梅林首見於蒙茅斯的傑佛瑞（Geoffrey of Monmouth）所著之《梅林預言集》（Prophetiae Merlini）。在往後的作品中，此一角色便常以不同形象出現於眾人面前。然而，我們往往能夠察覺到梅林的眾多形象都衍生自同一個梅林，而預言和催化情色之愛的魔法似乎便是塑造此一梅林的兩大魔法元素。身為梅林的創造者，傑佛瑞在《不列顛君王史》（Historia Regum Britanniae）中把他的角色定位為一位出身邊陲的少年預言家。這位少年沒有人類的父親。一隻尋夢精（incubus）運用了它迷人的話語魅惑了梅林的母親，使其懷孕並產下梅林；而梅林也因此從尋夢精的身上獲得了預言和掌握超自然力量的能力。透過了他的超能力，梅林得以產出並主動建構他在《梅林預言集》中所呈現的預言藍圖；此外，梅林的預言更有君主之鑑（speculum principis）的功能，樹立了其為不列顛明君亞瑟王的導師的角色。雖然梅林能夠運用他的魔法力量來實現預言，但預言和魔法卻也正是將他導向曖昧結局的主因。如同《梅林散記》（Prose Merlin）所記載，梅林已經預知了自己的未來，但是他依舊讓自己深陷於由魔法建構而成的愛情囹圄中無法自拔。梅林只能持續存活在此一魔法空間的事實凸顯了他便是預言和魔法的化身：梅林透過他模稜兩可的預言文字建立起個人聲望；同樣地，愛情中高度曖昧的甜言蜜語賦予了梅林血肉之軀。預言和受魔法所影響的愛情無疑是建構梅林身份的兩大魔力。

Ever since his debut in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Prophetiae Merlini, Merlin has taken on multifarious images. While acknowledging there are different Merlins, we recognize that all of them are in some ways representations of the same Merlin. It seems that prophecy and magic that facilitates erotic love are the two kinds of magic that shape the Merlin behind all Merlins. As the creator of Merlin, Geoffrey makes the character a fatherless, prophetic youth living on the margins of the world in his Historia Regum Britanniae. While the incubus, Merlin’s non-human father, begets Merlin by utilizing its enchanting words, it also passes down its extraordinary soothsaying power, along with other occult powers, to Merlin. With his supernatural abilities, Merlin is able to generate and actively participate in realizing the prophetic blueprint of bringing about King Arthur expressed in the Prophetiae Merlini. Merlin’s prophecies also function as a speculum principis, which helps to establish his role as the advisor of Arthur, one of the ideal rulers of Britain. While Merlin is able to use his magical abilities to fulfill his prognostications, prophecy and magic that manipulates erotic love are also what lead him to his ambiguous denouement. As the Prose Merlin illustrates, the talented prophet eventually ends up ensnared by a trap woven by such love magic—an end which Merlin has foreseen. The fact that Merlin can only continue his existence in the magical space created by the magic that manipulates erotic love highlights his identity as an incarnation of prophecy and such a love magic. Through prophetic words, Merlin establishes his prominence; likewise, the enticing words of love are what give flesh and bone to the prophet. Indeed, prophecy and erotic love facilitated by magic are the two kinds of magic that shape Merlin’s identity.

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