One thing that I got the impression with in the original legend of King Arthur is that it is less about rejecting the old religion as superstition and replacing it with the new, than with finding balance. Despite the fact that the writers have gone out of their way never to mention Christianity, Uther is the classic witch-burning Christian king attempting to do away with the old religion.
And we see the old religion so often through Uther's eyes--one evil sorcerer after another. But the main character of the entire show is a sorcerer who works for good. The narrative, the writing itself, forces us to have very mixed feelings about magic. Magic corrupts, over and over. But so does hatred of it.
King Arthur was supposedly known for many things in the original legends, including being the one king that both Christians and pagans supported. And peace, it seems, will never be found by murdering an entire class of people, but by finding a way to integrate them into the post-Roman society of nascent Britain.
Merlin's painful "closeted" status has rung a chord in me. The way he must betray himself and his kind for the greater good over and over just kills me. It's no wonder fans chomp at the bit for the big "magic reveal" because Merlin embodies pain.
And he can only accomplish so much shackled in metaphorical chains.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2012-01-09 04:17 pm (UTC)And we see the old religion so often through Uther's eyes--one evil sorcerer after another. But the main character of the entire show is a sorcerer who works for good. The narrative, the writing itself, forces us to have very mixed feelings about magic. Magic corrupts, over and over. But so does hatred of it.
King Arthur was supposedly known for many things in the original legends, including being the one king that both Christians and pagans supported. And peace, it seems, will never be found by murdering an entire class of people, but by finding a way to integrate them into the post-Roman society of nascent Britain.
Merlin's painful "closeted" status has rung a chord in me. The way he must betray himself and his kind for the greater good over and over just kills me. It's no wonder fans chomp at the bit for the big "magic reveal" because Merlin embodies pain.
And he can only accomplish so much shackled in metaphorical chains.