Merlin who is he

Depending upon the source, Merlin may have actual magic powers, be gifted with foresight or psychic ability, and may owe his powers to being the son of a demon and a woman. Therefore, Merlin spirited Arthur away to be raised by Sir Ector. Some accounts hold that Merlin may have directly raised King Arthur, producing him at the appropriate time to gain the title of King of England, and other accounts say Merlin later worked as a court advisor for Arthur.

Since Arthur was not aware Tigraine was his mother, he easily succumbed to the seduction of his half-sister Morgause. Their affair produced Mordred, who would later kill Arthur. If Merlin did raise Arthur, his failure to inform Arthur of this vital fact was certainly a matter of extreme neglect, particularly if he was gifted with foresight.

The character of Merlin is based on several sources — one is the Welsh Myrddin, who appears in stories as far back as the 6th century. After explaining the situation to her, he began searching for a way to free Gaius from the Goblin's control and discovered that if they temporarily killed Gaius, then the Goblin would be forced to leave his body or else die with him. Once it was out, they could trap it inside the lead-lined box that Merlin had initially found it in.

Merlin and Gwen put their plan into action by pouring poison over the gold coins in the Goblin's treasure chest, which the creature had a habit of licking. When the poison began to take effect it realized that it was dying, the Goblin exited Gaius and Merlin began to chase it around the chamber. Eventually, the Goblin transformed itself into a ball of light and flew into Merlin's mouth in an attempt to possess him.

Before it could do so, however, Merlin was able to spit it into the lead-lined box and trap the Goblin inside. Meanwhile, Gwen was supposed to administer the antidote to Gaius as soon the Goblin had left him, but in its in rush to leave the physician's body, the Goblin had knocked the bottle out of her hand it had gotten mixed up with a dozen other potions on the floor.

Fortunately, Merlin and Gwen were able to locate the right one before the poison proved fatal and Gaius made a full recovery. Later, after the situation had been explained to Uther, Merlin was pardoned for the Goblin's crimes and the box containing the creature was sealed away in the castle vaults Goblin's Gold. Merlin and Arthur first met Gwaine when he was injured helping them in a tavern brawl.

They took him back to Camelot to recover and Arthur instructed Merlin and Gaius to ensure that Gwaine be given anything he needed. Gwaine wound up causing quite a bit of trouble during his stay in Camelot, including racking up a bill at the local tavern that he knew he had no money to pay. Despite this, however, he and Merlin got along very well and quickly became friends, bonding over the loss of their respective fathers and their desires to have known them better.

After discovering that they planned to use Stulorne Blades to kill Arthur during the competition, Merlin snuck into their chambers to steal one of the swords as evidence. He became distracted by the mysterious crystals that the knights wore around their necks, and a closer look revealed that Oswald and Ethan were actually Dagr and Ebor the two thugs from the tavern brawl in disguise. Unfortunately, the fake knights discovered Merlin before his investigation was complete. They were furious to find him sneaking around their chambers and immediately moved to attack him.

Luckily, Gwaine, who had grown worried when Merlin hadn't returned from his errand, arrived just in time to intervene. He easily fought off the thugs with his superior swordsmanship, but was arrested by Sir Leon for breaking the Knight's Code and subsequently banished from Camelot.

He used his magic to knock one of the thugs from their horse, but they quickly recovered and resumed their attack on the prince.

However, Uther still refused to lift his banishment, and though Merlin later tried to persuade him to stay, Gwaine was adamant that he could never serve under a man like Uther and decided to try his luck in Mercia instead Gwaine. Taliesin shows Merlin the Crystal Cave.

After Arthur was badly wounded by bandits in the Valley of the Fallen Kings , Merlin tried to heal him with his magic , but failed. Fortunately, as the prince appeared to be nearing death, an old sorcerer named Taliesin appeared and used his magic to heal him. He then took Merlin to the nearby Crystal Cave , the place where magic began.

Taliesin explained to Merlin that the crystals contained knowledge of the future and instructed him to look into them, assuring him that much would be revealed if he did.

Merlin initially refused, as the last time he'd looked into the future he'd seen terrible things, but Taliesin coaxed him into it by suggesting that there was a reason he'd been brought there at that moment in time and only the crystals could tell him what it was.

Merlin saw a number of visions in the crystals, including one of Morgana murdering Uther. Later, back in Camelot , he attempted to prevent this future from coming to pass, but nearly killed Morgana in the process by accidentally knocking her down a flight of stairs.

Gaius did everything he could, but her skull was fractured and she wasn't expected to survive. Unable to accept this, Uther privately begged Gaius to use magic to save her and confessed that Morgana was actually his daughter, a revelation which shocked the eavesdropping Merlin. Unable to watch everyone's grief, Merlin summoned Kilgharrah and asked him to help save Morgana.

