Dissecting Dragons: Episode 6: Merlin, Mordred and Morgana - Magic in Arthurian Legend

Episode 6: Merlin, Mordred and Morgana - Magic in Arthurian Legend

There have been countless re-tellings and re-imaginings of Arthurian myths and legends over the centuries - most recently a spate of films, plays, musicals and TV series have appeared. SFF authors J.A.Ironside and M.E.Vaughan delve into the history behind the myth, pulling out well known strands of the stories and looking at where and how these stories originated and were changed. With a particular look at 'magic' within the Arthurian legend, our intrepid authors discuss the Fenian Cycle and Fionn mac Cumhaill, from Irish myth, and the Briedei Cycle from pre-Celtic Scotland in comparison to Arthur and his court as it became known in the middle ages and renaissance. Also under the microscope this are BBC TV series 'Merlin', the 1981 film 'Excalibur', Mallory's Le Morte d'Artur, Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae and The Once and Future King by T.H.White.

Title music: 'Ecstasy' by Smiling Cynic