Quote:
Originally Posted by littlemanpoet
I do find it interesting and somehow informative (of what, I'm not sure yet) that Gandalf is an unfallen Maiar whereas Merlin is a demon-spawn: Tolkien has scrubbed his wizard clean of all the nasty origin.
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Merlin appears differently in different tales. But he is always in origin demon-spawn. That said, normally Merlin is a good wizard, not an evil wizard, a prophet, and responsible for creating the Round Table and preparing for the Quest of the Grail.
The most common story is the middle ages is that attributed to Robert de Boron. In this Merlin is fathered on a mortal woman by a devil, not just a demon, as a plot by the devils to create an anti-Christ. But the plot fails because the infant Merlin is baptized and so is immediately freed from forced evil caused by his father. Merlin is said to have knowledge of all past actions from his devil father but is given knowledge of the future from God and quite naturally, no longer forced to follow the will of the devils. Because he has been baptized Merlin is free to choose the good and does so.
Merlin prophecies the future to King Vortigern and also aids the kings Pendragon (= Aurelius Ambrosius), Uther Pendragon, and Arthur. The point of Robert de Boron’s story is that Merlin chooses to be a good wizard, despite being the son of a devil. Sequels to the Robert de Boron story continue in this way: the
Vulgate Merlin, the
Post-Vulgate Merlin, and the
Prophecies of Merlin.
The Robert de Boron Merlin is also scrubbed clean of all the nasty origin immediately on being baptized.
(Note in a few stories mention is made of Merlin being evil, but that is not the normal account.)
I have not read the article from
Mythlore mentioned by Celedur but the summary which Celedur provides is not convincing to me. Trickster stories often portray the trickster as a fool whose attempt to trick others rebounds on himself. One must first remove all trickster tales of that kind. Then it partly fits.
But basically wizards such as Merlin, Maugis of Aigremont, Väinämöinen, Viśvāmitra, Elijah, and Elisha are simply not called trickster figures in discussion of those figures, though of course they partially resemble them. Tolkien’s Gandalf is very much more like these wizards than trickster figures, particularly Merlin. Trickster figures are generally nor pictured as having miraculous powers more than the figures they sometimes deal with. Whereas the point of the other figures I have mentioned is that they have unusual supernatural power which they often use. Sometimes trickster figures have no supernatural powers.