Nimueh agreed and used magic to allow Ygraine to conceive a child, thus producing a son and heir, Arthur Pendragon. Although Nimueh knew that by using magic to create a life, another life had to be taken in exchange, she claimed that she had not foreseen that it would be Ygraine's life. This was raised to question later when Merlin fought Nimueh and claimed that she was the one who chooses those who have to die in exchange for saving another life.
Ygraine died in childbirth and the grief-stricken Uther turned on Nimueh, accusing her of treason and banishing her from Camelot. Consequently, Ygraine's brother, Tristan de Bois , blamed Uther for her death and challenged him to a duel.
Uther won the duel but, before he died, Tristan swore that he would rise from the dead and avenge Ygraine. Shortly thereafter Uther began the Great Purge , ordering the executions of hundreds of sorcerers regardless of how they used their magic. At the start of the Great Purge, Uther gave Gaius a list of all people suspected of using Magic to be killed. When Gaius discovered his beloved Alice on the list, he struck her name off, thus giving her time to escape.
Years before the Great Purge, Morgause, who supposedly had her mother Vivienne 's powers, was smuggled out of Camelot as a baby by Gaius because he had sworn a solemn oath and gave her to the High Priestesses of the Old Religion on the Isle of the Blessed.
Uther was led to believe that Morgause had died shortly after her birth. However, it is unknown to whom Gaius had sworn the oath. It is also unknown whether Uther wanted Morgause dead or if he was just led to believe she had died due to other reasons. Morgause was born at a time when Uther did not have a problem with magic, yet. During the Great Purge , Uther ordered many people to be drowned, including children who had inherited magic from their parents.
Jaden Muirden and her husband suffered the fate of being Uther's victims and were sentenced to be burned at the stake by Uther. Their son, Edwin , tried to save his parents but only ended up disfigured by the fire. Alvarr's parents ware captured by Uther's forces and were burned at the stake apparently Alvarr witnessed this happen. He was sentenced to death as well, but shortly before his execution, whether by magic or non-magical means, he escaped and fled from Camelot. She let Gorlois believe that he was the father of her second child.
Uther, during the Great Purge, hunted almost all the Blood Guards and killed them. At the end of the Purge, Uther also pursued and slaughtered all dragons except for the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah. Uther tricked one Dragonlord , Balinor , to lure Kilgharrah to Camelot under the pretense of wanting to make peace with him, only to capture and imprison him in a cave beneath the castle. Uther then had all the Dragonlords rounded up and killed, though Gaius helped Balinor escape Camelot and flee to Ealdor , where he took refuge with a woman named Hunith.
They fell in love, but Uther's relentless persecution forced them apart as Balinor fled Ealdor. Some ten years later, Uther sent Gorlois into battle and promised him reinforcements. He later failed to send them, resulting in Gorlois's death. Uther promised Gorlois that he would look after Morgana and subsequently took her in as his ward. Gorlois's resting place was a grave on a hilltop near the Darkling Woods just outside the citadel of the palace.
When it came to magic, Uther was a tyrannical ruler who would stop at nothing to set things right in his eyes. He believed that all magic was evil, and that all those who practiced magic were evil. Despite his fear, Uther sometimes did not realise when sorcery was being practised, even when presented with evidence Valiant.
When he believed that magic was being used, he would deal with it decisively, such as when he sentenced Gwen to death after she was suspected of creating a plague with dark magic when all evidence was against her The Mark of Nimueh. Similarly, he executed the Druid , Cerdan and attempted to kill Cerdan's young apprentice, Mordred The Beginning of the End ; he believed that the Druids were plotting his downfall.
However, it was not only his crusade against magic that let Uther himself, his family, and his kingdom under constant threat by enemies who were out to take their revenge on him, but Camelot had indeed to face numerous sorcerers and magic-users who threatened the kingdom and its people because of other reasons that did not have to do with Uther or with taking revenge on him.