When the dragon refused, he used his Dragonlord powers to command him to help anyway. Later, Merlin discovered that Morgana had also overheard Uther's confession and was going to kill him for failing to acknowledge her. Realizing that injuring her hadn't prevented his vision after all, he rushed to stop her and eventually succeeded by using his magic to shatter a window in Uther's bedroom, waking him up and forcing Morgana to abandon her assassination attempt The Crystal Cave.

Merlin collects ingredients for Gaius's potion. When Lord Godwyn and his daughter, Princess Elena , visited Camelot , Uther revealed that she and Arthur were to marry in order to form an alliance between their kingdoms. Merlin was amused by this turn of events and enjoyed teasing Arthur about it, but soon realized that something was wrong when he spotted Elena's nurse, Grunhilda , catching flies with her tongue.

After further investigation revealed that Grunhilda was actually a pixie and that Elena was unknowingly a changeling , Merlin and Gaius realized that a marriage between her and Arthur would give the Sidhe control over the throne of Camelot.

In order to prevent this, they decided to concoct a potion that would free Elena of the Sidhe that was possessing her. Merlin was tasked with collecting the ingredients for this potion, including an extremely rare Dropwort flower that only grew in marshy, boggy terrain.

Unfortunately, Grunhilda discovered that Merlin knew about Elena and rushed to inform the Sidhe. Determined to stop him from interfering in their plans, the Sidhe Elder tried to kill Merlin that night. Merlin managed to escape the attack and destroy the Elder with his magical staff , but accidentally broke the potion bottle in the process.

Fortunately, Gaius was able to prepare another one while Merlin devised a plan to lure Grunhilda away from Elena. After locking the pixie in the castle vaults, Merlin and Gaius retrieved the potion and Merlin's staff from their chambers and went to find Elena.

However, Grunhilda soon escaped from her prison and attempted to attack them, forcing Merlin to reduce her to dust with his magical staff.

He then entered Elena's chambers and made her drink the potion, forcing the Sidhe out of her and allowing Merlin to destroy it with his staff.

Later, Merlin helped Arthur prepare for his wedding. When he realized how upset the prince was about having to marry Elena, Merlin tried to comfort Arthur by sympathizing with his worries about having a destiny that he couldn't escape. He advised Arthur that an unhappy king would not make for a stronger kingdom and said that he may be destined to rule Camelot, but he had a choice as to how he did it.

Recognizing the truth of Merlin's words, Arthur admitted to Elena that he did not love her and they mutually decided to call off the wedding The Changeling.

Arthur explains his plan to rescue Elyan to Merlin, Gwen , and Morgana. When Gwen failed to show up for work one morning, Arthur became worried and sent Merlin to her house to see if anything was wrong.

The place appeared to be empty and unusually messy when Merlin arrived, and he soon discovered a rag abandoned on the floor. After determining that it had been coated with a very strong drug, he showed the rag to Arthur and they quickly concluded that Gwen had been kidnapped.

Though Arthur was able to persuade Uther to send out a search party, no trace of Gwen was found until Merlin accidentally bumped into her the next morning. He was initially relieved to see that she was okay, but soon realized that something was wrong when he noticed that her wrists were badly bruised.

Overwhelmed, Gwen tearfully explained that Cenred's men had kidnapped her and taken her to a strange castle, where she discovered that her brother Elyan was also being held captive. She told Merlin that Cenred had threatened to kill Elyan if she didn't bring Arthur to him within the week. When Arthur learned what had happened, he deduced that Elyan was being held at the Castle of Fyrien and decided that he, Merlin, Gwen, and Morgana would form a rescue party.

Merlin was dismayed by Morgana's inclusion as he suspected that she was involved in Cenred's scheme and tried to convince Arthur that it was a bad idea to let her come along. When this failed, he tried to appeal to Morgana by reminding her that Gwen and Arthur cared for her and she had no reason to harm them, but Morgana, unmoved, merely replied that he would do well to stay out of things that did not concern him.

Determined to stop her from sabotaging Arthur's rescue plan, the next day Merlin used his magic to summon a snake to scare Morgana's horse, causing it to throw her.

However, though Morgana injured her ankle in the fall, Merlin's attempt to leave her behind failed when she insisted that she could go on. Later, after the group arrived at the Castle and tried to sneak in through a network of secret tunnels, Morgana used a magic ring to alert Morgause and Cenred to their location, which resulted in their capture.

Fortunately, Merlin and Arthur were able to escape and rescue Gwen and Elyan. Arthur then separated from the group to search for Morgana who Morgause and Cenred were pretending to hold hostage and ordered Merlin to guard the others, but Merlin decided to follow him instead.

