- “Though no man, no matter how great, can know his destiny, some lives have been foretold...”
- — Kilgharrah to Merlin[src]
Destinies are futures predetermined by the Old Religion itself. Destinies of individuals are often foretold in prophecies.
Though predestined events are often regarded as being set in stone, it is possible (though extremely difficult) to avert or fail in one's destiny.
Contents
- 1 Individual Destinies
- 1.1 Merlin
- 1.2 Arthur Pendragon
- 1.3 Morgana Pendragon
- 1.4 Guinevere Pendragon
- 1.5 Mordred
- 2 Joint Destinies
- 2.1 Merlin and Arthur
- 2.2 Mordred and Morgana
- 2.3 Morgana and Emrys
- 3 Oddities and Inaccuracies
Individual Destinies
Merlin
- “Your destiny is to protect the young Pendragon until he claims his crown.”
- — Kilgharrah to Merlin[src]
According to Kilgharrah, Merlin was destined to protect Arthur Pendragon and help him bring about the golden age of Albion by uniting the old ways with the new (The Dragon's Call, Le Morte d'Arthur). The Druids also had prophecies to this effect, in which Merlin was known by the name Emrys (The Beginning of the End, The Secret Sharer).
Though Merlin's destiny was a secret to most, many unknowingly sought to avert it by preventing Arthur's destiny from coming to pass. Morgana, for example, would have averted it had she succeeded in killing Arthur and seizing the throne of Camelot, and a troll who impersonated Lady Catrina might have averted it had she managed to replace Arthur as Uther's heir (The Coming of Arthur, The Sword in the Stone, Beauty and the Beast).
It is unknown whether Merlin failed or fulfilled his destiny. Though Arthur's death would appear to have averted it, the Great Dragon told Merlin that all he had dreamt of building had come to pass and that when Albion's need was greatest, Arthur would rise again. This may imply that the remainder of their destinies would be carried out upon Arthur's return (The Diamond of the Day).
Arthur Pendragon
- “Arthur is the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion.”
- — Kilgharrah to Merlin[src]
According to Kilgharrah, Arthur was destined to become the Once and Future King and to unite the land of Albion (The Dragon's Call, Le Morte d'Arthur).
Many people sought to avert Arthur's destiny, including his half-sister Morgana, who wanted to rule Camelot herself (The Coming of Arthur, The Sword in the Stone, The Diamond of the Day). It was also because of his destiny that Aulfric and Sophia chose him as their sacrifice to the Sidhe Elders, as they considered Arthur to be the greatest prince of all (The Gates of Avalon).
It is unknown whether Arthur failed or fulfilled his destiny. Though his death would appear to have averted it, Kilgharrah told Merlin that when Albion's need was greatest, Arthur would rise again. This may imply that the remainder of their destinies would be carried out upon Arthur's return (The Diamond of the Day).
Morgana Pendragon
According to the Dochraid, it was Morgana's destiny to restore the customs of the Old Religion to Camelot, and possibly Albion as a whole (Lancelot du Lac).
Morgana followed in her half-sister's footsteps and became a High Priestess, but made no move to reinstate the Old Religion during either of her reigns as Queen. However, it is possible that she would have done so had Arthur been captured or killed (The Coming of Arthur, The Sword in the Stone).
At the time of her death, Morgana had not restored the Old Religion to Camelot and most of her followers and allies were lost in the Battle of Camlann. As such, she likely did not fulfill her destiny (The Diamond of the Day).
Guinevere Pendragon
- “They show a ceremony in Camelot. It's my serving girl, Gwen, and she sits beside Arthur on a throne. She's crowned Queen.”
- — Morgana tells Morgause about her dreams[src]
According to Morgana, who learned of it through a prophetic dream, Gwen was destined to marry Arthur Pendragon and be crowned Queen of Camelot (Queen of Hearts).
Morgana made four attempts to avert Gwen's destiny. She led Uther to believe that Gwen had enchanted Arthur, used an enchanted bracelet to trick her into kissing Lancelot, and attempted to kill her on at least two occasions (Queen of Hearts, Lancelot du Lac, The Darkest Hour, The Sword in the Stone).
Gwen was crowned Queen in the aftermath of Morgana's second reign, thus fulfilling her destiny (The Sword in the Stone). Morgana, however, refused to admit defeat. She kidnapped Gwen and enchanted her into trying to kill Arthur so she could ascend the throne and then pass the crown to Morgana (The Dark Tower, A Lesson in Vengeance, The Hollow Queen). Fortunately, Merlin and Arthur discovered and broke the enchantment before her plan could succeed (With All My Heart).
Mordred
- “It is his destiny to bring about Arthur's doom!”
- — Kilgharrah to Merlin about Mordred[src]
According to Kilgharrah, Mordred was destined to kill Arthur Pendragon, a claim later corroborated by Merlin's vision of the Battle of Camlann (The Beginning of the End, The Witch's Quickening, Arthur's Bane).
