#i thought the context would be good

[pyjamacryptid]

#don’t hide these golden tags#I would love to be info dumped upon in regards to Arthurian legend and names because I too have an interest in both 👀#bbc Merlin (via @loreylia) Hi hello the screenshot in the reblog above are my tags! I was rather flattered lol but got distracted, forgot about it (thank you adhd), and randomly - for no reason at all - remembered this and so here I am at 10pm on a Sunday night with 30 tabs open to double-check my own claims, so I can talk all your ears off about my niche interests. I hesitated on whether to add to this post or make my own, as I didn't want to hijack OP's post any further, but I thought the context of how this discussion came about would be interesting and helpful! (Sorry OP, I hope this is cool with you). By the way, OP did reblog with further name additions according to suggestions.

Disclaimer before I begin: I'm not an expert in any of these topics, I only find them extremely interesting. Also, I don't claim any of these to be hard cold facts, especially since this is arthuriana we're talking about and there are many different iterations and interpretations and theories, especially with regard to what Geoffrey of Monmouth took inspiration from, debates on what was embellished fact and what was fable. Yadda Yadda. Ok, you got that? You with me? Awesome!

What's The Deal With Merlin's Name?

Merlin, as we know him today - the old wizard, advisor to King Arthur, and known throughout pop culture with his many iterations - is thanks to Geoffrey of Monmouth. Geoffrey of Monmouth was an Anglo-Norman cleric and historian who compiled a History of the Kings of Britain in the 12th century, hundreds of years after King Arthur was said to have "lived" (which he very very very much did not [sorry], but it's theorised to be the 6th century, around the end of the Roman occupation of the British Isles and when the Saxons began to invade. Keep in mind; I am generalising SO MUCH because that's not the focus). Before this, Merlin had his own legends, folklore, beliefs, stories. His place in folklore is older than King Arthur's. And that version of Merlin is not precisely what modern culture knows him as. Geoffrey of Monmouth was inspired by two to three different "Merlins" that he mushed together. A smoothie of a man. Another way of looking at this, is that there were two main stages: pre-Geoffrey, aka the pre-Galfridian Welsh stage in which Merlin was known as a legendary prophet. And then the second stage; Geoffrey transforming Myrddin Wyllt into an internationally renowned wizard named Merlin who plays a crucial role in bringing about the conception of Arthur (he helps Uther out, instead of Nimueh, as we see in BBC Merlin.) So, let's discuss the name of Myrddin Wyllt, which I also mentioned in my tags when I reblogged OP's post. This version of his name is my personal favourite because it's the most Welsh. Most of Geoffrey's writings were inspired by Celtic - specifically Welsh - folklore, legends and history and I will continue to bring this up every time someone refers to King Arthur, Merlin, and Arthuriana at large as only English, no matter what. It had Welsh-inspired origins. ANYWAY Myrddin Wyllt was known as, in short, a Welsh warrior-bard that went mad after seeing his friends die in battle and lived the rest of his days as isolated as he could be in the forest; therefore, a wild man of the woods. Myrddin is a Welsh name meaning "sea fort" and Wyllt - which is more of an epithet - means "the Woods" or "the Wild". Therefore; Myrddin of the Woods/Myrddin of the Wild. This name, in itself, has several versions as well. Such as Merlinus Caledonensis (of Caledonia, the name of a forest in Scotland) and Merlin Sylvestris ("of the woods" in Latin). If you're interested, here's a recorded pronunciation for Myrddin Wyllt in Welsh. So, how did we get Merlin from Myrddin?

It's only the first name but here's my favourite fact ever about Merlin's name and it's about why he's called Merlin in the first place.

Seriously, I will try and bring this fact up whenever I can because it brings me so much stupid joy and is also a great ice breaker.

Geoffrey of Monmouth made his smoothie of a man and then set about naming him, and of course went with one of the names he already had, so as to make him recognisable. He chose Myrddin. However, he couldn't exactly leave the name as it was. He was an Anglo-Norman man writing a book of legends for his fellow non-Welsh people, and thus he had to latinise Myrddin.

