Witch Trails = SUCCESS

I wanted to say that we did great earlier in the week! The performances were seriously awesome. I talked to so many people afterwards and they said it was really interesting and entertaining at the same time. I think this is really great for us to be able to accomplish both. We used information and humor to create a real meaningful show. 

Even though it was a mock trial, there was one second (I own my weirdness) when I seriously felt like I was at a witch trial. I was sitting there with my fancy outfit listening to the first groups trial and I felt so righteous. Weird, I know, but really cool at the same time.

I think by creating this atmosphere, we were able to teach the audience overall what witch trials were like. Did you not see that question and answer session. The audience was so intrigued and wanted to know more and more. 

Overall, I'm very impressed of everyone in class, especially those who broke out of their shell to get up in front of a group of random people.  It takes guts to public speak, but it takes even more guts to do it dressed up like monks, pixies, potato pickers, and witches. This project was something that definitely tops off any English class I've had.   

Great job EVERYBODY! 

The Tragedy of Merlin

When I picture Merlin, I picture and old man who had many magical powers like telling the future, and moving objects around. So reading the two, Geoffrey of Monmouth and Rosenberg, were definitely a different look into who he was for me like his power being limited to seeing the past and future. He wasn't as delightfully strange as I pictured either, but rather just actually crazy, and cold. 

He did seem cold and heartless on the surface of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s, Life of Merlin, in regards to how he left his wife, and his response to her reaction. It seemed to have no impact that she was clawing at her face. However, I do think that he loved her, proven by him saying “Let her therefore be given a proper opportunity to marry and let him whom she shall choose have her. But let the man who marries her be careful that he never gets in my way…” (Geoffrey of Monmouth, 4). His response is not one that someone, who doesn’t, care would give. I think that this quote shows that in a civilized world, he loves her, and this decision is painful for him. He doesn’t just say that he doesn’t care, but instead offers support to her. He offers her a chance to live a normal civilized life. He says he’ll give her gifts at the wedding. He wants her to be happy.  

He loves her in the parameters of a normal society, but he doesn’t belong there, and needs to go to the woods. His story is sad. He can’t live in society, and banishes himself from it, giving up his life, family, and love, making his story tragic.

 Artist picture of Merlin in the Woods. http://ashsilverlock.com/2011/12/30/merlin-the-man-behind-the-myth/

Post 1 of 5

Medeival Musings: Merlin's Magic

I probably got something a little different out of the Prose Merlin then anyone else in class. Primarily because I have read it before, so it was not so much me seeing a new side to Merlin as it was revisiting some of the crazier shenanigans that I had forgotten about. Not so much like a behind the scenes exclusive as it was just re-watching a movie I had not seen in a while.

 

Seriously? How could I have forgotten that Merlin built Stonehenge?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2994518762_fa084b7dc0.jpg

However, I think that this story helps to back up a point that I made before. For much of the Middle Ages magic was not that big of a thing, it was more important how one used it. We have seen this with court astrologers and other supposed magic users who entertained and provided council to the nobles of western Europe. Likewise, Merlin was not condemned for his prophesies, or other magical actions in this story. The only challenge Merlin regularly experiences in this story is not people condemning his magic, but accusing him of being a fraud.

 

"I don't believe you, miraculous talking baby! How could you possibly have magical powers, and thus know the village priest is my father?"

http://ak0.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/967627/preview/stock-footage-man-shouting-into-a-megaphone-isolated-on-a-white-background.jpg

 

 

Furthermore, no one even tries to persecute Merlin for being fathered by a demon. As we have seen in many later texts, like the Malleus Maleficarum (I'm sorry I keep bringing it up, but gosh darn it, I read about 100 pages of that book and I am going to use it!) there was concern that witches would allow demons to sire children, that the witchs would then use to offer to Satan as sacrifices or future servants. Yet even this, being sired by demons, was not enough to label Merlin as a servant of evil, because God had intervened, thus giving Merlin the ability to choose his fate and thus free will. The only person who actually seemed to scorn Merlin for his demon lineage was Niviane, and I really think that had more to do with the fact that Merlin (an old man) was hitting on Niviane (a 15 year old girl) (page 362).

