#i just ignore canon a lil bit and just go full celtic these days might as well why not

[kateis-cakeis]

Ooo this is all very interesting! I love your analysis!!! Very cool angle that the Old Religion may not have been practised widely.

In fact, Merlin does say "But the Old Religion died out centuries ago" in S1 Ep13 which is interesting!!!! Does suggest that it wasn't the Great Purge that did it in, and was more concentrated to High Priestesses and Priests alone.

Tho Kilgharrah's reply is also interesting of course "The Old Religion is the magic of the earth itself. It is the essence which binds all things together. It will last long beyond the time of men." I think this is crucial to what the Old Religion is, ie it's not really that much of a religion at all and more just magic itself - especially since it will exist even if people don't.

I also feel like I should add some numbers to this, since I very recently went through all the Christian sounding stuff in the show using the wiki transcripts! (Gives me a chance to share it :D)

God itself is said 21 times in the show, and for a show with 65 episodes, it's very interesting how little it's said! You're right, about it sounding like 'early installment weirdness' because the first 4 times it's said is in the first episode (which is the most it's ever said in one episode).

It's said a total of 8 times in S1 (in four episodes), 1 time in S2, 4 times in S3 (in four episodes), 5 times in S4 (in five episodes), and 3 times in S4 (in three episodes).

Arthur says it 6 times (Once every season, except S1 which was twice), followed by Merlin and Gaius who said it 3 times (once for Merlin in S1, and twice in S5, Gaius said his in S1, S3, S4)

The uses range from 'Thank god' to 'God help them/me/us' to 'My god' to 'godforsaken' to 'by god' to 'I swear to god' to 'Good god' and 'god knows'

So a full range of things that can feel like, as you said again, 'just a common figure of speech that some writer forgot wasn't used'.

Now, what's interesting is the 6 uses of Gods.

Of course we have Merlin's use of it in S1, and Vivian saying 'scuplted by the gods' in S2, but the rest of the mentions come from S5 Ep5, The Disir. Osgar mentions the ancient gods, and Gaius mentions the judgement of the gods, the paths the gods have chosen, and only the gods can alter a man's fate.

Likewise, The Triple Goddess is mentioned 6 times, with one mention by Alator in S4, followed by 5 times in S5 Ep5 again. 1 by Gaius, 1 by Kilgharrah, and 3 by The Disir.

In contrast, Heaven is mentioned 7 times. Twice in S1, 3 times in S2 (interestingly one of these times was said by Freya), once in S4, and once in S5.

Morgana says it twice (S1 and S5), and Arthur says its twice (S2). Gaius and Uther are the only other two who say it.

Hell though! Hell is mentioned 27 times. More than god!

The most it's said in one episode is 4 times, both occurring in S4 (Ep10 and Ep13).

Arthur takes the lead here, saying hell a total of 17 times!! 7 of those occur in S4. The least he says it is once in S5.

Notable mentions for hell is Merlin and Gwaine saying it a total of 3 times, the only other characters bar from Arthur who say it multiple times. (Will, Morgana, Tristan, and Leon say it once each).

So hell and god definitely suggest some level of New Religion about maybe, or something else (could be christianity or idk). Hell definitely feels like one of those...... there isn't another word for it things.

Honourable mentions that are interesting is in S1 alone, Devil is mentioned once by Uther ("What in the devil's name?), and Angel is mentioned 3 times, once by Bronwen (a serving girl in Ep1), once by Edwin, and once by Uther to Arthur about needing a guardian angel.

Is it Christianity, is it another religion, is it the writer's not having alternative words? Who knows! There's definitely very, very little iconography in the show, and I'm shocked to find there was any at all considering how vague the show was about religion sdhjfghdfg

I hope this is helpful, and as per OP's tags, that this is a kinda meta-ish thing that they would like to see! :)

Christian iconography? in my Merlin??