Merlin
From Zeugma
Merlin is the legendary wizard that is connected to the Aurthurian legend. In C.S. Lewis' novel That Hideous Strength Merlin plays a part in the final battle between the forces of good and evil. In the novel Merlin has been lying in a dormant state in his chamber and was awakened in order to carry out the final battle to take place in the novel.
On the basis of Merlin there is much debate on whether he was a wise sorcerer or a crazy old hermit who went around mumbling. -RR (Balrog)
Merlin first appeared around the 10th century. Though he is known today as a great sorcerer, he did not begin this way. His role was merely a profit and advisor in the Arthrian records known as <a title="Armes Prydein, Y Gododdin" href="http://www.britannia.com/history/biographies/merlin.html">Armes Prydein, Y Gododdin</a>. Since then, Merlin has transformed into a magician as well as a profit and advisor. There have been many Arthurian tales and most, if not all, have included Merlin. Even the Walt Disney movie "The Sword and the Stone" has Merlin as an advisor and magician to the young Arthur. -MW
<img src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q3/marywhite_01/b31a3b.jpg" alt="The Sword and the Stone" width="205" height="300" />
In Literature
Merlin's first appearance in the Arthurian Legends is in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae: a chronological account of the Kings of Briton. Today, Merlin remains extremely popular in contemporary contexts. Aside from C.S. Lewis, many well know authors have reinvented and redefined the character to suit their own works. Mark Twain casts Merlin as a villain in his novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. In her retelling of the Arthurian legend, The Once and Future King, T.H White creates a character named "Merlyn" who, relative to everyone else, lives traveling backward in time. (S.D)
Other Appearances
Merlin has also been the subject of a Broadway musical featuring music by Elmer Bernstein. (S.D)
<img style="float: right;" title=""Merlin" on NBC" src="http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0S020qHRddHRCcB_5.jzbkF/SIG=1288ssbkp/EXP=1205376775/**http%3A//www.scooterchronicles.com/blogpics/merlin.jpg" alt="DVD Box" width="339" height="475" />
The King Arthur legend is still popular and interesting to the "modern" audience (hence movies like the classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, First Knight and King Arthur) and recently Merlin got his due credit with an NBC mini-series titled, suprisingly, Merlin in April of 1998 (ok, not so recently I guess). This 3-part (180 minutes total) epic gave a new spin to the repeatedly spun Arthur legends by telling the story from the pagan magician's perspective. It includes: Merlin's (Sam Neil-Jurassic Park) training by, and eventual rejection of the sorceress, Mab, and her apprentice Frik (Martin Short-SNL); Mab's attack on Arthur; the birth of Arthur and Morgan Le Fey's (Helena Bonham Carter-Fight Club) illegitimate son Mordred, and his eventual destruction of Camelot. With an all-star cast, which also includes James Earl Jones (Star Wars), Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet), and Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner), and stunning visuals, the series won 4 Emmy Awards (best art direction, costume design, makeup and visual effects) and was nominating for an astonishg 15 Emmy's total. As it is on DVD, it is something well worth taking a look at. (M.D.-Matt D'Amore)