 

Just saying, that when you're a 15 year old girl you're probably not going to be very keen to get that kind of attention from this guy.

http://www.funfolly.com/g/c/cwiz3tsd.gif

 

 

So, again, I think this text is a good example that in the earlier Medieval period (as in pre-1350s or so) magic itself did not come with the cultural scorn that it would later acquire. In this earlier time, it was to what end one used magic that was important.

 

1 of 5

Merlin, The Sword in the Stone

When I think of Merlin I think of the Merlin form the book "The Sword in the Stone." This is a book I had to read back in high school. It was one of the few books I actually enjoyed reading back in high school (that and Ender's Game). This book shows Merlin as he helps a young Arthur through various training exercises. The training exercises though are different than one might think. Merlin uses his magical power to transform Arthur into various animals, like an ant or a swan and some others. While on these training exercises Arthur learns many things that will help him when he eventually becomes the king. Merlin in this book, besides having magic capable of turning Arthur into various animals, also has the power to see into the future. When I read the prose I saw this similarity between my current view of Merlin and the Merlin shown through the prose. However, the reasons behind Merlin's magical foresight comes in different form than the prose Merlin. Prose Merlin gains his foresight magic from God as a counter balance to the Devil giving him knowledge of the past. But in the book, Merlin actually ages backwards through time (not like Benjamin button but similar...). So in the Book Merlin knows the future not because he has magic that tells him the future, but because he has already experienced it. This also implies that Merlin then does not have knowledge of the past then, because he has not experienced that, the past to everyone else is Merlin's future. I thought this was a cool little detail that I now realize is based off of previous Merlins. I would like to know what version of Merlin every one else uses as their basis for Merlin. The Disney one? The British BBC TV one? Form another Movie or book? Talk about it in the comments.
[1 of 5 Blog posts]

Baby Merlin

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dxDSQ23cWhE/0.jpg

It is hard to believe the story of Merlin. While reading, it almost seems like no one questioned baby Merlin.... I mean, he is only a baby and is talking. Why would you question a baby talking? It is one thing to be making sounds as a baby, but to be able to communicate with adults in full sentences and no help just seems odd for a baby to do. The reading made it sound like Merlin was standing and walking before he was even one. I did not know E-Trade baby was based of Merlin.

                                                          

            Now I have watched my fair share of babies growing up and if there is one thing I can tell you it is no baby can walk, talk, and stand before two. I do not care if Merlin is part devil and part god, it just does not seem believable. Maybe if I saw this with my own two eyes I might change my opinion, but even then I would question if it was a magic trick. 

http://i.imgur.com/zN4HO.jpg

blog post #4

Merlin from a different view

In my opinion, after reading the first story on Merlin, I feel that merlin was just misunderstood by the people around him.  He suffered a major loss in his opinion when one of his friends, Rhydderch.  After going through a period of grieving Merlin retreated to the woods.  And everyone viewed him as crazy because he did this.  Before he had moved to the woods Merlin lived in a town where he was fairly high up in the caste system there and very involved with the wars and protecting the people there and what not.  This could not be a stress free job.  Anyone in a position like Merlin was in would be under tremendous pressure.  So by retreating to the woods to live there, merlin was getting rid of this stress in his life.  he did not want to fight anymore but to just make peace.  As someone mentioned in class, it is very PTSD like.  If someone was to return from war today, and because of what that person had been through, retreated to live by themselves in a house in the mountains and live off the land (just an example), would we view them as crazy or do they have every right to do so?  Merlin wanted to live in peace, somewhere he does not have to worry about war.  Is that too much to ask for?  It is very different from how we live today but is it not easier?  For those of you who have read To Kill A Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”   So is it actually that weird that Merlin wanted to be alone?  Merlin just wanted to do Merlin but everyone else wanted Merlin to do what they were doing.  They wanted him to conform instead of being different.  As different as it was, he was happy.

