The Lady of the Lake - who was she and what does she have to do with King Arthur?

"I cannot tell how the truth may be; I say the tale as 'twas said to me." Walter Scott

The hand rising out of the water, clutching King Arthur's mighty Excalibur -- That is the image I see when I think of the Lady of the Lake. 

 

Of course there is a great deal more to the Lady of the Lake than merely a hand sticking out of a lake with a sword clutched in it! She plays a pivotal role in many of the stories of Arthur and his knights - most notably in the story of Lancelot. 

In Arthurian Legend she is best remembered for:

*Giving Arthur, Excalibur.

*Enchanting Merlin.

*Raising Lancelot after his father's death.

*Nurses Lancelot back to health when he loses his mind.

Let us take a look at the stories and see how the character of The Lady of the Lake developed.

It is in the Lancelot-Grail Cycle where we first learn about The Lady of the Lake. Her name was Vivianne and she is the apprentice of Merlin. Merlin loves her dearly, despite knowing, for he has foreseen, that Viviane will be his undoing, his destruction, his doom! She wants to know all his secrets - she wishes to become as powerful as he is.

Merlin cannot resist her charms. Ignoring the risks, he tells her everything. In return she traps him in a tree - or was it a cave? - a stone? Anyway, he is entombed and apart from the odd wailing that is said to be heard from Merlin's Cave in Wales every so often, he is never heard of again. Such is life.

 In the Post-Vulgate Cycle's, her name changed to Ninianne, and Excalibur makes an appearance.

Sir Robert Malory and The Lady of the Lake.

In Malory's epic tale there are two Ladies of the Lake. Nimue and Nyneve - the reason soon becomes apparent.

Nimue

Nimue is not the typical Arthurian lady - think of all the women you meet in Arthurian Legend - some of the worst villains are, in fact, women - Morgan La Fay being the obvious one, but remember, even Guinevere brings down a kingdom with her notorious affair with Lancelot. No, Nimue is not like them, she is a force for good. She is married to Sir Pelleas, and is seemingly obedient to her husband, but secretly she sways the court of Camelot to do what is right and what is good. She is clever, but sympathetic. Strong, yet kind.

Although, saying that...in Le Morte d'Arthur, after she enchants Merlin, and subsequently entombs him, she then takes his place as Arthur's closest adviser. When Arthur is mortally wounded she travels with him back to Avalon and takes the sword back.

 

Edward Burne-Jones (1872-1877) The Beguiling of Merlin.

Nyneve

Nyneve is the other Lady of the Lake - she too marries Sir Pelleas and is a force for good. She is also linked with giving Arthur, Excalibur. It is interesting that in this story, Arthur receives Excalibur not once, but three times:

Firstly he pulls the sword from the stone.

Then he is given the sword from the Lady of the Lake.

And lastly, Nyneve presents Arthur with the sword in the midst of battle??!

When ever Arthur is in trouble the Lady of the Lake seemingly helps him. A fairy godmother if you like...minus the pumpkin! Instead she brings swords - far more useful.

Nyneve first appears in the tale of Arthur's wedding - noticeable the same time that The Round Table does, and the two have often been linked with this whole idea of chivalry and the Knights Code of Honour ever since.

The story of the Lady of the Lake has enchanted storytellers and their audience alike. Sir Walter Scott wrote the famous Lady of the Lake poem in 1810. Alfred Lord Tennyson also took an interest in this Arthurian character and immortalized her in Idylls of the King. Interestingly, like with Malory, he writes of two Ladies of the Lake. The first being Vivian - the deceitful woman who ensnares Merlin and her opposite, the Lady of the Lake who raised Lancelot and gives Arthur his sword.

 

Gustave Dore's - Viviane and Merlin (1868). 

The question remains, of course...where is the lake? We could start with Avalon and work our way around from there - that's if anyone can agree to where Avalon actually is!  There are so many supposed locations of where the lake could be, that I am not going to bother to list them in fear that I will miss a location out! But still, it's a good story isn't it.

Competition time!!!
How would you like to win a signed copy of The Du Lac Chronicles? All you have to do is post a comment telling me about your favourite Arthurian Character and why you like them so much!

A generation after the fall of Arthur Pendragon...

“It is dangerous to become attached to a du Lac. He will break your heart, and you will not recover.”  