However, writing Myrddin in Latin results in Merdinus. Now, if you speak a latin-based language, I bet you're already laughing. I really hope you are.

For everyone wanting me to just fucking get on with it already!!!! .. C'mere. No, come closer. Halve the name. Yeah, just halve it. Do it. You get "Merdi", don't you? Sounds rather a lot like "merde", doesn't it?

"Merde" in Anglo-Norman means "feces". (From the Latin "merda")

He'd named him Shitinus.

Can't have that. The other cleric historians would laugh at him. He'd be a laughing stock. He'd scandalise every elderly woman who could read. Or, if illiterate like most of the population at the time, listen to audio books (some guy orating in the town square).

So, big brain Geoffrey decided he'd switch out the D for an L. Thus Merlinus. Which, eventually, became Merlin.

This also means that; no, sorry but Merlin was not named after the bird. Yep, this bitch me is also into birds. A merlin is a type of kestrel (which is a small falcon). And as much as I adore the homonym, and as much as it is appropriate as Merlin himself is known as a shapeshifter in Arthuriana and loves to be a bird from time to time-- yeah sorry to burst your bubble. His name is not derived from the bird of the same name. It's a crab evolution situation (carcinisation).

Sorry, had to get that off my chest. ANYWAY. Time for the name Emrys. You see, Emrys is also a Welsh name, and it means "Immortal". (Now, connect that to BBC Merlin, and how fucking cool is that. You're called Immortal for a decade or more - maybe far more - of your life before you finally find out what it means and they tell you it means power, it means reverence, it means you stand alongside the sun in what keeps the world turning, but you just feel burdened, empty, tired, and like the mountain you stand on will erode away long before you feel peace.)

Wow where'd that come from. Anyway. Back on track.

I'm also OWO over this graph I found over it's popularity as a baby name and wow, yep, there are baby Emryses out there rn... Back on track back on track back on track back on tr--

In BBC Merlin, I feel like Emrys acts as a title and epithet more than anything, the name of his role as magic itself, what he truly is at his core. It belongs to Merlin and no one else. So, it always feels weird to me when - especially in modern fic - his mother is called Hunith Emrys. I mean, it's cool, it's just that my nerd-brain with too much unnecessary knowledge short-circuits a little bit lol. This is because, as a surname, it means it's typically inherited from your ancestors - exceptions to the rule aside - and so it sort of removes the significance of the name (especially in the context of BBC Merlin, rather than Arthuriana as a whole).

Geoffrey also took Emrys. And he also latinised it. Boom, you get Ambrosius.

Add them together and you get Merlinus Ambrosius.

Emrys/Ambrosius was also the name of a British general/commander/warrior, also known as Ambrosius Aurelianus. Though recently it's apparently?? i think?? been suggested there were two men named Emrys, possibly father and son whose stories were conflated. Anyway, this figure is also part of the smoothie Geoffrey blended to make his Merlin. This figure is said to have led a Romanised Britain against the invading Saxons (and so it's also theorised Geoffrey took a bit of this for his inspiration for King Arthur), and also confronts Vortigern (Uther's father) about his jenga tower having a dragon problem, the same way you might say "yeah mate you got termites".

Ambrosius Aurelianus is also the name of Uther's brother who, in Geoffrey's accounts, led a Romano-British army against the invading Saxons. Wow, familiar. However, this man is not Merlin - in Arthuriana, that is - as they are two people existing at the same time within the legend.

There's far more I want to say but it's 2 minutes to midnight, I have an early start, and my single brain cell is tucking itself in. So. Final thoughts:

Merlin's possessed many names, many epithets, many selves that were blended by Geoffrey of Monmouth armed with a nutribullet, and he also has many stories from his multiple origins that can provide names, too.

Names, such as:

Wild/Wilde

Woods

maybe he tries out Forest/Forrest

Caledonia/Caledonensis

Sylvestris/Sylvester

Silverwood if you want to have something that's pretty subtle but still an homage.