Mordred unwittingly came close to fulfilling his destiny when he allied himself with Alvarr, who wanted him to use the Crystal of Neahtid to strike down Uther and all who served him, which included Arthur (The Witch's Quickening).
Merlin made four attempts to avert Mordred's destiny. He tried to stop him from escaping by tripping him with his magic, refused to heal him when he was mortally wounded by the Disir and told Arthur not to accept their demands, abandoned him to the mercy of Morgana, and tried to prevent him from losing faith in Arthur and leaving Camelot (The Witch's Quickening, The Disir, With All My Heart, The Drawing of the Dark).
Mordred himself appeared to have averted his destiny when he chose to save Arthur from Morgana. He became a Knight of Camelot and one of Arthur's closest friends, but ultimately turned against him after his lover, Kara, was arrested and executed for treason and murder (Arthur's Bane, The Drawing of the Dark).
Mordred and Morgana conspired to take away Merlin's magic, then launched an attack on Camelot. They later took part in the Battle of Camlann, where Mordred fulfilled his destiny by mortally wounding Arthur before he was killed himself (The Diamond of the Day).
Joint Destinies
Merlin and Arthur
- “He and the young Pendragon one day will unite the land of Albion.”
- — Kilgharrah to Gaius about Merlin[src]
According to Kilgharrah, Merlin and Arthur were destined to unite the land of Albion and bring about a golden age (The Dragon's Call, A Remedy to Cure All Ills). Merlin was initially skeptical of his claim, as he and Arthur had gotten off on the wrong foot and he thought Arthur was an idiot. When he said as much, however, Kilgharrah merely replied that perhaps it was his destiny to change that (The Dragon's Call).
Merlin and Arthur became good friends over time and Merlin eventually took on the role of Arthur's unofficial advisor. It was partially due to his influence that Arthur became willing to recognize the worth of commoners, knighting untitled men who had proven their loyalty and skill and choosing Gwen as his Queen because of her counsel and nobility (The Coming of Arthur, The Hunter's Heart, The Sword in the Stone).
Merlin also influenced Arthur to be more compassionate and make peace with his enemies when possible. He advised him to spare Caerleon's life rather than kill him as a show of strength and to make peace with Odin rather than seek revenge (His Father's Son, Another's Sorrow).
Through Arthur's actions and leadership, Camelot gradually became more united with the other kingdoms of Albion. As prince, he helped to preserve their peace treaty with Lord Bayard of Mercia, ensured that peace talks with Kings Olaf, Alined, and three other rulers were successful, and preserved their alliance with Lord Godwyn and Princess Elena (The Poisoned Chalice, Sweet Dreams, The Changeling).
Later, as King, Arthur made peace with Queen Annis of Caerleon, settled a land dispute with Princess Mithian of Nemeth, and established alliances with both kingdoms (His Father's Son, The Hunter's Heart, Arthur's Bane). He also made peace with Odin and tried to establish an alliance with Sarrum of Amata, but Sarrum was killed during the treaty signing (Another's Sorrow, The Hollow Queen).
Many people sought to avert Merlin and Arthur's destiny, including Morgause and Nimueh, High Priestesses who sought revenge against Camelot for the Great Purge; Morgana, who wanted the throne for herself; Agravaine, who wanted revenge for Ygraine's death; and Mordred, who was destined to kill Arthur and turned against him after his lover was executed for treason.
It is unknown whether Merlin and Arthur fulfilled their destiny. Though Arthur's death would appear to have averted it, Kilgharrah told Merlin that all that he had dreamt of building had come to pass and said that when Albion's need was greatest, Arthur would rise again. This may imply that the remainder of their destiny would be carried out upon Arthur's return (The Diamond of the Day).
Mordred and Morgana
- “The ancient prophecies speak of an alliance of Mordred and Morgana united in evil.”
- — Kilgharrah to Merlin[src]
According to Kilgharrah, the ancient prophecies foretold an alliance between Mordred and Morgana, the former of whom was destined to kill Arthur (The Witch's Quickening).
Morgana first met Mordred when she helped him escape execution. She felt oddly drawn to him and once told Gwen that she believed there was a bond between them like nothing she'd ever felt before (The Beginning of the End).
They first became allies against Camelot when Alvarr recruited Morgana to steal the Crystal of Neahtid from the castle vault. He hoped that Mordred would be able to use the crystal to strike down Uther and those who served him. Morgana was troubled by this, but ultimately agreed. Their alliance came to an end after their whereabouts were discovered and Alvarr was arrested, forcing Mordred to flee (The Witch's Quickening).
Several years later, Mordred and Morgana were reunited in Ismere. Now a High Priestess of the Old Religion and openly an enemy of Camelot, Morgana was searching the Fortress of Ismere for the key to all knowledge to learn the secret of Arthur's bane while Mordred was working for a band of slavers.