So prophesies a wizened healer to Annis, daughter of King Cerdic of Wessex. If there is truth in the old crone’s words, they come far too late for Annis, who defies father, king, and country to save the man she loves.

Alden du Lac, once king of Cerniw, has nothing. Betrayed by Cerdic, Alden’s kingdom lies in rubble, his fort razed to the ground and his brother Merton missing, presumably dead. He has only one possession left worth saving: his heart. And to the horror of his few remaining allies, he gives that to the daughter of his enemy. They see Annis, at best, as a bargaining chip to avoid war with her powerful father. At worst, they see a Saxon witch with her claws in a broken, wounded king.

Alden has one hope: When you war with one du Lac, you war with them all. His brother Budic, King of Brittany, could offer the deposed young king sanctuary—but whether he will offer the same courtesy to Annis is far less certain.

Or alternatively, pick up your copy from Amazon!

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Stonehenge and Arthurian Legend

Ambrosius's army and the Saxon invaders fought a fierce battle at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. The day fell to Ambrosius, but his army had not come through the fierce battle unscathed. 3,000 of his loyal knights had been killed.

Ambrosius decided that the dead should be honoured. A memorial should be built in this place, to remember the fallen.

 "If you are desirous," said Merlin, "to honour the burying-place of these men with an ever-lasting monument, send for the Giant's Dance, which is in Killaraus, a mountain in Ireland. For there is a structure of stones there, which none of this age could raise, without a profound knowledge of the mechanical arts. They are stones of a vast magnitude and wonderful quality; and if they can be placed here, as they are there, round this spot of ground, they will stand for ever."  

Geoffrey Monmouth The History of the Kings of Britain

 

There was of course, a little problem with the Irish. They had no intention of giving up their sacred stones. Armed with 15,000 knights and accompanied by Ambrosius brother, Uther, Merlin traveled to Ireland. The Irish tried their very best to defend their stones, but they were overwhelmed not only by the numbers, but also by the skills of Ambrosius's knights.

Merlin now had possession of the stones...

"Now try your forces, young men, (said Merlin) and see whether strength or art can do the most towards taking down these stones."

It was as easy as that....

Or not, as it happens. 

Merlin watched the efforts of the knights with great amusement. Finally he stepped in and using his vast "contrivances" (skill) he moved the stones effortlessly and sent them to Briton. Once they reached Salisbury, Ambrosius summoned the clergy and the people to celebrate the erection of the monument. Once everyone had gathered, Merlin set the stones in the same position as they had been previously in Ireland.
 

Obviously, there is a great deal more to Stonehenge than this and the history of the site is fascinating. I am lucky that I live reasonably nearby to Stonehenge (just over a hours drive) and we have visited the ancient monument many times.

Unfortunately the stones, for their own protection, are roped off. You can walk around them, but you cannot touch them.

In 2013 English Heritage opened their new visitor center at the site. We went to visit the stones, and to see the new center, on a very cold and wet afternoon in January 2014. We have never walked around those stones so quickly in our life as we did that afternoon!  We were certainly glad to get back into the warmth of the visitors center, to which we discovered we were the only idiots who would venture out in such awful weather - we had the center practically to ourselves. Inside the center they have this marvelously roundish room. We sat down on the floor, in the middle of this room,  and watched the virtual tour of Stonehenge. The tour  takes you from the beginning of the monuments history, until modern day. It was very impressive and helped us appreciate just how old these stone are. 

I am not surprised that Merlin found his way to Stonehenge. I find it hard to conceive just how our ancient ancestors moved these stones. Maybe, along the way, there was a little magic to it. I like to think so anyway.


Reference
Geoffrey of Monmouth The History of the Kings of Britain.

Who was Ambrosius Aurelianus? Arthurian Legend.

King Arthur is often confused with Ambrosius Aurelianus. I have fleetingly mentioned Ambrosius several times before, but I think he deserves a post of his own.
Ambrosius was a war leader of Roman-British decent. Surprisingly the earliest mention of him is in the 6th Century by Gildas. Gildas named very few people in his sermon De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, but he does name Ambrosius. This is what he had to say...

