Thursday, October 31, 2019
Merlin is a mad man
Empty Chair at Empty Tables
I couldn't get a video to work I'm really sorry
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables from Les Miserables, reminded me a lot of this following passage. It's the act of coming together and fighting for something bigger, similar to what Geoffrey quotes, but not without some tragedy mixed in. It's about losing companions and people you love and fighting for something greater than yourself. At that time, and moving throughout history, one of the most prideful things that you could do was fight for your nation. Granted, Merlin's time and the French Revolution are centuries apart, but it's easy to recognize the similar sentiment these two populations share.
“Could injurious fate be so harmful as to take from me so many and such great companions, whom recently so many kings and so many remote kingdoms feared? O dubious lot of mankind! O death ever near, which has them always in its power, and strikes its hidden goad and drives out the wretched life from the body! O glorious youths, who now will stand by my side in arms, and with me will repel the chieftains coming to harm me, and the hosts rushing in upon me? Bold young men your audacity has taken from you your pleasant years and pleasant youth! You who so recently were rushing in arms through the troops, cutting down on every side those who resisted you, now are beating the ground and are red with red blood!” So among the hosts he lamented with flowing tears, and mourned for the men, and the savage battle was unceasing. The lines rushed together, enemies were slain by enemies, blood flowed everywhere, and people died on both sides. But at length the Britons assembled their troops from all quarters and all together rushing in arms they fell upon the Scots and wounded them and cut them down, nor did they rest until the hostile battalions turned their backs and fled through unfrequented ways."
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables from Les Miserables, reminded me a lot of this following passage. It's the act of coming together and fighting for something bigger, similar to what Geoffrey quotes, but not without some tragedy mixed in. It's about losing companions and people you love and fighting for something greater than yourself. At that time, and moving throughout history, one of the most prideful things that you could do was fight for your nation. Granted, Merlin's time and the French Revolution are centuries apart, but it's easy to recognize the similar sentiment these two populations share.
“Could injurious fate be so harmful as to take from me so many and such great companions, whom recently so many kings and so many remote kingdoms feared? O dubious lot of mankind! O death ever near, which has them always in its power, and strikes its hidden goad and drives out the wretched life from the body! O glorious youths, who now will stand by my side in arms, and with me will repel the chieftains coming to harm me, and the hosts rushing in upon me? Bold young men your audacity has taken from you your pleasant years and pleasant youth! You who so recently were rushing in arms through the troops, cutting down on every side those who resisted you, now are beating the ground and are red with red blood!” So among the hosts he lamented with flowing tears, and mourned for the men, and the savage battle was unceasing. The lines rushed together, enemies were slain by enemies, blood flowed everywhere, and people died on both sides. But at length the Britons assembled their troops from all quarters and all together rushing in arms they fell upon the Scots and wounded them and cut them down, nor did they rest until the hostile battalions turned their backs and fled through unfrequented ways."
Not the Apples!
Merlin was driven into the woods to live as a hermit by the death of his companions.
"Could injurious fate be so harmful as to take from me so many and such great companions, whom recently so many kings and so many remote kingdoms feared? O dubious lot of mankind! "
The sacrifice of his companions in battle is very similar to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that led Margery to go insane with grief and Julian to become, similar to Merlin, closed off from the outside world. Now Merlin was not having visions, but he could not function in society knowing that his companions had been taken from him.
Merlin was grieving in the woods shut off from the outside world, until winter came.
