August 2010

BFI Previews Merlin Season 3 on September 5 8/24/10 More awesome news for UK Merlin Fans! The BFI Southbank will be hosting a special viewing of the first two episodes on September 5th @ 13:00. Here's more info from the official site: We are delighted to preview Episodes One and Two of the third series of Merlin, the spellbinding family drama series which returns to BBC One this autumn. This exciting double bill combines the familiar blend of magic, monsters and mayhem, but when misbegotten secrets are exposed and old friends choose new sides, it is clear that the kingdom of Camelot will never be the same again. Having enchanted audiences with its first two series, Merlin returns with a host of guest stars joining the regular cast over 13 enthralling episodes. We are pleased to confirm the following attendees at the Q&A: cast members Colin Morgan (Merlin); Bradley James (Prince Arthur); Richard Wilson (Gaius); Anthony Head (King Uther); Katie McGrath (Morgana); Angela Coulby (Gwen) and producers Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. Sadly this event is sold out. If you are one of the lucky 75 who have tickets, please send us a report! Submitted by Denkiva Add a Comment

SYFY Picks up Season 3 of Merlin! 8/23/10 Great news for US Merlin Fans, Merlin season 2 did so well on SYFY that the network will air season 3 in the US in early 2011. Season 2 pulled in 1.72 million viewers (an 81% increase for SYFY Friday 10PM timeslot!) "We are thrilled that Syfy will be broadcasting the third series of Merlin," series creator/executive producer Johnny Capps says. "The upcoming season will add an exciting new twist to Merlin's ongoing struggle to protect Prince Arthur, as well as thrilling audiences with bigger and bolder action sequences, stunning CGI monsters, mysterious villains and comic fun for all the family." Submitted by Denkiva Add a Comment

Explore the Lore:The Lady of the Lake

"Merlin" introduces a druid girl named Freya in the episode titled "Lady of the Lake". She dies and is buried in a lake at the episode's end, but not before promising to return one day and repay Merlin for his kindness. But what is the true story behind the Lady?

Many Names:
Across various myths, the Lady of the Lake is given many names and identities, but she is most commonly known as either Viviane, Niniane or Nimueh. It has also, though rarely, been suggested that Morgan le Fay is the Lady. In some stories, such as Tennyson's "Idylls of the King", the Lady is split into two characters, Viviane being wicked and deceitful, while the one known only as the Lady of the Lake is a kind and benevolent figure. Interestingly, Freya is never a name that has been used for the Lady before "Merlin".

The Lady and Merlin:
The Lady is sometimes said to have learned all of her magic from Merlin. He falls in love with her but she refuses to return his affections until he teaches her all he knows. Over the years she learns much from him, even managing to become more powerful than he is. When she has learned all she can, she uses her magic to trap him in the Glass Tower (or sometimes a tree or a cave). In some myths Merlin is deceived by her, believing her to love him until she traps him, while in others she locks him away with his full knowledge and consent.

The Lady and Lancelot
Various myths suggest that Lancelot was either orphaned or kidnapped at a young age and raised by the Lady of the Lake (the origin of his later title, Lancelot du Lac). She thinks of him as her own son, and gifts him with a magic ring that can destroy other enchantments or spells, before sending him to Camelot to become a knight.

The Lady and Arthur:
When Arthur's original sword (the sword in the stone) breaks in battle against Sir Pellinor, Merlin leads him to a lake where the Lady rises up and offers him a new, blessed blade called Excalibur. Upon Arthur’s mortal wounding at the hands of Mordred, he makes his way back to the lake and orders Excalibur to be returned to the waters. The Lady is one of several women who ride forth on a small boat and carry him away to have his wounds healed in Avalon.

Food for Thought:
So how will these myths connect to the show? In legend, Merlin falls deeply in love with the Lady, which eventually leads to his downfall. Do you think Freya will return and betray Merlin one day? And what of Nimueh, who in the show is a different character entirely? Will she return? Will she and Merlin fall in love, or will she be the one to destroy him? Will Lancelot ever show any connection to his legendary adoptive mother? And will Arthur ever get his hands on Excalibur? Weigh in with your thoughts!

SUBMITTED BY AngelofAshes
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Merlin at the 2010 San Diego Comic-con 7/27/10 PottersHallows on YouTube has posted the Merlin panel from Comic-con last week! Here are part 1 and 2 of the Moderated Interview. PART 1: PART 2: For the rest of the interview, check out PottersHallow's channel onYouTube! Submitted by Denkiva Add a Comment

The Prime Merlinian! 7/26/10 Well it seems like the name for our members has now been picked up by the movies! Here's a bit of the plot for the new Disney Movie: The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Before dying, Merlin gives his remaining apprentice a dragon ring that will choose the Prime Merlinian, who will become Merlin's successor. Only the Prime Merlinian will be able to defeat Morgana. Throughout history Balthazar imprisons Morganians, sorcerers who try to release Morgana, including Horvath, into successive layers on the Grimhold while he searches for the successor. Ah well, we knew it was a great name! Maybe we can use it for the Member of the month! Submitted by Denkiva Add a Comment