He caught up just as Morgause was attempting to kill the prince by conjuring a column of fire and quickly used his own magic to cause her spell to backfire. The resulting explosion caused the ceiling to collapse on Morgause and Cenred, knocking them unconscious and allowing Merlin, Arthur, and Morgana to escape The Castle of Fyrien.

Merlin, Arthur , and Gwaine search for the Fisher King's trident. When the time came to prove himself worthy of the throne of Camelot , Arthur chose to embark on a quest to find the Fisher King's Golden Trident. Because it was tradition for such quests to be completed alone and unaided, Arthur ordered Merlin to stay behind.

However, the warlock was later forced to follow him after he discovered that Morgana was attempting to use an Eye of the Phoenix to drain the prince's life force. Knowing that he would need help to save Arthur, Merlin recruited his friend Gwaine to ride with him to the Perilous Lands. They were given access to the realm by Grettir , the Bridgekeeper, who referred to Arthur and Gwaine as "Courage" and "Strength" and addressed Merlin as "Magic".

Before he allowed them to enter, Grettir took Merlin aside and informed him that the Fisher King had waited many years for his arrival. He then advised him not to deny the King what he wished, and to remember that nothing was as it seemed. After a night spent camping in the wilderness, Merlin and Gwaine were able to track Arthur to the Fisher King's castle, where Merlin found him about to be attacked by a pair of Wyverns.

He quickly used his Dragonlord abilities to order the creatures away, and also took the opportunity to remove the Eye of the Phoenix from Arthur's wrist. Later, when he met the Fisher King and promised to grant him an end to his suffering, he used the crystal to give him the death he craved.

Before he died, the Fisher King warned Merlin that Albion's time of need was near and that he alone could save her. To this end, he gave Merlin a glass vial containing water from the Lake of Avalon , which he said would provide the help he would need. Soon after the Fisher King's death, Arthur and Gwaine reunited with Merlin who had been separated from them by a trap door and located the Golden Trident, after which Arthur and Merlin returned to Camelot while Gwaine, who was still banished from the kingdom, elected to travel south The Eye of the Phoenix.

Merlin and Gaius battle the Manticore. When Uther learned of a physician in the Lower Town that was offering miracle cures, he suspected that magic was involved and sent Gaius and Merlin to investigate. They spoke with the local innkeeper and discovered that the physician had healed him using a totem and a magical potion , but when they later reported their findings to the king, Gaius lied and told him that the innkeeper had been cured with a natural remedy. Merlin was pleased by Gaius's actions and told him that he was glad he'd protected the innkeeper.

Much to his surprise, however, Gaius denied having lied about anything and tried to convince him that neither the potion nor the totem had been enchanted. Later that night, Merlin woke to find Gaius sneaking out of their chambers and followed him to a house in the Lower Town owned by a woman named Alice.

He watched as she greeted Gaius with a hug and invited him inside, then quietly returned to the castle.

The next morning, Merlin admitted that he'd followed Gaius to Alice's house and asked him who she was. He learned that she and Gaius had been friends and lovers many years ago and had even been engaged to be married, but had been forced to part ways during the Great Purge when Alice fled Camelot and Gaius stayed behind. Now that she was back, Gaius felt that they'd been given a second chance.

Merlin was pleased for his mentor and did what he could to support his romance, even agreeing to give up his room when Gaius invited Alice to stay with them for a while. Unfortunately, Merlin soon discovered that Alice had other, darker reasons for returning to Camelot when he overheard her plotting with a strange creature to poison Uther.

He tried to tell Gaius what he'd seen, but the physician dismissed his story when he was unable to find the creature Alice had been talking to.

Determined to prove that he was telling the truth, Merlin researched the creature in the castle library and eventually identified it as a Manticore , an ancient creature that was said to reside in another world. Soon afterwards, Uther's medicine was discovered to have been poisoned.

Merlin tried once more to convince Gaius that Alice was involved, but when the physician refused to listen, he was forced to take his suspicions to Arthur , who wasted no time in ordering Alice's arrest. However, Merlin later discovered that, while Alice had used the Manticore's venom to poison the king, she had not been working with the creature of her own free will.

Horrified, Merlin apologized to Gaius and told him what he'd learned, and together they decided to cure Uther by killing the Manticore. In order to kill the creature, Merlin would have to summon the Manticore, then keep it at bay while Gaius used magic to destroy the box that served as its portal to the Spirit World. Their plan was successful and the Manticore was destroyed.

