Facts about Merlin (Wizard of Arthurian Legend)
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A half-demon origin is attributed to Merlin in many medieval texts, where he is said to have been fathered by an incubus.
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Merlin's role as a kingmaker is central to Arthurian legend, as he orchestrates the circumstances that allow Arthur to pull the sword from the stone and claim the throne.
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Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur portrays Merlin as ultimately trapped or imprisoned by the enchantress Nimue, also called the Lady of the Lake.
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In Welsh tradition, Merlin is closely associated with the bard Myrddin Wyllt, a figure said to have gone mad after a battle and retreated to the forest.
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Geoffrey of Monmouth later gave Merlin a more detailed origin story in his separate work Vita Merlini, drawing on Welsh bardic tradition.
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The wizard Merlin first appears as a significant character in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century work Historia Regum Britanniae.