Merlin

Merlin is a legendary prophet, magician and adviser associated with King Arthur. The character developed from Welsh traditions and the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth before becoming embedded in medieval Arthurian romance.

Merlin developed from Welsh prophetic and legendary traditions into the magician and counsellor of Arthurian romance. Geoffrey of Monmouth combined elements of the wild prophet Myrddin with a royal adviser, and later writers made Merlin responsible for Arthur’s conception, education and the supernatural foundations of Camelot.

Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave makes Merlin—Myrddin Emrys—the central character, following his childhood, learning and service to Ambrosius and Uther until prophecy and practical statecraft combine in the conception of Arthur. The Hollow Hills turns him into guardian and political architect of the hidden heir, preparing Arthur for the moment when he can claim the crown, while The Last Enchantment follows the ageing adviser through the consolidation of Arthur’s kingdom and his relationship with Nimue. John Steinbeck’s The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights returns to the Malorian magician who guides Arthur’s birth, recognition and early wars. Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court parodies that authority by making Merlin the magical rival whom Hank Morgan tries to discredit with nineteenth-century technology and showmanship.