Merlin : shaman, prophet, magician / John Matthews.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Matthews, John, 1948-

Contributor:

Gotham Book Mart Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Merlin (Legendary character).

Merlin.

Penn Provenance:

Gotham Book Mart (former owner) (Gotham Book Mart Collection copy)

Physical Description:

176 pages : color illustrations ; 27 cm

Place of Publication:

London : Mitchell Beazley, 2004.

Summary:

Merlin, best known to us as the advisor of young King Arthur, is the most famous and familiar image of the magician that we possess. Acclaimed Arthurian expert John Matthews examines the many guises of this popular figure--as seer, prophet, magician, and inspiration to people from all walks of life. He explores the possible historic origins of Merlin as a Celtic king, the later literary forms of his legend in the myths of King Arthur, and his more recent manifestations in visionary works, as the prototype for characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" films, and other characters in TV and fantasy writing. Drawing on a wealth of sources from Celtic, medieval, and Renaissance times, this is the first, fully-illustrated book on Merlin, the man.

Contents:

1 Merlin the Shaman 8

2 Merlin the Prophet 34

3 Merlin the Magician 58

4 Merlin the Lover 80

5 Merlin the Sage 100

6 The Return of Merlin 120

Appendix The Poems of Myrddin Wyllt 146.

ISBN:

1840009888

9781840009880

OCLC:

61128486