"... a gentleman who, perhaps alone of the Romans, had survived the shock of this notable storm. Certainly his parents, who had worn the purple, were slain by it. His descendants in our day have become greatly inferior to their grandfather's excellence. Under him our people regained their strength, and challenged the victors to battle. The Lord assented, and the battle went their way."

Although this is very brief, we can deduce a fair amount from it.

Ambrosius was of Roman descent.

  

"...his parents had worn the purple..."

Purple was a really important colour. It was worn by the Emperors of Rome. It was the colour worn by those of noble heritage as well as senators. Senior officers in the Roman legions also wore a purple band. Maybe his father held a high rank in the army, or maybe he was  a governor of a provenance in England.

The passage also describes his parents being slain by the Saxons and yet he survived.

 

 Roman men wearing togae praetextae with reddish-purple stripes during a religious procession.

Ambrosius was a Chrisitan.

"...The Lord assented..."

He went into battle with God's help - so from that we can assume he was a Christian.

Ambrosius fought the Saxons.

"Sometimes the Saxons and sometimes the citizens were victorious."

I guess things did not always go the way Ambrosius wanted, but it does tell us that he was a great war-leader.

I always found this line very interesting.

"His descendants in our day have become greatly inferior to their grandfather's excellence."

Who was his Grandfather? He was obviously an important person. There has been a fair few name thrown forward as to who Gildas had been talking about, but it is all speculation.

 Bede mentions Ambrosius in his great work, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

"...Their leader at that time was a certain Ambrosius Aurelianus, a discreet man, who was, as it happened, the sole member of the Roman race who had survived this storm in which his parents, who bore a royal and famous name, had perished. Under his leadership the Britons regained their strength, challenged their victors to battle, and, with God's help, won the day."

It seemed that Bede took his account from Gildas..dare I say Bede had a better way with words?!

Ambrosius's story is picked up by Nennius.

Nennius suggests that Ambrosius was a very influential warlord. Vortigern, another great powerful warlord, feared the return of Roman rule and he saw Ambrosius as more of a threat to his throne than that of the northern invaders. You may recall a story I wrote in an earlier post about Ambrosius, Vortigern, two dragons and a tower that kept falling down. If you missed it, you can read it here.

By the time Monmouth came to talk about him - his story, like many others of the time, had become fictitious and his connection with Arthurian legend was forever cemented. His name is changed to Pendragon - and he becomes High King Arthur's, uncle. Merlin even builds a memorial for him at Stonehenge.

Sometimes it is argued that Ambrosius is Arthur. Both fought at Badon Hill, both were powerful warlords.

Whether Ambrosius was King Arthur, I don't think we will ever know. Whoever he was, he certainly had a very fascinating life.

The Battle of Camlann - The final battle of Arthur Pendragon

"The Strife of Camlann in which Arthur and Medraut perished"

Annales Cambriae ( The Annals of Wales)

The Battle of Camlann is reputed to have been the last battle that Arthur fought in, although there is no mention of it in Nennius famous list of battles. The first documented evidence of the battle can be found in the 10th Century work, Annales Cambriae.

(How Mordred was Slain by Arthur, and How by Him Arthur was Hurt to the Death, by Arthur Rackham)

What happened?

Now, legend would have it that this was the battle in which Mordred turned on Arthur and they fought each other - but the Annales Cambriae does not actually say this...it simply states that they both perished. It makes me wonder?

But, never mind that, it certainly did not stop Geoffrey of Monmouth writing his romantic work of fiction - I meant fact...historical fact...I am always getting that wrong!

If you are not familiar with the story, than I shall do my best to enlighten you!

Arthur finds out about Lancelot and Guinevere's betrayal. So enraged is he, that he follows Lancelot to France, determined to seek his revenge. Arthur leaves Mordred in charge of Britain in his absence.

While he is away, Mordred decides that he rather likes being King of Britain and upsurges Arthur. 

Arthur, learning of Mordred's treachery, takes his army back to Britain and the two meet at Camlann where they battle for the throne. Mordred is killed - by the hand of Arthur, perhaps? Unfortunately, Arthur is also fatally wounded. He is taken to Avalon -- the water is said to be magical and he hopes it can heal him. No one knows what happened to Arthur after that. It is a mystery.

Where is Camlann?

