num_pages: 351
description: Never shall no man speak with me after you, therefore it is for nothing that nay man should seek me outThese words appear in a classic medieval French story of the life Merlin, spoken to Sir Gawain, and recorded as the great seer's last call. This Cri de Merlin still echoes in our ears down the ages and across borders and generations, typifying the fascination which the figure of Merlin still exerts in Western culture.Although Merlin and the Arthurian legends are chiefly British and Celtic in basis, such is his importance that the stories have had a great influence across the English, French and German traditions as well as in the Celtic languages.In Merlin through the Ages, noted experts Bob Stewart and John Matthews have brought together an astonishingly wide range of accounts and depictions of Merlin, from the very earliest records, through the medieval and Victorian re-interpretations to the modern depictions in stories and electronic media. The figure of Merlin remains a strong and influential one throughout, from the ancient Celtic myths to the allegorical characterization as Obi Wan Kenobi in the 'Star Wars' movies.Though the editors present such a valuable and wide-ranging array of texts, this is not primarily a scholarly collection. Instead, it is an overview of the Merlin literature for the general reader as well as for the historian, researcher, Arthurian enthusiast and modern seeker after an older knowledge.Whatever the starting point of any interest in Merlin, be it in his archetypal human wildness, his role of wiseman, as seer, prophet or shaman, this book is surely destined to become the
language: English
title: Merlin Through the Ages: A Chronological Anthology and Source Book
titlecomplete: Merlin Through the Ages: A Chronological Anthology and Source Book
characters: Merlin (Arthurian wizard)
genres: Arthurian
ratings_count: 22
publisher: Blandford Books