her parents never used to take her anywhere, therefore she never had any outdoor exposure. She would literally live in the library with her best friend Megan as they both loved to read. Merlin wanted to become a writer when she grew up but her life changed dramatically that it didn’t work out. She never attended college as her parents could not afford it. In 1910, she was married to Christopher Rogers, at the age of 25. She got pregnant 3 years later, but the her baby died 5 months into her

“It’s our pleasure,” said Merlin. “I wish I could be of more help, but Gaius and Arthur have me constantly on the move these days. I’m away from the castle more than I’m here. Which reminds me…” From the back of his belt, Merlin withdrew a long, brown-and-tan falcon feather and placed it on Rion’s desk. “I found this on my, erm, recent herb-gathering trip near the White Mountains. It’s a falcon feather, meant to offer protection for Rion. A late birthday gift for the boy. The poor child…”

The ringing of the midnight bell saw Gwen and Merlin weaving their way through the main gates of the castle towards their respective sleeping chambers. They had been celebrating, along with all of Camelot, Prince Arthur's birthday.

In today’s day and age, stories are traded all the time, and many times it can be hard to distinguish fact from fiction. However, when a story, approximately 1500 years old has been told and retold, and modified over and over again, the truth, if there is any, can be quite hard to find! This paper will take a look at both the fact and the fiction surrounding who King Arthur was, what he did, and the historical basis for the king.

The King may have simply wanted to know what Merlin was up to, seeing as he sits on the wall everyday watching visitors arrive. The foreign King could’ve reported seeing the boy on the wall,