Brett Wylie 2 nd period

Who is Merlin?  Merlin is a wizard known in Celtic legends to be King Arthur’s mentor and guardian.  Merlin was said to be the son of the devil and a virgin woman.  There are many different stories about Merlin and the adventures that he and Arthur did.

Merlin  Merlin’s personality, demeanor, and existence in many of the Arthurian tales depends on the people and where they are from that told it.  Some accounts of Merlin barely mention Arthur and Merlin together because he is portrayed as evil.  Others portray him as wise, kind, and a great mentor for Arthur.

How did Arthur and Merlin become introduced?  Merlin befriends King Uther whom wants Queen Igraine wife of Gorlois Duke of Tentigal.  Merlin helps disguise King Uther as the Duke but in exchange wants the baby that Lady Igraine would have.  The plan works, and while everything was happening the Duke dies in the war and Lady Igraine becomes the King’s wife.

Merlin and Arthur  Merlin raises Arthur and helps him become the King.  There are many different stories that tell how he became King but the most famous would be Arthur pulling a sword out of the stone as the prophecy foretold.

Stories  Merlin helped Arthur start his city named Camelot.  He also suggested the famous knights of the round table.  Merlin also was said to have made Stonehenge.

Stories  Merlin also introduced Arthur to the Lady of the Lake whom gave Arthur Excalibur, the magic sword.  Morgan Le Fay was said to be Arthur’s half sister and mistress to Merlin to learn his magic to ruin Arthur’s reign.

Merlin’s Death  There are many different ways told on how Merlin died.  Some of the ways that were told are Ms. Niviene trapping Merlin in a tomb forever because she was disgusted with his affection and love towards her. Others included Morgan Le Fey, a large rock killing him, him being trapped in an invisible tower, and Arthur becoming so mad at him, that he himself killed him.

Literature and Movies  Merlin is in a lot of movies and books. Some of the more popular are “Excalibur” and “The Sword in the Stone”. In books Merlin is either played as a wizard or in books like A Connecticut Yankee In Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, Merlin is not a wizard at all, but a old man that represented superstition.

The Sorcerer’s Stone  “The Sorcerer’s Stone” is a movie about King Arthur growing up and being mentored by Merlin. He gains the thrown my pulling a sword from the stone, hence the name.