The Lay of Lady Percival Countdown Post: Merlin

The reason I never liked and still don't like T.H. White's Once and Future King: Merlin aging backwards.

For some reason this killed my suspension of disbelief dead, even as a child. I could simply not deal with it.

Merlin is an enigmatic figure. Over the years he's been the son of a nun (or a princess) and an incubus, part fairy (the approach I take), a scion of Atlantis, or the Doctor. (Yes. It is canon. The Doctor is or will be Merlin). He's been a man, a woman (and not just in fanfic, although I can't find the book concerned), and a title held by multiple individuals. He's been the hero, the villain, and all things in between. Sometimes in the same work.

Merlin's story generally ends when he lusts after the wrong witch and she locks him up.

The fact is that Merlin was invented by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who conflated Myrddin Wylt, who originally had no connection to Arthur, and various tales associated with Ambrosius Aurelianus. Myrddyn Emrys was the result. The latin Merlin rather than Merdin probably has something to do with the French word "merde" which means, uh, manure. Yeah.

So, Merlin was never part of the original Arthurian legends. But he is so much part of them now that we can't imagine them without him. His role in the story is sage, advisor, prophet, druid. And his disappearance from the story almost always triggers the final tragedy...