"Here once there stood nineteen apple trees 9 bearing apples every year; now they are not standing. Who has taken them away from me? Whither have they gone all of a sudden? Now I see them - now I do not! Thus the fates fight against me and for me, since they both permit and forbid me to see. Now I lack the apples and everything else"
Now I know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but this scene illustrates an idea larger than just apples. Everything dies. Whether it's Merlin's companions, Jesus, or apples, these people are losing things that they care for and are not able to move on from them, letting it drive them mad. Merlin did not have a healthy relationship with apples, as Margery did not have a healthy relationship with Jesus, both letting their passing grieve them to an extend to where their harm outweighs their benefits.
https://www.inverse.com/article/34066-rick-and-morty-jerry-hungry-for-apples-ad-jerry-horse-hospital
"Could injurious fate be so harmful as to take from me so many and such great companions, whom recently so many kings and so many remote kingdoms feared? O dubious lot of mankind! "
The sacrifice of his companions in battle is very similar to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that led Margery to go insane with grief and Julian to become, similar to Merlin, closed off from the outside world. Now Merlin was not having visions, but he could not function in society knowing that his companions had been taken from him.
Merlin was grieving in the woods shut off from the outside world, until winter came.
"Here once there stood nineteen apple trees 9 bearing apples every year; now they are not standing. Who has taken them away from me? Whither have they gone all of a sudden? Now I see them - now I do not! Thus the fates fight against me and for me, since they both permit and forbid me to see. Now I lack the apples and everything else"
Now I know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but this scene illustrates an idea larger than just apples. Everything dies. Whether it's Merlin's companions, Jesus, or apples, these people are losing things that they care for and are not able to move on from them, letting it drive them mad. Merlin did not have a healthy relationship with apples, as Margery did not have a healthy relationship with Jesus, both letting their passing grieve them to an extend to where their harm outweighs their benefits.
https://www.inverse.com/article/34066-rick-and-morty-jerry-hungry-for-apples-ad-jerry-horse-hospital
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
So Margery Kempe and Merlin seem to be very similar
Okay, so recently we just read about Margery Kempe. I noticed quite a few similarities between her and Merlin. Somethings that one might not realize at first. First of all, Margery also went a little crazy, but it was after having her first child getting very sick and then having the tragic run in with the priest during confession and obviously her visions. During her time of insanity, she had to be chained to the bed and isolated. As I was reading this Vita Merlini, I noticed that Merlin too also seemed to go crazy after his experience in the war and also had to be restrained and coerced. Both of them seems to lose it after a traumatic event too. Merlin with the war and Margery with the traumatic birth.
The weird thing is that for Merlin, when he hears this music in the forest, he is instantly better kind of like when Jesus comes to Margery. Although the two things that come to these two people are different, it seems to give them that same feeling of ease and sanity.
Another thing that I noticed that was similar about these two was the fact that Merlin isolates himself in the forest and leaves his wife behind telling her to go ahead and find someone else to marry. In Margery's case, she doesn't leave her husband but she does stop sleeping with him and living with him and devotes herself to traveling for God.
Lastly, they are both given sorts of visions throughout their whole lives that can deeply disturb them. Merlin sees how people are going to die. While it might not explicitly say that this could have disturbed him from time to time I think we can assume it would disturb someone. And in Margery's case, she was seeing these visions of Jesus and his life and death, which at times could be a lot for her to handle hence all the crying.
Both of these people were not considered witches or wizards, but they both seemed to have powers beyond the realm of normal. I think this is an interesting thing during this time that some people would have been seen as witches and burnt at the stake for these same acts but these two are not.
The weird thing is that for Merlin, when he hears this music in the forest, he is instantly better kind of like when Jesus comes to Margery. Although the two things that come to these two people are different, it seems to give them that same feeling of ease and sanity.
Another thing that I noticed that was similar about these two was the fact that Merlin isolates himself in the forest and leaves his wife behind telling her to go ahead and find someone else to marry. In Margery's case, she doesn't leave her husband but she does stop sleeping with him and living with him and devotes herself to traveling for God.
Lastly, they are both given sorts of visions throughout their whole lives that can deeply disturb them. Merlin sees how people are going to die. While it might not explicitly say that this could have disturbed him from time to time I think we can assume it would disturb someone. And in Margery's case, she was seeing these visions of Jesus and his life and death, which at times could be a lot for her to handle hence all the crying.
