Something I only just realized about the Arthur Saga-

[mary_j_59]

This is passed on from eleanor X, who had posted the video to her own livejournal. It really is a terrific song; I can't get it out of my head, and the lyrics (in spite of a couple of infelicitous words like "puppetile" - why not "puppet-like" or simply "puppet's"?) are pretty astonishing. If you watch this, consider the relationship described between Morgana and young Mordred, and then go here:
http://sigune.livejournal.com/93168.html#cutid1

Follow the links for "the Darkest Hour" and read the whole thing - and you will see, quite clearly, what I only just realized. The Arthur legend is, at heart, a revenge tragedy about a seriously disordered family. And young Mordred - if you read him as the instrument of his mother's revenge; there are other ways of reading him - is actually not so much a villain, as the last victim of this family. Why didn't I see this before?

Anyway, the song and the comic are both terrific, and I look forward to reactions to them both. ) BTw, the little fellow who plays Mordred is much, much closer to my idea of young Harry than Dan Radcliffe. For one thing, he is slender and actually has greenish eyes.

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Comments

[anne-arthur.livejournal.com]

This is good, isn't it? I don't remember the song from the TV programme at all, though: was it actually written for it?

About 'Merlin' (to answer Sigune's question): it is now into its second series in Britain, and I continue to be surprised at how well-made and well-thought-out it is. I love it - I find that it is something I look forward to every week. But it is definitely not for those who subscribe to One True Version of the Arthur story! It presupposes a basic knowledge of the story - when Arthur smuggles Mordred out of Camelot against his father's wishes in the episode featured in the video, for example, you are clearly meant to know that he is saving the boy who will grow up to kill him - but it is very much its own take on the legend. So no, here Mordred is not Arthur's child - as Arthur is only about 18-20, he would not really be old enough to have a son this age! Instead he is the son of a druid, a wizard - the man we see near the beginning of the clip. We have not seen his mother. His father is put to death by Uther, who is paranoid about magic in any form, and Mordred flees into the castle. Morgana, Uther's ward, who is not aware of her own magic powers, feels herself drawn to him, and hides him at great risk to herself: eventually she persuades Arthur to smuggle him back to the other druids and to safety.

So, as you can see, a very different take on the Arthur legend! But if you can bring yourself to see it as 'different' rather than 'wrong', it is entertaining, and not without its virtues. Arthur, for example, is so exactly what James Potter should have been - arrogant, spoilt, something of a bully, but also very aware of the duties as well as the privileges of his position, always trying to do the right thing, and unquestionably brave. Uther's hostility to magic is implacable, and increasingly paranoid - he will kill any witch or wizard without hesitation, and Merlin and Morgana are in constant danger of discovery - but at the same time we do see how magic has corrupted this world, and get some idea of what lies behind his fear. It might be worth watching as much as a commentary on the world of Harry Potter as anything else!

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks for the info on the show, Anne! You are the second of my friends to recommend it highly, and it does sound like something Deirdre and I could get happily addicted to. Not sure how to find it here in the U.S. though - perhaps I'll check the SiFi lineup.

And what you say about Arthur as James - yes. I will never understand either why Rowling had to diminish her characters as she did, or how some fans can fail to see they are diminished. It would have been a relief to me if James had been as you describe Arthur.

About the song: I don't really know what inspired the artist to write it, but a fan of the show put the video together and it's just wonderfully apt. It certainly is a good ad both for this woman's music and for the episode!

[anne-arthur.livejournal.com]

I hope you're not disappointed, if you do find it! But it's worth starting at the beginning - episodes do build on earlier ones. Arthur starts off as very unlikeable - but then rounds out and becomes considerably more complex. On the whole I think the characters are very well done - and generally well acted.

And that song is lovely!

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Oh, it does sound interesting! If it's still on, I'll have to give it a try. *is curious*

Mind you, if I look at the story I'm not at all sure why the characters are called Arthur, Merlin, Morgana and Mordred. It sounds like a fantasy series that is just about entirely unrelated to anything Arthurian XD. That's not necessarily bad, of course. But my first impression is that the creators are using well-known names purely to draw the audience in...

I am quite in love with an Arthurian television series of which the last season has just been aired in France: Kaamelott. It started out as a very low-budget production, oddly enough formatted in 3-minute episodes of comical Pythonesque sketches, but meanwhile it has turned into a grand and occasionally moving saga (the last three "seasons" are scheduled to be films on the big screen) as the creator, who also plays Arthur, really got into his character. Kaamelott takes quite a few liberties with the Arthurian source material - for example, we haven't seen the faintest hint of Mordred yet, Morgana's role is negligeable (she is certainly not a baddie), and important things happen that I can't mention without giving away major spoilers - but it is much more recognisable than what you describe. Kaamelott is playing very cleverly with Arthurian lore, whereas Merlin seems to be playing cleverly without it :).

[puckling.livejournal.com]

Hello friend of a friend!

Mind you, if I look at the story I'm not at all sure why the characters are called Arthur, Merlin, Morgana and Mordred.

I pipe up because I was actually asked almost this exact same question and this is my response (http://puckling.livejournal.com/24929.html#cutid1). It was written in the middle of season one so somethings have changed since then (I think they've actually moved closer to traditional Arthuriana this season) and kinda rambly, but I thought that maybe it would help you to understand why I at least, think that Merlin is interesting and a valid part of Arthuriana.