Later, after a fully recovered Uther refused to pardon Alice for her part in the attempt to assassinate him, Gaius helped her to escape from Camelot before she could be executed Love in the Time of Dragons. Merlin uses an ageing spell to disguise himself as Dragoon the Great. After Morgana had a prophetic dream about Gwen being crowned Queen of Camelot , Morgause advised her to do everything in her power to prevent it from coming to pass.

Morgana decided to sabotage Gwen and Arthur's relationship by causing Uther to find out about it, then hid a magic poultice in Arthur's room and led the king to believe that his son had been enchanted. Unable to prove her innocence, Gwen was swiftly arrested and sentenced to death.

Determined to save Gwen from execution, but knowing that Uther would never believe Morgana was responsible for planting the poultice, Merlin decided that if he couldn't expose the real sorcerer , then he'd have to invent one. He used an ageing spell to disguise himself as an eighty-year-old man he later dubbed Dragoon the Great and snuck into Arthur's chambers, where the prince caught him hiding another poultice under his pillow. Merlin managed to escape, but unfortunately the aeging spell proved to be too powerful for him to remove on his own, and he was consequently captured and sentenced to burn at the stake in Gwen's place.

Fortunately, Gaius was able to concoct a potion to reverse the spell's effects. He slipped it to Merlin as he was being led to his execution, after which the young warlock used his magic to set the waiting pyre ablaze. In the confusion that followed, Merlin was able to escape into the castle and use the potion to break the spell. By the time Arthur and his men caught up with him, he had returned to his normal form and was able to explain Dragoon's disappearance by claiming that he'd run right past him, a lie that Arthur believed because Gaius had explained Merlin's earlier absence by telling him that he was spending the day in the tavern Queen of Hearts.

Merlin reveals his magic to Gilli. While readying Arthur's armour for the Decennial Tournament , Merlin was threatened by a pair of thugs who wanted him to attend to their things instead. He was extricated from the situation by a young man named Gilli , who the two thugs had targeted earlier in the day. Merlin and Gaius later saw Gilli fighting in the tournament and discovered that he was a sorcerer using a magic ring to enhance his combat skills. Afraid that Gilli's secret would be discovered if he continued to use his magic to fight, Merlin tried to convince him to withdraw from the tournament, but Gilli refused.

He claimed that without magic he was nobody and that he needed to use it to prove he was special. He also told Merlin about his father, a sorcerer who had vowed never to use his magic because he feared what would happen if Uther found out, and said that he wouldn't be like him.

However, Gilli later changed his mind after he killed his opponent in the next round. Horrified by what he'd done, he realized that Merlin was right and decided to withdraw. Unfortunately, Gilli soon had a change of heart when everyone began to show him the respect he craved and he decided not to withdraw from the tournament after all.

He won his next match seriously injuring his opponent in the process and was slated to face Uther in the finals. Merlin was upset by this and tried once more to persuade Gilli to withdraw, even going so far as to reveal his own magic to show that he understood how he felt.

However, his actions ultimately backfired when Gilli, angry that Merlin appeared to be defending the king, accused him of forgetting who he was and declared that it was time people with magic fought back. Merlin promises Gilli that they will meet again. At his wit's end, Merlin summoned Kilgharrah and asked for his advice. The dragon sympathized with his plight and noted that it was never an easy thing to see one's kin die, but ultimately reminded Merlin that if Arthur were to see his father killed through the use of magic, it would harden his mind toward it forever.

Recognizing the truth of his words, Merlin decided to use his own magic to counteract Gilli's during the finals, costing him the win and saving Uther's life. Gilli was initially angry with Merlin for interfering and accused him of betraying their kind.

Much to his surprise, however, Merlin replied that Gilli was the real traitor, as he'd acted dishonourably by using his magic for his own glory. Ashamed, Gilli finally realized that it hadn't been magic his father had been afraid of, but the power it had to corrupt the weak.

He apologized to Merlin for his behavior and told him that he hoped they'd meet again someday, to which Merlin replied that he was sure that they would. Merlin, Arthur and Gwaine search for the Cup of Life. After Sir Leon returned to court claiming that the Druids had healed him with the Cup of Life , Uther decided to send Arthur and Merlin on a quest to retrieve it before their enemy, King Cenred , learned of its location.

They were captured by the slave trader Jarl soon after entering Cenred's kingdom and were unexpectedly reunited with their friend Gwaine , who was also being held prisoner. The three were later able to escape together and Gwaine decided to join Merlin and Arthur on their quest. They recovered the Cup from the Druids, but were ambushed by Cenred's men on their way back to Camelot.

