Merlin Knowledge and Power through the Ages

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Knight, Stephen.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Merlin (Legendary character)--In literature.

Merlin.

Merlin (Legendary character).

Knowledge, Theory of, in literature.

Power (Social sciences) in literature.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvii, 275 pages) : illustrations, map

Manufacture:

Baltimore, Md. : Project MUSE, 2021

Place of Publication:

[Place of publication not identified] : Cornell University Press, 2016.

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Merlin, the wizard of Arthurian legend, has been a source of enduring fascination for centuries. In this authoritative, entertaining, and generously illustrated book, Stephen Knight traces the myth of Merlin back to its earliest roots in the early Welsh figure of Myrddin. He then follows Merlin as he is imagined and reimagined through centuries of literature and art, beginning with Geoffrey of Monmouth, whose immensely popular History of the Kings of Britain (1138) transmitted the story of Merlin to Europe at large. He covers French and German as well as Anglophone elements of the myth and brings the story up to the present with discussions of a globalized Merlin who finds his way into popular literature, film, television, and New Age philosophy.Knight argues that Merlin in all his guises represents a conflict basic to Western societies-the clash between knowledge and power. While the Merlin story varies over time, the underlying structural tension remains the same whether it takes the form of bard versus lord, magician versus monarch, scientist versus capitalist, or academic versus politician. As Knight sees it, Merlin embodies the contentious duality inherent to organized societies. In tracing the applied meanings of knowledge in a range of social contexts, Knight reveals the four main stages of the Merlin myth: Wisdom (early Celtic British), Advice (medieval European), Cleverness (early modern English), and Education (worldwide since the nineteenth century). If a wizard can be captured within the pages of a book, Knight has accomplished the feat.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Illustrations

Introduction

Chapter 1: British Myrddin-Merlin: Wisdom

Chapter 2: Medieval Merlin: Advice

Chapter 3: English Merlin: Cleverness

Chapter 4: International Merlin: Education

Notes

Primary Bibliography

Secondary Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781501705694

1501705695

9781501732928

1501732927

OCLC:

1083583515