Despite his often harsh and tyrannical display of temper, Uther was protective of his son and deeply loved him. When he realised that Arthur was going to fight a wraith, a creature that could not be killed by any mortal weapon, Uther decided to sacrifice himself and fight the wraith in Arthur's stead so that his son would live.
He also cared deeply for Morgana , and though he locked her in the dungeons when she defied him, he later apologised to her, admitting he was wrong, and told her that she was like a daughter to him. He also cared for the well being of the people, even those outside his kingdom. He sympathised with Hunith when she asked for his help in protecting Ealdor against raiders, but could not send his knights to help the village as King Cenred would have interpreted any rescue attempt by him as an act of war.
Uther defends his wife, Catrina , while being under the influence of a spell. A troll later used magic to cause Uther to become infatuated with her and make her his wife. The enchantment was such that when presented with clear evidence of the troll's plans, he still refused to believe it.
Eventually Merlin and Gaius faked Arthur 's death and Uther 's tears broke the spell, causing him to realize that his wife was a troll Beauty and the Beast. When Gaius was accused of being a sorcerer by the Witchfinder Aredian , Uther refused to believe it until Gaius confessed in order to save Morgana and Merlin. He sentenced his old friend to death but was clearly reluctant and upset about the thought of killing Gaius, even though he had told him he was a sorcerer.
When Merlin later proved that Gaius was framed by Aredian, whom Uther now believed to be the sorcerer due to Merlin's intervention, he went to apologise to Gaius for the suffering he endured at Aredian's hands. Gaius, however, pointed out that he had not suffered at Aredian's hands but at Uther's since Aredian had been free to continue his investigation at his own discretion. Shocked, the King told Gaius that he had been tricked, but Gaius replied that his hatred of magic and obsession with destroying it that caused his friends to become foes and his servants to become sorcerers.
He then asked for solitude and the King left without further question, clearly shaken by Gaius' words and the thought of the many other innocents he had put to death in his quest to destroy magic.
When Arthur was defeated in combat by a woman named Morgause , he was spared only on the condition that he come to her and accept another challenge. When Uther learned that Morgause knew something of Ygraine, he refused to allow Arthur to go, fearing what she would tell him.
However, with Merlin's help, Arthur managed to break out of Camelot and go to Morgause. Uther later learned that Morgause was Morgana's half-sister, which Uther wanted kept from Morgana to prevent her loyalties from being divided. Arthur finally learns the truth. Arthur and Merlin reached Morgause who revealed that Ygraine had died in childbirth because Uther had turned to magic to conceive an heir.
Arthur was furious and returned to Camelot to confront his father. After a heated confrontation Arthur challenged Uther to fight to the death in the throne room. When Uther refused, Arthur said he would simply kill him where he stood if he didn't defend himself. Uther said Arthur would never do it and was shocked when Arthur proved him wrong by attacking.
Uther was forced to fight his son, but was ultimately disarmed and at his mercy. Before Arthur could deal the death blow, Merlin managed to convince him that Morgause had lied to him.
Uther's guards later captured Alvarr , a sorcerer who was plotting against him. Uther tried him and had him condemned to death. Morgana, who had secretly been swayed to Alvarr's side, furiously disowned him and told him he would "go to hell.
Some time later, Morgana was taken from Camelot by Morgause after the latter attempted to destroy the kingdom. Uther was devastated and became determined to find his ward, refusing to stop sending his soldiers to search for her. He remained unaware that Morgana was part of Morgause's conspiracy and that she had been utterly turned against him.
Morgana and Uther reunite after a year. Uther vowed to find Morgana and spent almost a year, sending soldiers to look for her, refusing to give up no matter how many knights were lost. He declared he would never give up searching despite being told by Gaius that, after an entire year, he should call off the search and accept that Morgana was gone.
However, she was eventually found one day alone in the woods by Merlin, Arthur and his men and returned to Camelot. After Morgana recovered, she went to see Uther. The King was overjoyed. Morgana thanked him for taking care of her as if she was his own daughter and apologised for her previous attitude towards him.