Arthur was injured in the attack and Merlin was unable to keep the Cup from falling into enemy hands. Cenred's ally Morgause later used it to make his army immortal , then killed him and used the army to conquer Camelot. Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine returned to find that Uther and the rest of the court had been taken prisoner and that only Gaius and Elyan had managed to escape. They later retreated to the safety of the woods after witnessing Morgana crowned Queen of Camelot.

The group spent the next week hiding in a cave while they figured out what to do about the immortal army. Merlin used the Avalon Vial to contact his deceased lover Freya , who told him that the Cup of Life had transformed Morgana's army into the living dead and reminded him that the only thing with the power to slay the undead was the sword Excalibur , which Merlin had hidden at the bottom of the Lake of Avalon.

Merlin later commanded the dragon Kilgharrah to carry him to the lake and was given the sword by Freya, though only her arm emerged from the water. Soon after Merlin returned to the cave, he and the rest of the group met up with Gwen and Leon.

The pair had managed to escape from Camelot, but had accidentally led Morgause and a squad of immortal soldiers to Arthur's hiding place in the process. Fortunately, the group was saved by the timely arrival of Lancelot and his friend Percival , who helped them escape by using a small avalanche to block the soldiers' path.

The group then traveled to the Castle of the Ancient Kings , where Arthur revealed his plan to rescue his father. Merlin was among those who volunteered to accompany him on his mission and was later present when the the prince knighted Gwaine, Elyan, Percival, and Lancelot for their loyalty.

Unbeknownst to Arthur, however, Merlin and Lancelot were planning to split off from the group after they reached the castle to find and empty the Cup of Life. Armed with the sword Excalibur, they battled their way to the throne room and destroyed any immortal soldiers that stood in their way. However, Lancelot was injured and Morgause intervened before Merlin could reach the Cup.

Fortunately, Gaius arrived and saved Merlin by attacking Morgause with magic. Merlin was then able to use his own magic to smash her into a pillar, seriously injuring her, before using Excalibur to empty the Cup of the army's blood, destroying the immortal soldiers.

Merlin places Excalibur in the stone. Horrified by Morgause's injuries, Morgana rushed into the room and cradled her unconscious sister. Merlin confronted Morgana and told her that her reign was over, but she angrily replied that it had only just begun. She then used her magic to bring the room crashing down around them, but fortunately Merlin, Lancelot, and Gaius were able to escape without injury. Merlin later placed Excalibur in a stone in the woods, where no mortal man could wield it The Coming of Arthur.

One year after Morgana attempted to conquer Camelot , the court was holding a feast to celebrate Samhain's Eve when Merlin had a vision of a mysterious old woman, causing him to faint. Later that night, after Merlin had recovered, he told Gaius what he'd seen and the physician concluded that the woman in his vision was likely the Cailleach , the Gatekeeper to the Spirit World. Gaius was unsure why she had appeared to Merlin, but feared that it might mean trouble for Camelot.

The next day, Arthur began receiving reports of strange, faceless beings attacking nearby villages. Merlin accompanied him and the Knights of the Round Table when they rode out to investigate and discovered that the attacks were the work of the Dorocha , ghostly voices of the dead that Morgana had unleashed by tearing the veil between the worlds.

Ordinary weapons could not kill them and Merlin was unable to use his magic in their presence. Fortunately, Lancelot was able to chase the Dorocha away from Merlin with a torch before they could harm him.

The attacks soon spread to the rest of Camelot, plunging the kingdom into chaos as frightened villagers flocked to the city for protection. Unable to use his magic, Merlin kept busy by helping Gaius tend to the wounded when he wasn't serving Arthur. He was later present when Gaius informed Arthur of his suspicions that the veil had been torn and that he would have to journey to the Isle of the Blessed and perform a blood sacrifice to repair it.

Knowing that Arthur would choose to sacrifice himself to save the kingdom, Merlin resolved to protect him by sacrificing himself in his place. Percival carries a badly injured Merlin.

Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights set out for the Isle of the Blessed the next morning. Lancelot didn't think it was wise for Merlin to come along, as he was worried that the warlock would get hurt without his magic to protect himself.

When he told Merlin as much, however, the warlock merely replied that it was his duty to protect Arthur, just as it was Lancelot's duty to protect Camelot. The group later made camp at the abandoned fortress of Daobeth, where Merlin and Arthur were attacked by a Dorocha while they collected firewood.

They evaded the creature and hid within the fortress, but the Dorocha pursued them and Arthur eventually decided to meet its attack head on. Before he could do so, however, Merlin pushed him out of the way and took the brunt of the Dorocha's attack himself. It was a this point that the Knights who had been searching the fortress for them arrived and chased the creature away with a torch.

