#Morgana's high priestess one is so interesting

[feral-and-chaotic]

Merlin ramble

Because I haven't really talked about it in years, a bit of background, I used to be absolutely obsessed with BBC Merlin. It was baby me's gateway into fantasy. I loved it.

Rewatching it now is fun cause most of the early seasons still hold up.

But the one thing I am furious about is how easily finished and badly handled the Nimueh plotline was.

Nimueh was such an interesting character. Arguably a lawful evil/neutral character who had tried to help her friends/allies to conceive a child. But despite her warnings and her help, not only did Uther turn on her but also used this as a justification to murder hundreds of people.

She is so angry about this she spirals into vengeance. She believes strongly in balance but Uther's actions push her over the edge.

Merlin helps Uther, so she tries to kill him but on realising who he is, she makes a last ditch attempt to reach out.

...

She's so fascinating. She's probably the only person with her specific knowledge left, who was... At least implied to be friends with Uther and Gauis (and I assume Ygraine too).

She mirrors Morgana, just as Merlin mirrors Gauis and Arthur mirrors Uther. And I wish wish wish we went into her more rather than just killing her.

There's a fascinating relationship between Merlin and Nimueh that could have been explored after they got over the initial antagonism.

ALSO!!

We know Morgause was brought up by the high priestesses... Does that mean Nimueh raised her? The idea of Nimueh trying desperately to school this child in the ruins of a temple she once lived in and still serves is tragic.

Can you tell I made up my own childhood lore headcanons based on the scraps we got🤣

This show will always be instrumental to me being interested in fantasy but it definitely has some gaping lore holes. (Affectionate)

[closetsof-backlogged-dreams]

this is kind of very specific but thoughts on morgana randomly having magic years into her life? (merlin is the only wizard born with it i believe and usually you have to study magic to attain it?)

ok, so i wrote a huge huge analysis on this!! like absolutely gigantic!! and then it all got deleted😭😭 so we're going to try and recreate it rn so i dont jump off a cliff👍

alright! so, i'll start it off by saying that i've actually never thought about this before! the reason this was originally so huge was because i was thinking abt it and analyzing while i wrote it:) so this will still probably be rly long and kind of nonsensical lol bc i havent rly had the time to compress all of my thoughts, if that makes sense

okay, so there's two things that i want to address here:

Uther's prejudice towards magic

Morgana's connection to magic (family)

my first theory begins with viewing Morgana's magic as its own entity. Morgana was a little girl brought to Camelot, one of the most dangerous places to possess magic, and raised by Uther, the figurehead of the anti-magic movement. what if her magic knew that she wouldn't be safe there if it made itself known, so it locked itself up inside her? but her magic gained power as she got older, and grew restless, until it began to lash out in big magical displays such as a candle's flame reaching so high it sets the curtains alight, or the window the curtains covered being smashed without a single touch? so, that is one explanation—that her magic didn't surface until it absolutely had to in order to protect Morgana.

but let's look at Morgana's connections to magic. first, we have to acknowledge Morgana's connection to her half-sister, Morgause. we know that they are maternal half-sisters, sharing a mother, a noblewoman named Vivienne. Morgause's father is never confirmed in the series, but we obviously know that Morgana's is Uther. it is never fully explained what happened to Morgause, where she's been all this time, but after looking through the wiki and the episodes for information, I found this part of "The Sins of the Father":

UTHER: I was led to believe that the child had died.

GAIUS: The child lived, My Lord. She was smuggled out of Camelot shortly after her birth.

UTHER: How do you know this?

GAIUS: It was I who entrusted the child to the High Priestesses of the Old Religion.

UTHER: You should've told me, Gaius.

GAIUS: I had sworn a solemn oath, My Lord. I'm only breaking it now because I fear what Morgause might do.

UTHER: Does Morgana know?

GAIUS: I don't believe so.

UTHER: Morgana must never find out she has a half sister. I will not have her loyalties divided.

GAIUS: Of course. The High Priestesses will have trained Morgause from birth. Her magic will be powerful.

whoa. for how little we learn about Morgause throughout the series, this one piece of dialogue by far reveals the most. let's summarize, then analyze: so Uther obviously knows who Morgause is and believed her to be dead, when she had actually been handed over to the High Priestesses by Gaius to be trained in magic as a child. Uther is horrified by this because he doesn't want her "loyalties divided." when watching the episode, it's Uther is obviously shocked by this revelation, but not in the ways you'd think.

in my interpretation, it seems that Uther is shocked that this transpired, and that Gaius betrayed him (mostly this), but the fact of Morgause's magic doesn't seem to add any sort of fuel to the fire. it seems like information Uther was already aware of, which is very, very interesting. i believe that Uther always knew, in his heart, that Morgana would be a sorceress one day. i wonder if that plays into his complete expulsion of magic from his kingdom, but that is another ask and analysis lol.

but the information we learn about Morgause is very important. so, she had obviously been practicing magic her whole life, but she had also been given to magicfolk. this could easily mean that she had to study it, right? i doubt it. if Morgana had magic without studying it, it would make perfect sense if it somehow ran in the family. but! they have different fathers, so that only leaves one connection, their mother Vivienne. let's get down to the crux of my actual theory: i think Vivienne was a sorceress of some sort. it would explain how Uther would know of Morgause's magic, and why he would have any reason to believe Morgana would one day become a sorceress. i know i said this was another ask lol, but i wouldn't be surprised if this played into why he never told Morgana she was his daughter. she would obviously know that she wasn't Ygraine's, and then she might do some digging into Uther's past and everything, and he might've been scared that she would have discovered who her mother was and, furthermore her mother's magic.

but PAUSE: why would Uther have been led to believe that Morgause had died? assuming she was born with magic, which provides the simplest explanations for my theory, i can presume that Vivienne wanted her child to learn magic and become a High Priestess, a future i could only see her wanting for her child if she was some kind of sorceress herself. i do wonder if Vivienne was a High Priestess, but that i highly doubt, as interesting as it would be. and if Vivienne was a sorceress, and her magic most likely was passed on to Morgause, why wouldn't it pass on to Morgana?

AND CONTINUING WITH THAT: if they did "share" the same magic, it would also explain why Morgause gave Morgana the bracelet in the episode they first met. if they both experienced prophetic dreams, it is very probable that Vivienne did as well. so if all of Morgause's magic was trained, why would they share that trait? just another theory:)

moving on: personally, i don't actually think Merlin was the only one born with magic. i think it is very, very uncommon to be born with it, and it might have died out over time as the world developed and moved on from magic, but i definitely think he wasn't the only one to be born with it. the shock of him being born with magic (from Gaius, Arthur, etc.) i think came from two things:

misinformation spread by Uther to promote his "all magic is a choice and evil" narrative

how uncommon it is in the first place, so people probably wouldn't encounter it often or ever

real quick, before i give my grand summary, i want to take a short look at Mordred. when we first meet him, he is a young boy. we see him perform telepathy, but overall, if my memory serves me correct, i don't believe we saw him perform much magic. i don't know if Mordred was born with magic or not, and i don't think it matters. i just think that young children—outside of Merlin who was obviously a very special case, though we don't even know the full background of when his magic truly began manifesting itself in any sort of significant way—generally don't have very powerful magic. and if Morgana's magic truly was locked away, if her magic was so weak, how would it have ever made itself known before?

overall, though, here is what i believe:

i think Vivienne was a sorceress and her magic passed on to both Morgause and Morgana. when Morgause was given to the High Priestesses, she was trained to control and use the magic she already possessed from birth. because they were actively training her, she probably developed more powerful magic quicker, but we don't actually know anything about when her magic manifested, so that part is most a mystery. i do think, though, it probably became significant around 10 or 11, or perhaps when she became of age. but Morgana didn't receive that training, and was in an environment and situation where not only did she have no reason to think she possessed magic but it also would have been dangerous to possess magic. so, i think some subconscious part of her pushed it down, explaining how she only really experienced it in dreams for most of her time at Camelot, in a way that no one else could see or perceive, so it wouldn't endanger her. until, finally, her magic grew too strong to be contained any longer and it began lashing out in worsened dreams and acts of more physical and material magic, like the candle fire and the window. the reason why Merlin's magic manifested earlier than Morgana's can easily be explained in how exclusive Merlin's experiences were. he was the most powerful sorcerer in history, so it makes sense that his magic would be stronger and unable to be contained right off the bat instead of later on, when it finally grew enough as it did for Morgana.

well, that's all! pls pls PLS let me know if you have any more follow-up questions on this particular topic or any others! i absolutely adored this question because one thing that always irked me about the series was the importance of Morgause but the complete lack of backstory! we have really no idea what happened to her or where she came from, and all of the theories here are quite shaky and all dependent on 2-3 sentences pulled from one conversation:( i hope all of this made sense though, and i hope you enjoyed! (and im so sorry it took so long!! as i mentioned at the beginning, i actually already wrote most of this like a MONTH ago, but it got deleted, so i had to rewrite it all😭) once again, if there's anything else you'd like to ask, please do!!

[themurderofcrowscollective]

Valentine's Day in Camelot Everyone's got their valentine in mind, giving them flowers and presents or even confessing, and of course Arthur would get a lot of presents and gifts from the ones who have a crush on him Merlin would get his fair share of gifts too from people who admire him, but he pays no mind to most of it since he knows no one would truly want him for who he is However this time, on this particular Valentine's Day, things are different. This time, Uther Pendragon is dead, the ban on magic is lifted and Morgana is now Princess and High Priestess. Everyone in Camelot has come to notice that Merlin and Arthur are interested in each other but in true merthur fashion, they're both idiots and oblivious to each other's advances. So the knights, in true knights of the round table fashion, start betting on who's going to figure out who's leaving presents and gifts for the other. So far, Percival is in the lead since he betted on Merlin guessing more often than Arthur who is indeed a cabbage-head.

[phoebehalliwell]

any past lives headcanons (specifically king arthur related)???

hmm that's a good question i've seen a lot of wyatt = arthur and chris = merlin and i like it tbh but while admittedly i have not watched merlin i do love the idea of idiot x idiot romance where both are gifted in one field and severely lacking in the other so i would love to do a wyatt romance where wyatt is arthur in a past life and merlin's reincarnation is his boyfriend. bonus if the boyfriend was a wizard and was raised in that "merlin was an overrated hack" ("We're Off to See the Wizard." Charmed, created by Constance M. Burge, season 4, episode 19, Spelling Television, 2002) culture only to find out he Was merlin and just go oh lmao. which in this case i would make chris lancelot and bianca morgana and then add a zesty little backstory there. i don't think i'd have a guinevere. wait wait wait. Wait. arthur and morgana are related. yes? Chris is morgana. Wyatt is arthur. TBDLI (to be determined love interest) is merlin. Bianca is. is there a judas figure in arthurian legend?? i guess i'll make her lancelot and then establish the lore that she was wyatt's right man under the evil regime, which made her betrayal hurt that much more. oooh.

beyond that. i think i have undisclosed inklings of past lives for the davis squad (not so much effie considering she's already So Old.) kat defo has some past lives that are going to be explored. henry i kinda wanna give a past life where he's a pirate just to do a pirate episode. i kind of want peyton to be a reincarnation of brianna their super powerful telekinetic great great great great great aunt. i think i wanna give one of the cupitches (prolly pj or peyton) a high priestess past life where some old demons have beef with her soul and try to get her ass. tamora i would love to see as a great warrior in a past life something epic but only after she kind of starts to shed her shy skin you know?