However, Morgana was in fact lying to maintain Uther's favour and allow herself to carry out her plans to kill him since during her year away from Camelot she had been fully corrupted by Morgause. Morgana later met with Morgause and gave her a handkerchief that contained his tears, which they used, along with a mandrake root, to prepare a spell that would cause Uther to lose his mind by bringing his worst fears to life.
Morgana later placed the mandrake root under Uther's bed and activated the spell, and Uther soon experienced a hallucination of his late wife, Ygraine, calling to him from inside a well. Uther, terrified, was deemed unwell and taken to his rooms, leading to rumours about his health and leaving Camelot vulnerable.
Cenred was notified of Uther's condition and that Camelot was in a weak position. Cenred remained unsure, stating that even with Uther incapacitated, an assault on Camelot was not to be taken lightly.
Eventually, he was convinced to undertake the attack. Arthur and Sir Leon then alerted Uther to the fact that mercenaries were flooding into Cenred's kingdom; they feared he was raising an army.
Uther then had another hallucination, this time of a young victim of the Great Purge , which no one else could see. He shouted at the boy to leave, leading to concerns that he was losing his mind. Uther was again taken to his chambers. As Cenred's army entered Camelot in their thousands, Gaius and Merlin went to Uther's rooms, not knowing that Morgana was there before them and had used the enchantment to worsen the curse. When Gaius and Merlin entered, they found him hunched in a corner, crying and tormented by the ghosts of his past.
Merlin eventually realised what had been done to Uther and removed the mandrake root from under the bed, burning it and immediately breaking the enchantment. Uther therefore immediately regained his sanity. After leaving Uther to sleep and recover from his ordeal, Merlin insisted they tell Uther that Morgana had been responsible, but Gaius replied that Uther would never believe their word against his beloved ward.
When Cenred's forces arrived, Uther, despite being in less than peak physical condition, threw himself into the battle but was struck in the leg by a crossbow bolt.
Camelot's army was then attacked from behind by an undead skeleton army summoned by Morgana using the Rowan Staff but Merlin managed to thwart her and destroy the army. In the battle's aftermath, Morgana told Uther and Arthur that it was she who destroyed the staff and stopped the skeletons. At a ceremony to recognise her bravery and that of all those who fought and died in the battle, Uther again asserted vigilance in Camelot against magic The Tears of Uther Pendragon.
When a Goblin was accidentally released by Merlin , it possessed Gaius and played cruel tricks on Uther, first causing him to become bald.
The goblin then 'remedied' the baldness it had caused by slapping the King's head, much to his chagrin, claiming it would stimulate hair growth.
Arthur then informed Uther of vandalism in the castle, at which point the entire court began to suffer flatulence. Later, the goblin, posing as Gaius, accused Merlin of being a sorcerer with a spellbook as evidence. Uther therefore sentenced him to death, leaving Merlin frantic to prove that Gaius had in fact been possessed by a goblin. Eventually, Merlin was able to force the goblin out of Gaius and so Gaius informed Uther of Merlin's innocence.
Uther pardoned Merlin and ordered that the goblin's lead-sealed box be sealed in the vaults to prevent further mishaps. Uther did not discover who had released the creature in the first place Goblin's Gold. When Morgana's birthday arrived the whole of Camelot celebrated. However, when Morgana left Camelot to visit Morgause, Merlin accidentally used magic to send her falling down a flight of stairs badly wounding her.
Uther was frantic and even went so far as to suggest using magic in order to cure her. He finally told Gaius a secret that he had been hiding for many years; he was Morgana's true father. Unfortunately Morgana, despite being near death's door, overheard him. When Morgana recovered, Uther was overjoyed. However, Morgana was furious that Uther had lied to her all her life, thinking he cared more about his reputation than he did about her.
