The Manticore is a powerful creature of dark magic that resides in the Spirit World. It is one of the most fearsome and dangerous creatures in existence.
History[]
The Manticore is summoned from the Spirit World.
The Manticore was first sighted almost a thousand years before Uther's reign. According to Geoffrey, the ancients lived in fear of it and trembled at its very name, but over time its existence faded into myth.
Alice summoned the Manticore near the end of Uther's reign. She hoped to use its powers for good, but it was too powerful for her to control and she fell under its thrall.
The Manticore forced Alice to poison Uther's medicine with its venom. However, Merlin and Gaius saved Uther by summoning the Manticore and then destroying the box its portal was bound to. With its connection to the Spirit World severed, the Manticore was destroyed and its venom was rendered powerless (Love in the Time of Dragons).
Appearance[]
The Manticore is a small creature about the size of a cat. It has the body, legs, and paws of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, and the face of a man. It also has a large neck frill, long pointed ears, a ridge of spikes down its back, and sharp teeth and claws (Love in the Time of Dragons).
Abilities[]
Though small in size, the Manticore is quite strong and capable of attacking with its claws, teeth, and tail. Its tail secretes a deadly, magical venom strong enough to kill an adult human in less than a day and has no natural cure. The only way to save someone infected by Manticore venom is to kill the Manticore it came from by severing its link to the Spirit World.
The Manticore is also capable possessing a victim's mind and forcing them to do things against their will.
Though a native of the Spirit World, the Manticore is able to travel to the physical world through portals. It is unknown whether it is able to create its own portal without being summoned (Love in the Time of Dragons).
Trivia[]
- The Manticore was voiced by Eddie Marsan (Love in the Time of Dragons).
Mythology[]
Manticore (Rochester Bestiary)
The Manticore is originally a creature of Persian mythology and religion, which dates back to around 1000 BC, however it has none of the lore attached to it that is mentioned in Merlin, such as magical powers or a short lifespan in the mortal world, or ties to a spirit world.
The oldest mention of the creature, however, is from the fourth century through a remark by Ctesias, a Greek physician at the Persian court of King Artaxerxes II, in his book Indica ("India"), which circulated among Greek writers on natural history that has only survived in fragments, or references by those other writers. The fourth century BC is about 2500 years from the 2010s, making Geoffrey's comment about the first references of the creature being "over a thousand years ago" accurate.
Gallery[]
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See Also[]
| Series 3 Enemies |
|---|
| The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Morgause † • Morgana † • Cenred † • Serkets • Undead Skeletons † Goblin's Gold: Goblin • Gaius † (indirect) Gwaine: Dagr † • Ebor † • Cylferth † The Crystal Cave: Morgause † • Morgana † The Changeling: Sidhe Elder † • Grunhilda † • Elena (indirect) The Castle of Fyrien: Morgause † • Morgana † • Cenred † • Fermin The Eye of the Phoenix: Morgause † • Morgana † • Wyverns Love in the Time of Dragons: Manticore † • Alice (indirect) Queen of Hearts: Morgause † • Morgana † • Uther † The Sorcerer's Shadow: Gilli • Tindr • Nollar † • Morgana † The Coming of Arthur: Morgause † • Morgana † • Cenred † • Jarl † • Immortal Army † |