RELATIONSHIPS IN PAST LIVES:

were once besties: pj x parker x peyton, bianca x wyatt, WILDCARD henry x effie

were once lovers: chris x bianca, kat x viola, melinda x [REDACTED], melinda x [REDACTED] (two!!), wyatt x [TBD]

once betrayed one another: wyatt x chris, wyatt x bianca, kat x viola, henry x [REDACTED]

um bonus i'd say that either dency or penn is melinda warren reincarnated dove Also has a specific reincarnation but that's top secret, warren and sheridan have definitely existed in the family before but i wouldn't say as any pre-established members but i would probably give them some type of narrative in the past just for funsies hey maybe they knew leo, keyboards has been a witch before, jenny has been a witch before, monica has been a witch before, luz has been a witch before, who else exists.... patricia, penelope, & phillipa of the prandy!lives au i would actually say probably have more incarnations in andy's family than the warren line,,,, just 4 zest. w shane & abel paige's source kids i feel like one of them has to have whathisface. the warlock. ummm. matthew. matthew tate. bc taste. idk who else would be there. who else do i have. bennie. the paige richard kid. probably comes from the montana line bc i feel like they've got some fucked up folx there. in another world (sorry leo) i would love to see a gen3 kid end up being a reincarnation of piper and falling in love w a reincarnation of mark.

[cynthia39100]

@fuckingfandomfreak

#morgause is who fandom wishes morgana was I’m so serious#literally can’t stop thinking about#my blog and tags have just turned into my Merlin hottakes that literally like no one agrees with#but will that stop me from spreading the truth??#NO#morgause experienced all the oppression ignorance and VIOLENCE actually typical from being raised a sorceress#uther TRIED TO KILL HER AS A BABY#she spent her life training as a high priestess and sorceress#(nimueh probably taught her which is iconic)#she FOUGHT for magic and love#she loved Morgana#she never would have hurt her and I literally can’t take any fic that pretends differently#morgause could have been such an interesting character (like Nimueh) if the writers spent any time with her#instead they chose to focus on Morgana throwing a royal tantrum#bc suddenly her privilege was in jeopardy#MORGAUSE was the freedom fighter turned dark#morgana only fought for herself#morgana only started attacking other magic users after morgause died#probably because morgause would have PROTECTED HER OWN#and not like Merlin and Morgana who were raised separately from magical communities#who were not raised in the old religion#but as a practitioner of the old religion raised fleeing and perpetuating violence for her own survival#no but morgause is the evil one enchanting innocent morgana 🙄#morgause

EMILIA FOX as Morgause MERLIN (2008 - 2012).

[witchmd13]

An analysis of the De Bois and the Pendragon’s family crests (and a few other interesting things):

So first, I’m gonna clear up some terms:

(I realize some of these might be common knowledge, but I’m not European, so most of these were totally new to me and since I’m making this post for everyone, I’m including the stuff I didn’t know in case anyone else didn’t as well. For obvious reasons, I’m going to focus on English crests). 

A crest is a part of the coat of arms for noble families, it’s the part that’s placed on the helm, the top part of the helmet (like in this picture I found on reddit. I have very little understanding of the rest of the stuff on it and since Merlin didn’t go into it, I didn’t bother doing detailed research on them).

The crest is generally used to tell people apart. We see Geoffrey use it to identify the Black Knight as Tristan De Bois because no other person used the same crest as him (more on that in a moment). It is usually used in tournaments to identify the knights participating, and in wars... etc. It’s passed down in families to the eldest son.

In wars, it makes more sense for people to wear the crest of their leader, which is why the knights of Camelot, for example, all from known noble families (at least in Uther’s time) wore the Pendragon crest.

Having a coat of arms is a Big Deal. It marks nobility, like we’ve seen in Lancelot’s episode, and is documented in official records to ensure no resemblance exists between it and any others. 

A sigil is a seal or a signature that carries the crest for people to use on letters and documents.

Heraldry is the science of the design and display of coat of arms and armory. It has rules to what can be and what can’t be put in a coat of arms and how to put it, from colors to animals to backgrounds. Everything has a meaning too and that’s what I’m going to be talking about here, even the position of an animal has its own rules as well. Words used in this science are mostly French, but I’m going to simplify it in English here because I can do whatever I want (akbvpajbvpai it’s a tumblr post, guys, not an article on heraldry. I’m gonna butcher a few things, sue me).

Now, for the Pendragon crest analysis: 

The red background is supposed to signify magnanimity, military strength, warrior and martyr.

The yellow in the dragon is meant to be gold in heraldry and that means wisdom, generosity, glory, constancy, and faith.

Now, here’s something interesting someone’s noticed, the dragon's front legs here are not showing, and a dragon with only two legs in heraldry is a wyvern. 

A Wyvern is “a creature of valor and protection, and, as most dragons in the past, also believed to have great eyesight... [It] is also a symbol of vengeance or may have been acquired through a family member's slaying of a dragon.” So even if it was a lapse on the show makers part, I think it’s perfect for Uther.

Whereas a dragon “is supposed to have a keen sight, which enables it to guard treasures well. It is also said to be the most valiant of creatures; therefore, the dragon is a symbol of a most valiant defender of treasure. Dragons were perceived as powerful [and] protective.” which I think is perfect for Arthur, if you substitute treasure with Camelot. 

The castle is shown to have so many crests distributed throughout hallways and especially Uther’s council chambers and throne room, which are supposed to be the crests of the families that are loyal to him and the ones whose sons are a part of the knights of Camelot. It’s meant to show off his power, meant to basically say “look how many noble families are on my side if you dare defy me”. 

The De Bois family crest:

The black background signifies wisdom, grief, constancy, and prudence.

The phoenix is white which is meant to be silver in heraldry. It signifies truth, sincerity, peace, innocence, and purity. 

The phoenix generally symbolizes resurrection, and is also a symbol of love (the sigil scene 😌 this is shameless merthur shipping at this point).

Some stuff I find interesting:

I still think it’s a dove on Ygraine’s sigil? Idk, according to the rules of heraldry, sigils and seals are supposed to carry family crests, so I’m going with that, it’s a phoenix until proven otherwise, I guess. Although, there are rules for women’s crests and they change based on the woman’s marital status. In general, married women usually incorporate their husbands crests into their own. 

As a rule, women don’t pass down their crests to their children (only in Canadian heraldry they do, I think). So that sigil was literally the last thing Arthur had that carried some kind of trace to Ygraine and the De Bois in general. 

Tristan De Bois is said to be the only person to still be using the crest. Based on my research, and correct me if I’m wrong, crests are inherited by the firstborn male in a noble family and so it makes sense that it would end with him. Other sons were to use a slightly modified version of the crest, which is what I think Agravaine must’ve did, even though we don’t get to see it since as a knight he wears the Pendragon crest.

The De Bois crest is still shown to be displayed in that hallway in the castle all throughout S4 and S5 after Agravaine’s death. So does that mean the De Bois family still exist somehow even with the death of its eldest son? Maybe Tristan had children before his death? Maybe Agravaine did and this was his version of the crest since it’s changed from the one we see on Tristan’s armor? Although I don’t think Arthur would display Agravaine’s crest after his betrayal, which brings me to my next point.

The way the crest is displayed in this hallway is interesting, because according to the rules of heraldry, this display is incorrect and it’s not the De Bois crest per say, but it’s a phoenix and it’s displayed in the same attitude (position) that it appears in on Tristan’s shield, so maybe the show took artistic liberties? Anyway, I like to think that it’s an incorporation of the Pendragon and the De Bois crests; the Phoenix with a head of gold over a red background; the resurrection of the phoenix with its golden glory, wisdom and faith, over the strength and martyrdom of the red. 

Gwaine and Leon definitely have a family crest of their own, so I would’ve been very interested in seeing even a glimpse of them.

**All Sources are in the replies :)

[astranix]

do u remember when merlin season one promised to be the start of an interesting complex plot but then most of the villains with the good backstories died and merlin and morgana did whatever they did for three seasons... remember when merlin killed cornelius sigan who was supposed to be the most powerful sorcerer ever or something ... also remember when he killed nimueh and it was relatively easy but then he just couldn't kill morgana even though she learnt everything she knew about magic from morgause in about a year or so while nimueh, also a high priestess, had been practicing magic for decades

i just don't understand why morgana was the main villain when so many other villains were more powerful

[kneelbeforeclefairy]

So I haven't done like a huge study of it, but I think the short answer is there isn't any practiced religion.

So in the first episode, Arthur says "god have mercy" when looking at Morgana, "thank God" when he finds merlin again, and Huniths note to Gaius says "May God save you both." I think these are the only references to a single god in the show, though I seem to remember one time when Gaius says "thank God," in a very casual way, the same way one would say thank goodness or something. The first references in episode one you could chalk up to early installment weirdness, which there is a lot of in episode one (Merlin's Anxiety Time Stop ability never appears again, a guy has a last name, Arthur has cronies who disappear etc) and the last one seems like just a common figure of speech that some writer forgot wasn't used and stayed in. But it looks like the show was intentionally avoiding references to religion and especially singular god. But, for the sake of world building, let's assume they have meaning.

In verse, gods are literally real. Off the top of my head is Merlin's summoning of the White Goddess who heals Gwen, and the Triple Goddess is mentioned more than once, though she never appears. There are other spiritual creatures as well, (the Disir, Merlin himself) , that are literally real as well who aren't necessarily worshipped as gods. The afterlife is known to be real. (Lancelot coming back as a shade, Arthur immediately accepting as fact he can talk to his father, references to the spirit world, the weird spirits whose names I can't remember who came through during Samhain.) Uther may consider these things sorcery, but he doesn't disbelieve their existence.

Of course, there's constant talk about the Old Religion, which sometimes seems to be a euphemism for any sort of magical practice, but does sometimes seem to have been a semi-organized religion with High Priestesses, who served the Triple Goddess, and who performed at least some rituals and rites that had to do with gods, though ancestors and spirits are referenced too. The druids seem to have their own practice and culture, and it's possible other magic users have some sort of nature religion, or worship of magic itself, that isn't necessarily tied to whatever the High Priestesses have going on. From how Gaius describes their rituals (human sacrifice, blood magic, summoning the dead, and at least one made an ARMY of the undead, creating lamia) it's possible the high priestesses were not ...popular ..among the people, as their rites were dangerous and violent, and they were a closed society limited only to very powerful, female, magic users, which suggests ordinary people did not participate in the old religion in an organized way. One of the reasons I think Uther was able to carry out his purge so successfully and with so much popular support was he started with targets that people actually did fear, and removed some genuine problems. Then, of course, while the people were celebrating the destruction of evil magic, he was able to frame ALL magic as evil, and destroy everyone who had magic, weather they were good bad or indifferent.

Gaius is an interesting case. From his name I always assumed he was Roman, perhaps coming to Albion as a child, or, more likely from his extensive knowledge of Albion's history and legends , is of mixed Roman and Brittanic heritage. The ikon in his rooms suggest that he, at least at some point, was Christian, as Christianity was the official religion of Rome, which is supported by his use of the singular god a few times. Hunith saying "may god protect you both" in her letter may not necessarily be a reference to the god she believes in, but to the god Gaius believes in, as a polytheist may see the Christian god as just another god that some people worship. However, Gaius knows a lot about the Old Religion, and speaks of it with respect, though he speaks of the high priestesses with some scorn, suggesting that he may never have followed their brand of it. Perhaps he's culturally mixed in religions as well, and the icon doesn't necessarily represent his personal beliefs, but is culturally significant to him rather than religiously significant.

So here's, going off of all that , what I think is going on in Merlin. Before Uther's reign most of the inhabitants of Albion practiced the Old Religion, which could mean different things to different people, but largely worshipped the Triple Goddess. The High Priestesses were the direct servants of the Goddess, but they may have been feared more than loved. Ordinary magic users may have had a more benign practice that didn't have much to do with the High Priestesses, more like a nature religion. Magic users may have had a special place or role within the old religion, and It is possible ONLY magic users practiced the Old Religion, with ordinary people being more secular, but they seem to know OF it.