Though he was no longer a child, Morgana immediately sensed his identity and was overjoyed to see him. But though she assumed he would once again be a trusted ally against Camelot, Mordred soon became disturbed by how bitter and hateful Morgana had become. He later stabbed her in the back to stop her from killing Arthur, after which he became a Knight of Camelot (Arthur's Bane).
Though Mordred's betrayal appeared to have averted their destiny, Morgana still cared for him and at one point tried to regain his allegiance. He chose to remain loyal to Arthur, but later changed his mind after his lover was executed for murder. Furious and betrayed, Mordred fled to Morgana intending to join her ranks. He proved his loyalty by revealing the identity of her enemy Emrys: Merlin (With All My Heart, The Drawing of the Dark).
Allies once more, Mordred and Morgana conspired to take away Merlin's magic, then launched an attack on Camelot. When they learned Merlin had gone to the Crystal Cave, Mordred recognized the location's significance and told Morgana he was likely trying to get his magic back, allowing her to intercept Merlin and trap him within the Cave.
Mordred and Morgana carried out their prophesied alliance at the Battle of Camlann. With an army of Saxons and a dragon at their command, they appeared to have the war all but won until Merlin arrived. Having regained his magic, he struck down the Saxons with lightning, knocked Morgana unconscious, and commanded Aithusa away from the battle. However, he was unable to stop Mordred from fatally wounding Arthur (The Diamond of the Day).
Morgana and Emrys
- “The one they call Emrys will walk in your shadow. He is your destiny, and he is your doom.”
- — The Cailleach to Morgana[src]
According to the Cailleach, Morgana was destined to die at the hand of the sorcerer Emrys. Morgana was greatly disturbed by this prophecy, especially after she had a prophetic dream of herself begging Emrys for help during a battle (The Darkest Hour).
Determined to discover the old man's identity, she hired Alator of the Catha to kidnap Gaius and torture him into revealing who Emrys was. Alator succeeded, but ultimately chose to betray Morgana and protect Emrys' identity (The Secret Sharer).
Three years later, Morgana hunted down Alator and tried to torture him into revealing what he knew. When that failed, she killed him and targeted his servant Finna, who committed suicide to protect the secret (The Kindness of Strangers).
Soon afterwards, Mordred allied himself with Morgana and proved his loyalty by revealing that Merlin was Emrys. Together they conspired to take away his magic, leaving Camelot vulnerable to attack. Later, when Merlin went to the Crystal Cave to get his powers back, Morgana trapped him inside so he would be unable to help Arthur during the Battle of Camlann (The Drawing of the Dark, The Diamond of the Day).
Despite their efforts, however, Merlin regained his magic and escaped from the Cave in time to join the battle. He struck down the Saxons with lightning and knocked Morgana unconscious. When she eventually woke up, her army with scattered, the battle was lost, and Mordred was dead.
When she learned that Merlin was taking a badly wounded Arthur to the Lake of Avalon, Morgana intercepted them and attack Merlin with her magic. He quickly recovered and confronted her with Excalibur, which unbeknownst to Morgana had been forged in a dragon's breath.
Confident that her status as a High Priestess meant no mortal blade could kill her, Morgana made no move to defend herself and allowed Merlin to run her through. She died soon afterward in his arms (The Diamond of the Day).
Oddities and Inaccuracies
- Though Nimueh told Arthur it was not his destiny to die by her hand, she later tried to kill him anyway (The Poisoned Chalice, Excalibur).
- Nimueh was initially aware of Arthur's destiny, but not Merlin's until later (The Poisoned Chalice).
- Though Kilgharrah often helped Merlin with his destiny, he attacked Camelot and tried to kill Arthur after he was freed (The Last Dragonlord).
- Taliesin insisted on showing Merlin the future and told him to use what he saw for good. However, Merlin's attempts to prevent what he'd seen were what caused it to happen in the first place (The Crystal Cave).
- In The Darkest Hour, Morgana's vision of the Battle of Camlann included a scene of her begging Emrys for help. This did not happen in the actual battle (The Diamond of the Day).
- When Aithusa hatched, Kilgharrah told Merlin that a white dragon boded well for Albion. Instead, Aithusa was imprisoned with Morgana and became her ally against Camelot (Aithusa, Arthur's Bane).
- However, Kilgharrah did mention that the meaning of a dragon's birth was sometimes hard to see, and that his optimistic interpretation was merely what he believed Aithusa's to mean.
- Merlin was awarethat it was Gwen's destiny to marry Arthur. How Merlin knew this is unknown, as the only people aware of Gwen's destiny prior to this were Morgause and Morgana, the latter of whom foresaw it in a prophetic dream (Queen of Hearts, The Hunter's Heart).
