Spirits are apparitions of the deceased that can appear to, interact with, and possess the living. Most spirits that appear in the series are human, but places and elements can also have spirits associated with them.
Humans appear to become spirits automatically after death. Most reside in the Spirit World, but some are unable or unwilling to enter it because they have unfinished business among the living. It is also possible to summon them with the aid of spells or magical artifacts.
History
Freya became the spirit of the Lake of Avalon to fulfill her promise to Merlin.
The High Priestess Nimueh summoned Tristan de Bois from the dead as a wraith in order to exact revenge on Uther Pendragon (Excalibur).
The legendary sorcerer Cornelius Sigan gained immortality by sealing his soul inside an enchanted jewel. His spirit later possessed Cedric and used his body to seek revenge against Camelot (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan).
The High Priestess Morgause summoned the spirit of Arthur's mother Ygraine to tell him the truth about his birth (The Sins of the Father).
The spirit of the Seer Taliesin healed Arthur's injuries and showed Merlin the Crystal Cave (The Crystal Cave).
When Merlin's lover, Freya, was dying, she promised him that she would one day repay his kindness. As the spirit of the Lake of Avalon, she fulfilled this promise by retrieving the sword Excalibur from its depths, which allowed him to destroy Morgana's immortal army (The Lady of the Lake, The Coming of Arthur).
Morgana exacted revenge on Camelot by tearing the veil between the worlds, releasing the Dorocha and other spirits such as the Vilia into the living world. She was later visited by the Cailleach, the Gatekeeper to the Spirit World, who said that her enemies would rue the day and the destruction it would bring, but also warned her to beware a man called Emrys, who was destined to bring about her doom.
Merlin was also visited by the Cailleach and later encountered her on the Isle of the Blessed, where he intended to offer himself as a sacrifice to close the veil in Arthur's stead. The Cailleach refused, however, saying that his time among men was not yet over, even if he wanted it to be, and accepted Lancelot as a sacrifice instead (The Darkest Hour).
Morgana summoned Lancelot from the dead as a Shade in order to prevent Gwen from becoming Queen of Camelot. Merlin later freed Lancelot's spirit from her control and helped him find peace (Lancelot du Lac).
After Elyan accidentally disturbed the spirit of a young boy at a Druid Shrine, the boy possessed him and tried to find peace by avenging his death. He tried to kill Arthur, who had led the attack on his camp, but ultimately found peace by forgiving the king after he apologized for what he'd done and swore that the Druids would be treated with respect from then on (A Herald of the New Age).
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When Arthur used the Horn of Cathbhadh to summon his father's spirit, he accidentally released him into the living world. Uther disapproved of many of the changes Arthur had made as King and set about trying to reverse them by any means necessary, even if it meant killing Arthur. Fortunately, Arthur was able to send him back to the Spirit World before he could succeed (The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
While on a quest through the Impenetrable Forest, Merlin was visited by Mab, who introduced herself as the spirit of the forest and all other places of despair. Speaking in riddles and rhyme, she advised Merlin to use his magic to navigate the forest and warned him that one of his party would not return (The Dark Tower).
After Morgana took away his magic and trapped him in the Crystal Cave, Merlin was visited by the spirit of his father Balinor, who urged him not to give up and helped him restore his magic. He later directed Merlin to the heart of the Cave, where his true self would be revealed to him (The Diamond of the Day).
Abilities
Elyan possessed by the Shrine Boy.
Spirits possess a number of ghostly abilities, including interacting with people and objects; appearing and disappearing at will; intangibility; and possessing the living.
They also appear to be magical in nature regardless of whether they could use magic while alive. Cornelius Sigan, for example, used magic to attack Camelot after he took control of Cedric's body; Taliesin used magic to heal Arthur; and Uther was able to levitate objects and conjure fire (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan, The Crystal Cave, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
Some spirits have been shown to be immune to magic. Tristan de Bois, for example, was unscathed by Merlin's fire spell, and Merlin was unable to use his magic at all in the presence of the Dorocha (Excalibur, The Darkest Hour). This is not true of all spirits, however, as Merlin was able to seal Cornelius Sigan's spirit back in its jewel and repel Uther with a stunning spell (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
Most spirits appear to possess some degree of omniscience. Freya was aware that Morgause had used the Cup of Life to create an immortal army, the Vilia knew about Merlin's destiny, and Uther was aware that Arthur had knighted commoners and married Gwen (The Coming of Arthur, The Darkest Hour, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
Weaknesses
The Dorocha could be warded off by fire.
