Nimueh (Merlin)

Nimueh is a female television character that features in BBC's Merlin.

Biography

Nimueh was a female human born long ago on the British Isles during the times before King Arthur. In that time, she was a High Priestess of the Old Religion where she came to practice magic alongside Gaius. During that era, she was friends with King Uther Pendragon who had desired a son and heir but came to realise that Ygraine Pendragon was incapable of providing one. Thus, King Uther asked for Gaius to approach Nimueh about using her power over life and death to get the queen pregnant. Nimueh agreed to the request and her magic resulted in the birth of Arthur Pendragon but this came at the price of his mother's death. According to Nimueh, this was needed for the heir's birth as a life had to be taken in order tor restore balance to the world in accordance with the laws of the Old Religion. Grieving the death of his wife, Uther came to blame magic in general and Nimueh in particular for the death of Ygraine with this resulting in him instituting the Great Purge. This was a commandment that led to hundreds of sorcerers being killed and driving the surviving practitioners out of Camelot. Some such as Gaius conformed to the dictates of the New Religion whilst Nimueh was vanished from the court where she vowed revenge for the death of all her compatriots.

Nimueh exacted some measure of this revenge after Merlin began his apprenticeship with Gaius. She created an Afanc, a creature conjured of the elements of earth and water, with which she poisoned the water supply of Camelot. However, the plan was thwarted by Merlin, Arthur, and Morgana who destroyed the Afanc using the combined power of the elements fire and wind. Uther was dismayed when Gaius discovered a mark on the Afanc's egg that proved that the plague was Nimueh's handiwork. (Episode: The Mark of Nimueh) In the aftermath, Nimueh came to swear revenge on Merlin for foiling her plan. Soon after that she posed as the handmaiden "Cara" within the court of Lord Bayard of Mercia. When Bayard travelled to Camelot to sign a peace treaty with Uther, Nimueh traveled with his retinue and traded out a chalice originally meant for Arthur with one that she had poisoned, and inveigled for Merlin to drink from it. She blamed the poisoning of the chalice on Bayard in order to sow discord and incite war, but the truth was discovered by Gaius before Camelot and Mercia could resume hostilities. She later led an unwitting Arthur to the caves under the Forest of Balor when he ventured to find the Mortaeus flower. She left him for dead as enormous spiders swarmed, but he was saved by a light sent by Merlin who knew he was in trouble. (Episode: The Poisoned Chalice) Nimueh later attempted to kill Uther by reanimating his brother-in-law Tristan de Bois, who had sworn to return from the dead and avenge his sister's death, as a wraith. Ultimately, Uther wielded the sword Excalibur, which had been forged by Gwen's father, taken by Merlin to The Great Dragon, and imbued with ancient magic for Arthur – to defeat Tristan. Infuriated by her defeat, Nimueh fled Camelot once again. (Episode: Excalibur)

Overview

Powers and abilities

As a High Priestess of the Old Religion, Nimueh was a very powerful sorceress who mastered control of the elements as well as the power over life and death. She claimed to have the power of prediction, suggesting that she was a Seer. Using a scrying fount, she's able to remotely view events as they occur. She may also have been capable of magically communicating with individuals at a great distance.

She was able to easily stop Merlin's magical attack on her during their final confrontation by absorbing it into her hand.

Notes

• Nimueh was created by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy where she was portrayed by actress Michelle Ryan and featured in the setting of BBC's Merlin universe.
• The character was based on Nimue who was regarded as the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian Legend.

Appearances

• Merlin: (2008)

External Link

• Merlin Wiki Entry

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