Shapeshifting was a powerful type of magic that altered the user's physical form. Some creatures possessed this ability naturally, while others could access it with enchantments such as glamours.
History
When Aulfric and Sophia were exiled from Avalon, they were stripped of their immortality and forced to take on human forms (The Gates of Avalon).
As part of her plot to gain the wealth and power associated with the throne of Camelot, a troll used an enchanted potion to take the form of the Lady Catrina. She had to keep taking the potion at regular intervals and reverted to her true form within hours of missing a single dose (Beauty and the Beast).
Freya was cursed to transform into a murderous Bastet at the stroke of midnight. The curse forced her to kill at least one person every night and lasted until the end of her life (The Lady of the Lake).
When Merlin accidentally released a Goblin inside the castle, it frequently evaded capture by transforming into floating balls of light. Later, after Arthur discovered that it was possessing Gaius, the Goblin used its magic to give him the ears and voice of a donkey (Goblin's Gold).
At the Sidhe Elder's behest, the pixie Grunhilda posed as a human in order to act as nanny to Princess Elena, who had been placed under a changeling enchantment as part of a twenty year plot to control the throne of Camelot.
As a changeling, Elena was being inhabited by a Sidhe who would eventually emerge and possess her entirely. The fairy was strong enough to begin this process by the time Elena reached adulthood, but Grunhilda kept the transformation dormant with pixie dust until the time came to carry out the Elder's plan (The Changeling).
Amongst the Lamia's powers was the ability to transform at will from a human woman to a serpentine monster (Lamia).
Morgana cast a powerful glamour enchantment on Gwen that transformed her into a deer. Unlike most glamour spells, which created mere illusions, the spell Morgana used apparently changed Gwen's physical form, as the tracks she left when she fled from Arthur's hunting party were those of a deer's (The Hunter's Heart).
Known Shapeshifters
| Shapeshifter | Status | Method | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troll (Catrina) | † | Troll Glamour Potion |  |
| Freya | † | Bastet Curse |  |
| Goblin | Alive | Goblin Magic |  |
| Grunhilda | † | Sidhe Magic |  |
| Elena | Alive | Changeling Enchantment |  |
| Lamia | † | Lamia Magic |  |
Appearances
- Series 1
- The Gates of Avalon (Mentioned indirectly)
- Series 2
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lady of the Lake
- Series 3
- Goblin's Gold
- The Changeling
- Series 4
- Lamia
- The Hunter's Heart
Trivia
- Some ageing spells include elements of shapeshifting. When Merlin transformed himself into Dragoon the Great, he took on not only the appearance, but the physical infirmities of an 80-year-old man (Queen of Hearts, The Wicked Day, A Servant of Two Masters).
Gallery
