#the death of king arthur

[taliesin-the-bored]

Challenge: Find the Holy Grail

The Death of King Arthur by James Archer

[loosethreadsofyoursoul]

the degree to which magic in bbc merlin is an allegory for queerness is insane. what do you mean people with magic hide in fear for their lives because it’s illegal. what do you mean merlin’s mother sent him away to the big city bc she was afraid of what would happen if their small town found out he had magic. what do you mean merlin is taken in by an unmarried old man who used to practice magic but can’t anymore. what do you mean morgana was morally on uther’s side until she realized who she was and that he was wrong for wanting people like her dead. what do you mean anti-magical propaganda spreads misinformation that all magic is evil and everyone who practices it is also evil and should be killed. what do you mean there’s a recurring underlying theme of magical being solidarity

[opens-up-4-nobody]

Something something Merlin is Arthur's bane.

[starchaser45]

Arthur"no man is worth your tears"

Merlin " you're certainly not "

Me*SCREAMS IN SPOILERS*

[wilkoakdraws]

Malevolent doodle dump! since im still SHAKING from part 43

[justaz]

king merlin after meeting lady guinevere and sir lancelot’s baby and falling in love: arthur. i want a baby.

king arthur, not looking up from his paperwork: …what?

merlin: give me a baby.

arthur, sighing: merlin, you studied to be a physician. i don’t think i have to be the one to tell you how impractical that is.

merlin, rolling his eyes: this is why i’m the brighter side of the coin

arthur, finally looking up: wha-

queen merlin using magic to transform her body: i. want. a. baby.

arthur:

arthur:

arthur: *stands up from his desk so fast his chair topples over, multiple parchments flutter to the ground, his tunic is already off*

[illustratus]

Sir Bedivere put King Arthur gently into the barge by William Henry Margetson

Illustration for Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles

[couldtheycatchkira]

[mythmerth]

you ever think about that godforsaken prophecy and Arthur’s title of ‘the once and future king’? we never see him come back and he didn’t even live very long while he was king, so this ‘once and future king’ business really does feel questionable in the end.

but what if that’s just thinking about it in the wrong way?

Merlin is essentially immortal- this we all know. Arthur and merlin are ‘two sides of the same coin’, and were together prophesied to bring about Albion’s golden age with magic and all that. Merlin also IS magic. like, he embodies the magic of the world, he is the physical embodiment of magic, and in S5 he sends arthur to rest in magic to one day return. he was once king for a short time - but to merlin, arthur has always been and will always be his king. arthur is the future king because, no matter what, the magic that weaves together the very base of the world will always see him as its king. because merlin loves and reveres him with his whole being. those prophecies were all in reference to the relationship between merlin and Arthur, not in their relationship to Camelot or the people or land. merlin creates the once and future king with his love, and maybe it’s that same sentiment that will bring arthur back to him tangibly as well

[taliesin-the-bored]

“The Lay That Had No End” by Ernest Rhys

"Puis comence le iengleor Bloys

Deslaiaux de mort du roy:

Mais porquoi on dit.

Sanz fin james laisser çi."

                             I

"The sun sank red, the moon as red

   As blood did rise o'er Caerbrë town;

The King," he sang. "But Bloys," I said,

    "Come tell me where is Caerbrë town?"

                             II

"The Haut King, red with blood, returned

   From Barendown's fire, and came therein

To die," he sang. "What in him burned,

   Dark Mordred's death? or Gwenevere's sin?"

                             III

"They buried in his blood the dead;

   But One bore water there to save

The King," he sang. "But Bloys," I said,

    "Where lies indeed the Haut King's grave?"

[dreamsrunfaster]

I'm sure there are ways to read The Death of King Arthur without reading Gauvain as suicidal and trusting only Lancelot to be able to kill him but like. Are there.

[arthur-lesters-right-arm]

I can't decide what's more painful to think about. The fact that there are Alternate Universe Arthur's that were killed in the events of the first few episodes before his journey's even begun, before he even knew John's name. Or that there are Alternate Universe Arthur's being killed in the events of the later episodes after he's fought tooth and nail to say alive.

[strawlessandbraless]

I found out some new information recently that is relevant to the famous ‘horseplay’ scene in Merlin

BBC Merlin: A Family Show

[jerys]

thinking abt merlin through the ages contending with the fact that arthur is still so present in the land. in mythology in legend in fairytales told to children in books and films and countless other forms of memory. throughout the world he is remembered still, and yes it isn't really him they're remembering, it's the legend of him, the myth, the heroic fool's gold shimmer of his legacy. but he's still here.

[starchaser45]

The differences between the pendragon siblings in this scene broke me

Morgana got angry when Arthur said she's like uther

While it broke Arthur that that's what she thought of him

Morgana was enjoying the idea that she will kill him

While it broke Arthur's heart when he realised he can actually kill her

THOSE TWO ARE BREAKING ME I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