After Uther conquered Camelot and made magic illegal, the old religion was similarly abolished, and all it's practices. Gaius, out of obedience to this decree, may have given up any worship of either or both of his religions. Uther does not offer a replacement for the old religion, but seems to mandate secularism and atheism.In the 20 years since the end of the purge (and who knows how long the purge took, we know Arthur's birth kicked it off, but we don't really know his age, though it's been 20 years since Kilgarrah was imprisoned, which I think was the END of the purge, since Uther declares it a holiday to commemorate Camelot being "freed" from sorcery) it seems that Uther's anti religious beliefs have taken off, to the point that most people don't practice any religion, and don't seem bothered by that. Festivals that were once religious (the high priestesses had rites to summon the dead on Samhain) have now become secular celebrations, and the upper classes, at least, have no organized beliefs or practices. Most of them still seem to believe in the EXISTANCE of the afterlife, or spirits, but they'd be stupid not to, as these things are literally real, they have just reframed them as Sorcery, and thus evil, or, at very least, to be avoided. Arthur himself never references gods, so his exclamation of "god have mercy" and "thank God" seem to just be figures of speech, perhaps picked up from Gaius, or leftover from influence from the Romans. He doesn't say "god have mercy" again, and I don't THINK he says thank God again, but I could be wrong.

Its a little harder to tell what's going on among the lower classes. Uther's purge of magic users seemed pretty thorough, and it looks like belief in the old religion went with them. From the scene where Arthur stops a group of peasants from burning an old woman in season 5, it seems his propoganda against magic has spread enough that many non magic users fear magic, if not hate it out right, and they probably no longer practice any religion they might have had. If you assume the practice of the Old Religion was limited to those with magic, as most of them are dead, the common people without magic now don't think much about it, as it was never much a huge part of their lives. If they practiced at all, perhaps they were content to give up religion as long as sorcery went with it, an acceptable sacrific. To go even further, it's possible that because the high priestesses were genuinely a problem, their religion was never popular among non magic users at all, and if they practiced it at all, it may have been more out of fear that love, and they were glad to be rid of it . What does survive of the Old Religion seems now inextricably tied to the practice of magic, and seems to have gone completely underground, but survives as a more benign version of nature worship, and the Triple Goddess seems almost forgotten.

Essentially, Uther killed religion and no one minded too much.

(I admit to zoning in on the upper class' world more, and their beliefs, so if anyone has anything to add about the common people, which seems more complex, please add it. )

Christian iconography? in my Merlin??

[mca-attack21]

The Beginning of Something -P2

Do I really need to write anything here? Okay, so this is the second part of my reader insert series that is rewriting the ending of BBC’s Merlin (based on 5x9).  That being said, get ready for the rollercoaster of emotions that is Merlin. Also, you can find more of my writing: Here.

The next day, against Merlin and Gaius’ better judgment, you started as Gwen’s handmaid. During the night, Merlin had proven to Arthur, that Gwen was enchanted by Morgana. Merlin filled you in and asked you to keep an eye on Gwen and try to keep her distracted.

Tiana Giaga. That is the ritual that was able to break the soul to the point that a person fell prey to the desires of whoever cast it. That meant it would be nearly impossible to restore Gwen. It was after you were dismissed that night that you found Merlin distractedly reading as he was headed from the library to his chambers. 

“Find anything interesting?” you asked curiously, managing to spook Merlin in the process. 

“Oh, hello Y/n, I was just doing some research. How was your first day?”

“Uneventful, which is good all things considered,” you said glancing at the book Merlin had been reading so intently, “Have you figured anything out concerning Gwen’s status?” 

“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” he glanced around to make sure their were no unwanted ears near, “She was affected by something called the Tiana Giaga, and Gaius doesn’t think there is a cure,” seeing the way you tensed up at the mention of Tiana Giaga he asked, “Have you heard of it?”

“Unfortunately, I have,” you replied softly as unwanted images were brought to memory. 

“Do you know how we can save Gwen?”

“Merlin, this is dark magic, from what you have told me it is beyond anything you have seen before. No one has ever been brought back from this ritual without one of the high priestesses themselves being involved.”

“But there is a way to do it? How?” Merlin asked a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“You would have to go to the Cauldron of Arianrhod, Gwen would have to willingly enter the water, and then the white goddess must be summoned, but is not a task to be underestimated.”

“Wow, that’s a lot to take in. It seems impossible,” Merlin frowned.

“Not impossible, just not something you can do alone,” you tried to reassure him.

“I have to go talk to Gaius, thank you so much Y/n,” Merlin said before turning back towards his chambers.

“You’re welcome,” you called after him.

He discussed this new information with Gaius and together they formulated a plan. One that involved both you and Arthur. It was soon thereafter that Merlin snuck into Arthur and Gwen’s shared chambers and woke Arthur to inform him of the plan. Arthur was extremely hesitant, as there was much that could go wrong and it was Gwen’s life that was at stake. Furthermore, Arthur was against having you involved at all, however, Merlin was eventually able to convince him. Merlin went to you and explained everything that was going on, together the two of you prepared everything that you would need for the impending departure.

The next morning at the break of dawn, you and Merlin slipped Gwen a few drops of the potion Gaius had created to keep her unconscious. Arthur was getting the horses and supplies. You and Merlin brought Gwen out to meet him, careful not to be seen.

“Y/n, I want to personally thank you for helping us with this endeavor, Merlin assures me that there is no one he trusts more. I will not forget this and hope one day to repay you,” Arthur spoke as he took Gwen from the two of you and placed her on his horse. 

“It is an honor to be of assistance, your highness,” you answered. 

“Please, there are no need for formalities here, call me Arthur,” he replied. 

“We really need to be off,” Merlin reminded as he loaded the last of the supplies.

“Of course,” you agreed, mounting your horse. 

The three of you rode well into the day, Arthur took the opportunity to get to know you better. Merlin was glad to see the two of you hit it off so well, despite the circumstances. He could already tell that you and Arthur were going to be great friends. It was as you reached the mountains that both you and Merlin sensed something. You were being watched.

“What’s wrong Merlin you look like you’ve seen a dragon?” Arthur joked. 

“We are not alone out here,” Merlin answered solemnly. 

“One of your funny feelings then?” Arthur asked. Merlin nodded and Arthur sighed, “All right then, we tether the horses and go off the path on foot.”

 You did as Arthur said. 

“What about the supplies?” Merlin asked.

“You’ll manage,” Arthur decided. 

“What about you?”

“I’ll be carrying Gwenuivere.”

“Oh come one, she is half the weight of this lot.”

“Merlin, what are you suggesting?”

“I’ll take Gwenuivere, you get the supplies.”

“She’s my wife!”

“I’d be careful,” Merlin explained. 

“And, you are the servant,” Arthur reminded. 

“Besides, I am here to help you Merlin,” you added with a grin before taking half of the supplies. 

“Y/n you really don’t have to-” Merlin started.

“Nonesense, I didn’t come out here sit idle and look pretty. Now come on,”  you said before marching forward past both him and Arthur, who both looked after you slightly dumbfounded.

Arthur and Merlin were talking somewhat behind you, and as Arthur was distracted you took the opportunity to use your magic. First, you used a spell to lighten both your and Merlin’s loads. Second, you used your powers to see the path ahead, which was seemingly clear. It was as you finished that you felt a jolt in your chest which was immediately followed by Arthur shouting for Merlin. You turned around to see that he was laying at the bottom of the dropoff.

Without hesitation, Arthur gently set Gwen on the ground, “Stay here and protect her, I’m going down to make sure he is alright.”

“Of course Arthur,” you agreed.

However, it was as Arthur was climbing down the siding that the rocks began to fall. You were too far away to stop them, but quickly made your way down to help. 

“Arthur? Are you alright?” you asked as you went to his side.

“My arm, it’s pinned,” he breathed sharply before remembering, “Check on Merlin.” 

 “He is unconscious, but no signs of injury.” 

You returned to Arthur’s side. Upon further inspection, you realized that the rock was far too heavy for you to move without magic, so you would have to do this the old fashioned way. You found a decent-sized rock and positioned it beside Arthur. 

“Hand me your sword, I am going to wedge this under the rock and use it to lift it up, when I do I need you to pull your arm out quickly and roll out of the way as this boulder will land where you are currently laying, understand?” you asked, preparing yourself. 

“Yes,” Arthur nodded. 

“Okay, 1...2...3” you counted before using your strength to shift the boulder, holding it just long enough for Arthur to clear the spot he was laying. 

“How did you learn to do that?” Arthur asked, relief evident in his features.

“Need I remind you again that I am more than just a pretty face,” you replied smiling and rolling your eyes before refocusing on Merlin. You went over to him and retrieved the drought and handed it to Arthur, “Go up and give Gwen her next dose, make sure no harm comes to her. I will wake up Merlin.”

“Y/n, I am the king, I give the orders.”

“I am sorry,” you replied eyes going wide, “What would you have us do?”

“Calm down Y/n, I was merely jesting,” Arthur replied at seeing your change in expressions. He then took the vile and headed up, being more careful of his footing this time.

As soon as he was out of earshot, you used your powers to heal Merlin. 

“What happened?” Merlin asked shooting up and immediately looking to make sure Arthur was safe. 

“If I had to guess, Morgana has discovered our plans and is attempting to foil them,” you replied and then added, “Arthur is with Gwen, both are safe, but we really need to try to make it farther before nightfall. Are you alright now?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“You can thank me later, now let’s go.”

Merlin climbed up first, and then turned to help you.

“Ah, Merlin, did you enjoy your nap?” Arthur quipped. 

“Not as well as I would have liked, I am afraid rocks do not make good pillows Sire,” Merlin returned.

“Here Arthur, take a moment to eat and drink, as we should try not to break again until nightfall,” you said handing the king the water and some food.

 “You better watch it Merlin, Y/n is well on her way to replace you,” Arthur added as he took what you were handing him.

Merlin was going to reply but was cut off as you came over, “And for you Merlin, best to keep your strength up.”  He was caught off guard, and could not manage to hide his blush before fumbling through a thank you. 

After that break, you all continued on until it was time to make camp for the night. You helped Merlin collect and prepare a fire as Arthur administered Gwen’s next treatment. You prepared dinner as Merlin and Arthur went over the plan again. As soon as you had eaten, Arthur had told you and Merlin to get some sleep as he offered to take the first watch.

It was hours later when you awoke to see Arthur staring sadly at his queen.

“She will be alright,” you reassured.

“How can you be so certain? What if the sorcerer doesn’t agree to help us?  What if we can’t get Gwen to enter the water?”

“I am certain because I believe in you, Arthur. I have only just met you and I would lay my life down for you and your causes. The sorcerer will help because it is you who is asking. And your and Gwen’s love is something no magic could ever destroy, it is that love which will guide her into the water, and that love that will save her,” you answered.

Arthur was slightly taken aback by the sincerity of your reply. He was searching for the words to return, but you beat him to it, “Now, hand me your sword and get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Normally, Arthur would have refused you, but somehow he knew that you were right and that he could trust you. There was an oddly safe feeling that you brought him and he was learning not to question it. 

Just after sunrise, he awoke to find that you had already prepared breakfast and packed up the site. He looked over to Merlin who was snoring and rolled his eyes. 

Upon hearing him stir you smiled, “I was just about to wake you, I administered the drought to the Queen, and prepared everything, after breakfast we will be ready to leave at your command.” 

“Right, very well, we should eat then. Merlin,” he called.

“Five more minutes,” Merlin mumbled. 

Arthur then took the liberty of using some of his water to wake Merlin properly which earned your laughter and a very offended look from your favorite warlock. After he recovered, you handed him his food and began to eat your own. It wasn’t long before you began your journey for the day. 

All was going well until a white dragon appeared and tried to take you out. Merlin pulled you and Arthur away. 

“Okay then, you take Gwen to the water just beyond that ridge, and I will distract the Dragon,” Merlin spoke. 

“Are you mad?” Arthur asked.

“No, just overly aware of the fact that Gwen is bound to wake up anytime now and we have used the last of the drought,” Merlion replied. 

“Go, Arthur, I will make sure he is okay,” you spoke. 