She attempted to murder her father in his sleep but was stopped by Merlin who woke Uther by smashing the window of his chamber.
How could Merlin let Uther die before he saw his chance and disguised as Dragoon but be convinced at the same time that he does the right thing and that magic and its supporters are worth to be allowed when magic would have done indeed a good thing healing but wasn't used at first, only to let someone die who exactly thought that of it, which is that magic wasn't used for good? Merlin is surely not a bad guy, but meanwhile he is a fighter for his kind in the attempt to bring back a religion.
The Old Religion. He never questions it, no matter how many evil sorcerers appear and no matter how powerful and uncontrollable it is in the many wrong hands. Sure, he can't question himself, since he was born with magic. But he can question his destiny and most of all the way he meanwhile tries to fullfill it. If his destiny was to end killing every sorcerer, even the innocents, by showing that there is no need for it, it would be the right thing, but he can't do that by proving that magic is only used for own advantages and at the expense of other people's lifes.
With every further step into this rather selfish direction, he proves Uther right. What could be more powerful than being master over live and death? The most powerful magic at all caused a terrible thing and killed an innocent person, pushed someone into grief and misery and caused a terrible hunt. And the same powerful magic was used by Merlin to serve his purpose and cost the life of the one who was magic's victim in the first place.
Merlin did not try to heal Uther out of goodness or mercy, not even for his best friend who suffered from his father's upcoming demise. He simply wanted to manipulate and to prove something to Arthur that actually contradicted itself - if magic was really used also for good, he would have healed Uther immediately instead of watching him die and trying to heal him later when he saw an advantage for himself and his kind.
It seems like it is not about right and wrong, good and bad anymore but only about the Old Religion vs the ban of magic and a life without the Old Religion. Two political agendas that still oppose each other. Merlin is not merely the really good guy anymore but a fighter for his own beliefs and for his "religion", disregarding what way he choses. Is he on the way to the dark er side and is magic slowly corrupting him?
And if so, wasn't Uther right all along then? Of course, the Old religion is not like a religion that we know. It's something that is not based only on belief but something that really exists on "Merlin", meaning the magic. So Merlin isn't fighting for something he only beliefs in but for something that is evident, since magic really exists on the show and since he is one of its members, being born with magical powers.
It is something that is above "normal" human beings, a higher power with which comes a responsibility that actually is beyond human's capability to handle. We know from the legends that Arthur unites the lands of Albion and that Merlin will be his advisor, but we as the viewers have an advantage over Uther.
We know that in the fictional stories Merlin will succeed in making peace between magic and the non-magical "normal" people. The question is, how many people will have to die until the final goal is reached, and how is it even possible? When we take a closer look at the situation, Uther is actually much closer to us than Merlin, Arthur and everyone else is, simply because we are used to a life without magic of course! Uther tried to get rid of what we would call "unnatural".
He was trying to build a land of progress and maybe even science, totally liberated from what nobody can really understand or handle. Fortunately, religion hasn't been a subject on the show, at least not "our" big religions. However, The Old Religion describes a way of life, an ideal maybe and something you have to conjur and to what you have to be loyal to.
It's similar to a religion, just not with one god but with a higher power magic and many powerful magical people who nearly get a god-like status since with their powers, they can change the laws of physics and act beyond and above normal human beings. Although Merlin is one of the good - or one of the better - sorcerers, The Old Religion itself with all its representatives isn't exactly just a good institution, so to speak.
It obviously has a history full of cruelty, violence and corruption. When comparing The Old religion to our religions like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism or any religion which were and still are full of cruelty and violence too, the difference is clear: while our religion is just something people believe in and and try to defend or to convert people with their human weapons sadly and unfortunately , The Old Religion is indeed a very real in the show real!
Its power is way above everything that humans could ever achieve with their normal abilities, let alone fight against. While in our religions it's the believers who interprete it and act, disregarding if it's right or wrong, the Old Religion consists of magic and its god-like sorcerers who don't stand for guidance and mercy, like God, Allah, Jehova or Buddha do.
