Dumb Thought but what if Harry is Merlin

[Archangel62]

Ok this is going to be a bit weird but a lot of this has to do with Demonreach and some of the myths involving Merlin. The idea would involve Harry being hurled back through time but the main reason I think about it is that Demonreach seems to recognize Harry and he feels a strange connection to everything. Also things are bound but are getting loose. The idea here is admittedly a bit iffy but if Harry was somehow hurled back he could re-link with demonreach, he would know it and it would meet him for the first time. Merlin was said to be able to know the future by remembering it, now this could be Merlin interpreting time backwards OR it could be Harry rememebering key events and handling things that way. Keeper of swords, he'd got that down. And he could learn what he needed to learn then and come back to the present with a story no one would believe and that hurts his head in terms of causality

[SpacedCowboy]

Not saying you're right on this (though I'd *like* it to be right ) but it might also explain Odin's interest and relationship with Harry, given that Odin is rumoured to be the one who taught Merlin magic in the first place.

[Yuillegan]

Not a dumb thought at all. It is one that has been speculated on in several threads if you look for them. Hard to prove or disprove as there isn't enough evidence.

One of the main issues is that we arn't sure of what actually happened to Merlin in the Dresden Files. He just up and disappears. And Jim has denied he is the british prisoner in Demonreach...which doesn't mean Merlin isn't in Demonreach altogether.

But from a writing perspective I think this story isn't about Merlin's life. I think Harry and he could be part of the same bloodline. Jim has hinted several times that bloodlines are important in his multiverse and that perhaps all his main characters share the same bloodline. But I think Merlin's story is big and complex enough it would take it's own series and this series is about the End of Days.

But who knows? Have you noticed any direct in-text hints to suggest Harry is Merlin?

[morriswalters]

Suppose the prisoner is Harry coming back after a round hell raising as Merlin.  After all it would be Harry in the cell and Obi Wan, I mean Jim, could say,"What I told you was true, in a way."

[Yuillegan]

True, but would be cop out. Also, I think Harry would never end up British. But that's just my thinking.

[Bad Alias]

Jim has hinted several times that bloodlines are important in his multiverse and that perhaps all his main characters share the same bloodline.
...
Have you noticed any direct in-text hints to suggest Harry is Merlin?

What? When? Where? I missed that.

There's a lot of parallels, but I haven't seen anything specific.

Jim has said that Merlin was dead, but death means less in a story like the Dresden Files. I think the question was something like "will we see the OG Merlin?" Jim responded with something like "No ... because he's dead ... but that doesn't necessarily rule it out in this kind of story."

[Yuillegan]

Yeah he said it in an interview. It was part joke, but part not joke either.

Dudesan: Do The Dresden Files and The Codex Alera share the same metacosmology? Were the many migrations (such as the ancestors of the Alerans, the Marat, and the Canim) through the Nevernever? Should we worry about a Vord invasion of Earth? Bob mentioned that many worlds thought to be fictional do exist in some sense- I think his example is that “Spider-man is real… somewhere out there. What, you think this is the only world?”
Jim: 2) What kind of insane person would design a universe like that? Next you’re going to come up with some kind of theory about how a single extended family bloodline runs through all of these obviously unrelated story universes, and how all of my central heroes actually belong to one family.
Psssh. No one’s going to buy that.

What's even more interesting is the amount of times Jim actually talks about bloodlines in interviews. If you can be bothered looking, he actually talks about it a lot. I suspect bloodlines will be VERY important to the overall series.

Well, Jim says that there are many different levels of dead. And that's a big spectrum and a squishy line type deal. And we also may deal with some time-travel so we might see him that way too.

[Bad Alias]

I remember that now.

[Paviel]

Isn't Ebenezer a descendant of Merlin? That would make Harry a descendant of Merlin too.

[EBRIEN]

Not a dumb thought...Here's one for ya: Harry is the kwisatz haderach.

Margaret figured out how to create a starborn with Malcolm. Or maybe, Elaine and Harry will combine their DNA and create the kwisatz haderach. The Bene Gesserit were all about blood lines and manipulating them.

I know...utter silliness. With all the new stuff and cool guesses floating around, my brain just sorta sparked this thought.

Harry just fits the bill as the ONE. Maybe we should be asking this question: Why isn't he Merlin?

To tell you the truth, with the world being what it is, I find reading the Paranet relaxing. Thanks for all the thinking you put into this forum.

Hope all of you are well and healthy--Brien

[Walter the skull]

I've wondered if Harry is Merlin also.

[Regenbogen]

Not a dumb thought...Here's one for ya: Harry is the kwisatz haderach.

Margaret figured out how to create a starborn with Malcolm. Or maybe, Elaine and Harry will combine their DNA and create the kwisatz haderach. The Bene Gesserit were all about blood lines and manipulating them.

I know...utter silliness. With all the new stuff and cool guesses floating around, my brain just sorta sparked this thought.

Harry just fits the bill as the ONE. Maybe we should be asking this question: Why isn't he Merlin?

To tell you the truth, with the world being what it is, I find reading the Paranet relaxing. Thanks for all the thinking you put into this forum.

Hope all of you are well and healthy--Brien

Funny. Could be one reason why Langtry doesn't like him around. He feels threatened in his position. Not now but in about 40-50 years Harry could outclass him.
I don't think Harry IS Merlin, but he is  descendent. Maybe he has the potential to become as powerful as the original Merlin, because of his family tree and being a starborn AND the Winter Knight AND the Warden of Demonreach.

[toodeep]

Aww, come on, once you go through the timeline enough times anything is possible.  Harry learns enough now to go back and become Merlin.  Harry learns enough as Merlin to go back even further and become Odin.  Odin learns enough to go back even further and become TWG.  There's no reason not to take the time travel power boosts all the way to the top!

[g33k]

Aww, come on, once you go through the timeline enough times anything is possible.  Harry learns enough now to go back and become Merlin.  Harry learns enough as Merlin to go back even further and become Odin.  Odin learns enough to go back even further and become TWG.  There's no reason not to take the time travel power boosts all the way to the top!

@toodeep wins the thread.

[morriswalters]

Aww, come on, once you go through the timeline enough times anything is possible.  Harry learns enough now to go back and become Merlin.  Harry learns enough as Merlin to go back even further and become Odin.  Odin learns enough to go back even further and become TWG.  There's no reason not to take the time travel power boosts all the way to the top!

Given that Jim made all this up, what's your point?  You bought in to a wizard fighting in the heart of downtown Chicago.  Didn't you?  If Jim needs Harry to be TWG, then by damn, Harry will be TWG.  Having said that I feel much better.