Tim the Enchanter

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Tim the Enchanter is a fictional character from Monty Python's 1974 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, played by John Cleese (explaining why Lancelot, otherwise played by Cleese, is wearing a helmet in scenes with Tim). In the musical version, he is played by Hank Azaria originally, and other actors include Alan Tudyk and Steve Kazee. Tim is a strange reclusive wizard or conjurer who wears ram horns on his skullcap and has a penchant for fire-based magic. His name derives from the following dialogue between him and King Arthur:

Arthur: What manner of man are you that you can summon up fire without flint or tinder?

Tim: I... am an enchanter.

Arthur: By what name are you known?

Tim: There are some who call me... 'Tim'

Arthur: ...greetings, Tim the Enchanter.

Tim's overall presence is commanding, and observers of his magic often applaud after a display. He speaks with a Scottish accent.

According to one account, the original script included a much more impressive name for the enchanter, which Cleese shortened to "Tim" on camera because he simply forgot the line.

[edit] Tim's appearance in Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Tim is met by King Arthur and his knights in scene 20, where he stands on a mountain conjuring fireballs; when they ask him about the Holy Grail, he leads them to the Cave of Caerbannog. As he engages in dialogue with Arthur and his knights, Tim unnecessarily conjures up flames and fireballs in between responses. His warnings about the cave's guardian, the Rabbit of Caerbannog, are ignored, though, leading to the death of Bors, Gawain, and Ector before the rabbit is killed with the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

Tim also appears earlier in the film in a scene restored in the 2001 rerelease. His role in this scene is limited to joining several characters in shouting at the Character "Dingo" to "get on with it!".

[edit] Appearances in popular culture

• One of the cheat codes of the RPG computer game Betrayal in Antara by Sierra Entertainment is "some call me tim". The cheat kills all opponents in a fight instantly.

• In the computer game Heroes of Might and Magic III, one of the cheat codes is NWCtim. (All the cheat codes are NWC followed by a Monty Python and the Holy Grail reference.)

• In the trading card game Magic: The Gathering the Prodigal Sorcerer card is often affectionately called "Tim"^[1].

• In the online game Kingdom of Loathing there are two pieces of equipment that refer to Tim's hat and staff.

• According to Thomas Erdelyi in the liner notes of All for Nothing, the Replacements album Tim was named for the wizard.

• In the World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade, there is an NPC named "Timothy the Specialist," who, when the player interacts with him, notes that "There are some who call me Tim....".

[edit] References