Abstract
This chapter introduces a new approach to the analysis of the two different representations of Merlin (on which more below) and their influence on modern culture. This is based on the most recent research in the fields of medieval Welsh literature as the original source of the Merlin legend, and of Continental Arthurian literature. Its focus is on presenting an analysis of the major trends in the representation of Merlin in modern film and literature. The chapter presents the following broad distinction of the two figures of Merlin as attested in medieval literature: the fool and the wise man. The first of these belongs to the “mad man of the woods” topos, originally featuring in early Welsh poetry, and closely connected to political prophesy. Correspondingly, the chapter begins with a brief analysis of the history of this figure and his salient features. Works examined include the “Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin” (“Conversation of Myrddin and Taliesin”), the “Afallennau” (“Apple-trees”), and the “Oianau” (“Greetings”), among others. The second, later figure of Merlin is the wise old man of the later Arthurian legends, featuring to some extent in pseudo-history, as well as in the courtly romances. The second part of the chapter therefore introduces this figure, with a brief overview of his functions and development in the narratives of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Robert de Boron, among others. This is followed, in the main body of the chapter, by an evaluation of the interaction between, and the relative influence of, these two separate figures on modern portrayals of Merlin. Works examined include the British Broadcasting Corporation’s recent television series, Merlin (2008–present), as well as the Hollywood film King Arthur (2004), and Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy, among others. The existence of previous research on the subject of Merlin in modern culture creates a base and methodological framework on which the chapter builds and expands. However, the changing nature of “modern culture” and the passage of time mean that much of this previous literature is out of date. One of the aims of the chapter is therefore not only to update this research, but also to present a new framework of analysis that will remain relevant and useful to later scholars, regardless of the passage of time. The focus is therefore primarily on analyzing the manner in which the figure of Merlin has consistently exerted influence on popular culture, and on the shifts in importance between the two figures of Merlin described above. Case studies from the most recent popular phenomena are used to support that argument and build up a new theory on the legacy of Merlin in popular culture.
Wit, an’t be thy will, put me into good fooling!
Those wits, that think they have thee, do very oft
prove fools; and I, that am sure I lack thee, may
pass for a wise man: for what says Quinapalus?
‘Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.’
William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act I Scene 1.
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Petrovskaia, N.I. (2017). The Fool and the Wise Man: The Legacy of the Two Merlins in Modern Culture. In: Nelson-Campbell, D., Cholakian, R. (eds) The Legacy of Courtly Literature. Arthurian and Courtly Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60729-0_10
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