Spirits do not appear to have many weaknesses. Some, such as Wraiths, can be destroyed by weapons burnished in a dragon's breath while others, such as the Dorocha, can be warded off by fire and daylight (Excalibur, The Darkest Hour).
It is possible to exorcise a spirit from a person's body, though the method for doing so is unknown. Merlin wanted to exorcise the Shrine Boy from Elyan's body, but Elyan escaped before he could do so (A Herald of the New Age).
Gwaine once claimed that pouring a circle of salt at the foot of one's bed would provide protection from evil spirits. This proved false, however, as doing so failed to prevent Elyan from being possessed (A Herald of the New Age).
Interestingly, spirits who reside outside of the Spirit World or are summoned from it for a brief time appear to retain their personality outside of it, while spirits who escape or are released from it become shadows of their former selves. For example, Ygraine retained her love for Arthur when she was summoned from the Spirit World while Uther, who was released from it, became a caricature of himself obsessed with Camelot (The Sins of the Father, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
Types of Spirits
Many different types of spirits have appeared in the series. Some are capable of naturally existing in the living world while others have to be summoned with necromancy or magical artifacts.
- Deceased: Spirits of deceased humans. Most reside in the Spirit World after death, but some are able to remain outside of it.
- Wraiths: Spirits of the dead reanimated by necromancy. They differ from Shades in that a body is required.
- Dorocha: Ghostly voices of the dead who can kill a man with a touch. They normally reside in the Spirit World and only come out at night.
- Vilia: Spirits of brooks and streams. They normally reside in the Spirit World and possess powerful healing magic.
- Shades: Tormented souls resurrected by necromancy. They differ from Wraiths in that no body is required.
- Restless Spirits: Tormented souls unable to find peace due to the unjust nature of their deaths. Druids use ancient rituals to heal the ground so that they can find rest, but only the atonement of the perpetrator can truly bring them peace.
Known Spirits
| Name | Type | Purpose | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balinor | Deceased | Helping Merlin rediscover his magic. |   |
| Cailleach | Goddess | Gatekeeper to the Spirit World |   |
| Cornelius Sigan | Deceased |   | |
| Dorocha | Dorocha | Released by Morgana to exact revenge on Camelot. |   |
| Freya | Deceased |
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| Lancelot | Shade | Conjured by Morgana to prevent Gwen and Arthur's marriage. |   |
| Queen Mab | Forest Spirit | Guardian of the Impenetrable Forest and all other places of despair. |   |
| Shrine Boy | Restless Spirit | Sought peace by avenging his death. |   |
| Taliesin | Deceased | Showed Merlin the Crystal Cave. |   |
| Tristan de Bois | Wraith | Avenging his sister's death by killing Uther. |   |
| Uther Pendragon | Deceased | Obsessed with Camelot. |   |
| Vilia | Vilia | Guardians of brooks and streams. |   |
| Ygraine Pendragon | Deceased | Summoned by Morgause to tell Arthur the truth about his birth. |   |
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Appearances
- Series 1
- Excalibur
- Series 2
- The Curse of Cornelius Sigan
- The Sins of the Father
- Series 3
- The Crystal Cave
- The Coming of Arthur
- Series 4
- The Darkest Hour
- Lancelot du Lac
- A Herald of the New Age
- Series 5
- The Death Song of Uther Pendragon
- The Dark Tower
- The Diamond of the Day
Trivia
- Morgause appeared to Morgana in the Spirit World during a deleted scene in The Secret Sharer.
- With the exception of Agravaine, all of Arthur's deceased relatives have appeared as spirits (Excalibur, The Sins of the Father, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
- Uther once thought he saw the spirit of a child he'd executed, but it was only a hallucination (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).
Mythology
Ghosts or Spirits are the souls of the dead who are able to appear to the living. Descriptions of these entities vary widely and include invisible presences, translucent or wispy shapes, and realistic, lifelike forms, and their appearance is often regarded as an omen or portent of death.
In most myths, ghosts were thought to be souls of dead people who were either seeking vengeance or were imprisoned on earth for the bad things they did during life. They were also thought to be the souls of people (particularly women) who died tragically or suffered trauma in life.
Gallery
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To view the Spirit gallery, click here.
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