Wyvern

Wyvern
Eye colour	Red
Family	Reptile
Skin colour	Dark scales
Affiliation	Dragonlord
Appearances	The Eye of the Phoenix The Darkest Hour: Part One (cameo) The Darkest Hour: Part Two

“Wyverns -- distant cousins of the dragon. They're creatures of magic, so be careful.”

— Gwaine to Merlin^[src]

Wyvern are magical dragon-like beasts and, as such, are distant relatives of dragons.

History

When Arthur Pendragon set upon a quest to retrieve the golden trident of the Fisher King, he travelled to the Perilous Lands and reached the King's Dark Tower. There, he was attacked by several Wyverns, with which the tower was infested. The Prince, having his life force sucked out by a Phoenix Eye, would have been killed if Merlin and Gwaine hadn't saved him. As the wyverns were related to dragons, a Dragonlord, like Merlin, was able to command them. (The Eye of the Phoenix)

The creatures about to attack Arthur.

Morgana, High Priestess of the Old Religion, took her dying sister Morgause to the Isle of the Blessed to sacrifice her in the ritual that could tear the Veil between the two worlds. The Isle was now infested with wyverns, but these creatures didn't attack the sisters or the old man who ferried them across the lake.

A Wyvern attacks

Upon arriving at the Isle of the Blessed, the Knights of the Round Table were attacked by two wyverns. Merlin was able to command them to leave, but more attacked. Elyan, Sir Leon and Percival held them off, so that the other knights could complete their quest (The Darkest Hour).

Appearance

The wyverns back off at Merlin's commands

Wyvern are similar in appearance to dragons. However unlike the dragons, who are very large, wyverns are only slightly larger than a human. A Wyvern is also more birdlike, has red eyes, and horns. As they didn't breathe fire when fighting Merlin, Arthur and Gwaine, it is likely they don't have that ability. Unlike dragons, the wyverns were never shown talking, suggesting they are more animal-like. Despite being described as creatures of magic, Wyverns don't seem to have an aptitude for magic, either.

Appearances

Series 3

The Eye of the Phoenix

Series 4

The Darkest Hour: Part One (cameo)

The Darkest Hour: Part Two

Myth



Wyvern image

Wyvern were thought to have the characteristics of dragons and birds, and to be aggressive predators, attacking anything thought to be a good meal. Their main damage came from their talons and tail. In myths, the wyverns couldn't breathe fire.

Although they have the strength and ferocity of dragons, wyverns lack the grace and intelligence which are innate to dragons. Wyverns typically prey on deer, goats, and other such creatures. Unlike dragons, which can be sometimes good and sometimes evil, the wyvern is unambiguously malicious.

Wyverns are found often in heraldry. The wyvern represents war, envy, and pestilence, and is a sign of strength to those who bear it.

The origin of the word wyvern comes from thirteenth-century word "wyver", which in turn is derived from the French wyvere, which means both "viper" and "life."

• In heraldry and myth, Wyverns only have two legs and two wings (like a bird) as apposed to four legs as often depicted on Dragons. In some myth, Wyverns are depicted as having only wings and a serpent body.** Oxford Dictionary defines a Wyvern as "a winged two-legged dragon with a barbed tail.
• "Scared-texts" heraldic site also gives examples stating "a creature resembling the dragon, but having only two legs..."

Trivia

• Interestingly, although the creatures did not attack Morgana or Morgause, they didn't hesitate to attack Arthur's party, despite Merlin being one of them and, had it not been for his dragonlord powers, they would have been killed. It is unknown if the sisters possessed some ability to keep them away or just coincidentally managed to get to the area without being noticed by the savage creatures.

  

• During Merlin's first visit to the Isle of the Blessed, there were no wyverns around.
• Interestingly, the creatures inhabit areas like the Isle of the Blessed and the Fisher King's lands, despite sharing few similarities.
• The three-year old white dragon, Aithusa, seen in Series 5, would appear to be the same size as a wyvern. And all the wyverns seen in Merlin are presumably fully grown.