Merlin is a central figure in stories about King Arthur. King Arthur was a real person in the 6th Century. People in the past say he was a poet and prophet but hes famous because he had a part in the Arthurian legends. In all the stories Merlin's role was to help Arthur become King of England and another thing was to survive as a strong unifying leader. Most stories Merlin uses magic spells and wisdom to help Arthur but he cant change Arthur's future. Merlin marries a woman named Guinevere. They have a lot of problems and it causes King Arthur to die. Merlin is described by lots of different stuff like, a magician, sorcerer, seer, soothsayer, wizard, trickster, enchanter, necromancer, and a warlock. Merlin lived in southern England during the early parts of Christianity long before historical records were kept. His name was recognized around the world as identical with magic and was very popular. When people heard the name "Merlin" they immediately thought of his image as springs into the mind of an old man with a flowing white beard and bushy white eyebrows, dressed in a blue robe and a tall pointed hat covered with stars. Almost identical to a perfect wizard. Merlin is best known as a teacher and advision of Arthur's pendragon, king of all the Britons. The popular myth of Merlin has come from 2 sources. One is the historian Geography of Monmouth and the other one was a writer and his name was Sir Thomas Malory. Both men collected bits and pieces from earlier sources. Most work was based on the French Arthurian prose cycle, which is a group of French medieval romances centered around the court if King Arthur. Before Malory, both Merlin and Arthur were better known on the continent than they were in England. Everyone knew Merlin as a mysterious figure whose origin is uncertain. He has power to communicate with animals to see visions of the future and to work miracles of magic. He doesn't have a specific home because he dwells in the forest.