User blog comment:OneofthePendragon94/The age of Merlin, Arthur, Morgana and Gwen./@comment-28556325-20160528002620

Hi guys! Here are my thoughts on the age of the main "young" Merlin cast

Arthur-Is 20 years old in the first few episodes of season 1, due to the beginning of the Great Purge being mentioned as 20 years ago, and he is 21 by the Coming Of Age Ceremony, as that was considered absolute adulthood I believe, and it was implied that this was his age (21), by the end of season 5, he is 31.

Morgana-I realize that the creators named Morgana as the oldest, but this does not make sense chronologically as the original script named her as the SAME AGE as Merlin, so the creators obviously retconned Morgana's age, but it also does not tie in with Morgause's origin. Morgause was around 28 years of age at her arrival on the show, courtesy of her main page on this wikipedia. If Morgause is 28 years in late season 2, and Morgana by that time is 21ish, considering she would be 18 years old at the Start of season 1, season one spans a year, the season gap is a year, and season 2 is like 8 months at around episode 2x08. So 1 year+1 year+ 8 months= 2 years and 8 months+18 years, so 21 years old. Apparently Morgause was left at the Isle of the Blessed before the Great Purge, so almost immediately after birth, and her death was faked before Uther started the Great Purge. So Uther must have been slighted by magic some other time before Arthur for him to possibly target Morgause. So at this point, Morgause is around 25 at the start of the series, subtracting the 2 years and 8 months added by the two seasons and intermission, so she was around 5 when the Great Purge started, and Arthur was around 6 months to 12 months old, which contributes to his starting age at the beginning. Morgana must have been born during the purge to accommodate the same age as Merlin designation, and the comment that Uther made about her "not being there"during the purge. I take this comment as not being born. In my own logic, Uther sent Gorlois to fight Druids or a magical uprising in the Northern Plains during the first year of the Great Purge leaving Uther and Vivienne alone. Vivienne bereft of her daughter and husband, grew likely indeed, and a still grieving Uther slept together to ease each other's pain and Morgana was conceived. In my opinion it makes no sense for Uther to sleep with Vivienne before his marriage to Ygraine, as he then would have just then needed to conquer Camelot and immediately sleep with Vivienne, when she would have been pregnant with Morgause as Uther must have needed to be married to Ygraine for a minimum of 3 years for it to be a problem that she hadn't gotten pregnant yet. Fertility only becomes a problem after a certain amount of time, not just the first few months of marriage. So if Vivienne was pregnant with Morgause, and Morgause is 7 years older than Morgana, then it wouldn't make sense for Vivienne to have Morgana so early, as the age gap between Morgause and Morgana would be compromised. And the chances that Uther would sleep with another woman, when still married to Ygraine are astronomical. He would never cheat on Ygraine.

So after Ygraine died, and Arthur was still an infant, the Great Purge and starting in the first year of it, Vivienne and Uther conceived Morgana, and she was born in the second year of the purge, having the pregnancy about 9 months time. Other would have slept with Vivienne because he was still empty over Ygraine's death and Vivienne was there. So Arthur is numerically 6-12 months+1 year=2 years older than Morgana. I think Uther would have found out that Morgause was indeed smuggled out of Camelot and sent to the High Priestesses, and knowing this he would conclude that Vivienne was also a witch as Gorlois had no powers, and Vivienne passed down her powers to Morgause. So then either Uther killed Vivienne after Morgana was born, or Vivienne fled leaving her daughter with Gorlois.

So recap, Arthur is 20 at start of Season 1, and 31 at the end of Season 5

Morgana is barely 18 at Start of 1, and 29 at the end of Season 5.

By the same logic Gwen is a few years older than Morgana because she came into Morgana's service at around Morgana at age 10, so Gwen herself must be a minimum of 2 years older to be considered a suitable canidate for Morgana's maid, and Gwen's mom is most likely dead at this point so, Gwen had to be at least a pre-teen to take on such grueling work as being a maid to provide for their family. So Guinevere is 21 at the start of Season 1, and 32 at the end of Season 5, which actually correspond's with Angel Coulby's actual age of 32 at the end of the series.

Considering Morgana is the same age as Merlin, he might be slightly older because his father Balinor, was probably hunted around the beginning of the Great Purge, but he and Hunith must have been together for a few months and her pregnancy must have taken 9 months so configure 4 months+9months=13 months. And Morgana was 12 months+9months=21 months. Merlin is around 9 months older than Morgana. Merlin is like almost 19 at the beginning of Season 1 and 29-30 at the end of Season 5.

This is just my opinion, and it is based upon my dislike for retconning. So I take the original material as my basis, and also Morgana being the oldest doesn't make sense.

I also think that Morgana found herself the rightful heir to the throne because Morgause must of told her sister that Arthur was born with the help of magic, and Morgana's own natural birth a few years later makes her the best candidate as her birth was not a hypocrisy. Arthur was born of the very thing that Uther sought to destroy, therefore making his kingship somewhat of a mockery, and biologically Morgana is more so related to Uther as no magical "fertility treatment" or catalyst was needed for her birth. I also think that Uther wanted his first born son to be the king, but if the public knew the circumstances of Arthur's birth, and that Morgana was his biological child, it could be fuel used to deny Arthur kingship.

So here is my timeline-

Uther conquers Camelot

Vivienne and Gorlois have Morgause-Morgause is sent to live at the Isle of the Blessed, and her death is faked

Uther marries Ygraine

Guinevere is born to Thomas and her mother

Uther is married to Ygraine for 3-4 years-her fertility becomes an issue

Nimueh is enlisted to help foster Arthur's birth

Arthur is born-Ygraine dies in child birth

Nimueh is banished

After Uther spends 6-12 months in shock and after some personal investigating of Nimueh, and the nature of Magic the Great Purge is started

Balinor and Hunith meet

4 months later Merlin is conceived, Balinor leaves to hide

Merlin is born

Morgana is conceived between Uther and Vivienne, Gorlois away fighting

Morgana is born

Uther finds out that Vivienne is a witch so she runs away, leaving Morgana with Gorlois

In year 12 of the Purge Morgana comes to live with Arthur and Uther, Arthur is around 12, and Morgana is 10. Guinevere is 13. Merlin is 11.

Gwen's mom dies, and Gwen becomes Morgana's maid.

Morgause trains as a high priestess from age 1-27ish before she meets Morgana in Season 2.

8 years later the events of Merlin begin.

Here is my take on the ages of the cast. To me this makes sense. Have any questions let me know.