Merlin Blooper Reel 7/26/10 Check out the HILARIOUS blooper reel from San Diego Comic Con 2010 by PottersHallows!!! Submitted by Phoenixacid Add a Comment

The Community Column: Featuring Rose_Walker22 7/19/10 Well, I’m going to start this week’s community blog with an interview with the lovely Rose Walker. She has been on this site for just over 1 year. Amazingly, she has posted nearly 1,300 items! She is also a proud member of the Red Hat Society on here. What is your screen name on here and how did you get it? Rose_Walker22. Rose Walker is my pen name but it was also my great grandma’s (my Nan’s) name. She was very important to me when I was young but died just before I moved to secondary school (about 11-ish) she influenced a lot of my early life and because of that I kept her with me by using her name. She never really knew about my writing sadly and I don’t really know what she would think about it but I hope that she would be happy that I have found something I love doing so much! The 22 is basically because Rose Walker was common but it’s my lucky number as well as my birth date! How and when did you hear about Merlin? I know I was at the cinema as they were advertising it well before it was on TV. I just remember seeing a cinema sized Colin Morgan and I just knew from that moment I HAD to watch that show! He was so pretty! What film did I go and see? Not a clue lol! How and when did you find this site? Well, way back in July last year apparently! Sadly I can’t even remember! I am a member of MerlinxArthur on LJ and I think someone on there advertised it. I feel bad that I don’t remember but I’ve done a lot since then ^_^! What’s your impression of the show? I can’;t say how much I love this show! There are no words! I’ve always loved the Arthurian legends and this just added to it! I love the actors (Colin Morgan mostly) I love the writers (most of the time) I love the costumes (the dresses!!!) and I don’t even care that it’s historically inaccurate! It’s fun and entertaining and if I can see more to Merlin and Arthur’s relationship well... that’s just a bonus on my part ^_^ What do you hope to happen next? I’m DYING for Arthur to find out about Merlin’s magic! I’d love to know if he already knows or if it will be a big dramatic reveal. I just want to know how he will react and what will happen from there. Especially with Uther. There are so many possibilities a just hope the writers give it the justice deserves. Also for the next series I hope they develop Morgana further and make her really evil. I want her to be the big bad for the next series. I felt that she hasn’t been used enough and it’s about time she came to the fore and I hope they make her as evil as Nimueh if not more! What other shows do you watch? Also LOVE Doctor Who, Torchwood, True Blood, CSI, Midsummer Murders and lots of other murder mystery things. Really enjoy cookery programs and watch lots of anime too! What movies do you love? I have SO many favourite movies! Disney movies but especially Beauty and the Beast, LOTR and POTC are musts, I love the Studio Ghibli movies, Interview with the Vampire is still the BEST vampire movie, Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal movies will always be on my list too! These are only just a few of course ^_^! If you read, what are your favourite books? IF I read? Of course I do! I’ve been reading since I could hold things! Again I have so many favourites! One of my favourites from childhood is a book called ‘The Afterdark Princess’ and probably helped my obsession with all things fantasy! I love Elizabeth Chadwick, Garth Nix, Mark Billingham, Neil Gaiman, Terry Brooks, and Terry Pratchett. If you’ve never read it I also seriously recommend reading ‘Wicked’ the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s a fantastic book and will probably stay with me forever! It certainly teaches you about first impressions! What are your 5 top songs right now? Again I have a lot of favourites but at the moment I guess... Halo by Beyonce, Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, Lithium by Evanescence, Nemo by Nightwish and New Divide by Linkin Park What are your hobbies? My top hobby is my writing. But I also love drawing and painting and working with clay and rock etc and I like a bit of photography too (although I’m not very good) I also love RP-ing, reading and watching movies. I love acting, dancing and singing too but I doubt my skills! What do you aspire to do? I have many ambitions but becoming a published author is my top one! To have a book with my name on it would pretty much be my dream come true. I would also love to become a script writer for a show like Merlin or Doctor Who. I would also love to be in front of the camera and do some acting or singing but I think I’d only make an idiot of myself ~_~ Well that’s it for today folks! Hope you all are doing well. As always, please comment. I love hearing from you guys! Submitted by Kay_Drew Add a Comment

