Merlin

Guide Note:

Merlin is a legendary wizard mentioned in literature as the tutor, mentor, and adviser of King Arthur.

Fast Facts:

  1. Also known as Myrddin, Ambrosius Aurelianus and Merlyn
  2. Birth and origin are a mystery
  3. Earliest appearance around 1100
  4. In some legends is attributed with Druidic qualities
  5. Often associated with the Celtic Bard, Taliesin
  6. Love affair with Nimue/Viviane trapped him in a crystal cave
  7. One legend has him transporting standing stones of Stonehenge from Ireland to England
  8. In Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Merlin is a charlatan and a villain

Background and Lore

Most experts believe that the character of Merlin emerged from the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth, through his reinterpretation of the character Myrddin Wyllt, a legendary character from English myth who went mad from the horrors of war and fled to the forest. This character was also known as the Wild Man of the Woods and he could reportedly talk to animals. Geoffrey apparently reworked this character in his Historia Regnum Brittanie into an advisor and mentor to King Arthur. Later authors took the character of Merlin and gave him special powers, such as shapeshifting, and give him special knowledge concerning the quest for the Holy Grail.

The Mahalo Top 7

  1. Wikipedia: Merlin
  2. Timeless Myths: Merlin
  3. Arthurian Resources: Myrddin/Merlin
  4. The Camelot Project: Merlin Profile, Images and Online Texts
  5. Britannia: Merlin
  6. Camelot International: Merlin
  7. Amazon.com: Merlin Merchandise

Merlin in History and Legend

Merlin Literary Evolution

Contemporary Literature

Merlin Images

Merlin Videos and Media

Merlin Books and Merchandise

Notable Merlin Films

 WARNING: Pop-upsNote: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

Merlin in News and Culture

The Many Faces of Merlin

Related Searches

King Arthur | Guinevere | Morgan Le Fay | Viviane | The Holy Grail | Taliesin | T.H. White | Bernard Cornwell | The Lady of the Lake | Uther Pendragon | Igraine | T.A. Barron | Sir Thomas Malory | Nikolai Tolstoy | Stephen Lawhead | The Last Legion