The legend of Merlin and Vivien has survived throughout the ages in a way that not many other stories have. This phenomenon has been made possible because writers have found remarkable ways to transform the characters and the narrative over the centuries. Each version of the story takes elements from its predecessors and blends them with its own story line, character development, and/or social commentary. This overview discusses those versions of the Merlin and Vivien legend in which the most notable changes take place.
           The French Vulgate texts establish the idea that Viviane is Merlin's student as well as the woman that he is in love with. We also learn that Merlin is the son of the devil. Viviane and Merlin are in love, and Viviane wishes to preserve the state of happiness that they are in. There is no deception or malice involved in Viviane's entrapment of Merlin in the beautiful tower. But in the Post-Vulgate version of the story she is not in love with Merlin and traps him in a much crueler way. The reader of this story is left with the sense that a woman's charm can render even the wisest man helpless. This sense of helplessness reflects the prejudice that is present in the early Arthurian texts that women are important instruments in the downfall of even the greatest men and kingdoms.
           The story takes on an entirely new perspective in Malory's version in the Morte D'Arthur when Nenyve is not at all interested in Merlin. She is a pure young girl and Merlin can not stop thinking about her and plotting to take her virginity. Merlin's behavior towards Nenyve shows that he is very inept when it comes to courtly love and society. It proves what an outsider he is within the court. This feeling of being outside of the court, and being "other" is stressed even more by the placement of Merlin's entrapment within the context of the work as a whole. By getting rid of Merlin very early on, Malory demonstrates that Arthur's court can survive quite well without the aid of magic, prophecy, and "the old way" (Goodrich 15 ). After Nenyve seals Merlin up, she goes on to prove even further that she is a pure and benevolent spirit by saving King Arthur from Accolon. Malory also mentions that Nenyve is the chief Lady of the Lake. By including Nenyve in a context separate from Merlin's imprisonment, he in effect makes her an integral part of the Arthurian legend (Holbrook 776-77).
           In Tennyson's version, told in the "Merlin and Vivien" idyll, the tradition of Merlin's blinding love of Vivien continues. The main difference in this tale is that Vivien is the one who seduces Merlin into loving her. Imagery is used throughout the idylls to convey examples of the bestiality inherent in the forces existing outside of the court, which Arthur is attempting to overcome. This bestiality is particularly evident in Vivien's character. She is associated with serpents, rats, and spiders as she lures Merlin into her trap. Vivien does nothing to redeem herself within Arthur's court as her character does in Malory's version. Vivien's character is viewed by some critics as being "associated with the betrayal of love... and all things French" (Eggers 144). Vivien clearly represents the opposite of Arthur, who for Tennyson is the blameless British king. In Tennyson's scheme of the true and the false, she represents the false at its most unredeemable.
           In the early twentieth century Edwin Arlington Robinson published his poem Merlin, a version of the legend in which Vivian and Merlin are lovers. The issues of magic and entrapment are not part of the story (Starr 1901) since Robinson was primarily interested in a realistic portrayal of the characters. This version is a very important step towards modernizing the story, in that Robinson deals with the issue of the "new woman." Even though Vivian loses her love in the end, she is her own independent person. She is not completely dependent on Merlin in order to continue living her life The poem also presents a sharp contrast between the public and private spheres, represented by Camelot and Broceliande, as is made evident in the poem when Merlin says:

"If I come not,
The lady Vivian will remember me,
And say: 'I knew him when his heart was young,
Though I have lost him now.
Time called him home,
And that was as it was; for much is lost
Between Broceliande and Camelot.'"

           This conflict reflects some of the tension in all lives at the time because of the world war. The story is also a commentary on how the woman's world is not truly part of society. This issue is addressed in how Vivian lives apart from Arthur's court and how Merlin is forced to leave the court in order to be a part of Vivian's world. The story was written during World War One, and the attitude of Vivian may be reflective of the average woman's attitude towards their husbands/lovers having to go away to fight.
           Later in the twentieth century, Merlin became very popular as a literary figure. Tales of Merlin and Vivien were retold in several different kinds of media. There have been films, comic books, short stories, poetry, novels, and adaptations for children made of the Merlin and Vivien legend.
           In her novel The Enchantresses, Vera Chapman creates a modern adaptation of the Merlin and Vivien story for adolescents. In this feminist interpretation, Vivian is a benevolent spirit who is in love with, and eventually marries, Merlin. Vivian has magic powers of her own and proves to be not only very adept at living independently from her lover for long periods of time, but also capable of protecting Arthur from Morgan as he is growing up. The use of magic in this story surfaces mostly through Morgan's malignant actions. Vivian and Merlin, for the most part, use their magic sparingly and only in association with the healing arts and in defense against Morgan's onslaughts. In the story, the frivolous misuse of magic is associated with darkness and the evil intentions of Morgan.
           Valerie Nieman's poem "The Naming of the Lost" is set in the United States. Nieman modernizes the story and Merlin's character becomes a West Virginia farmer named "Merle". The story takes place many years after Merlin's imprisonment. Nimue is portrayed as being a wanderer and is capable of taking care of and providing for herself. She has successfully traveled the world before she meets Merlin. When Nimue meets the wizard, he reveals to her her name and past, as well as how he escaped from imprisonment. Nimue apologizes to Merlin and he accepts her back, proving to be a very forgiving lover. The poem uses the story of Merlin and Vivian to create a beautifully lyrical expression of love and forgiveness.
           One of the most interestingly adapted examples of film exploring the story of Merlin and Vivien is Trevor Jones's Merlin. In this version, Merlin and Nimue are lovers who wish simply to be left in peace. Mab, the embodiment of magic, is the antagonist and is the one who causes the entrapment. A very interesting twist on the story is that Nimue ends up being the one who is entrapped by Mab's magic and, as a result, Merlin must use his own magic in order to fulfill his role in life and to find Mab. Mab is destroyed not by force, but simply by the fact that nobody believes in her or magic anymore. Once Mab has been done away with, Merlin and Nimue get back together and live happily ever after. The story line reflects how our society no longer depends on the magic arts but puts more emphasis on personal qualities and values. It also portrays Nimue as being a true lover, as well as being a strong and independent woman who is able to take care of herself while Merlin is fulfilling his destiny.
           The story of Merlin and Vivien has lasted throughout the years and continues to have a strong hold in modern literature. The versatile and universal theme of love as well as the complex relationship between the characters presented in the story holds much potential for future retellings. The examples examined in this essay suggest that popular culture of the future may very well provide a place where Merlin and Vivien's story will be able to live on in both familiar and entirely revolutionary forms.