The Ancient Lore of Merlin and his Failed Destiny
(Reference: The 5 Seasons of Merlin by BBC, a British television series)
I find it particularly interesting how the entire show, spanning 5 seasons and 5 years, is entirely about going to great lengths, only to fail.
Merlin Emrys, the central character, is a character that is known as the “child of magic” himself. There are times in the show when mystical creatures tell him that some destinies are so set in stone, so inevitable, that they can only go one way and no other, and that sometimes, some lives hold the power to completely change the world in such a way, that older creatures with lives much longer have been waiting in anticipation for thousands of years for his birth. The beginning of the show is all about him being made aware of this larger picture, this larger-than-life cause, this sacred journey that he has been entrused with (by whom?).
He is a human born of magic, meant to completely transform the world as they knew it then, through a destiny that’s tied to protecting the life and shaping the thoughts and opinions of the prince Arthur, soon to be king.
Life goes on pretty merrily in the first few seasons where Merlin himself is only slowly realising just how powerful he actually is, all to serve this one purpose that’s been set in stone for him. But as the seasons go by, we get closer and closer to the deciding moment, the very moment that he was born to prevent - the one where Arthur, now the King, is stabbed by a trusted friend and killed in battle.
You must notice how he is always, through people who willingly sacrificed their lives for the purpose, made aware of key dangerous moments in the future that ultimately build up to that one moment. Merlin must do this, do that, mustn’t do this, mustn’t do that - and with this hazily pieced-together knowledge of a little piece of the future, he must prevent it from happening. He complains a little but owing to his nature, ultimately decides that he must do everything he can to prevent it like he is expected to, even unwillingly dirtying his hands in blood and murder in the process. But interestingly, regardless of whatever he does, either he isn’t able to change destiny at all, or ends up being the very reason for causing it. This pattern continues, every single time, right from the beginning up until the very end.
But do you notice the subtle duality?
Ouroboros. The snake eating its own tail, infinitely, to no end. Running away from something, only to end up in the very spot that you were running away from. But that’s how destiny is supposed to work, right?
What really amuses me is the how the narrative (and basically the entire ancient lore, carried on by hundereds of generations since the story was first written sometime in the 12th Century) is all about trying to prevent the inevitable. All those millions of people who died so he could live, only because he was destined to TRY to change what was set in stone.
It’s like, “this is what happens in the future, destiny is inevitable and nobody can escape it. You’re born into this life as Merlin and you’ve got no escape, but the same unyielding destiny also predicts the death of this prince, which you must avoid at all costs”. See it? Destiny is inevitable, that’s why I’m here, but that’s my purpose in this destined life too- to fight against it! A story set for tragedy? A losing game?
It’s like riding an enormous oceanic wave and being told by others that you’re the one that has to stop this wave! It’s like being told to eat yourself up entirely with your own mouth (gross, but do you get the idea?) - It’s simply impossible, a contradiction!
Because eating yourself entirely is only possible if you let yourself be eaten by another entity. You need another dimension, an outside force.
But with the currently linear flow of time that we percieve, we can’t. The laws simply do not allow it. Either a new dimension in space, or a new direction in time. Only then can one change… the unchangeable (?). So, where do we get either of these from? Ah, a question for the ages. Sighs.