As with all stories of Arthur, there are many haphazard guesses as to where Camlann is. However, there is one clue, Camlann comes from the word, Cambo-glanna, which means a crooked bank of a river! It remains me of Gidas and the location of Badon Hill - The battle was in the south-west. There was a siege on a hill. So helpful!

Monmouth suggested Queen Camel in Somerset, which would be an ideal location if Camelot was at South Cadbury, for the two are very close and for a fictional story it makes perfect sense. Mordred would defend his strong hold on Camelot, whilst Arthur would do everything within his power to reclaim Camelot and Britain.

Queen Camel and that crooked river.

Monmouth tells of a proper full on battle, where the opposing armies line up to face each other, whereas Malory says that the battle was a mistake, a simple misunderstanding, which involved a snake and one of the knights drawing his sword to kill it -  this made the rest of the army draw their swords and carnage consequently resulted. Some mistake!

Guinevere - A Welsh Story??

What do we know of Guinevere?

 She was.... 

King Arthur's Wife
 Queen of Camelot

Lancelot du Lac's, Lover

Guinevere was embroiled into a love triangle that was always going to end badly. She had it all. A loving and powerful husband. A beautiful home. She was popular and loved by the people. She should have been happy and who knows, maybe she was. But her fate was sealed the day she met Lancelot.

So where forth did she come from and what has she got to do with the Welsh?

Firstly we need to check out her name. In Welsh she was called Gwenhwyfar - The White Enchantress / The White Ghost - that makes her sound kind of seductive with supernatural powers doesn't it?

 

 I want to look at  Trioedd Ynys Prydein, for those of you who don't speak Welsh - I am among your number - it translates as The Triads of the Island of Britain.

I want to specifically have a look at line 56 ( LVI - for those who prefer Roman Numerals)! Have a read.

Arthur's Three Great Queens

Gwenhwyfar daughter of (Cywryd) Gwent,
and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr son of Greidiawl,
and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gogfran the Giant.

So it seems that Arthur was married 3 times. Luckily all his wife's were called Gwenhwyfar.  He never found himself in a position where he said the wrong name - that must have come in handy?! 

But hey, Arthur was not content with just a wife. Oh no...  

And his Three Mistresses were these:

Indeg daughter of Garwy the Tall,

and Garwen (Fair Leg) daughter of Henin the Old,

and Gwyl (Modest) daughter of Gendawd (Big Chin). 

That is interesting...don't you think? I never think of Arthur as having mistresses. He is always portrayed as the wounded party  - I knew there was more to it than we first thought! 

I think the names (translations) are great. I wonder if Big Chin was meant as a compliment back then?

 I love reading the Triads of Britain..and I think you will like them too.  I have always been particularly interested in the...

Three Golden-Tongued Knights, Whom No One Could Refuse Whatsoever They Might Ask.

and the...

Three Golden Shoemakers of the Island of Britain

....intrigue me as well.

If you did not know already, everything in Britain comes in three's and that it a fact - well, maybe. But hey, it would hardly be a Triad if it didn't. And come to think of it - the love triangle idea is beginning to make sense - there are three points to a triangle...I know it is a very weak hypothesis. I'll shut up now.

If I have sparked your interest in the Triads then Celtic Twilight have a fabulous translation on their website.  http://www.celtic-twilight.com/camelot/triads/

There is another Triad that mentions Guinevere. The Trioedd Ynys Prydein. This states that Gwenhwyfar fell out with her sister which caused the Battle of Camlann. Typical - women always get the blame.

In my next post on Guinevere, I am going to take a look to see what are old friend, Geoffrey Monmouth, made of her. He had those lost manuscripts after all - so everything he says must be true.

Reference.

 Queen Guinevere by James Archer (c.1860)

Queen Guinevere's Maying by John Collier (1900)

Glastonbury Tor

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

                                                             Jerusalem 

I love driving down to Wells from the Mendip Hills. There is a rather bendy and steep hill that has trees and high stone walls on both sides of the road. But then you go around a corner and the scenery opens up in front of you. I particularly like driving down this road early in the morning, because the Tor looks like it is rising from the mist and for that moment, it is easy to believe that Glastonbury was Avalon. This "mist" even has a name - Fata Morgana - the Italina name for this type of mirage. It is said that the Arthurian sorceress Morgen le Frey created fairy castle and false lands in the air, to lure sailors to their deaths.