Though Merlin's magic allowed him to survive the attack, he was badly injured and appeared to be slowly dying. As such, it was decided that Lancelot would take him back to Camelot while Arthur and the other Knights completed their quest. Fortunately, Merlin and Lancelot encountered the Vilia , benevolent spirits of the lakes and streams, during their journey and they were able to heal the warlock with their magic. The spirits also conjured magical lights to keep him and Lancelot safe from the Dorocha during the night.

The next morning, Merlin and Lancelot rode out to catch up to Arthur and the others. They took shelter in a cabin in the woods, where they stayed up talking and drinking late into the night. When they eventually fell asleep their fire burned low, leaving them vulnerable to the Dorocha. Fortunately, Merlin was able to sense the creatures approaching and woke Lancelot in time for them to escape.

However, the Dorocha continued to chase them, so he summoned the Great Dragon to repel the ghosts with his fire. Merlin confronts the Cailleach. Merlin thanked Kilgharrah for his help and introduced him to Lancelot, then explained their errand to the Isle of the Blessed. The dragon confirmed that the Cailleach would demand a sacrifice before she would repair the veil and tried to convince Merlin not to offer himself in Arthur's place, but the warlock would not be dissuaded.

Touched by his loyalty, the dragon told Merlin that he would miss him before he flew away. Merlin and Lancelot rejoined Arthur and the others and completed their journey to the Isle of the Blessed. After discovering the island was guarded by Wyverns , Leon , Percival , and Elyan stayed behind to hold them off while Merlin, Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot confronted the Cailleach.

Gwaine and Arthur were quickly knocked out and Merlin stepped forward to offer himself as a sacrifice, but the Cailleach refused and told him that his time among men was not yet over. Confused, Merlin turned to the veil and saw Lancelot walking toward the edge. He could only stare in horror as the knight smiled at him, then stepped through the veil and vanished.

Back in Camelot, Merlin attended Lancelot's memorial alongside the rest of the court. Later, while mourning his friend in the privacy of his room, he overheard Arthur's uncle Agravaine ask Gaius about the identity of the sorcerer Emrys, which led them to suspect that the nobleman might be in league with Morgana The Darkest Hour. Merlin disguises himself as Dragoon the Great to save Uther.

After Uther was mortally wounded protecting his son from an assassin , Merlin decided to show Arthur that magic could be used for good by using it to heal the king. Ignoring Gaius's warnings that his plan could backfire, Merlin met with the prince disguised as Dragoon the Great and agreed to heal Uther if Arthur would promise to legalize magic when he was king.

Though initially hesitant, Arthur accepted the terms and Merlin arranged to heal Uther later that evening. Unfortunately, Arthur's uncle Lord Agravaine told Morgana of their plan and the witch gave him an enchanted pendant to place around the king's neck. The pendant caused Merlin's healing spell to backfire , killing Uther instead of saving him. Enraged, Arthur tried to attack Merlin, but the warlock was able to use his magic to knock him unconscious. He then fled the room and returned to his usual form.

After Gaius showed him the necklace and they realized what Morgana had done, Merlin tried to convince Arthur that his father's death was an accident. Arthur, however, was certain this own arrogance was to blame. He told Merlin that magic was pure evil and that he would never lose sight of that again now that he'd lost both his parents to magic.

Heartbroken, Merlin spent the night sitting vigil while the prince mourned his father. He later watched as Arthur was crowned King of Camelot and joined the rest of the court in chanting, "Long live the King! Merlin rescues the last dragon egg. When Gaius's former pupil Julius Borden returned to Camelot , he sought out his old mentor and told him of his plan to recover the last dragon egg.

Though Gaius refused to get involved, Merlin overheard their conversation and became determined to help. He summoned Kilgharrah to confirm that the egg truly existed, then promised to fulfill his duty as a Dragonlord by finding it and helping the Great Dragon preserve his kind.

After he tracked down Borden and convinced him to let him help, Merlin stole Arthur's key to the vaults so Julius could retrieve the final piece of the Triskelion , the key to the Tomb of Ashkanar. Unfortunately, Borden betrayed Merlin by knocking him unconscious and taking the completed Triskelion, leaving him to take the blame for its theft. Luckily, Merlin recovered and returned the keys to the vault to Arthur before the theft was discovered. Gaius was furious with Merlin for trusting Borden and told him he feared to think what his former student would do with the egg when he found it.

To make matters worse, Arthur had decided that he and the Knights of the Round Table would embark on a quest to destroy the egg before Borden could use it against them. Determined to make up for his mistake by protecting the egg, Merlin accompanied them on their journey and was later contacted by the Druids , who told him that Borden had stolen a piece of the Triskelion from their camp and warned him that the Tomb was filled with traps.