Again, Arthur didn’t know why, but he knew that he could trust you to do so. He worked up his strength and lifted Gwen, carrying her where Merlin had instructed. Meanwhile, Merlin worked his way to where Aithusa was circling around. He used his Dragon Lord tongue to send her away. You stayed in your hiding spot and watched in awe. Merlin turned back around and started back toward you when Morgana appeared.

She used her powers to knock Merlin backward and hold him down. She was walking towards him, prepared to end him once and for all when you used your powers to knock her out. You rushed forward to Merlin, making sure he was okay before helping him up. The two of you ventured towards Arthur, all to aware of the limitations of time.

“We need to hurry, Morgana is here and will not remain unconscious for long,” Merlin informed Arthur. 

“Okay, so where is this sorceress?” Arthur asked looking around.

“I don’t know Arthur, it’s not like she is going to sit around here all day just waiting for you to show up,” Merlin replied, setting all of his packs down before grabbing his costume. 

“I’ll look this way, you look that way,” you instructed Merlin.

“I don’t like the idea of all of us splitting up like this,” Arthur spoke. 

“It’ll be fine, we’ll each walk 60 paces, if we don't find her then we will turn back. At that distance you’ll be able to hear if we meet any trouble. Besides, Merlin is right, we are running dangerously low on time here.” 

Arthur hesitantly agreed and you went a few paces out of sight and met up with Merlin who used the spell to change himself into an old woman and put on the dress he had packed. You tried very hard to contain your laughter, however, there was no doing so once you heard him speak. 

“Really Y/n? You would laugh at me at a time like this?” 

“I’m sorry, but if you could see yourself you’d be laughing too.”

“Let’s go,” he said begrudgingly.

The two of you emerged from the wooded area and it was clear that Arthur was on edge.

“It’s okay your highness, I explained the situation and she is eager to help,” you assured.

“You are the Dolma?” he asked.

“Who else would I be?’ Merlin sassed.

“Yes. Of course. What do you need me to do?”

“Take your queen and set her by the pool.”

Arthur did as asked and waited as the Dolma scanned Gwen before speaking, “The magic which has ensnared you queen is powerful and dark. It can be broken, but it can also prevail, do you understand that?”

“I do.”

“When I awake her, she must walk into the cauldron of her own will. Everything inside her will fight against it, you must find a connection stronger than the evil Morgana has bestowed upon her. You have to reach the part of your queen which has gone untouched by Morgana.”

Arthur nodded in understanding, and the Dolma uttered the enchantment and Arthur bent down beside Gwen as she woke.  She shot up immediately, “Where am I? What have you done to me?”

“Gwenuiver, my Gwenevier,” Arthur tried as he grabbed her so she couldn’t dart off. 

“Your Gweniuver? You stupid man, I was never yours,” Gwen denied.

“You must reach her Arthur reach out to all that is lost,” Merlin reminded

“You loved me once,” Arthur tried.

“You are easily fooled,” Gwen replied

“You still do.”

“It was a charade, nothing more. Just a means of subterfuge to pass Camelot to its rightful queen.”

You could tell that Arthur was getting desperate as he began to use force to bring her to the water before the Dolma reminded him that it wouldn’t work. 

“Find a memory Arthur, something powerful and full of love. Something that Gwen can hold onto,” you instructed. 

Arthur didn’t even have to consider it before saying, “Do you remember when I asked you to marry me? Do you remember what you said? You said ‘with all my heart’. That’s not trickery or subterfuge,” he started and then he saw it, Gwen’s face softened.

“With all my heart,” he repeated letting go and slowly backing towards the water. 

“With all my heart,” she muttered.

“Come on Gwenuiver, come back to me.”

And then she trudged out to meet him in the water. The Dolma started to use the spell and a white light took over Gwen. As it faded she looked over to Arthur and with tears in her eyes waded over and collided with him with enough force to nearly dunk him under the water. You sent Merlin a smile. He did it, and you were so proud to have witnessed it.

After a moment, Arthur and Gwen remembered that they were not alone, and came back onto the shore. 

“We owe you a great debt, if there is ever anything I can do for you,” Arthur spoke to the sorceress. 

“There is only one thing I desire.” 

“Name it.”

“Remember what it was that saved you queen today. For there is no evil in sorcery, but only in the hearts of men. My request is that you remember this.”

“You have my word,” Arthur replied and looked over to you, “we should get going to avoid Morgana.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” you asked.

Arthur looked down to check that he had his sword and looked over to Gwen to see if he was missing something, “I don’t think so?”

“Maybe a certain, neckerchief wearing servant?” you replied.

“Ah, I thought this had gone unusually, smoothly.”

“I will go find him and send him your way, I know these paths well, he couldn’t have gone far,” the Dolma spoke.

So the three of you started back, and Merlin soon joined you.

“Merlin!” Gwen smiled bringing him into a warm hug. 

“Nice to have you back my queen,” he replied grinning.

The trip back to Camelot was light-hearted, Gwen was even more welcoming to you than Arthur had been. As you worked with Merlin to make camp for the group you took every opportunity to make sure that he was doing alright. You understood, maybe more than he did, that he was supposed to be the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth, but even then… Besides anything that helped distract you from the fact that you were still shaken from your encounter with Morgana was welcomed. 

“Y/n? Are you good?” Merlin spoke pulling you out of your thoughts.

“Yeah, sorry I zoned out for a minute.”

“Thanks again for coming with us today, I don’t want to think about where we would be if you hadn’t.”

“I am confident that you would have figured it out. It’s not like this is your first rodeo.”

“Yeah, I guess, it just all feels different now. Like everything I do is so big like on a fate of Camelot level and no one even knows.”

“I understand, more than you know, and I can assure you that you will not have to face it alone. Not anymore,” you were going to continue talking, but Arthur was calling after the two of you saying that he’d managed to find some rabbits.

That night after everyone else was asleep you allowed your mind to once again drift to Morgana. You wondered if she had seen you before you managed to knock her out. Would she start targeting you again? Would that put Merlin in more danger? You wondered if the prophecies could really be true, protecting Merlin was pretty straight forward, but the rest of it, the part about rewriting destiny and turning the end into the beginning, that you had no clue about. Merlin was right earlier though, everything was starting to feel more drastic and you were not a fan of it.  

@heyrobinstuff​

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

BBC Merlin 4x05: His Father’s Son

Here's a round-up of my main observations from BBC Merlin's "His Father's Son" (4x05).

1- MERLIN AS A KNIGHT 

I have to admit that Merlin as a sorcerer and trusted adviser appeals to me the most, but I did write a lengthy post analysing how Arthur had turned Merlin into an excellent fighter. This refutes claims that Merlin gave more to Arthur than he received in return. 

At the beginning of 4x05, we see Merlin selected to play a new role: that of knight. How did this come about? Arthur Pendragon is best known for his skills as a warrior, but he deserves more credit for his military tactics. These destroy the popular yet false idea that he is unintelligent. More on the latter in a forthcoming post.  

One of Arthur’s favourite tactics is using decoys. Previous examples of him using decoys include: The Castle of Fyrien (3x07), when Arthur used Merlin as a decoy to entrap Cenred’s soldiers; Aithusa (4x04), when Arthur used himself as a decoy to get Sir Percival to safety; Arthur’s Bane Part 2 (5x02), when Arthur uses Merlin as a decoy to enrage the slave traders before they escape-- by far my favourite example. 

All things considered, I don’t think it takes long for Arthur to choose Merlin. Furthermore, this decision may have taken place before they reached their selected location, as Agravaine later mentions a previous attack by Caerleon on the border. This choice demonstrates that Arthur has higher confidence in Merlin's abilities than he does of in his knights-- else he would have chosen them. We must conclude that Merlin is Arthur's best fighter, though at first glance, we wonder why an unarmed man follows trained knights into battle. 

Merlin is sharp, fast, has high stamina, and is incredibly resourceful. Most of all, however, he is incredibly brave. In fact, when rewatching 1x02, I was surprised to see Arthur acknowledge that Merlin was "braver than you look." This despite Arthur’s frustration that Merlin did not try hard enough during practice ("Come on, Merlin: I've got a tournament to win!"). 

What’s more, in that same episode, Merlin complains about his first day, but later on, we see his fascination wth the ongoing tournament. Then he admitted to Gaius that working for Arthur (in the context of said tournament) "isn't totally horrible all the time." It took one day for him to change his opinion! 

Sure, Merlin would continue to treat the fighting as pointless violence, and Arthur as having nothing more in his head than a desire to knock "the seven bells" out of other people (3x04). However, even in 1x02, when he applauds Arthur's fighting, his actions tell a different story. We associate this habit of liking something whilst pretending otherwise to Arthur, yet Merlin has it as well. 

As I have said before, Merlin and Arthur have profound differences, yet are profoundly alike. 

2- MERLIN AS A SERVANT 

It comes as no surprise that Merlin would return to serving after the beginning of 4x05. However, what that change represents sets the tone for this entire episode: Arthur dismissing Merlin's counsel repeatedly in favour of listening to his uncle. 

When Arthur says, "so please, stick to what you do know," you have to wonder whether Merlin remembered being entrusted with the role of knight. Now, Arthur puts him back in his place. 

Here's another example: "My conscience is clean, which is more than I can say for my room, so just... do your job, will you?" Yet just yesterday, that job involved Merlin risking his life against enemy forces by dressing as a knight. 

By the way, you can tell that Arthur doesn’t believe his own excuses, because he keeps using the passive voice to justify killing Caerleon: “...a show of strength was necessary… an example had to be made… My conscience is clean…” 

Merlin’s face after Arthur claims he doesn’t need anyone is self-explanatory. 

3- NEW THOUGHTS ON ANNIS

Is Queen Annis a good person? Actually, no. 

First of all, she knows and approves of her husband invading foreign kingdoms to plunder their wealth. Such invasions naturally cost not only the lives of Arthur's men, but her own, too. 

Furthermore, despite accepting Arthur's offer of a fight by single combat, she is prepared to cheat by enlisting Morgana's power. Perhaps if Arthur had died, too, she would have felt some remorse. Yet she still takes a monumental risk with Arthur's life in blatant violation of the knight's code. One has to wonder about her reaction had Camelot plotted against her armies in the same way. 

Then we have Annis calmly ordering Merlin’s execution without giving him a chance to explain himself. The lack of emotion in her voice suggests she has done this before. 

Speaking of cruelty, Annis’ champion seems to enjoy inflicting pain on his enemies, yet the Queen claims that he “served my husband well.” I dread to think what she means by “served”. 

I will also note that Queen Annis disdains magic, referring to Morgana as “witch”. As I have said before, Uther did not begin prejudice against magic; sorcerers were disliked and feared elsewhere, too, including by those who disliked Uther. Many sorcerers caused this prejudice by engaging in manipulative, violent, and wicked deeds. 

Examples include High Priestesses using Fomorrohs to enslave people’s minds (4x06); Cornelius Sigan using his power to change day into night and acquire vast wealth (2x01); sorcerers using special blades to murder people (3x04), and so on.

None of this takes away from Annis’ complexity, nor does it undermine her immense humility when she accepts defeat and withdraws from Camelot. After all, much of Annis' rage and desire for vengeance stems from intense grief over Caerleon's death, so we can assume her marriage was a happy one. 

Forgiving the man who destroyed her domestic happiness (as well as leaving her people without a king) shows tremendous nobility on Annis’ part. I think Arthur sees that, for he is always humble and respectful before her. 

4- LONG LIVE THE KING 

Few people respect Arthur more than Merlin. So when he doesn’t join in with cries of “Long live the king!”, you know something is wrong. 

5- CONTROL YOUR FEAR 

Episode 4x03 has a hilarious scene where a drunk Arthur claims he isn’t even a little bit scared, because, “I’m a warrior. You learn to control your fear.” Then Arthur walks smack bang into a pillar. Never fails to make me laugh. Minus the drunkenness, Arthur was telling the truth about controlling his fear.