Ambrose

If your Merlin's had many identities thanks to a thousand plus years of existence, I bet he's had some wild ones like Draig (meaning dragon in Welsh). I can also seem him taking on Hunithson for a few lifetimes here and there, in honour of his mother.

You could even do something like Applewood, which is less to do with a name Merlin's been called and more to do with one of Myrddin Wyllt's most well-known legends (in short; after he went mad and ran into the woods, he took a rest in a crabapple orchard, bit into an apple and could now prophesise the future. Typical tuesday.)

Apples were considered to have great significance in celtic lore. How much significance do you ask? Well. Avalon means the Isle of Apples. That's how much significance lmao

I seriously could talk myself in circles about this forever, but I think I'll end this long-winded infodump here. I very much wanted to further infodump about some wild shit Myrddin Wyllt did and Lailoken and demon baby Merlin and and and-- but I tried my best to keep it to the names only, or this post would be longer than it is already.

If you want to know more, or have any questions, feel free to come say hi! I love talking about this stuff! And if you have anything to add, go for it!

In the meantime, thanks for reading! ---

EDIT: I corrected my Latin. I said "merde" was Latin for feces, when actually "merde" is Anglo-Norman for feces, which comes from "merda", the actual Latin word for feces. Oops. When I first typed that, I thought it wasn't quite right lol. In my defence, I did write this near-midnight lmaoooo. I also want to expand on the bit about the Merlin, the bird: the bird's name is derived from the Old French esmerillon via the Anglo-Norman merilun or meriliun. Despite the similarity, and the argument that Geoffrey of Monmouth was Anglo-Norman so there's a possibility; yeah nah. The bird was not named after Merlin and Merlin was not named after the bird. However, the homonym is VERY cool and allows for a lot of fun symbolism.

Choosing Merlin’s full name for your modern au fic alignment chart

(insp)

[bunnieswithknives]

Okay but does Peri KNOW that Dev has a robotic leg when he shows up? Something about the fact that Peri's wand is a cane and the fact that Dev could have kept his leg and just had a cane for the rest of his life instead tickles my brain.

I mean he doesn't know immediately, he wasn't like briefed or anything, but he basically lives in Dev's house so he definitely finds out. Peri doesn't comment on or react to it all though really, there's no reason for him to think anything of it, plenty of people have missing limbs, a lot of people are born without them, it doesn't necessarily mean anything sinister happened. He had no reason to pry or ask and I think Peri's lack of reaction to it helped Dev feel a bit more comfortable in his skin. (Not by much but.. a little bit.)

[s0fter-sin]

i need ghoap frantically making out against a door finally taking the leap on their feelings. need ghost grinding against soap, expecting to find him just as hard as him, only to feel nothing

and in all his wisdom and experience, he concludes soap was tortured and never told him

he’s trying to think of a delicate way to say he understands, that he’s been through it and it doesn’t change anything about how he feels (and who the fuck touched him so he can hunt them down and rend them limb from limb)

meanwhile trans!soap’s just trying to find the best angle to grind his cunt on ghost’s thigh

just it never even entering ghost’s head bc he’s never known a trans person but he has met plenty of people who’ve been tortured - himself included - so of course that’s his logical leap

soap takes off his shirt and he sees his top surgery scars and ghost asks if he wants him to kill the one who did it and soap just hums like, “actually, man did pretty good, they healed real well,” and ghost’s just teary-eyes with awe at how well he’s coping, “looking on the bright side, that’s my johnny.”

imagine he thinks johnny was fully castrated but sees he’s determined to still have a sex life with him so he buys packers and straps to help him bc hell yeah healing and soap’s just like, “holy shit i’ve never had such a thoughtful partner before, such a sweet man, lt.”

[hydrachea]

Explorers of Sky is a good game.

