Poppet

"When the time is right, you must make a likeness of the Prince and bind it to the gift using the skills that I have taught you."

- Morgause to Morgana

Poppets are dolls constructed in the likeness of a person. By focusing their magic on a poppet, a sorcerer can enchant the person it represents.

Mary Collins' Poppet
Mary Collins used a poppet made of straw to murder Lady Helen of Mora. She then disguised herself as Helen to infiltrate Camelot.

When Merlin visited Lady Helen's chambers to deliver a potion, he saw Mary's poppet on her dressing table next to a book. He briefly picked it up to examine it, but put it down when he heard Helen coming. Merlin explained that he was delivering a potion from Gaius and left the room (The Dragon's Call).

Morgana's Poppet
When Arthur embarked on a quest to the Perilous Lands, Morgause instructed Morgana to give him a Phoenix Eye jewel for luck. She then told her to make a poppet representing Arthur and to bind it to the jewel with her magic.

In the safety of her chambers, Morgana constructed the poppet from pieces of wood and cloth and lit it on fire. She stored its ashes in a metal box and later lit them on fire with her magic. Doing so activated the Phoenix Eye she had given Arthur and caused it to drain his life force for as long as the poppet burned (The Eye of the Phoenix).

Merlin's Poppet
The night before Arthur and his allies retook Camelot, Merlin snuck into the citadel and used a poppet to enchant Morgana. He constructed the poppet from straw and incanted a spell that caused it to burst into flame. The fire scorched but did not consume the poppet, and after it stopped burning he hung it beneath Morgana's bed.

Merlin's enchantment prevented Morgana from accessing her magic. As such, she was unable to cast a stunning spell during her confrontation with Arthur and was forced to flee (The Sword in the Stone).

Appearances

 * Series 1
 * The Dragon's Call


 * Series 3
 * The Eye of the Phoenix


 * Series 4
 * The Sword in the Stone: Part Two

Trivia

 * Poppets appear to be very similar to voodoo dolls.
 * Poppets can be constructed from a variety of materials, including straw, wood, and cloth (The Dragon's Call, The Eye of the Phoenix, The Sword in the Stone).
 * Poppets appear to retain their connection to magic even after being destroyed, as Morgana was able to use the ashes of her poppet to activate the Phoenix Eye (The Eye of the Phoenix).