Serpent's breath, charm of death and life, thy omen of making.

[Roma]

It's catchy, isn't it?  It almost sounds ominous...but where did it come from?

It's funny the little things you dig up when you have a few minutes.  I'd wager most, if not all of us have heard that phrase in some form or another.  It's from John Boorman's film Excalibur.  This is the English translation of the spell Merlin speaks which was later stolen by Morgana.  

I found an article on it here:

Merlin's Charm of Making

I've always found Merlin (also known as Myrddin Emrys) an interesting character.  There are stories that he lived his life backwards through time.  Prominently featured in the Arthurian tales he's best known for his ability to shape shift and his guidance of King Arthur.

The Charm of Making in it's original form (if you want to skip the article) is this:

Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha

I don't know why but I always thought it was hauntingly beautiful.

There is a connection with Merlin and the old Celtic Druids as he's depicted as a wise man of Celtic tradition. Stories say he oversaw the construction of Stonehenge. In later stories he was Christianized and became the prophet of the Holy Grail.

Getting back to present day, John Boorman's film is exceptional and the more recent BBC take is a fun diversion if you have some time.

Cheers all. I hope you have a magical day.

[putnam6]

It's catchy, isn't it?  It almost sounds ominous...but where did it come from?

It's funny the little things you dig up when you have a few minutes.  I'd wager most, if not all of us have heard that phrase in some form or another.  It's from John Boorman's film Excalibur.  This is the English translation of the spell Merlin speaks which was later stolen by Morgana.  

I found an article on it here:

Merlin's Charm of Making

I've always found Merlin (also known as Myrddin Emrys) an interesting character.  There are stories that he lived his life backwards through time.  Prominently featured in the Arthurian tales he's best known for his ability to shape shift and his guidance of King Arthur.

The Charm of Making in it's original form (if you want to skip the article) is this:

Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha

I don't know why but I always thought it was hauntingly beautiful.

There is a connection with Merlin and the old Celtic Druids as he's depicted as a wise man of Celtic tradition. Stories say he oversaw the construction of Stonehenge. In later stories he was Christianized and became the prophet of the Holy Grail.

Getting back to present day, John Boorman's film is exceptional and the more recent BBC take is a fun diversion if you have some time.

Cheers all. I hope you have a magical day.

I knew I'd heard the quote before...

Watched that again a couple of years ago, and it still holds up. The visuals, the cast, the soundtrack

Merlin !!! Weave your magic !!

[Roma]

I knew I'd heard the quote before...

Watched that again a couple of years ago, and it still holds up. The visuals, the cast, the soundtrack

Merlin !!! Weave your magic !!

Here's some interesting tidbits about the film:

Nicol Williamson was not the first choice to play Merlin.  The first choice was Donald Sutherland.  Other names considered were Sean Connery and Max Von Sydow.

Williamson got the role but there was a controversy with another star, Helen Mirren who played Morgana.  The two seriously disliked each other and Boorman cast them together thinking that tension would translate to the screen.

Despite not being the first choice, Williamson's portrayal of Merlin was both memorable and iconic.

Other big names from the film include Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart and Gabriel Byrne.

Cheers.

[andy06shake]

It's catchy, isn't it?  It almost sounds ominous...but where did it come from?

It's funny the little things you dig up when you have a few minutes.  I'd wager most, if not all of us have heard that phrase in some form or another.  It's from John Boorman's film Excalibur.  This is the English translation of the spell Merlin speaks which was later stolen by Morgana.  

I found an article on it here:

Merlin's Charm of Making

I've always found Merlin (also known as Myrddin Emrys) an interesting character.  There are stories that he lived his life backwards through time.  Prominently featured in the Arthurian tales he's best known for his ability to shape shift and his guidance of King Arthur.

The Charm of Making in it's original form (if you want to skip the article) is this:

Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha

I don't know why but I always thought it was hauntingly beautiful.

There is a connection with Merlin and the old Celtic Druids as he's depicted as a wise man of Celtic tradition. Stories say he oversaw the construction of Stonehenge. In later stories he was Christianized and became the prophet of the Holy Grail.

Getting back to present day, John Boorman's film is exceptional and the more recent BBC take is a fun diversion if you have some time.

Cheers all. I hope you have a magical day.

Class movie. 

Ah, the 80s.