[rexscanonwife]

And who says scientists aren't passionate! 😉💖 here's a little comic based off an ACTUAL moment I shared with my irl partner @cherry-bomb-ships last night 😂

Taglist♡: @crushes-georg @changeling-selfship @me-myself-and-my-fos @sunstar-of-the-north @tiny-cloud-of-flowers @adoredbyalatus @dearly-beeloved @squips-ship @sunflawyer @miutonium

[lazylittledragon]

a 2 act tragedy starring me: i’ve been making fruit smoothies in the morning for a few days which has been great because it’s getting me to actually eat fruit for once, only to go on the internet and be told that it apparently releases all the natural sugars so it's actually Not that great for you and i am devastated

[basketobread]

i never really post my callus sketches... but here... take some of these old ones... finally... my first callus art post... (he's a durge!!)

[sforzesco]

Crassus, Caelius, Cicero, Catiline, Conspiracy

boy howdy these four sure are something. not featured in this soup of C names, Caesar! what on earth happened here.

Plutarch, Crassus

Sallust on Crassus, Ronald Syme

Patron and Client, Father and Son in Cicero's "Pro Caelio"

Crassus' New Friends and Pompey's Return, Eve J. Parrish

Catullus and His World, T.P. Wiseman

Cicero's Catilinarians, D.H. Berry

[deoidesign]

Someone killed my boss last night and he sent me this I'm so fired

god I can't wait to make this comic.

[wheatormeat]

Rereading old haikyuu chapters, here's a bunch of silly Akaashis

[statementlou]

I do want to say that I feel a but relieved that it was not suicide per say(as it looks like till now) , most likely a drug overdose case gone wrong here. With this, atleast I feel Liam was not actively trying to end things for himself in a way.. it is accidental but all more tragic that it could be prevented if people used their brains!

learning that made me feel better too... but then also worse... but then better again... like it's all just fucking terrible. In the end it does make me feel better that he wasn't suffering that acutely in that way in that moment, that was really so horrific to imagine and live with, and of course for the people in his actual life who survive him the guilt would have been unbearable. I do feel better ever since I, also, reached that conclusion from reading about what happened. But also... he didn't want to die, he wanted to stay around and keep doing things and trying. And he's gone. And that's just so tragic and fucking useless. I let spotify Get me earlier with their 'remember Liam' playlist and listening to him say "I want to get better" and "I want to be a better man" in song after song.... it's crushing. I wanted that for him too, for him to have that chance. There are so many ways things could have been better for him, but now all of those possibilities are just... dead. It's just garbage, I hate death and people dying and I'm really honestly just fucking sick of it.

[mishy-mashy]

I said this in a whole reblog, but just copy-pasting to a separate post because I think it'll give some reading comprehension and reblogs don't show up in the search feature.. again, I'm reiterating what I said in another post.

Go check out @demidokuriya 's post for this; OP's post made me put this all down in like. 20 minutes. Mind went vroom vroom cuz HEY THEY'RE ONTO SOMETHING.

(They also reblogged the post with some hint to some behind the scenes of what led to the ideas if you wanna check that out)

Look below at how, when Mineta told AFO to spare Tokoyami, AFO specifically went "..."

He remembers Jirou and thinks, The braying howls of the weak...

He was going to take Tokoyami's Quirk. He took Hawks'. But after Mineta pleaded with him, AFO just straight-up left and didn't take anyone else's Quirk.

AFO saw Yoichi in Mineta.

These scenes are near-identical to each other.

Mineta and Yoichi (at that time) are both much smaller than the normal person at their age

They're both hurt, yet dragged themselves up from the ground to throw something at AFO, to get his attention and make their voice

Both are considered weak, even if they have a Quirk (Mineta's Pop-Off and Yoichi's undeveloped Factor)

The fact that Yoichi got AFO's attention here by throwing a can at him, while Mineta got his attention by throwing a Pop-Off ball; and it stuck.

Mineta's call for his attention landed and actually stuck to AFO. This is unlike when Yoichi and his can bounced off, and AFO kicked him, not listening to him; AFO listened to Mineta and left Tokoyami alone, technically doing what Mineta wanted—to not hurt this person.

