Merlin: Religion and Time

When I hear the word wizard one of the first associations that pops into my head is Merlin. He is undoubtedly one of the most popular wizards in history, still famous today although he made his original debut early on in the medieval period. One of the earliest texts ever written about him is called the Prose Merlin. It is a Middle English text that involves the adventures of King Arthur, but unlike with most Arthurian texts, a great deal of focus in the Prose Merlin is given to the life of…well, Merlin.

The first thing that I find interesting about the text is that it is mid-fifteenth century text about a person who supposedly lived centuries before. In other words, Merlin was adored, even in medieval times, as a figure engulfed in the mystery of the past. It seems to be a trend with modern wizards, like Harry Potter and Harry Dresden, that even though they live in the present they are creatures of the past.  An example of this would be Harry Dresden’s inability to interact successfully with technology leading him to live in an apartment with a wood stove and candles for heat and light. Another example is Harry Potter’s wizarding world, where living in a giant castle and using parchment paper and quills for writing is the norm. I have to wonder if Merlin is a trend setter here. It seems like all of the famous wizards who have come after him are tied to the past (particularly to some variation of the medieval period – Merlin’s time).

As for Merlin as a conjurer, I find him to be way different in this text than what I was expecting him to be like. When I picture Merlin, he is this old guy with a long beard in a cloak. My Merlin is crotchety and makes tea cups dance (T.H. White has undoubtedly corrupted me). Never in my conception of him did I consider how he was born or how he became magical. Merlin just is magical. According to the Prose Merlin however, Merlin is magical because he is half devil. There is this whole huge deal about how he was fathered by a devil but his mother was a good Christian. She prayed for help, so God stepped in and gave Merlin some holy counter-powers to make him good too. It seems to me like with all the divine power that’s flowing through his body, Merlin is very barely human.

I find that it’s actually very hard to relate to Merlin in this text. With Merlin as the exception, the wizards that I’ve read about have served as a kind of bridge between the realm of the magical and the world I would associate as mine. I believe that conjurers draw their power from the natural power found in the magical realm but they don’t serve as a power source that gives magic to that realm. I have been wondering why they are necessary for magic at all, but one answer might be that we need them to serve as a bridge for us. I wonder if wizards have become more human over time in order to help us better relate to the realm of fantasy. 

It could also just be that religion is less associated as magical. It seems to me that people have come to think that magic has nothing to do with Christianity. I tend to think of it as this more pagan thing, myself. In the Prose Merlin though, the Christian devil and God gift Merlin his magical powers. It seems like the medieval writers have no problem blending magic with Christian faith and themes. In fact, Merlin is very similar to Jesus in this story. He is born of a virgin mother, personally blessed by God, and some of his magic is Christ-like. For example, he makes mention of the fact that he has no problem walking on water. I think this text helps make an argument for religion not playing a huge role in magical ability. Yes, Merlin’s powers are dependent on religion in this particular text, but I’ve seen him portrayed as a Druid, as a pagan, and as a man without any real religion other than magic. Religion is never really mentioned in Harry Potter and I don’t feel its absence. I think that magic is less to do with religion then, and more to do with knowledge and knowing. Merlin’s magic may come from the devil and God, but it is because they give him the powers to see into the past and into the future that Merlin is so formidable a conjurer.