You can see this at least twice in this episode: first, when he sees how many men Annis has brought against Camelot, and secondly, when he sees the size of Annis’ giant. In both cases, Arthur harnesses his fear into determination, which is another sign of a great warrior. 

Next up, we have a fascinating scene where Arthur watches his men joking by the fire. It's a great way of showing Arthur’s care for these men, as well as his guilt that impending war will end their lives. In a sense, Arthur has to control his fear yet again. 

6- TRUST IN MERLIN 

After the above scene, Gwaine asks Merlin if Arthur is all right, and the fact that Merlin can describe Arthur's feelings without even questioning the King once again shows the unique nature of their friendship. Merlin sees Arthur's expression, and he just knows. And Gwaine knows that, hence why he does not question the King himself. 

Listen to the silence after Merlin's response. Nobody questions Merlin's judgement: they just reflect. Given the way Arthur has repeatedly dismissed Merlin's advance in favour of his uncle, I think he could have learned something from his own knights. 

I wonder whether the knights would ask Merlin something about Arthur in this way, whenever the king was absent. In ancient kingdoms, kings had advisers, and in order to earn the monarch's favour, you spoke to the latter first. Did Merlin ever play that role for the knights?

7- MERLIN’S IDIOCY 

Now, I have a problem with Merlin telling Arthur that 1)- he would have taken any other option but to face war with Annis, and 2)- his decision to kill Caerleon “was made in the best interests of Camelot.” 

Sorry, but it wasn’t. Merlin knows that. I understand that he has to rally Arthur’s spirits so that they can win against Annis, but I am glad that Arthur knows full well he has done wrong. Both Merlin and many fans do not give Arthur enough credit for recognising his own errors. 

However, even these foolishly optimistic statements pale in comparison to Merlin's reckless and self-righteous interference when Arthur negotiates with Queen Annis. I burst out laughing when he trips and falls headlong into the tent, a metaphor for his impetuousness.  

Merlin eavesdrops outside Annis’ tent, gets caught (so he didn't conceal himself), and then has the audacity to say, “Sorry about this!” to Arthur! Not only that, he got angry over being called a “simple-minded fool”, when he couldn’t even walk in a straight line to follow the king, got himself caught and almost killed by enemy soldiers, and made Arthur look as though he were double-crossing Annis! 

I completely agree with Arthur’s anger: “Oh, I was being kind, believe me: you almost got me killed in there!” Correct. Merlin simply could not trust that Arthur knew what he was doing, and decided to interfere. Instead of apologising for getting Arthur into trouble, Merlin remains on the defensive, claiming without evidence that Arthur was “doing a pretty good job of that yourself!” 

This is untrue. Arthur surrendered himself to Annis’ men. The most injury he received was a slap. He asked a favour. That isn’t risking your life. In fact, Arthur was trying to save lives, and if Merlin had been listening properly (or just stayed in bed), he would have seen that. Only after Merlin’s sudden entrance did Arthur face serious danger from Annis. 

Now, Merlin’s explanation for this is, “I’m your friend! I was looking out for you.” I don’t doubt it. But once again, Arthur is right: “I appreciate that in your very confused way, you’re only trying to help, but please: don’t do it again.”

Condescending? Of course. But this time it was Merlin who provoked him into this anger. 

8- MORGANA 

Despite all her power, Morgana still has to defer to non-magical kings and queens. After all, she requires their military assistance to take over Camelot. 

You can also see how Queen Annis detects Morgana’s hatred, greed, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and bloodlust. In one glance, Queen Annis begins questioning the wisdom of working with a sorceress she does not trust, not least on account of Morgana being a sorceress. 

In fact, Arthur’s prowess as a warrior impresses her more: “You have as much to lose as I if Arthur wins…” Fascinating scene. 

9- THANK YOU, OLD FRIEND 

It’s ironic that arguably the best scene in 4x05 begins by showcasing Arthur’s cynicism. No guesses why Arthur did not tell Merlin about breaking off his relationship with Gwen earlier. That speaks volumes. If he had told Merlin, I think they would have had an argument similar to that of 4x11. 

Only when Arthur realises that he may die does he ask Merlin to pass his ring onto Gwen with an apology. You can see the guilt etched onto his face as he refuses to make eye contact. Interestingly, Merlin does not ask any further questions. 

Arthur’s entrusting Merlin to look after Gwen in the event of his death says a lot. For example, that ring is technically royal property, yet Arthur gives it to a servant for safe-keeping, rather than his next-of-kin, Agravaine. Despite claiming to need his uncle’s advice, Arthur will not trust Agravaine with such duties. Has Arthur made a medieval will or testament? Obviously, I have no idea, however, this episode already shows Arthur’s reliance on Merlin to deal with family matters. 

Another interesting aspect to this scene is Merlin’s silence after Arthur makes an indisputable point. This dispels any idea that Merlin’s advice was always correct. On several occasions, Merlin had to defer to Arthur’s judgement, because he saw the truth and wisdom behind it. “I don’t know what will happen. But for the first time since I became king, I know in my heart I’ve made the right decision.”

Got to love Arthur’s half-amused, “You’re not about to start crying on me, are you?” He expects Merlin to be either in good spirits or confident, because that is how he, too, remains confident. Arthur is an optimist, yet Merlin becomes a pessimist, so the king must pull Merlin together with light and yet serious teasing. 

Needless to say, Arthur calling Merlin “old friend” implies that they have been friends for a long time. So why do some fans still think that Arthur had trouble admitting that Merlin was his friend? Also, the word “old” in this context can imply reliability, constancy. Arthur chose that word to describe Merlin’s value, as well as the length of their friendship. 

The great thing about Arthur is that while he makes some serious errors, when he does repent, he does so well. Not only does Arthur graciously thank Merlin for his concern, but he makes it clear to Agravaine that he relies on Merlin’s judgement prior to entering battle. This supports my earlier statement that Merlin is Arthur’s best fighter, as well as right-hand man; Arthur does not leave for the fight until Merlin has confirmed his readiness. 

On top of this, Arthur later admits that he might be a cabbage head. “I should have listened to you, Merlin. Just this once, I think you were right-- even if you are the worst servant in the five kingdoms!” 

By implication, Agravaine is wrong. Arthur won’t say that, of course, but we saw Merlin’s sound advice competing with Agravaine’s lies for this entire episode. We can only conclude that regardless of what he says, Arthur trusts Merlin more than members of his own family. 

And this is a theme which will continue and grow for the remainder of Season 4. 

FURTHER POINTS:

Merlin’s fighting skills

Paradoxes of Arthur and Merlin’s friendship

[taldigi]

The magician is my favorite card- repped by my favorite little guys.

the magician (though he's also known as the juggler) is the patron saint of artists- as one must manifest that art in order to create it. Tools available- the for suits of the tarot-- Yet using his own hands to signal to the heavens and the earth ("As above, so below") He represents skill, diplomacy, self confidence and willpower- and also pain, loss, illusions and disaster. The infinity symbol hovers above his head like a halo and a snake squeezes around his waist.

His sister card is the high priestess- a card that embodies inner knowledge that contrasts yet complements the magician's outer action.

However, the relationship with the fool is facinating and is what captures my interest in the card. The Fool is zero, it's nothingness. Simultaniously existing as the concept of null and the concept of infinity- and in relation to the fool's journey, he is The fool's creative thought, the first step needed... a metaphorical "big bang".

While in general, the magician seems to relate to all elements: there is a reason why the latest are related to the wind/energy element & why Morgana's secondary persona is Mercurius as he's often related to sky gods ("As above, so below" again).

there's a lot to say about the magician and honestly, there's more to say about the concepts of animus and anima and existing as both Mercurious and Adam and Phillospher's stone and such. but the magicican is such an amazing card

unga bunga youske blorbo thbbbh.

[myfandomrambles]

Morgana Pendragon Character Analysis (pt1)

Introduction:

Morgana Pendragon is one of the most key characters in Merlin. Her role is integral to the character arc of all of the other leads. Her story is about how someone can let their pain consume them whole. As an abuse victim and a member of a marginalised community, she is set up for being isolated and fearful. This alienation is turned both inward and outward making her deeply dangerous to herself and others. She takes this alienation to push almost everyone out of her life and force others to suffer the same way she did. Her righteous anger at her treatment by her father and society goes to waste when none is put to constructive ends. 

She allows emptiness, fear and anger to consume her. She replaced her core beliefs with those of “others are out to hurt me” and “the only way to live is through the acquisition of power”. Her ability for both affective and cognitive empathy becomes suppressed as any joy she can drive comes from exerting control over others. She is compelled into implementing her obsessions around revenge and survival. Depression, obsessive thoughts, paranoia, fear and anger fill all corners of her mind leaving her without access to flexible thought and internal peace. 

Analysis:

At the start, she is living as a member of court and Uther’s ward. She continually butts heads with Uther. This is due to her being headstrong and fearless. This bravery and stubborn disposition causes more rifts as she is seen to be hysterical and as an object, leaving her subject to gaslighting and other forms of abuse. However, this rarely stops her from being involved when important. Morgana often works with Arthur and Merlin early on. The most key of these events being when they save Mordred. (1x08)

However, her stubbornness isn’t all-consuming, while resisting being forced to do things she dislikes she is smart enough to know when to lie and when to bend the knee. Partly because as a child and young-adult she holds a mix of respect, love and fear towards Uther. She shows skills in court life, this is deeply important to understand as it becomes a useful skill when she works against the kingdom. But in the beginning, it shows someone who lives in the duality of wanting to assert herself and someone who absorbed the social rules she was raised with. 

Morgana shows great care for those around her wanting them to be safe and happy. Often stepping up to speak on behalf of them, and generally treating even Gwen and Merlin, people considered her inferiors socially, with respect. Standing up for Gwen's dad, helping protect Elador, helping feed peasants and trying to protect Gwen when they are attacked shows her kindness and loyalty. (1x03, 1x08, 1x10-12)

She doesn’t have a consuming desire for power, no particular plan to marry into or otherwise acquire power. Her later turn to power is reactive and less of an innate drive. It also a drive to be the one who determines her future. 

When Morgana's powers start to grow we see the first shift in her character. The development of anxiety and depression colour the way she acts. It adds layers to her abuse and trauma. A great deal of gaslighting is used to convince her she is mistaken and to prevent the acknowledgement of her magic. Which we know Gaius has been hiding since she was a child visa via her prophetic nightmares. 

This alienation is from the entire culture she grew up in. When she visits the druids in The Nightmare Begins (2x03) Morgana feels free and desires to stay, she just wants to be herself. 

This is similar to the experience marginalised people experience in real life. She knows that if discovered her magic father figure/father would likely kill her. Morgana also believes her other loved ones would at the least disown her. 

In reality, there is some nuance. Merlin acts as both an agent of the system while originally trying to help her and Gaius and Gwen would not wish harm on her. But Morgana is understandably afraid and full of anxiety to reach out for help. This anxiety, confusion, fear and alienation become the way she perceives the world. Life is Morgana, then everyone else. This pain drives a wedge between her and everyone she used to care for.

Outside of the gaslighting and threat of violence, she experiences from those close to her during The Witchfinder (2x07) we see her deal with mental assault from an outside force with no support from her family as they don’t understand. This makes her dysregulation, anxiety, depression and isolation worsen. 

The next two key events in her first character transformation can be seen at the end of season two. First, Morgana meets Morgause (2x08) and automatically feels a connection to her. Second, Morgana is pushed to verbally disown Uther due to his treatment of Avalar and by extension the rest of the Druids and others born with magic. This is the final relational rupture between them:

Morgana: They are rising up against you! From this day forward, I do not know you. From this day forward, I disown you

King Uther: You will go to your chambers!

Morgana: And you, Uther, you will go to hell.