They ARE the religion, they HAVE the powers and it's not only nature with it's cruelty that is supposed to be compensated by a forgiving and loving god but it's most of all their doing when terrible things happen that non-magical people can't defend themselves against. Is it any wonder that Uther and certainly a lot of other people were scared by it and tried to get rid of it once and for all?
Uther never discriminated or fought someone who believed in something, like some religious people did and still do. He didn't want to rule the world like Hitler did, for example but actually wanted peace with other kingdoms. He wasn't a racist because sorcerers aren't exactly a race but either people who use the most powerful and therefore dangerous tool, or people who were born with the powers, regardless what race they are - humans, creatures Pixies, Sidhe etc Skin colour or ethnic origion didn't matter to him, as long as magic wasn't involved.
Without downplaying the cruelty of the Great Purge, the only thing he was fighting was just that: a thing. The magic that in his eyes sooner or later would overrule and enslave the human kind. All in all, I think it is not wrong to say that Uther wanted a world ruled by "normal" human beings with more or less equal powers regarding nature.
Good intentions but mostly wrong actions. He was tilting at windmills because in the show, magic is part of the nature and life and couldn't be eradicated. Therefore the war could never really end. So it takes Merlin to restore a balance and to be the keeper of the sensible use of magic in order to prevent that magic towers above human beings. Arthur's destiny is to unite the lands of Albion and to allow magic again because obviously, for some reason magic plays a part in the unification, even if it is unknown why.
Merlin's destiny is to protect Arthur actually, his destiny was to protect Arthur until he is king and to help Arthur seeing that magic is nothing that should be forbidden. If Arthur is the chosen one but his birth caused the situation he was chosen for to end, why was he born at all when actually the hunt for magic wouldn't have started without his birth?
And why is it Merlin's destiny to protect Arthur, meaning why was Merlin born as the chosen one to help and push Arthur into that direction, obviously chosen by the Old Religion, when it would have been so much easier to not let Igraine die or to not have created Arthur, since Uther's hatred for magic wouldn't have even started in this case? It seems as if everything was planned from the beginning.
Merlin's destiny and fate has been determined since "the dawn of time" which is a real looooong time That means that Arthur's birth was planned too, which means that the hunt on magic was planned as well, otherwise Arthur's birth and destiny as well as Merlin's wouldn't be necessary.
It would make sense if none of that would have been planned and if Merlin and Arthur were chosen somewehere along the way after their birth due to something that happened that didn't have to do with them. But that's not the case. Merlin's destiny was determined long before he or anyone else was born. And this means that Igraine's death and everything that followed this happening was planned and wanted or at least foreseen - therefore, everyone, Uther, Igraine, Gaius, Morgana, Arthur, Merlin, Hunith, Balinor, everyone Their fate and everyone else's fate has never lied in their hands.
This all proves Uther right, actually. Uther didn't know about Arthur's and Merlin's fate, so he couldn't know about the whole thing, but he did see that magic and the Old Religion was something that was beyond human comprehension and therefore, considering what magic was used for and what happened to Igraine, something that should never fall into people's hands.
And since a life has to be taken in exchange for another, even the healing magic harbors unforseen dangers and often the death of an innocent person. In the night, knowing he was on the verge of defeat, he called his lords and captains to him to discuss their situation and find a way forward. On asking the opinions of his commanders, Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall recommended a bold surprise attack in the night upon the Saxon camp.
To all present this seemed the best option and Uther agreed. Under the cover of darkness, the Britons took the Saxons by surprise, capturing Octa and Eosa alive and causing the rest to fly the battle, leaving Uther unexpectedly victorious. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, after imposing peace on the north of Britain, Uther Pendragon travelled to London with Octa and Eosa in chains and imprisoned them there.
