Merlin the Magnificent Wizard

Merlin is most widely famous for being the wizard or magician of Camelot. He is known to be King Arthur's guide/adviser, or prophet. He was especially popular during the Middle Ages but also appears in works from the Renaissance era, to the modern period. Whether famous or infamous, Merlin is one of the most portrayed characters in Arthurian legend. His role in Arthurian Legend is strongly debated whether he was a gallant character or a villain. Tennyson depicted Merlin as this noble character with great intention in his work, whereas, Mark Twain illustrated Merlin as this villainous wizard. In old myths and legends, Merlin is said to be wearing a green robe. This is significant because the color green was a symbolic for magical and "other-worldly" things. This belief carried on towards the future also; an example of green symbolizing "other-worldly" things is aliens. Although the color green represented magic, it was also associated with anything negative.

"Merlin ~ Other Characters in Arthurian Legend | King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table." King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table | History, Legend and Everything in Between. The Camelot Project, University of Rochester, 2001. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://www.kingarthursknights.com/others/merlin.asp>.

"Merlin." Britannia: British History and Travel. Brittania.com, 2001. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. <http://www.britannia.com/history/biographies/merlin.html>.