 (2x11)

We then see her move into helping Morgause try and destroy Camelot. At this point, it is driven by the anger she has for Uther and his treatment of others. It has yet to have the drive of becoming queen. Her connection to Morgause also plays a large role as she finally has a person to be close to without the artifice of court life over it. Morgause gives her a choice and with that an illusion of power. At this point, there is a more powerful member of their team. Morgana ends this attempt at Camelot almost being murdered by someone she considered a friend. (2x12)

We then have an interesting moment in her character arch in her year away from Camelot. This time away changes her from someone who while willing to hurt Uther didn’t seem driven for the destruction of Camelot, to one who will hurt everyone. There is also a reprieve from the fear-driven to more controlled anger by the assistance of Morgause. 

We are never told what happened in the year. All we know is he stayed with her sister and likely had her hatred of Uther entrenched even further. Her worst tendencies towards vengeance over justice and ego over compassion are reinforced. This shifts her schema farther into negative ones and worsens her ability to think in shades of grey.

When she does return her previous ability to play the game of court life is stronger and utilised to great effect convincing everyone for a while that she is essentially the same person, except for Merlin and by extension Gaius. Gwen is the next to figure it out due to Morgana’s affect control dropping and her real emotion bleeding through over time. (3x08)

As she returns to Camelot she quickly moves to attempt another attack. This attempt is stopped again by Merlin, but in this attempt, we see new cruelty in her willingness to torture Uther and that her magic has grown. This is also the last time I believe her alienation and marginalization is her driving force. After this, I think she fully turns her internalized fear of her magic onto everyone else. Her exchange with Merlin during the battle feels genuine and not at all like manipulation or even just a justification as it becomes later, but a real motivation. She has not yet grown to shut off her empathy for everyone, only Uther and Arthur. (3x1-2)

Soon after her second attempt on the castle, we see another large shift in motivations. She almost dies and is severely injured which puts her in a vulnerable place and during this same time she learns she is Uther’s daughter in blood as well as circumstance. She learns that he never was willing to claim her or even tell her. This pushes her to act rashly, almost committing patricide. (3x05)

Her ability to be cruel in her aims continues to grow, to hurt Arthur she puts Gwen through terrible pain as well as Elyan. (3x07) We see her magic grow, her emotions grow but her ability to hide her intentions failing, at least around Gwen. Her attempts at her family's lives also continue to be cruel as she tries to kill Arthur and Uther in slow and painful ways. (3x08, 3x11)

When Morgana isn’t trying to kill the people she used to love she is trying to mess with their lives in more petty ways. This includes exposing the love Arthur and Gwen have for each other, putting their relationship in jeopardy and Gwen’s over well being. This is over her fear of Gwen being Queen when Arthur would become Queen, something that Morgana gains obsessive thoughts over throughout the rest of the story. (3x10)

Morgana is willing to kill a large number of the people at this point not only those she has a personal issue with. Though she does offer safety to Gwen thought it’s contingent on her considering Morgana to be the rightful queen. She is willing to rule by fear and threat, not understanding how to win over the people. (3x12-13). This attempt fails and Morgana loses her sister and the allies her sister made.

After being defeated and having to flee the castle with her dying sister she spends a year moving around with her ill sister while also gaining more strength and becoming a fully-fledged High Priestess of the Old Religion. 

In an attempt to take the castle again she has to kill her sister. Something that caused her great distress as Morgana believed Morgause was the only person who understood and loved her. This event causes great suffering to all, it’s also when Morgana adds her obsession with Emrys along with her obsessive thoughts over Gwen and Uther. 

During this first period of exile, she recruits Agravaine to be her spy and aid within the court. They seem to be united by a common cause but Morgana doesn’t treat him as equal, adopting the belief she hated so much from Uther, treating others as tools. 

She also accepted a standard of living that is much below that of the ward of the king. Her way of dress and acting also shifts, she’s still cunning and driven but while now being the master of herself she is more erratic and seems to feel just as out of control and obsessed as she was when living a lie. Her affect control, impulse control, regulation and social regulation deteriorated. Fear also returns to being a driving force. (4x01-2)

Morgana succeeds in killing Uther in The Wicked Day (4x03) by cursing a necklace and Agravaine puts it on Uther so that when Arthur uses magic to try and bring back his father from a fatal injury he dies faster. Planning to finally kill her father she also wishes guilt and pain on her brother.

We then see Morgana use both strength and her ability to manipulate to work Queen Annis to try and kill Arthur. Morgana is not against using her history to use another person. However, Annis sees through her when Arthur shows honour and points out that Morgana is much more like Uther than she realises, and in saying this it also refutes the point Morgana tried to make early in the episode that Gorlois was who was her true father. This is true in both the biological sense but also through the fact that Uther spent more time acting as her father and had generally known her own life. This statement also acts as a trigger causing her to show extreme emotions. (4x05)

One of the key lines of dialogue we have to see where Morgana’s mindset is at during this period is 

Morgana: Don’t think I don’t understand loyalty because I’ve got no one left to be loyal to

This is important because it shows that the isolation that started by The Nightmare Begins has enveloped her. Now she is no longer even fighting with or for anyone she has devoted herself to revenge and survival.

We also see the fear that drives Morgana as at the site of Emrys her first reaction is flight. During their battle, we see that they are almost evenly matched in magical power, though Morgana only really gets through due to Merlin not being willing to act decisively still. (4x06)

Morgana's obsession with Emrys becomes almost all-consuming. Morgana gives away the most emotionally significant thing left of her sister to obtain information on Emrys. She tries desperately to find the information torturing a man who spent her childhood helping to take care of her. But a layer of contradictions exists as he also tried to make her doubt her reality and is helping the person destined to prevent her ascension to queen and to kill her. This complex relationship is important here for the emotional repercussions of what seems like a straightforward attempt to extract information. (4x07)

Morgana shows no regard for even the laws of life and death gain in her quest in Lancelot Du Lac (4x09) bringing Lancelot back to life. Morgana does not even to directly finish her quest to take the throne but to ruin her once friend, and closest confidant's chance at happiness. This is driven by an obsession with her past nightmare about Gwen becoming Queen. Though of course, it has the added benefit of breaking her brother's heart. The only show of emotional connection we see in her is the fear underlying her actions and her musings on the emptiness the shade Lancelot has. 

During The Sword and The Stone (4x12-13), we see Morgana take over the castle by using Agravaine for treason. Morgana is not only ruthless in what would be considered warfare but takes initiative to be cruel to the peasants willing to let them starve to gain control. She then tortures Gawain, Elyan and Gaius not only for information but just because she gains pleasure from it. The ability to empathise with those she deemed her enemies is no longer existent, even those who have not directly harmed her. Her depressive states and emotional nubbing is only broken when she can exert control over other people. She is choosing to hurt others for her pleasure. 

This is their first battle when both Morgana and Arthur understand who the other is. Morgana calls him as her “dear brother” as a taunt. We then have this exchange:

King Arthur: What happened to you, Morgana?

King Arthur: I thought we were friends

Morgana: As did I. But alas, we were both wrong.

King Arthur: You can't blame me for my father's sins.

Morgana: It's a little late for that. You’ve made it perfectly clear how you feel about me and my kind. You're not as different from Uther as you'd like to think.

King Arthur: Nor are you.

Morgana: I’m going to enjoy killing you, Arthur Pendragon. Not even Emrys can save you now.

We see Arthur is hurt by what happened and truly did love Morgana and doesn’t like having to fight her like this. And Morgana is consumed by the pain of the past to the inability to care for the present. Arthur, however, is not giving her the power of acknowledging her as his sister. He still says “my father”. He compares her to their father and triggers her anger. We see them attempt to fight, Morgana is unable to use her magic due to Merlin and panics. 

She gathers herself, able to make her escape even coming close to killing Gwen. She then almost dies only being revived by Aithusa, who becomes her closest friend from this point on. (4x13)

We then have another time skip of over two years. Two of those years Morgana was being tortured in the pit by The Sarum. This has the effect of taking an already traumatised individual and layering two years of severe chronic trauma on top of it. She has less control of herself as a result of this and loses the little bit of impulse control she had. 

We first see Morgana after this when she is searching for the Diamair to try and learn how to beat Arthur. Morgana can capture and lure Arthur to her by kidnapping his men and using spies. She almost finds what she seeks but the creature itself has no wish to be used by her making her search futile. We also see her not even consider a father being willing to do something dangerous to save his daughter, her own acquired lack of compassion colouring her judgement. 

This is also the re-introduction of Mordred, a character that acts as the turning point in the rest of the narrative. Seeing Mordred shows some of the only real joy we see from Morgana since her sister died years back. She, however, pushes him away due to her display of rage and dysregulation. Mordred stabs her literally in the back. (5x01-2)

One of Morgana's most cruel attacks is used to try and turn Gwen into a weapon by torturing her for days, breaking down her psychological defences leaving her open to manipulation. This leaves her under control of Morgana thinking that Morgana cares for her. While this is mainly a spell able to be broken there is a part that relies on Gwen's psychology of being compassionate so she will be sympathetic to Morgana’s story and trauma. With the long psychological attacks and this play on Gwen's compassion, we see Morana essentially form a trauma bond. She manipulates Gwen’s perceptions and emotions in a way that is very similar to emotional abusers. 

 This act also kills Elyan in Morgana's attempt to harm Arthur (5x06) During this control we see how strongly Morgana used it to make Gwen not only a weapon but also they feel like they are friends again, being lonely might have been part of why he chose this method and less of a direct method like she did with Merlin. (5x07-8) 

Once Arthur is aware of her curse on Gwen he sets out to break the magic but is almost thwarted by the Dochraid who tells Morgana of his plans to save Gwen. This is interesting as the Dochraid is one of the few magic beings who truly side with Morgana betting on her strength of will over Merlin’s. Morgana is then forced to face off against the one thing other than her dragon, Mordred. Mordred puts up a good fight even saving Merlin’s secret. She felt conflicted in harming him and ends up losing to his surprise attack. (5x09)

After her plan with Gwen fails he returns to her full-tilt hunt for Emrys. She hunts the Catha for information causing terror across multiple kingdoms, then excruciatingly tortures him to try and find out. Hunting anyone down who might know these plans however fail because Alator and Finna believed in something larger and were willing to suffer and die. Morgana no longer understands the bigger picture her idea of a world free for magic isn't her leading drive anymore. After this incident, Morgana is seen to have declared all-out war with Camelot. (5x10)

Mordred acts as the last domino to fall into place before the final battle between Morgana and Arthur Pendragon. When Kara is killed and Merlin and Arthur were the drivers behind her execution, Mordred becomes angry enough at the system of Camelot to move to side with someone he saw as dangerous and broken. He gives Morgana the information she needs on Emrys. (5x11)

With Mordred by her side, Morgana makes her final move, forging a sword just to kill Arthur and finalizing the amassment of an army. She clears the way by removing Emrys from the situation, giving her and Mordred a clean shot at Arthur and the army of Camelot. However, she underestimates Merlin and we see her lose much of her Army and Mordred. This causes Morgana despair as she has to bury the last person she loved. One of the few things that could even start to pierce her depression is ripped away. 

This loss isn’t enough to stop the endless patterns of a compulsive need to take out revenge on Arthur. 

The final moments of her life she taunts her brother in his death claiming a victory. It’s however short-lived as Merlin kills her with a dragon fire-forged blade right after she claims her immortality. Her pain consumed her, and as the death of her father there is no triumph in hurting her brother as all it does is open her up for her death. (5x12-13)

[fishoutofcamelot]

I saw your r recent contribution to the post about hard vs soft magic systems and I agree wholeheartedly. You also mentioned having a bunch of worldbuilding and stuff about the magic system, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to share some?

(For reference, this is the post in question)

Certainly! While the worldbuilding/magicbuilding hellscape i was describing in the notes is actually in regards to an original-content wip I've been working on, i also have a LOT of headcanons regarding the BBCM magic system too! (Do not ask about my wip's magic system, because i won't be able to shut up about it)

WARNING: long post ahead and mobile won't let me include a cutoff/read-more line. If you're not interested, get ready to scroll down like your life depends on it (and it does).

