Late European Merlins

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Société Internationale des Amis de Merlin

Organizer Name

Anne Berthelot

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of Connecticut

Presider Name

Florence Marsal

Presider Affiliation

Univ. of Connecticut

Paper Title 1

"Searchers of Antiquities": Early Modern Representations of Merlin as Fabulist and Historian

Presenter 1 Name

Sarah Connell

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Northeastern Univ.

Paper Title 2

Merlinus Anglicus: Seventeenth-Century Street-Corner Prophet

Presenter 2 Name

Keith C. Russo

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Western Michigan Univ.

Paper Title 3

Merlin's Murder Mysteries: The Portuguese Ines de Castro Legend and the "Tale of the Shriek"

Presenter 3 Name

Barbara D. Miller

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Buffalo State, SUNY

Paper Title 4

Merlin, the Clown, and the Queer in Rowley's The Birth of Merlin

Presenter 4 Name

Anita Obermeier

Presenter 4 Affiliation

Univ. of New Mexico

Start Date

15-5-2015 10:00 AM

Session Location

Schneider 1335

Description

Merlin scholarship tends to focus on the origins of the character and the first texts he appears in. Yet, even though Merlin’s most famous literary appearances happen in 12th or 13th centuries texts, his career continues long after that, from the strange “autobiographical” tale composed by Baudouin Butor in 1292, to the folktale of Merlin-Merlot in the early 16th century, to Rowley’s satyric play, The Birth of Merlin: or, The Childe hath found his Father. Moreover, a number of new-comer characters in late Arthurian romances clearly present traits that make them copies of or variations on Merlin, or, alternately, Merlin is inserted in stories where he is not expected. This session will present papers focusing on such late representations of Merlin through Europe, between the late 13th and early 17th centuries.

Anne Berthelot