Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24762954-20140731125438/@comment-5102537-20140806094729

ReganX wrote:

One possibility is that the proportion of people using dark magic versus those who used it for good is an unintended consequence of the Great Purge.

Uther's crusade against magic didn't differentiate between those who used it for good and those who used it for dark purposes but, logically, the magic users most likely to evade capture and execution would be both more powerful than average and willing to use their magic aggressively if that was what it took to stay alive. It may also have led to magic users turning to the dark side out of fear and anger.

This was what was said during the first seasons. I think it was either the producers or some actors. However, more than half of those who attacked Camelot or its inhabitants didn't seek revenge on Uther for the Great Purge.

Valiant, the Griffin, Anhora, Cornelius Sigan, Katrina/the troll, the Witchfinder, Freya (she was cursed by other sorcerers), King Align, the Goblin, Hengist (who used magical creatures), Cenred (who allied with sorceresses), those two bandits who disguised as knights, the Shide, the Pixies, the Lamia and probably some more I have forgotten.

Those who seeked revenge on Uther were Morgana, Edward, Morgause (and we still don't know why), Mary Collins, Nimueh, Mordred, Gili and Agravaine.

And the show did everything in its power to show us what terrible weapons the Old Religion had created in order to defeat others or to torment them, like the Afanc, the Griffin, the Lamia, the Fomorroh and the Knights of Medir, for example.

Since the land was ruined and chaos was brought to it by those who misused magic long before Uther was born (as we know, the Diamair told Merlin that his race was wiped out several hundred years ago), all those battles and wars and also the creatures made by the Old Religion/High Priests and priestesses had nothing to do with Uther.

Even Balinor, who was a peaceful man, represented a group of people who could be and probably were quite dangerous. Demanding such a powerful creature like a dragon was one of the ultimate weapons of power from which nobody could ever defend themselves. We have no idea how Uther managed to wipe the dragons out but logic tells us that he must have used magical help.

Magic was presented to us as a very dangerous, ruthless and almost undefeatable power that was rightfully feared and hated. Only Merlin, some druids, Balinor and Freya represented a very small group of magic-users who didn't want to rule the world and oppress everyone.