What Role Does Merlin Play In The Arthurian Saga?

The enchanter Merlin (or Myrddin) is sometimes mentioned in ancient Welsh legends in his own right. However, he is best known in connection with the Arthur story. In this legend, Merlin foresaw that a great king would be born who would save Britain. To bring this about, he helped Uther Pendragon, the new king at the time, to have a secret affair with Igraine, Duchess of Cornwall, and later to kill her husband and marry her. When the baby was born, Merlin took him away to be reared in safety, and himself supervised his education, making sure that he would be fit for his future role. When Arthur grew up, Merlin arranged for him to be recognised and publicly crowned, and afterwards advised him on military and other policy. Eventually Merlin fell in love with a young sorceress called Nimue (or Viviane) who persuaded him to teach her all his magic secrets and then used them to lock him up (either inside an oak tree or in a magic cave) for ever.