Legend to Novel: The Sons of Constance

Like all books in The Swithen series, The Sons of Constance remains faithful to the real source legends of King Arthur. But as for the finished work, how much is from the legend and what was added to make it compelling as a novel, and work within the series? Author Scott Telek explains.

The plot to kill Merlin
The whole story with Vortiger’s tower and the advice to include the blood of a fatherless boy is from the legend, as is the idea that the clerics see that Merlin will result in their deaths. Merlin does leave his mother, and in the source legend, that is the last time we ever see her! He also does befriend the messengers, who intercede to save his life. None of those characters are named in the legend, however, so any character development (of Mark, or Arledge the cleric) is added. The two stories on the way back—of the man who buys shoes, then dies, and the singing priest not knowing that his own son is dead—are definitely from the old legend, and they were just too weird not to include! The whole thing with Merlin getting Vortiger to promise to kill the clerics is from the legend—and is awesome—as is that Merlin ultimately allows them to live. The detail that it was the very devil that sired Merlin that led them to this plan is also straight from the legend.

Vortiger
Vortiger (called Vortigern in most sources) is indeed from the legend, as are the details of his story—how he seized the throne, was a tyrant, sought a tower to protect himself, was told that he will surely die by Merlin (one of my favorite scenes), and does die. Everything about how he thinks and feels about any of this is added for the novel. Thus, his reflections on being considered a tyrant, his scenes with Hengist and Rowena, and his thoughts about what Merlin tells him are all added. Once Merlin tells him he will die, we basically hear that he is dead and that’s it. So everything about his final days and how he spends them is entirely created for the novel.

The two dragons
Very definitely from the legend—the red dragon is still the symbol and flag of Wales (although the legend does very clearly say that the white one wins). The only addition is the description of the battle. The story of how the dragons got there is really in an earlier legend contained in The Mabinogion.

Merlin’s varying guises to meet Pendragon and Uther
All of this is definitely from the legend, even though I have no idea what it means. It seems like a lot of runaround, yet it is there in the legend and it gives a lot of flavor to Merlin, so I decided to include it. It also provides a nice rest period between Vortiger’s story and when the story of the brothers really kicks in, so I kept it.

Pendragon
Pendragon himself is very much as found in the legend; a straight-up, noble king. His apology to Merlin and discussion of the future is added by me. Merlin’s writing The Book of Prophecies in the legend and is both a separate book and a chapter of Geoffery of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain, although I warn you—NOT exciting reading. The plan to allow the Saxons to simply leave is in the legend, as is the dragon of fire in the sky and Merlin’s brilliant plan to keep the new Saxons away from water before the later battle of Salisbury. We learn after it happens that Pendragon has died, so everything about his death and the whole thing about the Circle of Fire was created by me.

Ulfius
Ulfius is Uther’s best friend in the legend, but doesn’t have much to do in this section of the story. But he will play a much larger part in the next book (and afterward), so I beefed up his character here to provide more continuity into the next book. Almost all of the scenes with Ulfius in this novel are invented. Keep your eye on Ulfius.

Brantius
The character of Brantius, as well as his whole plot, is very much in the legend, although he is never named. He is just a figure—the man who tests Pendragon—so everything about his thoughts and feelings is created by me. The scene where Merlin scolds the brothers is very much in the legend, and I love it! There is the slightest hint—literally a sentence—that suggests that Brantius’ tale has become the talk of the town, and I was so enchanted by the macabre idea of the whole kingdom awaiting his death, that I blew it up into what it is. Everything about people looking at him with morbid curiosity, his wife, his having to move to another town, his discussions with Pendragon, all of it is invented. His death, of course, is straight from the legend.

Meylinde
Merlin’s mother is dropped from the legend as soon as he leaves her, so everything after that point is invented by me. I just couldn’t bear to leave her in such a cold way after all that she has been through, but the fact that Merlin has to be away from people at times gave me a way to keep her in the story in a way that is also true to the legend. Everything about her being Merlin’s moral adviser is added by me.

Uther
Uther is not very active in this part of the legend, and is blandly obedient and straightforward, so everything about his personality is invented, largely to lead into the next book, in which Uther becomes the main character. Uther being warned by Merlin about Hengist’s plot to kill him is in the legend, but the description of that scene is not. The whole thing about Uther not expecting or wanting to be king himself is created by me. The comment Merlin makes about seeing Uther as king is in the legend, but there is no follow-up, and everyone just acts like it was never said. So all of Uther’s thought process about that is added. Uther’s strained relationship with Merlin is all created by me.

The Round Table
Merlin does indeed create the Round Table for Uther, and Uther does found the first generation Knights of the Round Table. Everything about the actual design and creation of the table is added. Lanford and Upton, the makers of the table, do not exist at all in the legend. The concluding scene in which the table magically draws all the men into fellowship is in the legend.

Stonehenge
Merlin does create Stonehenge in the legend. Stonehenge was created in 4,000 BC, roughly 5,000 years before the Arthurian legends were laid down, and I love the idea that no one knew where it came from—so they just said Merlin made it. The idea that Stonehenge is Pendragon’s grave is in the legend.

Merlin
Most of the Merlin action in this book follows the legend. Most of his awesome lines (“I see his death very well—and yours, too!”)are taken from the legend. The entire aspect that Merlin cannot perceive human emotion is added by me. The thing that Merlin has to be away from people is definitely in the legend, but his reverting to a devilish state and returning to his mother is added (as his mother is gone from the legend by this point). Merlin’s strange feelings about Pendragon’s apology is added. Merlin’s scolding of Uther at Stonehenge is completely created by me, and is there to set up the troubled relationship between Merlin and Uther that will continue into the next book.