Post 1 of 5

Merlin the young hippie?

I have two “Merlins” that I am familiar with.  The first is the classical Sword and the Stone Merlin: a wise, playful, and jovial wizard.  The second is from The Mists of Avalon where he is cunning and powerful.  In all of my time learning about the man, I have never seen a representation of Merlin as young, depressed, or so desperately wanting to forest nymph. 

It makes me wonder where our current views have stemmed from.  If Geoffrey of Monmouth is correct, then somewhere along the lines Merlin was seriously altered to create a new image.  Was it because the legends of King Arthur needed someone a bit more…poised?  It does seem unlikely that one of history’s greatest (possibly fictional) kings would take advice from someone quite that eccentric.  And the truth of the matter is that is where most of us know Merlin from. 

His wife is another aspect that I knew nothing about.  Merlin having kin, such as his sister, I can see coming about.  But him having a wife was something that never crossed my mind.  That may be because along with the stereotype of wise man, he also seemed old and beyond the point of marriage.  Monmouth puts him as young, and depicts a time before Arthur.  It brings to mind a whole new aspect of Merlin as a man instead of Merlin the great wizard.  But with that comes the idiocy.  No offense to the men out there, but the way he broke off his marriage rivals the douche bag level of text message break-ups. 

“Sister I do not want a cow that pours out water in a broad fountain like the urn of the Virgin in summer-time…”  

I’m just saying, it is very risky to call a woman a cow.  No matter the context.  He truly was nearly out of his mind on that one.     

 

Now, I understand why he ran into the forests.  All his buddies had just died and the Scottish forest, or Caledonia, was the best thing he could get to not being around humanity.  But I do not understand why he wanted to be away from everyone – and yet he had 70 scribes around him to write his prophecies.  It makes me wonder if he truly wanted to be alone.  This is how I could see it going.

He is cured from his PTSD by the bard and goes back to visit his wife and sister.  Upon seeing these women, he decides that while he loves them – he does not want to be anywhere near them.  Cooties or something?  So he would rather hole up in a really large shack in the woods with a bunch of dudes and party; maybe write a few prophecies so his sister doesn't stop sending dinner.  

This is likely a stretch, but the image of it makes me laugh. 

 

 

1 out of 5

Thoughts of Merlin will never be the same. Thanks Geoffrey of Monmouth

 So reading Geoffrey of Monmouth completely shattered my image of Merlin. Before reading this, I thought of Merlin as a combination of Gandalf, Dumbledore, and Santa Claus. He was the ultimate magical being with a heart of gold. In addition, he was a part of my favorite story as a kid, which was the legend of King Arthur. *that earned him extra brownie points*

However, reading that after the war he completely broke down to a puddle of woe definitely put a damper on his “cool” factor. Although it is understandable that he would be affected by war and the death of his dear friends, but it was war, I would think that casualties were to be expected. Also the fact that his sister and her husband were able to chain him up in the castle, as I was reading all I could think about was why doesn’t Merlin just poof out of the castle. This was because I was still holding on to the belief that Merlin was magical, even though in this story he really wasn’t.

He was just a kooky older brother of the Queen, who liked the woods way too much and did not respect his wife. They referred to him as a prophet and the example they used was the fact that he told King Rhydderch that his wife was cheating on him. But, I think he just saw it, she was under a tree, not really hiding, he could have just walked by, or maybe the Ents told him. J

I guess the only thing that didn’t bother me or warp my image of Merlin was his appreciation for the woods. I think most of the stories I read about Merlin growing up involved finding him in the woods, or forest. I mean legend has it he sleeps in a cave until the world needs him. You don’t find many caves in the city. 

blog 1 of 5