Both of these people were not considered witches or wizards, but they both seemed to have powers beyond the realm of normal. I think this is an interesting thing during this time that some people would have been seen as witches and burnt at the stake for these same acts but these two are not.
Meet Merlin in the Woods
I feel like this song connects to Merlin's torment after witnessing a fierce battle - where young men are "Beating the ground and are red with blood!" - and his subsequent flee into the woods (Monmouth 1). He's overcome by the darkness of Man and was so changed that he went 'mad' and abandoned civilization. When trapped, he played a game of foresight and truth with Rhydderch to barter for his freedom to return to the forest, which is present in the song lyric, "Show me yours and I'll show you mine."
Other particularly relevant lyrics in relation to Merlin's p.o.v. are:
"I have seen what the darkness does;
say goodbye to who I was.
I ain't never been away so long,
don't look back, those days are gone."
and
"Yeah, the truth is stranger
than my own worst dreams.
Holy darkness got a hold on me."
How Much Does Merlin Really Know?
Since Merlin is a prophet, did he know that the queen was going to ask him how the boy dies while changing the boy's appearance 3 different times? Is that why Merlin spilt the boy's death into three prophecies and not tell him all at once?
That's Why They Call Me a Prophet
Before
Merlin leaves to go to the woods he tries one last time to warn the boy of his threefold
death that shall occur.
Merlin: (to young boy) Psssttt… come here.
Boy: What do you require of me now? The
queen already made me cut my hair, change my clothes and dress up as a woman.
Merlin: I’m off to my life of wonderful
solitude in the woods, but first I must tell you I was not kidding before, you
must avoid high rocks, trees, and the river in your future for it shall lead to
your death.
Boy: There’s no way you are correct
about my death. King Rhydderech and the queen already proved you to be a fool.
Merlin: Fine, do not believe me, but I have
seen your fate.
Boy: under his breath Fool
*Many
years later*
Boy (now man): I think I will go hunting today… horse slips on rock and he begins to fall
Uh
oh…
Merlin:
Queen of Peace
This song reminded me a lot of the conflict between Merlin and everyone who wanted him to stay in the castle and receive all of their gifts when all he really wants is to live in the woods, far away from their society. The lines in the chorus especially seem to relate to what Merlin is feeling and how he is just so overcome by his visions and everyone trying to make him stay is only driving him away more.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Oh I Got You Now!
Queen: MERLIN why would you tell my husband I was cheating on him?
Merlin: well remember that one time you told mom you found me with those playboys? … I think were even.
Queen: Not even the same, you just ruined my life.
Merlin: yeah and I was just chillin in the forest until you made me stay here. This place sucks by the way.
Queen: Dude, we pulled you outta the forest and gave you a place to stay, you're welcome.
Merlin: I don't need your help. Now I'm gonna cash in and go back to eating my forest grub all alone.
Queen: well now I gotta do something so the King doesn't kill me for "allegedly" cheating on him, and I know you didn't see anything.
Merlin: Sis I see all things nothing gets past me. I'm like the LeBron James of prophecy
Queen: who?
Merlin: Never mind, anyways off to the forest, have fun with your King sis HAHA.
Queen: Merlin your gonna look like an idiot when I'm done with you.
Merlin: well remember that one time you told mom you found me with those playboys? … I think were even.
Queen: Not even the same, you just ruined my life.
Merlin: yeah and I was just chillin in the forest until you made me stay here. This place sucks by the way.
Queen: Dude, we pulled you outta the forest and gave you a place to stay, you're welcome.
Merlin: I don't need your help. Now I'm gonna cash in and go back to eating my forest grub all alone.
Queen: well now I gotta do something so the King doesn't kill me for "allegedly" cheating on him, and I know you didn't see anything.
Merlin: Sis I see all things nothing gets past me. I'm like the LeBron James of prophecy
Queen: who?
Merlin: Never mind, anyways off to the forest, have fun with your King sis HAHA.
Queen: Merlin your gonna look like an idiot when I'm done with you.
fast forward to the death of the boy.