Many people feel drawn to the Tor and I am one of them. I have spent many an evening up there in my youth, with my friends. It was usually pretty cold, but it was always worth it for the sunset.

I have to be honest, I have avoided blogging about the Tor and I don't really know why that is. I guess it's just one of my special places and sometimes like books, if you talk about them, dissect them, then all you are left with is words - the magic is gone. I do not want to lose the magic of the Tor. But that is a poor excuse! The Tor has a fascinating history and it needs to be shared.

I am not going to go into masses of detail about how high it is or why no one seems to know why the Tor has seven deep, roughly symmetrical terraces. If you have never climbed it, lets just say, your going to be glad when your reach the top. There is a great many steps and boy, is it steep - The picture does not do it justice as to how steep it is - Although I did once see a woman jogger who ran up and down those steps twice - without stopping. I can remember thinking she must be completely mad - I always have to stop half-way and collapse on the grass in a heap! She was obviously just super fit where as I am....

The Tor hides many secrets, of that I am certain. But one thing is for sure, this hill has been drawing people towards it for a very long time. Archaeologists have found Neolithic flint tools at the top of the Tor - and there wasn't even steps up the hill back then - they must have been really, really fit!

Philip Rahtz and his team excavated the site 1964 - 1966 and found evidence of occupation in the 5th to 7th Centuries.

There were at least four buildings on the summit of the Tor during the late Saxon and early medieval period.

The 11th and 12th Century saw the building of a timber church, which was dedicated to St Michael. Monk cells have also been identified there. Although, I can not understand why anyone would want to live on top of the Tor because when that wind blows...your teeth are definitely going to chatter. Believe me - I know.

On the 11th September 1275, there was an large earthquake that destroyed the church. So they built another one in the 14th Century. This church survived until Henry VIII had his own earthquake which saw the destruction of many beautiful monasteries. Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey was rather brutally executed on top of the Tor along with two of his monks. It always makes me feel incredibly sad when I think of the Abbot and his monks. The Abbot was held in very high esteem. He was a caring spiritual leader. Not only did they all die a traitors death, but from the top of the Tor they could have seen their once beautiful Abbey lying in ruins. The only thing left of the church on top of the Tor was the tower.

Richard Colt Hoarse bought the Tor in 1786 and in 1804 he funded the repair of the tower. In the 20th century the Tor was sold and it became a memorial to Thomas Jex-Blake, the former Dean of Wells. In 1933 the National Trust took control of the Tor and they have looked after her ever since.

Ynys yr Afalon

The Isle of Avalon
(Ynys Witrin - The Island of Glass) 

The Tor has long been associated with Arthur and his knights. The discovery of Arthur and Guinevere's coffin seemed to cement the fact that Glastonbury, is in fact Avalon. Although due to recent discovery's the whole, Arthur and Guinevere connection may not have been so genuine. Those monks of Glastonbury Abbey really knew how to make money!

The 19th Century saw a resurgence of interest in Celtic mythology. It was thought the Tor was the entrance to Avalon - the land of the fairies. 

I have not explained all the myths and folklore associated with the Tor. I am sure you have somewhere better you really should be. 

But it is a most magical place. It is easy to believe in fairies and Goddesses, King and legends, when you are on top of it.

Whether Glastonbury is Avalon, no one knows. But think of this, since the beginning people have been drawn to this place and this hill. I have suspicion that they always will be. Now tell me that isn't magic... 

 

"There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men. My request is that you remember this" Merlin

Gaius: :  Where did you study? Answer me.

Merlin:  I've... I've never studied magic or been taught. 

Gaius:   Are you lying to me, boy?

Merlin: What do you want me to say?

Gaius:  The truth!

Merlin: I was born like this. 

Gaius:  That's impossible!

                                                   (Merlin - The Dragons Call)

If you had not already guessed, I am going to be blogging about Merlin again today.

Last time I was talking about Monmouth and all the wonderful things he did for Merlin. Today, I am going to have a look and see where this fascinating wizard went next.

Robert de Boron was one of those amazing French poets of the 12th Century. He wrote a poem called Merlin. Boron is credited with the great works Prose Merlin as well.                                       

Let us see how he portrayed Merlin in Prose Merlin.

