Merlin, that mythological wizard and wiseman, always fascinated me. I was particularly intrigued when I discovered, through Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave, Merlin had quite a life story of his own, too often overshadowed by his shining King Arthur.
Here I've drawn Merlin as a younger man, with gold eyes and raven hair, half-fay and half-human, as he is often reputed to be. Behind him looms both his past, the dragons which fought for dominance in Vortigen's England, and his future, the idealistic court of Arthur and Guinevere.
I read countless books inspired by Arthur mythology, from Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Series to Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon to Nancy Springer's more recent I am Mordred.
That treasure trove of stories has yet to be exhausted in the minds of artists, writers, and musicians, and it only proves to be more and more intriguing for fantasy readers. Long may they reign |