He decided he would celebrate the Easter festival in the great city and summoned his nobles and commanders to join him, intending to emphasise his power by wearing the crown throughout the celebrations. They all brought their ladies and their families and were entertained and feted most lavishly by King Uther Pendragon, the most powerful man in Britain at the time.
He intended they should take note of his power and authority and also his generosity when pleased. Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, whose military advice had saved Uther from defeat and gained a remarkable victory from the Saxons, also attended with his wife Igraine. She was a woman of great beauty and much younger than her husband.
When King Uther Pendragon first set eyes on her amid all the stunning ladies present, he became instantly infatuated with her. From that moment on she dominated all of his thoughts. Throughout the celebrations he served her personally, giving her the best food on silver platters and wine in goblets of gold. All of his attention was given to her and her alone, making no attempt to camouflage or conceal his feelings in public. On noticing the behaviour of Uther towards his wife, Gorlois took great offence and decided to walk out.
Uther was angry at Gorlois for not asking his leave to depart, but angrier that he had taken the object of his infatuation with him. This made him determined to both show his absolute power and satisfy his lust for Igraine. He sent Gorlois a summons, ordering him to return and beg his forgiveness for what he claimed was an insult. He returned to Cornwall, taking his wife with him.
Uther was now totally lost in his infatuation and mustered his army and marched on Gorlois, laying waste to towns and cities on his way. This was not the remains of the castle we see today but possibly some other type of early fortification that was later replaced. Then he awaited the coming of Uther at his stronghold of Dimilioc. In this way he thought their separation would give a greater chance of survival for one or the other. When Uther had learned of this, he besieged Gorlois in Dimilioc but could not break the walls.
During the entire time, his mind burned with desire for Igraine and he could think of nothing else. Finally, Uther could stand it no longer. He summoned one of his friends, Ulfin, for advice. He told him of his great love for Igraine and that he feared that if he did not soon have her then the passion he held for her would kill him. Ulfin advised Uther that Tintagel could not be taken by force, being virtually surrounded by sea.
It could only be reached by a narrow path of rock, making it possible for a few armed and determined men to defend against a vast army. He advised Uther to seek the arts of Merlin, as he believed he alone would have the skill and knowledge to help in his predicament.
Uther, having no other plan, agreed, and Merlin was summoned and the problem explained. Merlin proposed by the use of potions and hidden arts that he would make Uther into the likeness of Gorlois. Furthermore, he would also alter the appearance of Ulfin into that of Jordan of Tintagel, a friend of Gorlois, and he would change himself into Bricel, another friend of the duke.
His plan was that while the army besieged Gorlois in Dimilioc, the three of them would ride to Tintagel. They would give them entry, and allow Uther admittance to Igraine. It was his hatred of magic and severe punishment of those who used it that ultimately caused Morgana to turn against him.
Was Uther Pendragon a tyrant? In fact, when it came to any form of magic, Uther was very much a tyrant. Before Uther came to the land, it was corrupted and endangered by evil sorcerers and their use of dark magic, as was stated by Gaius. However, Uther was friends with the powerful witch Nimueh whom he had trusted.
Some sources say that Sir Kay was a Saxon, but was unlike the heathen Saxons because he was a Christian. The real Merlin, Myrddin Wyllt, was born in about and had a twin sister called Gwendydd.
He served as a bard to Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, a Brythonic or British king who ruled Arfderydd, a kingdom including parts of what are now Scotland and England in the area around Carlisle. Originally a kind-hearted individual, Morgana became evil after being corrupted by Morgause and being betrayed by her former-friend Merlin. Morgana, also called Morgaine or Morgan, is a staple figure of the Arthurian legend.
King Arthur was married to Guinevere in most legends. The notable Pendragon family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. Arthur died at the hands of Mordred by the shores of Avalon, but, as the Once and Future King, he is destined to one day rise again.
In the 20th century the dragon was officially incorporated in the armorial bearings of the prince of Wales. Arthur Pendragon — The male version of King Arthur.
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