It is said that in between Christ’s horrific crucifixion and joyful resurrection he spent some time in Hell, bringing salvation to all who had died (excluding the damned).                                                                                                         

“Full wrothe and angry was the Devell, whan that oure Lorde hadde ben in helle and had take oute Adam and Eve and other at his plesier” Prose Merlin

 

Christ's Descent into Limbo Andrea Mantegna c.1470 

 

Boron starts the story of Merlin just after Christ’s resurrection. The Council of devils was called in to order. They were angry, enraged by Christ’s Harrowing of Hell and they wanted revenge. Christ and his God would not be allowed to get away with this. They would rue the day they thought to enter into a domain that was never theirs.

They came up with a plan.

They would create a being that would undo everything that Christ had done. They would create an antichrist, who would follow their orders, who would do their bidding and there would be nothing that God or his son could do about it.

Their plan was deceptively simple. If God could beget a child with a virgin maid, then so could they. They found such a woman and begot her with child.

 

 But they did not understand love, or virtue, faith...hope. The woman they had chosen had a close advisor, a holy man called Blaise and she confided in him what had happened. She begged for his help

 

 Blaise tries to reassure the woman. He tells her that they will baptize the child as soon as it is born and they pray with all their might that the demon will be chased away from the babies body.

 

The baby, a boy, is born and Blaise immediately baptizes him and they pray that the demon will not plague the child. It seems that they were successful. They have snatched the child away from Satan’s clutches.

                                                                                                                         

The woman names the child Merlin after her father.

But Merlin is no ordinary child. He may not be under the influence of Satan anymore, but the demon has left him a legacy. He can see things – the past – the present. He can predict future events. He is, in short, a prophet. But he is no ordinary prophet; he has other skills as well. He can shapeshift.

Last time I spoke about Nennius and his story of Vortigern and his struggle building a tower that kept on collapsing? If you missed that post you can check it out here.

In Nennius’s story, the fatherless boy who is brought before Vortigern is Ambrosius.

In Boron’s story the boy is Merlin.

Like Ambrosius in Nennius story, Merlin blames the destruction of the tower on two fighting dragons, but here the story take a sharp turn and veers off on its own course. Instead of the dragons represent the Saxon’s and the Briton’s, Merlin states that the dragons represent Vortigern and two brothers, Pendragon and Uther. Merlin also prophesies Vortigern’s death.

On Vortigern’s death, Pendragon take the throne. Merlin becomes an adviser to this new royal dynasty. He helps them with their struggles with the Saxons.

Merlin foresees a great battle at Salisbury where Pendragon will meet his fate. All that he predicts comes true and the younger of the brothers, Uther, takes the throne as well as his brothers name. He becomes known as Uther Pendragon.

The battle was fierce and many Britons died. Merlin decides that a permanent memorial is needed so this battle would be remembered forever. The memorial still stands – Stonehenge.

Uther needs to be a strong king and Merlin advices that he needs a symbol of the Christian religion. He recommends a replica of the table that was used at the Last Supper and was pinnacle in the story of the Holy Grail - It is said that Joseph of Arimethea used the Grail (A cup) - from the Last Supper - to catch the blood from Jesus's body as he hung from the cross - They did not have the Grail, but they could recreate at least part of the story. What they needed was....

A Round Table.

A glorious Round Table was commissioned and it came to represent not only the Grail and the last supper, but also chivalry and the knightly code of honour.

But not everything Merlin does is for the good. When Uther is overcome with lust for the Duke of Cornwall’s wife. Merlin casts a spell, so Uther’s appearance is changed to that of the Duke. Igrain, the Dukes wife, is deceived into thinking that she is sharing her body with her husband. That night, Arthur is conceived.

The Duke dies that night in battle and Uther and Igrain marry soon after.

When Arthur is born he is fostered and is raised by Antor (Ector). Arthur grows up and as we all know he draws a sword from a stone.

 References

University of Rochester - Middle English Text Series

http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/conlee-prose-merlin-introduction 

If you would like to read Prose Merlin, then check out this link. 

Forget about Arthur -- Let's take a look at Merlin!

 Higitus Figitus zumbabazing! 

Today, I am going to blog about....

  Merlin  

( Imagine John Hurt saying that - It makes it sound so much more majestic).

Oh my days...now here's a topic. I fear it will take more than one post to talk about this rather interesting chap.