Throughout the quest, Arthur and the Knights amused themselves by playing a joke on Merlin wherein they pretended to eat all the food he'd prepared, leaving nothing for him. Though their prank annoyed Merlin, who was focused on getting to the dragon egg before Borden did, it ultimately saved him from harm when Borden poisoned their stew. Merlin used his magic to heal the Knights, then left them to recover while he completed their journey alone.

Upon entering the Tomb, Merlin soon found his way to an inner chamber that housed the dragon egg. He confronted and defeated Borden unmasking himself as the last Dragonlord in the process and rescued the egg, but when he removed it from its pedestal, he triggered a trap that caused the Tomb to collapse.

Merlin escaped without injury to either himself or the egg, but Borden was killed in the collapse and buried in the rubble. Later, back in Camelot, Merlin showed the egg to Gaius, then presented it to Kilgharrah.

He used his Dragonlord powers to summon the hatchling from its egg by naming it Aithusa , which meant "light of the sun".

Pleased that he was no longer the last of his kind, Kilgharrah told Merlin that no dragon's birth was without meaning and sometimes that meaning was hard to see. However, he decided to believe that the white dragon's birth boded well for Albion Aithusa. Merlin disguised as a Knight of Camelot.

After a Caerleon raiding party was spotted within Camelot , Merlin was disguised as a Knight of Camelot and given the task of leading the men into an ambush. When King Caerleon himself was found among the prisoners, Lord Agravaine advised Arthur to prove his strength to the surrounding kingdoms by killing his enemy.

Though Merlin counseled him to show mercy instead, Arthur ultimately chose to follow his uncle's advice and killed the king. His actions enraged Caerleon's wife, Queen Annis , who consequently declared war on Camelot. Merlin accompanied Arthur and his army to the battle site and later followed him when he snuck out to meet Annis in secret.

His captured nearly ruined negotiations between the two rulers, but they eventually agreed that a battle between two champions would decide their conflict rather than the deaths of thousands of innocents. Arthur was very upset with Merlin for eavesdropping and his inability to leave things be, ignoring the warlock's protests that he was just trying to look out for him as a friend.

After he decided to fight as Camelot's champion himself, Arthur entrusted Merlin with a ring that he requested be given to Gwen if he died. Merlin later watched the duel from the ridge along with the rest of Camelot's army. When Morgana who was secretly in league with Annis attempted to sabotage the match by activating an enchantment she'd placed on Arthur's sword, Merlin quickly used his magic to counteract her efforts. With his help, Arthur was able to gain the upper hand and defeat Caerleon's champion, Derian , but chose to spare his life and make peace with Annis rather than kill him.

Later, as they returned to Camelot, Arthur admitted to Merlin that he should've listened to him earlier, even if he was "the worst servant in the five kingdoms" His Father's Son. The time different between Merlin Ambrosius with Vortigern and Merlin Calidonius was over a hundred years. Which is also quite possible. The sorcerer who appeared in the Mabinogion that have any superficial resemblance to Myrddin is Menw fab Teirgwaedd, or Menw son of Teirwaedd. Menw is wizard and one of the advisers of Arthur.

Myrddin Wyllt Myrddin the Mad. Arnes Prydain was written in the 10th century. Life of St Kentigern was written by Joceline of Furness c. Lailoken and Meldred 15th century. Lailoken and Kentigern 15th century. So it rest on other writers to flesh out his legendary birth. Layamon added a little bit of detail to his birth. Perhaps the most detailed account can be found in the Prose Merlin c.

The wizard was also a prophet who knows of the past and present, as well of the future. I thought it would be best to tell this account here, in relation to his involvement with the Grail, in the next two articles. The tale actually began with a rich man, who lost his family and wealth, because he was tormented by the devil, demon or incubus.

This man had a large, rich land, a wife, a son and three daughters. To keep it brief, the devil first destroyed his livestock and cattle, which had greatly distressed the man. Then the demon strangled his son in bed. Struck by this double tragedy, the devastated man never recovered from his melancholy, fallen ill and died. The middle child was the first to succumb to temptation.

She was caught committing adultery with a squire, and was buried alive for her sin. With cunning, the devil sent a woman to lure the youngest sister to sin and damnation. The woman advised the sister it would be wrong to lead a life without a man and sex. The older woman told the maiden that to avoid punishment of the law, the sister should take on many lovers, by becoming a whore.

So the youngest sister sold her soul to the devil, when she started sleeping with every man in town. When the oldest sister found out what had happened to her younger sibling, she was distressed and fearful that she would also fall into temptation.

So she sought help from the good priest again. So the priest advised the young woman that she must avoid sin and believe in God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. She must pray each evening, and cross herself before going to bed. Blaise warned the girl to avoid anger or wrath, which was the easiest sin to fall into. So the young woman lived a life of prayers and chastity. The woman tried to get her sinful to leave her home, but she refused.

