Article Title
Self-made Sorcerer: the Modernization of Merlyn in Jack Whyte's the Camuhod Chronicles
Abstract
When Geoffrey of Monmouth put his pen to paper to record the King Arthur legend as a part of his The History of the of Kings of Britain, he brought to life for the first time since the old Welsh Legends the character of Merlin. But Merlin's development did not stop there. In version after version of the Arthurian legend he continued to appear, taking on many roles, from tutor to madman, but always maintaining an essential Merlin character of magic, wisdom, and power. One modern author who uses Merlin as a significant character in his re telling of the Arthurian story is Jack Whyte in his The Camulod Chronicles. It is no surprise that Whyte's Merlyn differs from the Merlin of medieval texts, because Whyte intends to suggest to his audience the possibility of truth in his Arthurian tale, which means not placing as much weight on Merlyn as magical since that is not accepted as feasible today as it was by medieval audiences.
Recommended Citation
Hekker, Meghan
(2010)
"Self-made Sorcerer: the Modernization of Merlyn in Jack Whyte's the Camuhod Chronicles,"
Augsburg Honors Review: Vol. 3, Article 4.
Available at:
https://idun.augsburg.edu/honors_review/vol3/iss1/4