Also know by the name of Taliesin, King Arthur's advisor is one of the
first and most well known wizards in fiction.
He is more than a wizard, for his powers and knowledge stretch into the
domains of the ancient Celtic druids. As such, he represents also the
belief in ancient gods and powers almost gone from the country.
Merlin represents well the category I called "The Wizard Sage".
He follows the central character of the story (king Arthur) from birth,
making sure he will grow to fulfill his destiny. He is the king's (Arthur's
father, before him and then himself)
most trusted advisor and his powers are used in strange ways to help
further what he sees as good.
A complete and very interesting biography on Merlin can be found here.
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