Distressed and angry, she collapsed on her bed, weeping until she fell asleep, but she forgot to pray and commend herself to God, by crossing herself. As she slept, the incubus came to her and had sex with her, causing her to conceive a child. She took her problem to Blaise, who did not think it was possible for to lose her virginity without knowing whom her lover were. So the priest thought she was lying. Yet, the woman was adamant that she had not committed any cardinal sin.

Blaise told her to send for him, if she was ever in trouble with the law because of mysterious pregnancy. The priest as a precaution wrote down when she had lost her virginity. The young woman feared that she would have to face a similar death that of his younger adulterous middle sister of being buried alive. Fearing to die, she sent for her confessor. Blaise failed to persuade the judge to spare the unfortunate girl, so he asked for the postponement of her execution, allowing her to give birth to the child; at least until the child was able to eat by itself.

The girl was imprisoned, and two women were to share her cell, to help with delivery and the care of the pregnant woman. Blaise told the unfortunate damsel that she should have the child immediately baptize after giving birth, before the priest departed. Months had passed, and the two women helped her delivered the child. They were all shocked and frightened to see her son was so hairy like a wild animal. She named the child after her unfortunate father, Merlin.

No women in her town were willing to nurse Merlin, because they feared him. The devil had planned that this child of his would become the Antichrist that the Book of Revelation had foretold.

However, the devil defeated his own plan, when the newborn baby was baptised, which free the child from being a demonic monster. So months have past, as she raised her son in the prison cell, until the eighteenth month. The two women finally decided that it was time for them to leave, but leaving would mean that the young mother would be executed soon. No matter how she would plead, they refused to stay any longer, now that her son could walk and eat by himself.

As the two women were petitioning to leave, Merlin tried to comfort his mother by telling her that he would save her from execution. Stunned that her son could talk, she dropped him on the floor, causing him to wail. The women returned, where the mother told them that her son could speak. The women thought she was mad and trying to kill her own son. Her son did not say anything. When news of this wonder became public, the judges had decided that it would be time to execute the mother.

All the judges were amazed that the boy could talk at this age. But the judge stubbornly insisted Merlin to prove to him, who is his real father. She thought Merlin was the devil. Merlin also mentioned that she had continued to have her long, secret affair with the priest to this present day, because she had most recently slept with priest, as late as last night. The judge realised that everything Merlin had told them was the truth.

For this reason, Merlin had a great deal of power, which included ability to see everything of the past. God also gave Merlin the power to see into the future. The priest would fear the judge and flee into the woods, before drowning in a pond. The judge did what Merlin advised him to do, sending two men to secretly follow his mother, who went to the priest.

As Merlin had predicted, the priest thought that now the secret was out, the judge would probably have him tried and executed, so the priest fled from his home, into the woods. Rather than go through the ignoble execution that he thought he would receive from his own son, the priest leaped into the lake. The judge now believed all that Merlin had claimed, naming him wise. When Merlin departed with his mother, Blaise decided to accompany the prodigy. It was said that Blaise was the chronicler of the reign of Arthur and the high adventure of the Holy Grail.

Blaise otherwise known as Bleheris was also said to be either Welsh or Breton poet, who composed the lost archetype legend of Tristan , which the poet Beroul and Thomas may have used as their source for their own poems.

House of Constantine , Grail Legend. When Uther died it was Merlin who informed the barons of Logres that only a person, who could draw the sword from the stone, would be the rightful king.

Some lords were discontent when only Arthur could draw the sword. Merlin was also involved with Arthur, providing strategy to win the war against the rebel barons. When Arthur broke this sword that had named him king in a fight with King Pellinor Pellehen , Merlin brought Arthur to the lake where he received a new sword from the Lady of the Lake.

Merlin told the young king that the scabbard was better than the sword, because it would prevent him from bleeding from his wounds. In the Didot Perceval , he aided Perceval in several adventures. Merlin foretold of the greatness of Lancelot and Tristan, though Merlin had died shortly after Lancelot was born.

According to the legend, Blaise was responsible for the chronicle of Arthur and the Grail. This seat was called Siege Perilous. Only the pure and best knight in the world could sit on the Siege Perilous. The knight who sat on the Siege Perilous would also be the eventual champion of the quest for the Holy Grail. Merlin continued his usual role in the later legend as a prophet. The wounding of the Grail King was known as the Dolorous Stroke. The Dolorous Stroke not only maimed the king loved by God, but had devastated and lay waste to the kingdom of Listinois, and placed a great enchantment upon Logres Britain.