AFO just went on to hurt more people away from Mineta's [Yoichi's] eyes so the small weakling wouldn't see.

Yoichi and Mineta both cried to AFO to not hurt in his ways, when AFO was intent on stealing people's Quirks

AFO even stole Hawks' Quirk during this time.

He had time to steal Hawks' Quirk, and though he could've tossed him to the side, he let Hawks stand in his way.

He had the energy. Right after this event, he flew off and left the scene. But he didn't go for Tokoyami immediately.

And this let Mineta play his part, and remind AFO of Yoichi.

"A putrid, festering Quirk Factor."

That sounds like Yoichi, AFO.

".. such garbage."

Hey hey hey, what did Yoichi throw at him when they were kids?

A discarded can. Garbage.

This chapter (385) where AFO listens to Mineta is literally called [A Youthful Urge].

Mineta told AFO to take his Pop-Off (hurt him) instead. But last time, AFO hurt Yoichi by kicking him; this time, AFO not only listened to Mineta to not hurt Tokoyami, but didn't touch Mineta at all.

Even though this time, Mineta [Yoichi] offered to take that place of suffering.

Yoichi didn't do that back then. AFO just turned on little Yoichi anyway.

Yoichi through his whole existence is literally [the braying howls of the weak]. AFO acknowledges he's weak and idealistic, yet he still loves him.

Side note about this panel, I think it's interesting that in this vision, this was the first time we saw Yoichi's eyes: when he was being defiant, despite being pushed down by someone much stronger than him.

Really characteristic of him, honestly. Yoichi's soft-spoken and frail, but it's always reiterated that Yoichi had a powerful will against his stronger big brother.

Mineta at this moment reminded him too much of Yoichi, because the two scenes are near-identical to each other. Parallels, really.

Reiterating something from OP's post that I reblogged this from;

"The reminder of his brother made him uncomfortable, so he hurried away."

AFO didn't want to hurt Yoichi again.

[cubedmango]

「30歳まで売れないとアイドルになれるらしい」 (from cherry magic volume 12 special edition) — english translation

[jesncin]

I feel like your criticisms of how She-Ra handles race could also apply to The Owl House. 3/5 of the main kids are POC (or at least coded in Willow and Gus's case ig??) yet no mention of how that relates to the main villain literally being a guy from the 1600s who literally colonized an entire realm and set up institutions that were stifling so he could more easily control the people??? Any mentions of Luz feeling like an unwanted comes purely from her being a 'weirdo' and aside from her saying a couple Spanish words nothing about her gives nods to her heritage much less her being Dominican. I've seen plenty of fans assume she was Mexican, Cuban, etc because she's just that vaguely Hispanic to viewers. Idk I'm Latino and I love the Owl House but it just doesn't feel right to me if that makes sense??

I haven't watched the Owl House (I really should, I'm just busy and preoccupying myself with niche stuff lol) so I can't say much about it, but I've definitely heard a good bunch of the inter-community criticism regarding how that show represents certain identities.

That mention of how Luz speaks a few Spanish words just not being quite enough to specify her as Dominican is interesting to me. From personal experience for my Clois comics, I knew Lois would've been mistaken for Malaysian (because our languages are similar) in the Dyslexia/Typos comic, but I was always planning for Private Interview to make it clear that she was Chinese Indonesian specifically. I think it's telling that Owl House thought those few Spanish words was enough, in comparison. It does make me glad that folks like you are critical enough to not just accept that as representation, because indeed, it's not enough if she could still be read in a monolithic way.

I do get bummed out that a show like Owl House (and to an extent Steven Universe and She-Ra) can get popular for its proximity to whiteness while things like Kipo and the Wonderbeasts isn't talked about as much.

[doodlejoltik]

my favourite writing device is having an un-Rei-liable narrator

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Outdrawn

f/f contemporary romance

two cartoonist who’ve been rivals since uni, and now have competing webcomics online, have to work together on the relaunch of a cult classic at the comic press they both work at

they both struggle with art-related physical and mental health issues, and complicated families