Okay. Lets start with the basics...

When I think of Merlin, I think of several things.

1. He was a wizard.

 

(Maybe not this Wizzard, but you get the idea...I hope!)

2. He was Welsh

( A Welsh mountain.)

3. Colin Morgan

 

4. Myrddin Emrys 

 

( Colin Morgan again!) 

5.Higitus Figitus

 

Today, for simplicity's sake, I am going to look at the legend.

The name Emrys means immortal and that was exactly what Geoffrey of Monmouth did to Merlin when he wrote his wonderful  Historia Regum Britanniae. Which - we all know - is the most fascinating factual book ever to be written. Fascinating, yes. Factual...not so much. But then again, maybe one day someone will find Monmouth's mysteriously lost manuscript - where he claimed he got all of his sources from. Wouldn't it be marvellous if they did? Can you image the uproar that would cause?! Oh, I so want someone to find it. Hey, you know, that could be an interesting idea for a book - I could have fun with that! Monmouth's Lost Manuscript. Has a certain ring to it, don't you think? Watch this space...

Monmouth's, Merlin was incredibly popular. Particularly with the Welsh. The English may have some flimsy claim to Arthur, but the Welsh had Merlin and lets be honest - he was a far more interesting character than some knight who pulled a sword out of a stone.

Let me introduce you to Myrddin Wyllt (a.k.a. Myriddin the Wild / of the Woods / of Carmarthen). Now rumour has it, that Myriddin was driven mad by witnessing the horrors of war and he fled to the woods and became a bit of a wild-man. Monmouth had a very reliable source - here we go - he claimed to have the actual words of this mysterious hermit. Which he then tuned into a great work, which he aptly named Prophetiae Merlini (The Prophesy of Merlin).

Before we continue, we need to take a look quickly at Nennius works. Now Nennius famously listed Arthur's 12 battles, although he never mentioned that Arthur was a king. Who he did talk about was Aurelius Ambrosius...

....The British Warlord, Vortigern, was trying to erect a tower ( like you do), but the tower, for some unknown reason, always collapsed before completion. The solution was simple - all that was needed was the blood of a child born without a father - so simple, why did no one else think of that?! This meant they had to travel to a galaxy far far away, meet up with the Jedi -- hang on -- sorry -- wrong story....

...Luckily, for Vortigern and the tower, there was such a child. A boy called Ambrosius. He was brought before the king. He bravely told the king that the reason why the tower kept falling down was because the foundations were built on a lake where two dragons continuously fought each other. Obviously this was a not so subtle metaphor for the Saxon's and the Britons who were continuously fighting for dominance. The tower would not stand while Vortigern had the throne. It would only stand when Ambosius became king. Ambrosius then has the cheek to tell Vortigern to go away. Ambrosius says "I will stay here." I bet Vortigern didn't see that one coming.

But what has this got to do with Merlin?

Monmouth changed the story Nennius told -- such things happen now and then. The fatherless child is actually a prophetic bard, who goes by the name of Merlin.


Monmouth magically weaves Merlin into the stories of Arthur and his knights. And he states that it was Merlin that brought the stones for Stonehenge from the Preseil Hills. Stonehenge - according to Monmouth- is the burial place of Aurelius Ambrosius.

It was a good job Merlin knew a giant to help him build Stonehenge - I do not understand why archaeologists have never found any evidence for the giant race helping with Stonehenge - I mean, it makes sense and how hard can it be to find a giant's footprint?! I do not think they are looking hard enough.

 This depiction of Merlin and the giant can be found in the manuscript of Roman de Brut by Wace.

Monmouth is also responsible for the tale of how Arthur was conceived. If you are not familiar with it, you can read about it here. But to quickly recap... Merlin casts a magic spell on Uther Pendragon, changing his appearance so that he looks like Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. Uther creeps into the bedchamber of Gorlois's wife, Igrain, and begets her with child.

Monmouth caught, what I like to call, the King Arthur bug - I must warn you it is very contagious - He could not leave Merlin's story alone, just like he could not leave Arthur's. Merlin pops up again in Vita Merlini.

Once Monmouth finished his great works, that wasn't the end for Merlin and his story. In fact that old Wizard was just getting started. Keep an eye out for the next blog on Merlin and I will continue his tale...