As many of you might have read, the legend of King Arthur is often considered just that, a legend, by Muggles. However, Merlin, King Arthur, Morgana le Fay, and many more were very much real and are important parts of our history. There are many myths and stories surrounding them, and because these events happened so long ago, it can be quite difficult to separate the truth from exaggeration or misunderstandings. This is something I'm sure your Ancient Studies and Mythology professors will emphasize to you when, and if, you take their classes. The situation is further complicated by the fact that we don't always know whether stories have been authored by witches and wizards with a good understanding of magic, or if they were recorded by Muggles who had a limited understanding of what they saw.
Still, with all these limitations, magihistorians have been able to search out the truth (or the closest we're likely to get that many scholars can generally agree upon) with just a little help from additional documents that have been kept safe from Muggle hands. However, there is still a wealth of misinformation floating around on this subject. We'll be taking this lesson to clear up some of the misconceptions you might have had and learn about some truly fascinating (and quite powerful) witches and wizards, as well as briefly note who was lacking in magical ability.
Merlin
Known as one of the greatest wizards of all time, Merlin was an advisor to King Arthur and his father, King Uther Pendragon. There are many different stories regarding Merlin's birth, with one account stating that he was the offspring of a demon and a virgin, and it was his demonic heritage that gave him his prophetic powers. However, the simple truth was that Merlin was a powerful half-blood wizard, born to a witch and a Muggle. He later attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was subsequently sorted into Slytherin, most likely due to his cunning nature. He possessed a brilliant mind that allowed him to excel in every aspect of his magical education, far ahead of his peers, and sought to achieve much with that knowledge.
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Not much is known about Merlin's years before becoming an advisor to Arthur. It is not known where he went after graduating from Hogwarts, though it has often been presumed that he entered the service of Uther Pendragon as his trusted advisor first. One of the most popular accounts of how he obtained this position tells of Merlin relating a prophecy to the King. In some accounts, this prophecy was told to him by a dragon and detailed how Uther would bear a son who would one day unite his warring kingdom and become the greatest king of all. Due to a lack of records, and perhaps due to negligence or the destruction of any personal documents, this account cannot be verified. And, as you know, communication with dragons in this manner is certainly not possible at the moment, and very well might never have been. Most wizards favor the account in which Merlin simply glimpsed the future with his exceptional skills in divination, as he was known to be a great seer.
Now, what has been agreed upon, by both Muggle and magical historians, is that Merlin aided in the conception of Arthur. Uther desired the wife of his ally Gorlois, a beautiful woman named Igraine. He sought the help of Merlin (who provided him with a potion that was an early version of what is now known as Polyjuice) to take on the appearance of Gorlois and bed Igraine. Arthur was conceived from this union, and Uther died shortly afterward, but not before ordering Merlin to hide his son and heir from the warring kings who might wish the baby harm. He did so, and Arthur grew up to be a healthy young man, but we will leave those details until we come to Arthur's story.
