I was double checking some historical references to King Arthur for extra content, and in my research/wanderings I stumbled upon several paintings/pictures of Merlin.
What surprised me was that in these pictures Merlin was young and handsome. Now I know my idea to make Merlin a hot younger guy is creative, but not necessarily original. There are a few books–even a few series–that take a look at Merlin’s life when he was younger. Typically most people don’t make Merlin so handsome/young for a King Arthur story, but there was even a TV show that starred a young Merlin.
But these paintings….they were old. We’re talking illustrations from the 1800s all the way to 1600s or 1500s. Can I please get a “Whaaaaaaat?” Mind you, about 95% of King Arthur illustrations show Merlin as an old guy with a long white beard, but I never knew that readers, authors, and illustrators–people who heard the original legends–even thought a young Merlin was a possibility. It just goes to show how we modern readers make assumptions about books and stories in the past and we think modern authors are the only writers who dare to reject common held beliefs, when they aren’t!
That’s all for today, Champions. I will have a Wild Swan update for you this Wednesday. Until then!
Comentarios