So! First things first. Here's what we know about the BBCM magic system:

Magic requires spells, most of the time. This seems like a no-brainer, but still an important distinction. There are a lot of magic systems that don't require vocalized spells - Avatar: the Last Airbender, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Ninjago, to name a few. Spells are rather common for wizard/witch/medieval fantasies, and are typically used to control and channel the intent of the magic. This suggests that the magic of BBCM is some kind of force or energy that needs spoken commands to control.

Spells are repurposed words from Old English, aka the language of the Old Religion. (Let's ignore the obvious anachronistic nightmare of the fact that Old English is exactly the same language they would've been speaking in this time period.)

The use of a spell causes someone's eyes to flare gold, plus that fancy wooshing sound effect that Arthur miraculously never hears. This suggests that magic somehow changes your physiology, although it could be also just be a side effect of channeling.

However, magic doesn't always require a spell. Though never fully explained, it appears to be something only innate magic users are capable of - Merlin, Morgana, Mordred. It is something less controllable than spellwork, typically governed by moments of strong emotion rather than logical intent.

The show consistently flip-flops between the idea that magic is something you're born with, and that Merlin is rare for being born with magic. It's never clarified just how someone acquires magic. Gaius asks Merlin where he studied, suggesting that it's something you can learn, while Balinor claims that you either have it or you don't. Though not confirmed fact, i suspect it's similar to how it works in the show Supernatural. There, some witches are natural-born, while others are taught (and some get their powers from spooky demon deals).

It has a life-for-a-life policy. Basically like the Law of Equivalent Exchange from Fullmetal Alchemist, a life cannot be created without another one being sacrificed first. This rule only canonically applies to creating life/the Cup of Life, and any other possible applications aren't addressed.

This rule apparently doesn't apply to animals, as Merlin brought a dog statue to life without killing anyone (that we know of), and Valiant's shield had three live snakes in it. However, it's possible that lives were taken as payment in the process of animation without Merlin's knowledge, but it never happens on screen so we don't know. So either a) animals don't have souls to exchange in the life-for-a-life policy, b) they do but it happens off-screen, or c) those animated animals aren't actually alive.

The Cup of Life infuriates me from a magicbuilding perspective. Ignoring the obvious question of how it came into the druids' possession, its existence isn't clearly defined. Does it require the fancy rain ritual that Nimueh gave it, or was she just extra? Why does drinking from it give you life, while bleeding into it makes you undead and also mindlessly obedient to the sorcerer who made you as such? Were there life-for-a-life consequences for creating an immortal army? Wtf happened on the Isle of the Blessed to allow Merlin to "master life and death", and what does that even mean? All valid questions that never get answered.

Spells sometimes need need a 'source'. Think the staff from "The Tears of Uther Pendragon" and Morgana from "The Fires of Idirsholas." It is unclear what makes these spells different/special.

There is a power hierarchy. Some spells are too powerful for some practitioners to cast, although the reason for this is unclear. Does it drain you of energy/life force? Do you exhaust/overwork your magic muscles? Do you get a little pop-up that says 404 Magic Not Found? Unclear.

Magic is something that can be trained and improved. For example, Morgana gradually became more powerful over time. Merlin naturally had a lot of power straight off the jump and just had to discipline it, but he's a ~special~ case so he doesn't count.

There are some subsets of magic that are definitively born traits. Morgana is a Seer, possessing this capability even before her magic manifested. Likewise, Merlin is a dragonlord, which he inherited from Balinor. Although Balinor did mention that it wasn't a sure thing he would have the ability until he faced a dragon, so there may be some variation in whether or not someone lucks out in the Magic Gene Pool. This may suggest that natural-born magic is hereditary, as both Morgana and her sister Morgause had it. Vivienne and Gorlois both probably didn't have it, otherwise you'd hear Uther bellyaching about it, which raises the question of where they got it? A grandparent, perhaps? Maybe they both carried a recessive magic gene or something...

Unless you're Merlin, magic can be taken away by the Gean Canagh. It's not explained how this is possible, though, as it's never explained how you acquire magic in the first place. But Merlin never lost his magic because he's "magic itself" which if you ask me is just a deus ex machina wrapped inside a headache wrapped inside a heaping load of chosen one bullcrap. But it's canonical lore, so we have to consider it.

Despite my previous complaints, i actually find the idea of Merlin being "magic itself" rather intriguing. Is he a creature of magic, like a dragon or a questing beast? Is his body made of magic, like how a statue might be made of clay? Does it run through his veins like blood? If this is the case, then why didn't he suffer more severe ramifications for losing his magic? Why didn't it kill him? How did it restrict his magic in the first place? Placebo effect? The fanon explanation is that he's "the living embodiment of magic" but that makes my bullcrap richter scale shoot off the charts because that makes NO sense whatsoever. "Son of the earth, sea, and sky?" What does that MEAN?

There is a vivid link between magic and the Old Religion, which has its own beliefs and rituals and deities. Primarily, the Triple Goddess. The Triple Goddess is actually an existing deity in Neopaganism and Wicca. This also suggests the existence of the Horned God, another entity from neopagan lore and her masculine consort/counterpart, but that is never confirmed.

WHO. OR. WHAT. IS. THE. FREAKING. DOCHRAID. She's described as a creature of magic, which suggests that humans/humanoids can be creatures of magic, fueling my theory that 'Emrys' isn't human.

Destiny exists. It is unclear who creates/writes destiny, who controls it, who or what is privy to knowing about it, and what that means for the concept of free will.

The crystal cave is a thing, i guess. It's the heart of magic, is haunted by Taliesin, and is filled with prophetic crystals. I actually skipped the episodes that involve this stuff because i disliked them, so i don't know much about the Crystal Cave. Apparently ghosts can manifest there tho???

The veil is a thing too. It is unclear how some spirits can retain their human figure and mentality, like Balinor and Uther, but others become dorocha. I imagine its also like Supernatural - being a ghost for long enough will drive you insane, and though it takes a while all spirits eventually turn into dorocha.

Creatures of magic exist. These are normal creatures who have magic imbued into them somehow.

Okay, i think that's everything we know. It seems like a lot, but keep in mind that all of those rules are VERY nebulous. But that at least gives us a jumping-off point!

So here's my working theory/headcanon.

Magic comes from a connection to the spiritual energies of the Triple Goddess. Kinda like a third eye, and for the sake of simplicity that's what we'll call it. The druids have adapted a way of life that revolves around faith and magic, likely in an attempt to cultivate and one day attain this Third Eye. Like Gaius, who trained with the High Priestesses, you can study and practice and discipline yourself into acquiring it.

Magic is a cosmic force owned by the Triple Goddess, accessible to anyone with the Third Eye link. Imagine the Triple Goddess as a milkshake and the so-called Third Eye as a straw. The studying and training that people dedicate their whole lives to is basically just looking for/building a straw.

However, some people are just naturally born with a straw in hand, but require practice and study to be able to properly use it. Or like Morgana, it takes a few years for them to even find it/activate it.

Spellcasting is essentially just sucking through the straw, and the vocalized spells gives that Magic Milkshake some purpose/intent/shape.

The bigger the spell, the more Magic Milkshake is required. Some people have bigger/wider straws than others, so magic comes easier for them. But with enough training and practice anyone can widen their straw/strengthen their straw-sucking muscles to cast with the big leagues.

The Gean Canagh devours your straw/Third Eye. Perhaps you have to rebuild a new spiritual connection from scratch, or perhaps it permanently severs any and all connection to the Triple Goddess. Like getting excommunicated from the Church, only worse.

The Crystal Cave was/is the Triple Goddess's home, but she's out of town on a business trip atm so she left the spirit of her most loyal follower, Taliesin, to look after the place. It's super powerful and has all those cool crystals because it's hella steeped in her magic juices.

While most magic users get a standard-issue straw, others get Fancy Premium Membership Straws. Normal joe shmoes like Gilli have plastic straws, while a Seer like Morgana has a metal one or something (can you tell this metaphor is starting to get out of hand?). Those Premium Straws are only hereditary in nature. So there's a Seer Straw, or a Dragonlord Straw, or a Disir Straw, but it's also not a sure thing you'll even inherit it at all. It's all luck of the straw draw.

Creatures of magic aren't just animals that possess straws, though. They've been made/produced using magic rituals and processes and spells. Like Nimueh's afanc, nathairs, wraiths, shades, etc. So probably like a thousand years ago, some especially powerful shmuck came by and invented dragons. Which leads me to an important question: WHO THE HELL THOUGHT THE DOCHRAID WAS A GOOD IDEA.

Im reluctant to say these creatures were invented by the Triple Goddess, though, for reasons I'll get to in a moment.

So this still leaves the whole Cup of Life, life-for-a-life policy thing to be explained. I do believe that the policy is universally applicable to the creation of souls, and i do believe that animals have souls too. But individuals get their souls exchanged for those of equal value. So every soul has a certain weight to it, and you need to exchange souls of equal weight to create one. So when Merlin brought the dog to life, some random dog somewhere dropped dead against his knowledge.

Creating undead armies involves killing them and then resurrecting them. That's what 'undead' means. Zombies. So yes, to raise an immortal zombie army, Morgause's spell probably caused a bunch of people around the world to mysteriously drop dead.

Which leaves two last things to explain: destiny and Merlin.

Destiny is, i think, a combined effort between human choice and supernatural predeterminism. That is, for the most part humans make their own choices, but there are occasions where the Triple Goddess has to step in and do some course correction. Uther starting the Purge was free will, but Arthur and Merlin's destiny was an act of divine damage control. The Triple Goddess sets destiny into motion and informs a chosen few about it.

Okay SO. That leaves Merlin. And this is the bit im kinda excited about.

The Triple Goddess is a reservoir of power, a cosmic force of spiritual energy intrinsicallu linked to the fabric of the universe. People can spiritually reach out and tune into/channel her supernatural frequencies. But as a milkshake cannot suck itself through a straw, the Triple Goddess likewise cannot cast a spell. She can influence destiny, but she can't physically cast any magic on her own. That's why she didn't create the creatures of magic.

So a few years ago, Uther hecked up big time. And people of magic, the Triple Goddess's followers and acolytes and straw connections, were dying in droves. I can imagine that all those Third Eye tethers snapping en masse was painful for her to go through. She relies on the tethers to remain connected to the real world, and if all the tethers snap then she will be cut off from Earth altogether. And Earth requires magic to continue existing/thriving, so that's kind of a no-no.

So, the Triple Goddess knew that the only way to save the world was through divine intervention. Thus began the destiny of the Once and Future King and Emrys. She knew humanity is bigoted so there was bound to eventually be a repeat of Uther, so she made OaFK resurrectable, so they could keep him on the bench in case anyone ever needs him again.

Where does Merlin/Emrys fall into things?

Well. The Triple Goddess knew that saving her people and the world would require an immense magical undertaking, something no ordinary magic user would be able to pull off. But she has the power, if only she could use it. But a human can. So the Triple Goddess decided to be reborn into the body of a dragonlord's son. Merlin. Emrys. Magic itself.

Of course, this whole Being Born As A Human Thing is tricky, and as anyone familiar with reincarnation knows, you don't usually recall your past lives. So she became Merlin, unaware that he was ever the Triple Goddess. (Although she did add a clause saying she'd be destined to remember her past life eventually, which got hecked up for reasons ill explain later)

That's why so many creatures of magic/magic users recognize Merlin by his presence, why thr druids carry such reverence for him. Whereas the sidhe and other individuals don't recognize him, because they are blinded by heresy. They may have a spiritual connection to the Triple Goddess, but do not use her magic as she intended, and she's too busy wearing jaunty scarves to excommunicate them herself.