Explore the Lore: Minor Characters in Merlin vs. Mythic Counterparts Part I: The Knights 7/17/10 Sir Owain In the show: A young and eager knight of Camelot, and the first to take up the Black Knight's challenge in the episode "Excalibur". Morgana seems deeply concerned for him, and offers her a token to wear for luck. He is killed in battle against the Knight. In myth: Owain, better known as Ywain, was one of the earliest and most popular knights associated with King Arthur, and was featured in the majority of the stories. In one of his first stories, "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion," he sets out to avenge the murder of his cousin by an otherworldly knight. He is often said to be the son of Morgan le Fay, and Arthur's nephew. Sir Pellinor In the show: A brave knight who takes up the second challenge against the Black Knight, Tristan, and is killed in battle against him. ("Excalibur") In myth: According to the "Suite du Merlin" and "Morte d'Arthur", Pellinor was the Hunter of the Questing Beast before meeting Arthur. Pellinor and Arthur faced each other in single combat, where Pellinor broke Arthur's sword (the sword in the stone. Following this, Arthur was given Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake). Pellinor was only prevented from killing Arthur when Merlin put him to sleep with a spell. Pellinor later joined the Knights of the Round Table, and completed several quests before being killed by Sir Gawain as vengeance for having killed the other knight's father. Bedivere In the show: Sir Bedivere is a knight of Camelot, killed by the Questing Beast in the season one finale, "Le Morte D'Arthur". In myth: Bedivere was Arthur's cupbearer and loyal servant. Stories of Bedivere's fate vary. According to Geoffery of Monmouth, Bedivere was killed by Boccus, king of Medes, in war against the Romans. Malory's "Morte D'Arthur", however, claims that Bedivere was alive at the time of Arthur's death, and carried him from the battlefield after Mordred mortally wounded him. On Arthur's orders, Bedivere throws Excalibur into a nearby lake, and watches three women rise from the water and carry Arthur away to Avalon. He then takes holy vows and spends the rest of his days as a hermit. Thoughts on the show's representations Personally, I quite enjoy the show's use of real knights' names. It enriches the concept that "Merlin" could be showing how everything "really" happened, with traditional myths having gotten everything only slightly wrong. I do wish that they'd swapped the names of Bedivere and Pellinor's characters, however. Pellinor - named the "Knight of the Strange Beast" by Malory - would have more fittingly been killed by the Questing Beast that he mythically fought, while Bedivere - one of Arthur's loyal servants - would have been better served by taking up the challenge against the Black Knight in Arthur's place. I am particularly fond of how they played Sir Owain's relationship with Morgana. While she was obviously not his mother in "Merlin", her almost maternal concern for the young and over-eager knight was a clever nod to the legend. And, while the otherwordly knight that Ywain faced was not the same knight Owain battled in the show, it was also a nice connection to have him killed by a creature similar to the one he faced in legend. What do you think? SUBMITTED BY AngelofAshes Add a Comment

The Community Column: Featuring AngelofAshes 7/14/10 Well, gang, we start the week with AngelofAshes. She’s our very own Morgana in her martial art and archery skills. So, let’s see what else we can learn about her? What is your screen name on here and how did you get it? My screen name is AngelofAshes. I’d like to have an exciting story behind it, but it’s really just a random combination of words that sounded vaguely interesting/mysterious and had good alliteration. How and when did you hear about Merlin? I heard about the show a long time before I started watching it. A friend of mine (history major and therefore picky about historical accuracy) said it was lame so I decided to avoid it, but this spring I was flipping channels and stumbled across Beauty and the Beast and poor Arthur being disinherited. I was hooked immediately. How and when did you find this site? Desperate to find Merlinian companionship after finishing season 2, I started googling for fan sites and quickly discovered this. It has a little bit of everything - chatting, speculating, information, and RPs, as well as a lot of great people. I’m so glad I found it! :) What’s your impression of the show? I adore this show’s unique take on the legend. It’s so great to see the writers constantly putting twists on the old myths, and Bradley and Colin are amazing, in character and out. What do you hope to happen next? I am desperate for Arthur to discover Merlin’s secret. Ideally, he’ll figure it out all on his own, and for at least a few eps we’ll have that be the secret instead & that Arthur knows without Merlin knowing he does. I think that’ll be a great contrast to the first two seasons. What other shows do you watch? Doctor Who (though I’m disappointed in this season), Supernatural, Lost, and anything Joss Whedon makes. What movies do you love? I adore the LOTR trilogy and the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Equilibrium is better than the Matrix, and I love The Princess Bride and Stardust. Hot Fuzz is my favorite comedy ever. If you read, what are your favourite books? There are so many!! The Harry Potters, of course, the Dresden Files, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I Capture the Castle, anything by Philippa Gregory, Brandon Sanderson or Neil Gaiman. Shakespeare’s brilliant, but I prefer seeing it performed. What are your 5 top songs right now? All the Right Moves (OneRepublic), The Gift (Gregorian), The Freshman (The Verve Pipe), and Honeythief (Halou), 24 (Jem) What are your hobbies? I do jiu jitsu and a little bit of archery. I love acting and I’m quickly becoming of fan of the written acting & roleplays. I enjoy reading, drawing, and painting, making fanart and music vids, and I love to write . What do you aspire to do? I’d love to be a novelist and a screenwriter, possibly landing a few guest roles or background bits in the episodes I’ve written. Hope you are enjoying yourselves and learning about the members of this awesome site. As always, please comment. I love hearing from you all! Submitted by Kay_Drew Add a Comment