Why get the Once and Future King involved when she could just save everyone herself? Well, the Triple Goddess prefers to let the humans keep their agency and save themselves, and would rather remain in the role of protector/helper. Its just her nature.

But if that's the case, then why did Arthur's destiny fail? It's simple: Kilgharrah.

Remember what i said about the Horned God, counterpart to the Triple Goddess? Yeah, that's Kilgharrah. Like the Triple Goddess, he's another power reservoir, but he's jealous because people worship her and not him. He is against everything she does and actively seeks the destruction of the Triple Goddess's magic/influence for Jealous Evil Reasons. To stop him, the Triple Goddess enlisted some of her followers to bind him into the body of a dragon (perhaps this is how dragons were created) so he would never be able to do that. Years later, the Purge happened and "Kilgharrah" got locked away, further cut off from his power.

When Merlin walked in, unaware that he used to be the Triple Goddess, Kilgharrah seized his chance at revenge and manipulated Merlin into setting him free. Then, once free, he decided to lay claim to the power vacuum left by the Triple Goddess's quasi-absence. He began controlling destiny in whatever limited capacities he could, using magic of his own to permanently bury Merlin's knowledge of his past life. Then he ensured that Arthur would die and the Triple Goddess's magic would never return. But since he doesn't have FULL control over destiny (his powers are still limited by his dragon form, after all), he couldn't rewrite the bit where Arthur gets benched in Avalon. He's probably conspiring with the sidhe to ensure Arthur stays trapped there forever, or else he would've come back a long time ago.

As for how the Gean Canagh took Merlin's magic...well, yes, it devoured his Third Eye straw, but those are created by a strong spiritual connection to the Triple Goddess. And since he's literally the big TG himself, all he had to do was find himself again (by returning to his old home, the Crystal Cave) to recreate a new one.

Over the last 1500 years, Kilgharrah/the Horned God has been steadily accruing followers and worshippers in the hopes that one will become strong enough to release TG's bonds on him. Then he can kill her once and for all and claim full dominion over the universe, with the sidhe to support him.

I imagine that's how Arthur's resurrection would happen - Arthur and the rest of the dead Round Table are in Avalon when they learn about the treachery and plot to kill Merlin/take over the world, and spend the next few hundred years fighting their way out of Avalon.

Okay, I think that just about covers it. God, that was long. Any questions?

[ursus-mari]

@once-and-future-dawn thank you for humoring me with my song requests and giving me Can’t Look Away by Eli Lieb. It does, indeed, have Morgwen potential. I know Gwencelot is your preference and I hope you enjoy this anyway.

You can also read this on ao3

Update: you can find Gwen’s POV here

...

There comes a point of reckoning, a point at which one decides which side of the battle they fall upon.

Morgana’s been dreading this one.

It’s all she can do to not take Gwen’s hands in her own and beg her to stay, to see that what Morgana’s doing here is just, the overthrowing of a tyrant. And if people suffer in the process, well. Maybe then they can feel and understand the anger and fear that burn her up inside.

But Gwen’s never… Gwen’s never been interested in revenge. She bears injustices with teary eyes and silent disappointment and her mouth pressed into a thin line, fight and desperation gone out after her father’s death taught her the futility of justice under Uther’s rule. She, more than anyone, should be angry. Why isn’t she?

Morgana’s angry for her. She wants to shatter Uther’s heart and leave him to rot in misery in a jail cell for the rest of his days for herself and for Gwen and for all those people he burned for daring to exist in a way he didn’t like. She wants to teach the others what that’s like, sending the bystanders who’d done nothing when her people burned up in those same flames and watch their loved ones learn the sting of injustice.

Gwen is looking at her with fear and suspicion and it nearly tears Morgana’s heart out.

Gwen is so good. Why can’t she see that what Morgana’s doing is right?

(Teach me, Morgana wants to beg. Teach me to be good again. Tell me when I’m going too far. Don’t let me become him, please, please, please.

But she can’t say that, can she?)

“Join me, Gwen,” she says instead, keeping the desperation tamped firmly down. High Priestesses and queens don’t beg their maidservants to stay with them. That would be displaying unacceptable weakness.

It must creep in anyway, though, because Gwen softens slightly. “You know I can’t. But…” She hesitates, bites her lip, meets Morgana’s eyes with a mixture of fierce desperation and resignation. “You don’t have to do this, Morgana. You know this isn’t the right way.”

“And what would you suggest?” Morgana’s tone is calm. Measured.

“Let Arthur--”

“No.” That is why there was no hope for this, for them, in the end. Arthur comes first for Gwen. The pompous, arrogant… noble and kindhearted, despite his father, boy who she loved once, who is her brother. He would watch Morgana burn.

And Gwen loves him.

“Then you have your answer,” Gwen says, defiant in that way she has, eyes blazing. Morgana meets her eyes, and for a moment, they both falter. But Gwen’s face closes again, and Morgana wonders if maybe it’s better this way, to have her heart torn out of her chest. She’ll feel the ache of its absence, but she’ll never have to feel this way again, abandoned and betrayed and hurting and still wanting the person who made her feel all that to stay, wanting to abandon her dignity and beg.

Her heart’s still in her chest now though, clinging desperately, and it won’t see Gwen harmed despite it all. So Morgana turns away and says, “Go.”

She can hear the hesitation and bewilderment when Gwen says, “Morgana, what--”

It’s not fair. “Go!”

Morgana closes her eyes tight and listens to Gwen’s hesitant footsteps towards the door. There’s a pause, just for a moment, and it takes all Morgana’s strength not to turn around and look, lest she cast away her anger and conviction and offer herself body and soul to Gwen’s whims if only she’ll stay. Then the door opens and closes with a firm, final thud.

Morgana breathes in, breathes out, and tries not to notice the ache of the newly empty cavity in her chest.

[tansyuduri]

The thing is he DOES do tripple godess rituatuals (cureing gwen in season 5) And often uses the terms gods. I will keep an eye out for more godesses but I know he does talk about how the gods will watch over him when he is gone in season 1. His father tells him the old religion is the magic of the word around him in season two and later merlin talks about how there is so much his father could have tought him. But the magic of the godess can often be cruel. Perhaps not because of the godess herself but because of her worshipers. For example Morgana is a high priestess but the godess goes against her to cure gwen in the only time magic is directly tied to her, Also we hear how its not the godess who demands a life to close the tear in the veil in season 4 but the gate keeper. WE KNOW old relgion members have done horrible things in persuit of fire (For example making Lamias) I don't think Merlin regects the godess or the old religion in cannon I think he regects interpretations and messengers of it he views as cruel. This is interesting for me because it reminds me of how many religions if taken litterally or from certain leaders can be viewed as cruel (And even homophobic/transphobic tying into the queer aspect of merlin.) But how in almost all those religions there are people who belive in them just as strongly but are able to see things with more Nuance and kindness supporting the rights of people who are diferant (Queer being just one example) and focusing on kindness.

Merlin rejected the OR as early as in S1 (did it indirectly lead to disir?) He rejects not just Nimueh but the Thing. Magic, for him, was like a separate natural force he was born with, something like a destiny.

Nimueh: I'm a priestess of the Old Religion. You too are the creature of the Old Religion []

Merlin: You think I would join forces with such a selfish and cruel magic?

It is in harmony with the classical texts' Christan-adjacent Merlin, who was like: "yeah, my father might be the devil himself, but I will use my powers godly for the glory of the Realm."

[feygana2]

morgana as an entity, or morgan of the faye, is linked heavily to the goddess matrona of celtic mythology, and also to a goddess specifically known for the ulster cycle as of her involvement in la morte de arthur,  written in 1470.   while i will have a much, much longer headcanon dealing with her link to matrona, especially being that the same deity was linked to be a protector of modron,  or mordred....     i specifically wanted to talk about her similarities with the another goddess of irish mythology known as the morrigan. the goddess is more of a primordial force than a ‘god’ by conventional means, and is known more by her moniker ‘the phantom queen’. while she is linked heavily to the outcome of battle and bloody war, rather than being wholly associated with the actual fighting of a battle, she has more to do with the fate of those in and after a clash and the gruesome deaths that follow. but instead of acting as a means to transport someone to the afterlife,  they were simply a symbol of death on the battlefield to some lesser extend.  

A huge part of the Tuatha de Danann, the Morrigan was also known to have been made up of three distinct goddesses known mostly today as the maiden, the mother and the crone. All of which have a link to Morgana in one of the many stages of her life and to goddesses such as Ceredwen,

The morrigan would often appear in the form of a black crow, which happens to be morgana’s symbolic familiar, and upon seeing one on the battlefield it was believed to mean that death would befall that person imminently. this aspect of the morrigan made her popular for worship by those going into battle. interestingly, in most forms of media that portray morgana, this also links to her being used as an instrument of war, offering her services to the queens and kings of the north in exchange for shelter and safety, or for troops to fight of camelot and the rest of growing mercia.

but the morrigan also has in-depth protective qualities that enable her to protect her people. namely those who were worshipers of these ancestral gods and practitioners of magic, which also directly aligns with morgana’s personal interests. morgana le faye was a symbol to most practitioners of witchcraft and druidism of this time as a pariah that fought against the Anglicization of what would become albion. remember that at the time of her life (presumed to be around the timeperiods of 400-600 ad, respectively) it was when the heavy Catholicisation of what is now great britain, had begun. uther pendragon, and later the knights of the round, had pushed those that they had deemed uncivilized (magic-users) into areas in and north/west of lothian, gaelic and pictish lands.  

BECAUSE OF THIS, TOO,  morgana can be seen as a protector of those who were like her, especially if we bring popular canon such as bbc’s merlin into view, which i take some inspiration from in terms of magic being ‘outlawed’ at the time through penalty of death. fighting against the oppression of pagan ritualistic practitioners all over briton,  as well as the druids of the dal riata alike, she was turned into a martyr of sorts and later demonized to the point of gaining a status of ‘evil’ ...  while the kings who had oppressed or slaughtered these people (particularly the druids, like uther pendragon or his son in historic canon, not in the case of bbc) were instead built of as heroes to the people of albion for ridding them of the ‘evil’ pagans that had previously (as termed by uther) ‘infested’ their lands. propoganda against them surmounted and the britons and anglo-saxons continued their territory war, until separately the battle of camlann occured              [ where king arthur had lead his knights of the round table into a war that would have claimed most of the northern territory in the name of camelot against the anglo-saxons, which had currently belonged to several albic tribes including that which belonged at the time to his nephew, gwaine of loth. ]

almost ironically, this battle is what enabled the bernicians to take even more land for themselves, creating the kingdom of deira (which, in my canon is what pushed morgana even further north of lothian, into the lands of the gaels). the reason i bring up this battle is because the morrigan is famous for taking part in the battle against the fomorians. the  morrigan did naught at first but speak in chant, which caused the fomorians to scatter in fear until they fell into the seas.

another story she is involved in is that of Cú Chulainn, who threatens the morrigan when she releases his cattle back into the wild, only to realize who he has angered and explain his misdeed. when the morrigan prophecies ill-tidings for him on behalf of his threat, he tells her that she has no power over him. as we would expect,  Cú Chulainn is given numerous chances to mend the relationship with the morrigan and botches it every time, eventually leading him to his inevitable death with the morrigan, as a crow, standing atop his dead body as a means to confirm his death. interestingly, morgana was also present at the battle of camlann, which i mentioned earlier, when both her nephew and her half-brother (mordred and king arthur) were slain by a single blow from one another’s enchanted blades.

so why bring up the morrigan at all?                   in my canon/headcanon, morgana didn’t just receive simple ‘fae’ powers from becoming the high priestess of avalon. i believe she drank from the proverbial spring itself when there was nothing more to learn from merlin and nimue and was granted similar powers to the three major goddesses, including the ability to dictate fate - albeit with a price she was not ready to pay. morgana in general is almost always seen as both a victim and chooser of fate, so i felt this was a very nice way to tie these figures together.